The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-19
LIFE AND DEATH.
Examples of ChiIdren's Curious Ideas
About Great Mysteries.
London Daily News.

London Daily News
The Rivista Italiana di Filosofia contains
an article by DR.. Marpllero on children's
ideas of life and death, describing how he
questioned a number of young children on
these subjects at an elementary school at
RoVigo, and the answers he received. We
quote some of the most curious. In answer
ing the question, What is life?" the boys
were much more bold than the girls Many
children, boys, defined life as "A spirit that
runs away as soon as we die A boy OF
nine years philOsOphically observed: Life
is a sea of troubles, which one may cross
well, or with great unhappiness. boy
of ten said: Life is a thing which is never
extinguished." Another Life is good
work to eat WELL" Another: Life is an
invisible thing, which vanishes. when it
likes and never returns" A little girl of
ten said: Our life is a fluid. a small
girl of poor condition, aged eight, SAID:
Life is paradise" very general answer
was, Life is beautiful" or the opposite.
Life is ugly" and most of the children
who thought life the last were OF Well-to-do
families. TO the question. What is
death?' many replied negatively, especially
the girls. Very few, and these only poys,
noted the phenomenon of death, and one
gave as answer: Death is pure spirit;
the blood dries up; one neither moves nor
feels"
Another boy of eight years gave an an
sWer bordering on popular superstition:
Death is a thing that, when ] die pulls
my feet" Another boy of eight had tlnge
of medical knowledge, and repned: "DeAJn
is when one has more than AZ degrees OF
fever" Another said: Death is a tnlng
To the question, Are you afraid of dying
twenty-one children, all boys, gave no re-
ply: sixty-two, of whom seven were girls,
replied negatively; all the others, that IS a
large majority, said Yes" A little girl of
ten. of well-to-do parents, gave the answer;
II not at all afraid OF dying, nec aus
in the following sense: am not alIa4 4
of diving because / want to see my parents
again liz tt dyi grl b of nle nain thing
sent by God" A boy of twelve repned' l
am not afraid of dying, because ! AN, am
healthy and have no disease, announcer;
IT am not afraid, because am strong auG
healthy" A little girl Of eleven sara: l
fear death because it might come at Eig ,d.
and mil nv feet" Another little girl sald:
II am afraid of death, because It seems
that if is my mother who is dead. a slrl
of eleven who had evidently oeen e3 Sraid of
CHASTITY stories, replied: II am AFRAID VI
Death because it is so ugly, and one Gay
Bernard went to bury dead person am, anu =
eos When how of eight SAID: i am afraid
IF diving because / could not play with my
sister any more" Another WeH-to-uo ~,
said. II am afraid of dying because Wleh
one is dead one cannot see the men salneI-
ing the harvest of grapes ana so many MY ..T
things little boy Of SIX not ah he born an
other time after" The majority or answers
to the question do you want 70 slow
old?" were in the negative. a wei ~
lille how of nine years answered;
should not like to grow old because shoul0
have no strength to work ana misnt ul NJ u
| II. "A
| because should have to work hard lot my
Children. to feed and clothe them. Many
girls feared to become ugly. saying no,
because / should be without teeth, ana
No, because / should be ugly, or gray or
| stopping. A little girl said she Woulu HAe
to grow old and have grandchildren boy
| said, YES, so that / might go TO para
| disc" Another of ten years sara; les,
because / should have finished almost all
nv wishes" When asked How would you
like to rve?" most of the children were
very modest. and did not give way 10 fancy.
Many poor children wished that they
might live ION broth and bread, on rice,
ION polenta," or said: Il don't, want to
suffer cold and hunger" child of six, a
| bow said: Il should like to live with my
| father and mother" Another poor boy OF
| ten said: Il should like TO live content
| in nv own home, because then l am hap
ny" Another poor orphan boy of ten said:
| Il should like to have enough TO live on
and 20 and be with my father and specially
my mother of whom / am always think
ing" Very few expressed wish to live
| in a class superior TO their own, but a
| how of seven said: II should like to hive
without working and be gentleman