Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-11-25
CHILDREN s IDEAS.
EXAMPLES or THEIR CURIOUS VIEWS
or LIFE AND DEATH.

How Yoaing Minds Take Hold on Great nIys-
s~cries-Some Afraid to Die, Others With
out Such Fear-The Life That Would
Pleascand the Death They Would Choose.
The Rivista Italiana di Filosofia con-
tains an article by DR. Marpillero on
children's ideas of life and death, de-
scribing how he questioned a number
OF young children on these subjects at
an elementary school at Royigo and the
answers he received We quote some of
the most curious. In answering the
question, What IL life?" the boys were
much more bold than the girls. Many
children. boys, defined life as "a spirit
that run away as soon as we die. A
boy of . years philosophically observed,
Life is a sea of troubles, which n
may cross we'll or with great unhappi.
ness. A boy of 10 said, Life is a
thing which is never extinguished -
another. Life is Il good work to eat
we'll; another, Life is an invisible
thing which vanishes when it likes and
never returns. A little girl of 10 said.
"Our life is a fluid A small girl of
poor condition. aged 8, said. Life is
paradise. A very general answer was.
Life Is beautiful. or the opposite.
Life IS ugly, and most of the chill
dren who thought life the last were of
well TO do families To the question,
What Is deatht r.any replied mega
lively. especially the girls Very few.
and these only boys. noted the phenom-
enon or death, and one gave as answer
death is d pure spirit The blood dries
up, one neither moves nor feels
Another boy OF 8 years gave IN IN
swe bordering on popular superstition
Death is a thing hat. when die.
pulls my feet Another boy OF y had q,
tlnge OF medical knowledge and repiied,
Death Is When one has more than ~
degrees or Iever Another SAID. Death
is a thing that never sees again,
never again. 10 the question sfe yen
afraid OF DIVING; u children. al boys
gave no reply, 90 of whom I, were girls.
replied negatively. all tie others-that
Is q large Ila5Orlty-sald, Yes 4
little glrl OF 10 OF we'll to do parents
gave the answer II am not nj all AFRAID
OF dying because 1 am tired OF living
All the orphans replied III the following
sense, n am not afraid OF dying because
4 want TO see my parents again A lit
tie girl OF y SAID. II am not afraid OF
dying because 1T is a thing sent by
tod. A boy of ~ replied. II am not
afraid of dying because l am healthy
and have no disease Another. II am
not afraid because | AM strong and
healthy A little girl of IL SAID. II
tear death because it might come at
night and pull my feet Another little
girl SAID. II am afraid of death because
it seems that IL Is my mother who Is
dead. A girl OF IL. who had evidently
been told sone CHASTITY stories, replied.
Il am afraid Of death because 1t Is SO
ugly. and one day Bernard went to bury
a dead person. and 1t got hold OF Bernard
and gave hin a kiss
Another bov OF = said, II am afraid
OF dying because l could not play with
nv sister any mere Another well TO
do boy said n am afraid OF dying be-
cause when one Is dead IA cannot see
the men gathering the harvest OF grapes
and so many NICE things A little boy
OF q answered. II tear death because l
shall not be born another time after
The majority OF answers TO the ques-
ton, do you want 10 grow old were
In the negative A well 10 do little boy
of y years answered. n should not like
10 grow ola npcsanSe 4 should nave no
strength TO work and might die oil hun
ger,
A little girl of 3 said. mo. because l
should have to work hard for my chill
dren, 10 feed and clothe them Many
girls feared to become ugly, saying.
mo. because l should be without
teeth, and. NO, because ! should be
ngly, or gray. or STOPPING A little
glrl said she would like TO grow old
and have grandchildren. A boy said.