The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-11-24
CHILDREN'S IDEAS.
EXAMPLES OF THEIR CURIOUS VIEWS
OF LIFE AND DEATH.

teries-some Afraid to Die, Others With
out such Fear-The Life That Would
Please and the Death They Would Choose.
The Rivista Italiana di Filosofia con.
tains an article by DR.. Msrpillero on
cbildrens ideas OF life and death, de-
soribing how he questioned number
of Young children on these subjects at
nm elementary school ut Rovigo and the
answers he received. We quote some of
the most curious. In answering the
question "What is life?" tho 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
hoy of 9 years philosophically observed,
U,ife is a sea of troubles, which one
NAV cross well or with great unhappi-
ness" A boy of 10 said, Life is a
thing which is never extinguished; ;"
another, Life is a 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 fluid" A small girl of
poor condition, aged s, said, "Life is
PARADISE. A very general answer was,
sI,ife is beautiful" or the opposite,
"Life is ugly" and most of the chill
dren who thought life the last were Of
we'll to do families. To the question,
"What is death?" many replied mega
lively, especially the girls. Very few,
and these only boys noted the phenom-
enon of death, and one gave as answer
sd, ath is pure spirit. The blood dries
up; one neither moves nor feels.
Another boy of years gave an an
swer bordering on popular superstition,
death is a thing that, when l die,
pulls my feet" Another boy of had a
tinge of medical knowledge and replied,
"Death is when one has more than AZ
degrees of fever" Another said, death
is a thing that one never sees again,
never again 4" To the question, Are you
afraid of dying?" 81 children, all boys,
gave no reply; SO, of whom were girls,
replied negatively; all the others-that
is, a large majority-said, "Yes. +" A
little girl of 10 of well to do parents
gave the answer, 81 am not at all afraid
Of dying because am tired of living.
All the orphans replied in the following
sense, ct am not afraid Of dying because
Iwant to see my parents again. A lit
tie girl of 8 said, 81 am not afraid Of
dying because it is thing sent by
God" A boy of 10 replied, 81 am MOI
afraid Of dying because l am healthy
and have no disease. Another, Il an
not afraid because 1 am strong ant
healthy" A little girl of IL said, ..
fear death because it might come a
night and pull my feet" Another little
girl said, II am afraid of death becaus'
it seems that it is my mother who i
dead" A girl of IL, who had eyidentl,
been told some CHASTITY stories, replied
ST am afraid of death because it is 81
ugly, and one day Berna went to bur.
adead person, and it got OF Bernart
and gave him a kiss.
Another boy of said, 81 am afrai'
of dying because could not play witt
my sister any more" Another well e
do boy said, II am afraid of dying be
cause when one is dead one cannot Sc
the men gathering the harvest OF grape
and so many nice things" A little bo
of G answered, Il fear death because
shall not be born another time after
The majority of answers to the ques
ton, do you want to grow old!' wer
in the negative A well to do little DO
of 9 wears answered, Il should not lik
to grow old because l should have N
strength to work and might die OF hun
ger"
A little girl of said, "No, because
should have to work hard for my chill
dren, to feed and clothe them. 7" Man
girls feared to become ugly, saying
"No, because I should be withor
teeth" and, "No, because l should !
ugly" or gray, or STOPPING. HUI
girl said she would like to grow OF
and have grandchildren. A boy sale
"Yes, so that might go to paradise
Another of 10 years said, eyes, beoaus
/ should have finished almost all IN
wishes" When asked, "How woul
you like to live?' most of the ohlldre
were very modest and did not give wa
to fancy.
Many poor children wished that the
might live Son broth and breao, 1" &C
rlce, OH pOienIa, VI e"i"'
want to suffer cold and hunger.
child of 6, boy, said, 81 should liz
to live with my father and mother.
Another poor boy of 10 said, Il shoul
like to live content in my own home, o
cause then am happy" Another POI
orphan boy of 10 said, IL should ike
have enough to live on and go ana
with my father and specially my mot
er, of whom I am always thinking
Very few expressed a wish to live IN
class superior to their own, but a d.
of 2 said, "I should like to live witho
working and be gentleman. Anot
er of 9 years replied, 81 should ike
live we'll dressed and have hat and
out walking" A little girl OF sal
ct should like to live like lady al
never work and always be served.
tho question, "How would you ike
diea" the answers frequently alluded
family life. A boy of said, i snou
-. - NIX nOtner