The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-03
T. j. DAVIS.
THE COUNTRY CHILD.
Restrictions Under Which the City
Reared Urchin Lies.
SAVANNAH. GA.

Restrictions Under Which the City
Reared Urchin Lies.
From the London Spectator.
The town-bred child has nothing to
replace that vista of dreams which the
country child can retrieve at will He
moves in set and ordered ways, even as
the stars in their courses. Certain
walks he goes, demure and restric ed;
he trots sedately beside his nurse, or
lays a gloved hand in hers. Shouting
and running are forbidden. Shops, and
people, and traffic, in eternal monotony
of noise and hurry, are all that is offer
ed for his outdoor consideration. The
sunset is shut away from him behi
bricks and mortar. The stars he ha;
only seen by stealth through curtained
windows. Dew is a matter he cannot
comprehend: snow is something OF
peculiar and adhesive dirtiness. Trees
there are, and grass plots, but they
have neither scent nor significance 10"
him. The flowers in the parks ard
squares are under regime as orderly
as his own, appearing with punctual
precision in their appointed times, even
as he comes down to dessert O. nights.
Birds mean sparrows; there are others
mentioned in rhymes and fairy tales
but he has never met them, any more
than dwarfs or talking cats. In his
nursery, of course he romps and roys-
tiers; but the whole breadth and depth
of outdoor life are denied him. All his
years, whatever he. may achieve or en-
10Y, he will be vacant of those glorious
gains, barren of those golden memories,
which are the inalienable heritage of
his country cousin.
Meanwhile the country child is lay
ing I'D a store of "reminiscences that Will
be companion to him to his latest
hour. The seasons are no empty names
to him; each has it's unique and proper
delights none is inferior to another
Day and night are his, especially that
luminous mystery of summer night
which is the haunt of vague romantic
visions. The sunrise he knows, and tha
sunset, and all the unimaginable ex-
panses of bare heaven, visible from rim
to rim. He is far-sighted, because
there are such untrammeled distances
for his sight to travel; and yet he may
be a keen observer of minute detail
expert in the tiny variations of insects
birds and flowers At four or tVe
years old his senses of adventure wakes
jrrepressible, leading him into paths OF
peril and punishment, and runaway
episodes with impotent conclusions. he
may shout and gambol unchallenged
along the leafy lanes, his legs and MS
lungs wing in eXuberant vitality, none
to say him nay
The procession of the months goes
past him, fraught with boundless pos
sibilities of event. Snowballing Is
Clearly and exhilirating sport; an IN
verified chair makes an excellent sledge'
glossy black regions of untrodden ice
offer prospects of skating and slldlnB
very different from the muddy pan
demonium of a London pond. ne
counts the signs and tokens of sprins
and is not ashamed to go a-primroslns
The whole joyous circumstance ol
bird's-nesting lies an open book psIore
him: his legs may he full of furze
pricks and his coat of rents, but ther
are precious eggs in his pocket hand
kerchief He is knowledgable IN tne
ways of feathered folk, and the rusty
leaves at the foot of the oak tree 90
not conceal from him the nightingale
olive-colored eggs. While his slster
are weaving daisy chains or TOSSING
cowslip balls. he is immersed IN tne
precarious ecstasy of hunting pig nuts
or he is away with elder bows to the
trout stream, to return rosily trluIn-
plant. He excavates piratical cav
in the sandpit, or joys a seesaw on Der
" poised timber. His little garaen
claims devoted attention. he Is an
ADEPT with rake and hoe, and carrie
his first fruits of cress and radishes III
proud tribute to a prouder mother.