The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-14

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
Each race knows its own child life and
only its own. English-speaking persons for
the most part are familiar only with Eng
disappearing children-their joys, their
sorrows. their quaint mannerisms and petty
foibles. But there are children of other
races no less interesting. though less fami-
lar, possessed with the habits of the race
into which they are born. and which they
early reflect Miss Dorothy Mendes. a very
young English woman. has made this COM
parative study of child life the subject of
book soon to be published by Macmillan
& Co. Miss Mendes is but a child herself
and is credited with being the youngest
author in the world" She has written
three books within the year. Miss Mendes
Is the daughter of the famous painter. M.
Mortimer Mendes, the war artist who has
held more one-rnan exhibitions of paintings
in London than any other living artist. He
has drawn the pictures-more than 100 of
them-which Will illustrate his daughter $
book. In gathering material for the illus
trations Mr.. Mendes made a trip around
tn. world.
The book will be a family affair strictly,
since the artists older daughter, Miss Maud
Nendes. will engrave and print the colored
pictures for her sisters book after her
father has drawn them The book contains
much that is interesting on the children OF
other countries, and shows evidence of
much close observation.
The japanese girl baby begins life as a
little butterfly. beautiful beyond descrip-
ton. When she energies from her chrysalis
and puts on the dull gray of somber worn-
auhood one would never guess her brilliant
hNliulnlnE Ike no Ian
mese girl wears brilliant clors and models
herSelr as closely possible after the fiow-
sfS' When the time comes for her to EN-
Ter society and seek a husband she imi-
tates the flowers still. not only in appear
&lce, but also in department, tor she sways
"hen she walks like a blossom in breeze.
BURMAH ToDDLERs.
English persons would consider the Bur-
nah boys and girls with a disappearing
iroTn, for they are all addicted to the habit
OF smoking. Little toddlers, hardly able 10
walk. are 10 be seen putting away at che
root, almost as large as themselves, with
all the easy confidence of "grown-ups." No
punishment follows. Burmese boys have
their punishment. however, which smack
oi the English schoolboy's troubles Ii a
Sillo Is dullard and does not care for
lessons ne Is lowered in his own and others
estimation by being made a flag" Until
ne uoes ms work better he must act as
himself ei 'ii'i'
The STYLES of the world, that is the styles
tor women Taiment, are supposed to come
from rams. II is not surprising therefore
ma the children of the French the most
pal dcuIar little women about their clothes
litse'iy French child begins to under
stand anything at all she is anxious to he
come a social success. 1t is almost laugh
ahie 10 see little daughter of the French
nsi,upilc' with her raiment awry. If her
white sock falls down over her foot or her
Hainty frock becomes slightly soilea while
She Is Sro!ilng on the boulevard she ner-
suades her maid to rush her home by an OBJ
scure snort cut for fear she may be seen by
an ACQUAINTANCE. Even at TrouviIle the At
IdilIc city OF the Frenchman. on the sands
where one would expect child to run wild
tlese little women are to be seen carefully
adjusting one another-s bows and sunbon-
nets which have become slightly mussed in
the process of digging.
CHINESE YOUNGSTERS
The children of China have. perhaps, the
most unusual training in the world. AL
most directly the child is born the mother
beginsi TO protect it in every possible way
from Vii spirits that may be lurking about
81 all babies by hanging charms over it
tile iseces of white paper, stones tied by
string. darning needles. padlocks-untiI the
baby resembles nothing more than q ul!nia-
ture Christmas tree. The boy. of course.
occupies the first position in the family. He
Is especially welcome to his fathers seat in
heaven and when that father dies he per-
petually worships him.
One month after the child Is horn n fas
Al is given. his head is shaver and a suit
aDle name chosen. His mother, with the
idea that her child is not human being bur
spirit in disguise. endows it with the most
material names possible in order to bind II
e. the earth. Mister Fowl Run With-the-
Wire-Nettins'' would be ashamed 10 spread
his wings and fly home to his forefathe-s
bearing snch a name. Mothers are contin-
ually occupied with trying to deceive these
evil spirits. If there is only one boy in the
family and several Er;s they will cunning
II change the clothing of the children put
ting the boy in girls dress and n eirl in
the boys. 50 that should the spirits come
they may take one of the girls by mistake.
IN TAM osHANTER LAND.
What strikes the observer most forcibly
with Scottish children is the mental alert
ness Of their expression. Indeed. they are
all well educated. and boys and girls quite
small can read and write decently in the
land of Tam o Shanter. The lassies run
about hatless and happy. In the interness
region the children's hair is a curious whit
ish color. sticking out about the head. and
their eyes are of a forget-me-not blue. He
is an imaginative little soul. the Scottish
child, and believes in fairies and water
monsters. One must not whip pony too
hard,aas every Skye boy knows. Tor here
undA the kindly mists the spirit of the
hose is in direct communication with the
spirits of heaven. The baby's mother never
worries about his tumbles. for IL is we'll
known fact that the more falls he gets be-
fore he Is a year old the happier and more
successful will be the rest of his life.
But the children sing in Scotland as they
work in the beautiful northern isles of the
Hebrides. They have soRS for everything.