The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-09-11

know our people spend much OF thet
lives trying to find out what the Euro
pears do ard then learr ir how to cop!
Il; but they have not yet arrived AZ th'
philosophy Of the thing. IL they had
dore 90 the American attitude to~ar'
children would he char ge
What Is this philosophy
The philosophy OF the maintenance oI
social relations demands first OF all a
recognition OF the fundamental fact that
their basis ~ conv erAation. Now. CONVEX
sation does not consist OF such remarks
a.. Does mamma darling want another
piece OF cake; Nor can IL thrive in the
presence OF shrill juvenile voices scream
ing TO attract mAmma's attention. Chill
dren do not converse. They chatter
Conversation 10 an art known only 10
adults. Even young men and young
women are not experts in II. and doubt
less that il one 81 the chief reasons why
they do hot occupy an important position
IN European society. Mere talk. such as
you hear AZ a summer boarding house
/ in one Of our rural districts. Is not con-
VersatIon
Now. over here continued the man.
1T has always seemed to me that there il
an lnsistence on the great fact that the
world belongs to men and women. not
TO little children In our country IL APP
pears to be principally the other way
In almost every home you are expected to
he silent the instant one OF the children
speaks Even II you are not your hostess
10 not unlikely to turn away from you and
listen to her precious offspring. In hotels
the children romp through the public
rooms. over the verandas and even into
the dining room In railway cars they
ramble up and down the aisles and from
far ends Of the car shout. Mamma
Mamma Every one IL expected tn give
way TO them in all places and under all
conditions and the parents lead the way
in this. Naturally the children come to
believe that the world IL theirs and that
grown up people exist simply TO wait
upon them. Now. over here the theory
seems Ia be that children can he kept in
the place Of children and still be happy;
and thew are Have YOU ever seen hap
pier looking lot ~ children than you can
ace any pleasant summer afternoon IN
the Bois de Boulogns'-
-Most certainly thoy appear To- he thor
oughly happy
Have you ever soon ary happier chill
dren thar thos. you have watched playing
In the Crosse Ga-ten in Dresdeni-
None anywhere"
And did tho children IN the Nolk Sga ton
in Budapest SOON To you to bc particularly
downtrodden and oppressed
But interpoeod the wife these illus
trAtinns ~ yours do not ses IN 10 me per-
feCtly To- AZ tho case for adults do not seek
10 practise the important at Of conversa
ton IN public Fairgrounds. I perceive
indeed that you desire 20 point out that
although Obliged n bH quiet in the assem-
blis- 81 their elders those children could
indulge u their hcA-ts' content in the moi -
~ their species when In the propsr places;
bat l"t me call your attention Ca other in-
stances. Do you remember sitting on a
hrnch At the ide ~ a certain champ Do
Mas IN n d-owsy afternoon IN August
whom the sun was gliding the Grnen ~ IN"
ake aud IN" swans were floating sl~eJily
along the marge uf the quay and the lemon
colored sails we're slAntipR against tho dis
INT olive slopes Of tho Mont Seyrier
while away on bohind the chAtsau bugler
vas practising . call and from the other
end e tbs town DOOMED the voice % a
great dog making stHly protest.
I think | remember said thu man.
but you will be made 20 pay in the here
after for reminding me 81 that paradise
an many weary miles removed
You will also remember that there
came a FrenchmAn and his wife accom-
panied by their little hoy and girl and sat
down upon tho bench next TO US These
were not people who practised the polite
art 81 conversation Their talk was
homely talk about the Affairs Of the bust
ness and the household but they were
permitted to talk in peace Neither the
hoy nor the girl restored them with IN
terr'Iptions The girl po@seaeed herself
Of her fathers cane and ersayec to balance
IL on one finger Tho boy took IL away
from her and showed her how much better
he could do II She did not shrek or
call upon mamma for help Not she
Neither she nor the hoy did or ssid one
thing TO interfere with the conversation
of their parents. nor did either Of them
Do anything To break our quiet enjoy
ment 81 the afternoon II thoss had heen
American children the two parentS would
not have had their talk, hut in all proha-
hility they would have been drawn into
a dispute about the two fostering children
before they had been sitting on that
bench half an hour
And YOU will remember said the man.
that there wore two French children ~
different class IN the hotel beside the lake
which il always blue The father was NJ. /
L. Baron something or other. and there
fore the mother was Madame In Baronna
Every evening after dinner you and ! used
To sit on the lounge and take our coffee
while certain unmIsical misrreants stood
outside and twanged guitars and made a
noise which they called singing VI L.
BARON and his wife also Eat and took
coffee and the former buried himself IN
the latest Paris paper MRdame Ia
Baronne read hook There was for them
no conversation Yet what Of the hand.
some little hoy and the winsorne little glrl;
They, too. Eat on settee in IN" lounge
They did not emit shrill sounds They ,
did not canter around tho room They
did not upset furniture or fail down and
shake the building They sat and played
50 quietly that unless you lookei IN and
saw them YOU would NOT have KNOX,, 81,