a treatise on parents and children-第16部分

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manners　are　in　many　respects；　they　are　better　than　no　manners　at　all。

And　no　individual　or　family　can　possibly　teach　them。　　They　can　be

acquired　only　by　living　in　an　organized　community　in　which　they　are

traditional。



Thus　we　see　that　there　are　reasons　for　the　segregation　of　children

even　in　families　where　the　great　reason：　　namely；　that　children　are

nuisances　to　adults；　does　not　press　very　hardly；　as；　for　instance；　in

the　houses　of　the　very　poor；　who　can　send　their　children　to　play　in

the　streets；　or　the　houses　of　the　very　rich；　which　are　so　large　that

the　children's　quarters　can　be　kept　out　of　the　parents'　way　like　the

servants'　quarters。







Not　too　much　Wind　on　the　Heath；　Brother



What；　then；　is　to　be　done？　　For　the　present；　unfortunately；　little

except　propagating　the　conception　of　Children's　Rights。　　Only　the

achievement　of　economic　equality　through　Socialism　can　make　it

possible　to　deal　thoroughly　with　the　question　from　the　point　of　view

of　the　total　interest　of　the　community；　which　must　always　consist　of

grown…up　children。　　Yet　economic　equality；　like　all　simple　and　obvious

arrangements；　seems　impossible　to　people　brought　up　as　children　are

now。　　Still；　something　can　be　done　even　within　class　limits。　　Large

communities　of　children　of　the　same　class　are　possible　today；　and

voluntary　organization　of　outdoor　life　for　children　has　already　begun

in　Boy　Scouting　and　excursions　of　one　kind　or　another。　　The　discovery

that　anything；　even　school　life；　is　better　for　the　child　than　home

life；　will　become　an　over…ridden　hobby；　and　we　shall　presently　be　told

by　our　faddists　that　anything；　even　camp　life；　is　better　than　school

life。　　Some　blundering　beginnings　of　this　are　already　perceptible。

There　is　a　movement　for　making　our　British　children　into　priggish

little　barefooted　vagabonds；　all　talking　like　that　born　fool　George

Borrow；　and　supposed　to　be　splendidly　healthy　because　they　would　die

if　they　slept　in　rooms　with　the　windows　shut；　or　perhaps　even　with　a

roof　over　their　heads。　　Still；　this　is　a　fairly　healthy　folly；　and　it

may　do　something　to　establish　Mr　Harold　Cox's　claim　of　a　Right　to　Roam

as　the　basis　of　a　much　needed　law　compelling　proprietors　of　land　to

provide　plenty　of　gates　in　their　fences；　and　to　leave　them　unlocked

when　there　are　no　growing　crops　to　be　damaged　nor　bulls　to　be

encountered；　instead　of；　as　at　present；　imprisoning　the　human　race　in

dusty　or　muddy　thoroughfares　between　walls　of　barbed　wire。



The　reaction　against　vagabondage　will　come　from　the　children

themselves。　　For　them　freedom　will　not　mean　the　expensive　kind　of

savagery　now　called　〃the　simple　life。〃　　Their　natural　disgust　with　the

visions　of　cockney　book　fanciers　blowing　themselves　out　with　〃the　wind

on　the　heath；　brother；〃　and　of　anarchists　who　are　either　too　weak　to

understand　that　men　are　strong　and　free　in　proportion　to　the　social

pressure　they　can　stand　and　the　complexity　of　the　obligations　they　are

prepared　to　undertake；　or　too　strong　to　realize　that　what　is　freedom

to　them　may　be　terror　and　bewilderment　to　others；　will　drive　them　back

to　the　home　and　the　school　if　these　have　meanwhile　learned　the　lesson

that　children　are　independent　human　beings　and　have　rights。







Wanted：　　a　Child's　Magna　Charta



Whether　we　shall　presently　be　discussing　a　Juvenile　Magna　Charta　or

Declaration　of　Rights　by　way　of　including　children　in　the　Constitution

is　a　question　on　which　I　leave　others　to　speculate。　　But　if　it　could

once　be　established　that　a　child　has　an　adult's　Right　of　Egress　from

uncomfortable　places　and　unpleasant　company；　and　there　were　children's

lawyers　to　sue　pedagogues　and　others　for　assault　and　imprisonment；

there　would　be　an　amazing　change　in　the　behavior　of　schoolmasters；　the

quality　of　school　books；　and　the　amenities　of　school　life。　　That

Consciousness　of　Consent　which；　even　in　its　present　delusive　form；　has

enabled　Democracy　to　oust　tyrannical　systems　in　spite　of　all　its

vulgarities　and　stupidities　and　rancors　and　ineptitudes　and

ignorances；　would　operate　as　powerfully　among　children　as　it　does　now

among　grown…ups。　　No　doubt　the　pedagogue　would　promptly　turn

demagogue；　and　woo　his　scholars　by　all　the　arts　of　demagogy；　but　none

of　these　arts　can　easily　be　so　dishonorable　or　mischievous　as　the　art

of　caning。　　And；　after　all；　if　larger　liberties　are　attached　to　the

acquisition　of　knowledge；　and　the　child　finds　that　it　can　no　more　go

to　the　seaside　without　a　knowledge　of　the　multiplication　and　pence

tables　than　it　can　be　an　astronomer　without　mathematics；　it　will　learn

the　multiplication　table；　which　is　more　than　it　always　does　at

present；　in　spite　of　all　the　canings　and　keepings　in。







The　Pursuit　of　Learning



When　the　Pursuit　of　Learning　comes　to　mean　the　pursuit　of　learning　by

the　child　instead　of　the　pursuit　of　the　child　by　Learning；　cane　in

hand；　the　danger　will　be　precocity　of　the　intellect；　which　is　just　as

undesirable　as　precocity　of　the　emotions。　　We　still　have　a　silly　habit

of　talking　and　thinking　as　if　intellect　were　a　mechanical　process　and

not　a　passion；　and　in　spite　of　the　German　tutors　who　confess　openly

that　three　out　of　every　five　of　the　young　men　they　coach　for

examinations　are　lamed　for　life　thereby；　in　spite　of　Dickens　and　his

picture　of　little　Paul　Dombey　dying　of　lessons；　we　persist　in　heaping

on　growing　children　and　adolescent　youths　and　maidens　tasks　Pythagoras

would　have　declined　out　of　common　regard　for　his　own　health　and　common

modesty　as　to　his　own　capacity。　　And　this　overwork　is　not　all　the

effect　of　compulsion；　for　the　average　schoolmaster　does　not　compel　his

scholars　to　learn：　　he　only　scolds　and　punishes　them　if　they　do　not；

which　is　quite　a　different　thing；　the　net　effect　being　that　the　school

prisoners　need　not　learn　unless　they　like。　　Nay；　it　is　sometimes

remarked　that　the　school　duncemeaning　the　one　who　does　not

likeoften　turns　out　well　afterwards；　as　if　idleness　were　a　sign　of

ability　and　character。　　A　much　more　sensible　explanation　is　that　the

so…called　dunces　are　not　exhausted　before　they　begin　the　serious

business　of　life。　　It　is　said　that　boys　will　be　boys；　and　one　can　only

add　one　wishes　they　would。　　Boys　really　want　to　be　manly；　and　are

unfortunately　encouraged　thoughtlessly　in　this　very　dangerous　and

overstraining　aspiration。　　All　the　people　who　have　really　worked

（Herbert　Spencer　for　instance）　warn　us　against　work　as　earnestly　as

some　people　warn　us　against　drink。　　When　learning　is　placed　on　the

voluntary　footing　of　sport；　the　teacher　will　find　himself　saying　every

day　〃Run　away　and　play：　　you　have　worked　as　much　as　is　good　for　you。〃

Trying　to　make　children　leave　school　will　be　like　trying　to　make　them

go　to　bed；　and　it　will　be　necessary　to　surprise　them　with　the　idea

that　teaching　is　work；　and　that　the　teacher　is　tired　and　must　go　play

or　rest　or　eat：　　possibilities　always　concealed　by　that　infamous

humbug　the　current　schoolmaster；　who　achieves　a　spurious　divinity　and

a　witch　doctor's　authority　by　persuading　children　that　he　is　not

human；　just　as　ladies　persuade　them　that　they　have　no　legs。







Children　and　Game：　　a　Proposal



Of　the　many　wild　absurdities　of　our　existing　social　order　perhaps　the

most　grotesque　is　the　costly　and　strictly　enforced　reservation　of

large　tracts　of　country　as　deer　forests　and　breeding　grounds　for

pheasants　whilst　there　is　so　little　provision　of　the　kind　made　for

children。　　I　have　more　than　once　thought　of　trying　to　introduce　the

shooting　of　children　as　a　sport；　as　the　children　would　then　be

preserved　very　carefully　for　ten　months　in　the　year；　thereby　reducing

their　death　rate　far　more　than　the　fusillades　of　the　sportsmen　during

the　other　two　would　raise　it。　　At　present　the　killing　of　a　fox　except

by　a　pack　of　foxhounds　is　regarded　with　horror；　but　you　may　and　do

kill　children　in　a　hundred　and　fifty　ways　provided　you　do　not　shoot

them　or　set　a　pack　of　dogs　on　them。　　It　must　be　admitted　that　the

foxes　have　the　best　of　it；　and　indeed　a　glance　at　our　pheasants；　our

deer；　and　our　children　will　convince　the　most　sceptical　that　the

children　have　decidedly　the　worst　of　it。



This　much　hope；　however；　can　be　extracted　from　the　present　state　of

things。　　It　is　so　fantastic；　so　mad；　so　apparently　impossible；　that　no

scheme　of　reform　need　ever　henceforth　be　discredited　on　the　ground

that　it　is　fantastic　or　mad　or　apparently　impossible。　　It　is　the

sensible　schemes；　unfortunately；　that　are　hopeless　in　England。

Therefore　I　have　great　hopes　that　my　own　views；　though　fundamentally

sensible；　can　be　made　to　appear　fantastic　enough　to　have　a　chance。



First；　then；　I　lay　it　down　as　a　prime　condition　of　sane　society；

obvious　as　such　to　anyone　but　an　idiot；　that　in　any　decent　community；

children　should　find　in　every　part　of　their　native　country；　food；

clothing；　lodging；　instruction；　and　parental　kindness　for　the　asking。

For　the　matter　of　that；　so　should　adults；　but　the　two　cases　differ　in

that　as　these　commodities　do　not　grow　on　the　bushes；　the　adults　cannot

have　them　unless　they　themselves　organize　and　provide　the　supply；

whereas　the　children　must　have　them　as　if　by　magic；　with　nothing　to　do

but　rub　the　lamp；　like　Aladdin；　and　have　their　needs　satisfied。







The　Parents'　Intolerable　Burden



There　is　nothing　new　in　this：　　it　is　how　children　have　always　had　and

must　always　have　their　needs　satisfied。　　The　parent　has　to　play　the

part　of　Aladdin's　djinn；　and　many　a　parent　has　sunk　beneath　the　burden

of　this　service。　　All　the　novelty　we　need　is　to　organize　it　so　that

instead　of　the　individual　child　fastening　like　a　parasite　on　its　own

particular　parents；　the　whole　body　of　children　should　be　thrown　not

only　upon　the　whole　body　of　parents；　but　upon　the　celibates　and

childless　as　well；　whose　present　exemption　from　a　full　share　in　the

social　burden　of　children　is　obviously　unjust　and　unwholesome。　　Today

it　is　easy　to　f