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of collecting butterflies； of collecting china…dogs； of collecting cocked hats；
and so forth； but her pursuit gives her a joy that costs her nothing except a
sharp look…out upon the proper names over all shop…windows。 No hoard
was ever lighter than hers。 〃I began three weeks ago next Monday；
mother；〃 she says with precision； 〃and I have got thirty…nine。〃 〃Thirty…
nine what？〃 〃Smiths。〃
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THE CHILDREN
FELLOW TRAVELLERS WITH A
BIRD。 II。
The mere gathering of children's language would be much like
collecting together a handful of flowers that should be all unique； single of
their kind。 In one thing； however； do children agree； and that is the
rejection of most of the conventions of the authors who have reported
them。 They do not； for example； say 〃me is；〃 their natural reply to 〃are
you？〃 is 〃I are。〃 One child； pronouncing sweetly and neatly； will have
nothing but the nominative pronoun。 〃Lift I up and let I see it raining；〃 she
bids； and told that it does not rain； resumes； 〃Lift I up and let I see it not
raining。〃
An elder child had a rooted dislike to a brown corduroy suit ordered
for her by maternal authority。 She wore the garments under protest； and
with some resentment。 At the same time it was evident that she took no
pleasure in hearing her praises sweetly sung by a poet； her friend。 He
had imagined the making of this child in the counsels of Heaven； and the
decreeing of her soft skin； of her brilliant eyes； and of her hair〃a brown
tress。〃 She had gravely heard the words as 〃a brown dress；〃 and she
silently bore the poet a grudge for having been the accessory of
Providence in the mandate that she should wear the loathed corduroy。
The unpractised ear played another little girl a like turn。 She had a
phrase for snubbing any anecdote that sounded improbable。 〃That；〃 she
said more or less after Sterne； 〃is a cotton…wool story。〃
The learning of words is； needless to say； continued long after the
years of mere learning to speak。 The young child now takes a current
word into use； a little at random； and now makes a new one； so as to save
the interruption of a pause for search。 I have certainly detected； in
children old enough to show their motives； a conviction that a word of
their own making is as good a communication as another； and as
intelligible。 There is even a general implicit conviction among them that
the grown…up people； too； make words by the wayside as occasion befalls。
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THE CHILDREN
How otherwise should words be so numerous that every day brings
forward some hitherto unheard？ The child would be surprised to know
how irritably poets are refused the faculty and authority which he thinks to
belong to the common world。
There is something very cheerful and courageous in the setting…out of
a child on a journey of speech with so small baggage and with so much
confidence in the chances of the hedge。 He goes free； a simple
adventurer。 Nor does he make any officious effort to invent anything
strange or particularly expressive or descriptive。 The child trusts genially
to his hearer。 A very young boy； excited by his first sight of sunflowers；
was eager to describe them； and called them； without allowing himself to
be checked for the trifle of a name； 〃summersets。〃 This was simple and
unexpected； so was the comment of a sister a very little older。 〃Why
does he call those flowers summersets？〃 their mother said； and the girl；
with a darkly brilliant look of humour and penetration； answered； 〃because
they are so big。〃 There seemed to be no further question possible after an
explanation that was presented thus charged with meaning。
To a later phase of life； when a little girl's vocabulary was； somewhat
at random； growing larger； belong a few brave phrases hazarded to express
a meaning well realizeda personal matter。 Questioned as to the eating of
an uncertain number of buns just before lunch； the child averred； 〃I took
them just to appetize my hunger。〃 As she betrayed a familiar knowledge
of the tariff of an attractive confectioner； she was asked whether she and
her sisters had been frequenting those little tables on their way from
school。 〃I sometimes go in there； mother；〃 she confessed； 〃but I generally
speculate outside。〃
Children sometimes attempt to cap something perfectly funny with
something so flat that you are obliged to turn the conversation。 Dryden
does the same thing； not with jokes； but with his sublimer passages。 But
sometimes a child's deliberate banter is quite intelligible to elders。 Take
the letter written by a little girl to a mother who had； it seems； allowed her
family to see that she was inclined to be satisfied with something of her
own writing。 The child has a full and gay sense of the sweetest kinds of
irony。 There was no need for her to write； she and her mother being both at
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THE CHILDREN
home； but the words must have seemed to her worthy of a pen： 〃My dear
mother； I really wonder how you can be proud of that article； if it is
worthy to be called a article； which I doubt。 Such a unletterary article。
I cannot call it letterature。 I hope you will not write any more such
unconventionan trash。〃
This is the saying of a little boy who admired his much younger sister；
and thought her forward for her age： 〃I wish people knew just how old
she is； mother； then they would know she is onward。 They can see she is
pretty； but they can't know she is such a onward baby。〃
Thus speak the naturally unreluctant； but there are other children who
in time betray a little consciousness and a slight mefiance as to where the
adult sense of humour may be lurking in wait for them； obscure。 These
children may not be shy enough to suffer any self… checking in thei