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presented to my sisters； because my sex entitled me to a heavier article。 I
must have seen that lady at least four times in the twenty years following。
She never alluded to my salvation in any way。 People occasionally ask
me to act as godfather to their children with a levity which convinces me
that they have not the faintest notion that it involves anything more than
calling the helpless child George Bernard without regard to the possibility
that it may grow up in the liveliest abhorrence of my notions。
A person with a turn for logic might argue that if God is the Father of
all men； and if the child is father to the man； it follows that the true
representative of God at the christening is the child itself。 But such posers
are unpopular； because they imply that our little customs； or； as we often
call them； our religion； mean something； or must originally have meant
something； and that we understand and believe that something。
However； my business is not to make confusion worse confounded；
but to clear it up。 Only； it is as well to begin by a sample of current
thought and practice which shews that on the subject of children we are
very deeply confused。 On the whole； whatever our theory or no theory
may be； our practice is to treat the child as the property of its immediate
physical parents； and to allow them to do what they like with it as far as it
will let them。 It has no rights and no liberties： in short； its condition is
that which adults recognize as the most miserable and dangerous
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A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
politically possible for themselves： namely； the condition of slavery。 For
its alleviation we trust to the natural affection of the parties； and to public
opinion。 A father cannot for his own credit let his son go in rags。 Also；
in a very large section of the population； parents finally become dependent
on their children。 Thus there are checks on child slavery which do not
exist； or are less powerful； in the case of manual and industrial slavery。
Sensationally bad cases fall into two classes； which are really the same
class： namely； the children whose parents are excessively addicted to the
sensual luxury of petting children； and the children whose parents are
excessively addicted to the sensual luxury of physically torturing them。
There is a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children which has
effectually made an end of our belief that mothers are any more to be
trusted than stepmothers； or fathers than slave…drivers。 And there is a
growing body of law designed to prevent parents from using their children
ruthlessly to make money for the household。 Such legislation has always
been furiously resisted by the parents； even when the horrors of factory
slavery were at their worst； and the extension of such legislation at present
would be impossible if it were not that the parents affected by it cannot
control a majority of votes in Parliament。 In domestic life a great deal of
service is done by children； the girls acting as nursemaids and general
servants； and the lads as errand boys。 In the country both boys and girls
do a substantial share of farm labor。 This is why it is necessary to coerce
poor parents to send their children to school； though in the relatively small
class which keeps plenty of servants it is impossible to induce parents to
keep their children at home instead of paying schoolmasters to take them
off their hands。
It appears then that the bond of affection between parents and children
does not save children from the slavery that denial of rights involves in
adult political relations。 It sometimes intensifies it； sometimes mitigates
it； but on the whole children and parents confront one another as two
classes in which all the political power is on one side； and the results are
not at all unlike what they would be if there were no immediate
consanguinity between them； and one were white and the other black； or
one enfranchised and the other disenfranchised； or one ranked as gentle
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A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
and the other simple。 Not that Nature counts for nothing in the case and
political rights for everything。 But a denial of political rights； and the
resultant delivery of one class into the mastery of another； affects their
relations so extensively and profoundly that it is impossible to ascertain
what the real natural relations of the two classes are until this political
relation is abolished。
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A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
What is a Child？
An experiment。 A fresh attempt to produce the just man made perfect：
that is； to make humanity divine。 And you will vitiate the experiment if
you make the slightest attempt to abort it into some fancy figure of your
own： for example； your notion of a good man or a womanly woman。 If
you treat it as a little wild beast to be tamed； or as a pet to be played with；
or even as a means to save you trouble and to make money for you （and
these are our commonest ways）； it may fight its way through in spite of
you and save its soul alive； for all its instincts will resist you； and possibly
be strengthened in the resistance； but if you begin with its own holiest
aspirations； and suborn them for your own purposes； then there is hardly
any limit to the mischief you may do。 Swear at a child； throw your boots
at it； send it flying from the room with a cuff or a kick； and the experience
will be as instructive to the child as a difficulty with a short…tempered dog
or a bull。 Francis Place tells us that his father always struck his children
when he found one within his reach。 The effect on the young Places
seems to have been simply to make them keep out of their father's way；
which was no doubt what he desired； as far as he desired anything at all。
Francis records the habit without bitterness； having reason