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the community as independent persons； marrying strangers； working for
strangers； spending on the community the life that has been built up at her
expense。 No more monstrous injustice could be imagined than that the
burden of rearing the children should fall on her alone and not on the
celibates and the selfish as well。
This is so far recognized that already the child finds； wherever it goes；
a school for it； and somebody to force it into the school； and more and
more these schools are being driven by the mere logic of facts to provide
the children with meals； with boots； with spectacles； with dentists and
doctors。 In fact； when the child's parents are destitute or not to be found；
bread； lodging； and clothing are provided。 It is true that they are
provided grudgingly and on conditions infamous enough to draw down
abundant fire from Heaven upon us every day in the shape of crime and
disease and vice； but still the practice of keeping children barely alive at
the charge of the community is established； and there is no need for me to
argue about it。 I propose only two extensions of the practice。 One is to
provide for all the child's reasonable human wants； on which point； if you
differ from me； I shall take leave to say that you are socially a fool and
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personally an inhuman wretch。 The other is that these wants should be
supplied in complete freedom from compulsory schooling or compulsory
anything except restraint from crime； though； as they can be supplied only
by social organization； the child must be conscious of and subject to the
conditions of that organization； which may involve such portions of adult
responsibility and duty as a child may be able to bear according to its age；
and which will in any case prevent it from forming the vagabond and
anarchist habit of mind。
One more exception might be necessary： compulsory freedom。 I
am sure that a child should not be imprisoned in a school。 I am not so
sure that it should not sometimes be driven out into the openimprisoned
in the woods and on the mountains； as it were。 For there are frowsty
children； just as there are frowsty adults； who dont want freedom。 This
morbid result of over…domestication would； let us hope； soon disappear
with its cause。
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Mobilization
Those who see no prospect held out to them by this except a country in
which all the children shall be roaming savages； should consider； first；
whether their condition would be any worse than that of the little caged
savages of today； and second； whether either children or adults are so apt
to run wild that it is necessary to tether them fast to one neighborhood to
prevent a general dissolution of society。 My own observation leads me to
believe that we are not half mobilized enough。 True； I cannot deny that
we are more mobile than we were。 You will still find in the home counties
old men who have never been to London； and who tell you that they once
went to Winchester or St Albans much as if they had been to the South
Pole； but they are not so common as the clerk who has been to Paris or to
Lovely Lucerne； and who 〃goes away somewhere〃 when he has a holiday。
His grandfather never had a holiday； and； if he had； would no more have
dreamed of crossing the Channel than of taking a box at the Opera。 But
with all allowance for the Polytechnic excursion and the tourist agency；
our inertia is still appalling。 I confess to having once spent nine years in
London without putting my nose outside it； and though this was better；
perhaps； than the restless globe…trotting vagabondage of the idle rich；
wandering from hotel to hotel and never really living anywhere； yet I
should no more have done it if I had been properly mobilized in my
childhood than I should have worn the same suit of clothes all that time
（which； by the way； I very nearly did； my professional income not having
as yet begun to sprout）。 There are masses of people who could afford at
least a trip to Margate； and a good many who could afford a trip round the
world； who are more immovable than Aldgate pump。 To others； who
would move if they knew how； travelling is surrounded with imaginary
difficulties and terrors。 In short； the difficulty is not to fix people； but to
root them up。 We keep repeating the silly proverb that a rolling stone
gathers no moss； as if moss were a desirable parasite。 What we mean is
that a vagabond does not prosper。 Even this is not true； if prosperity
means enjoyment as well as responsibility and money。 The real misery
of vagabondage is the misery of having nothing to do and nowhere to go；
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the misery of being derelict of God and Man； the misery of the idle； poor
or rich。 And this is one of the miseries of unoccupied childhood。 The
unoccupied adult； thus afflicted； tries many distractions which are； to say
the least； unsuited to children。 But one of them； the distraction of seeing
the world； is innocent and beneficial。 Also it is childish； being a
continuation of what nurses call 〃taking notice；〃 by which a child becomes
experienced。 It is pitiable nowadays to see men and women doing after
the age of 45 all the travelling and sightseeing they should have done
before they were 15。 Mere wondering and staring at things is an
important part of a child's education： that is why children can be
thoroughly mobilized without making vagabonds of them。 A vagabond is
at home nowhere because he wanders： a child should wander because it
ought to be at home everywhere。 And if it has its papers and its passports；
and gets what it requires not by begging and pilfering； but from
responsible agents of the community as of right； and with so