a treatise on parents and children-第17部分

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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　find　a　widow　who　has　at　great　cost　to　herself　in　pain；

danger；　and　disablement；　borne　six　or　eight　children。　　In　the　same

town　you　will　find　rich　bachelors　and　old　maids；　and　married　couples

with　no　children　or　with　families　voluntarily　limited　to　two　or　three。

The　eight　children　do　not　belong　to　the　woman　in　any　real　or　legal

sense。　　When　she　has　reared　them　they　pass　away　from　her　into　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　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。







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；

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　some　formal

acknowledgment　of　the　obligations　it　is　incurring　and　a　knowledge　of

the　fact　that　these　obligations　are　being　recorded：　　if；　further；

certain　qualifications　are　exacted　before　it　is　promoted　from

permission　to　go　as　far　as　its　legs　will　carry　it　to　using　mechanical

aids　to　locomotion；　it　can　roam　without　much　danger　of　gypsification。



Under　such　circumstances　the　boy　or　girl　could　always　run　away；　and

never　be　lost；　and　on　no　other　conditions　can　a　child　be　free　without

being　also　a　homeless　outcast。



Parents　could　also　run　away　from　disagreeable　children　or　drive　them

out　of　doors　or　even　drop　their　acquaintance；　temporarily　or

permanently；　without　inhumanity。　　Thus　both　parties　would　be　on　their

good　behavior；　and　not；　as　at　present；　on　their　filial　or　parental

behavior；　which；　like　all　unfree　behavior；　is　mostly　bad　behavior。



As　to　what　other　results　might　follow；　we　had　better　wait　and　see；　for

nobody　now　alive　can　imagine　what　customs　and　institutions　would　grow

up　in　societies　of　free　children。　　Child　laws　and　child　fashions；

child　manners　and　child　morals　are　now　not　tolerated；　but　among　free

children　there　would　certainly　be　surprising　developments　in　this

direction。　　I　do　not　think　there　would　be　any　danger　of　free　children

behaving　as　badly　as　grown…up　people　do　now　because　they　have　never

been　free。　　They　could　hardly　behave　worse；　anyhow。







Children's　Rights　and　Parents'　Wrongs



A　very　distinguished　man　once　assured　a　mother　of　my　acquaintance　that

she　would　never　know　what　it　meant　to　be　hurt　until　she　was　hurt

through　her　children。　　Children　are　extremely　cruel　without　intending

it；　and　in　ninety…nine　cases　out　of　a　hundred　the　reason　is　that　they

do　not　conceive　their　elders　as　having　any　human　feelings。　　Serve　the

elders　right；　perhaps；　for　posing　as　superhuman！　　The　penalty　of　the

impostor　is　not　that　he　is　found　out　（he　very　seldom　is）　but　that　he

is　taken　for　what　he　pretends　to　be；　and　treated　as　such。　　And　to　be

treated　as　anything　but　what　you　really　are　may　seem　pleasant　to　the

imagination　when　the　treatment　is　above　your　merits；　but　in　actual

experience　it　is　often　quite　the　reverse。　　When　I　was　a　very　small

boy；　my　romantic　imagination；　stimulated　by　early　doses　of　fiction；

led　me　to　brag　to　a　still　smaller　boy　so　outrageously　that　he；　being　a

simple　soul；　really　believed　me　to　be　an　invincible　hero。　　I　cannot

remember　whether　this　pleased　me　much；　but　I　do　remember　very

distinctly　that　one　day　this　admirer　of　mine；　who　had　a　pet　goat；

found　the　animal　in　the　hands　of　a　larger　boy　than　either　of　us；　who

mocked　him　and　refused　to　restore　the　animal　to　his　rightful　owner。

Whereupon；　naturally；　he　came　weeping　to　me；　and　demanded　that　I

should　rescue　the　goat　and　annihilate　the　aggressor。　　My　terror　was

beyond　description：　　fortunately　for　me；　it　imparted　such　a

ghastliness　to　my　voice　and　aspect　as　I　under　the　eye　of　my　poor

little　dupe；　advanced　on　the　enemy　with　that　hideous　extremity　of

cowardice　which　is　called　the　courage　of　despair；　and　said　〃You　let　go

that　goat；〃　that　he　abandoned　his　prey　and　fled；　to　my　unforgettable；

unspeakable　relief。　　I　have　never　since　exaggerated　my　prowess　in

bodily　combat。



Now　what　happened　to　me　in　the　adventure　of　the　goat　happens　very

often　to　parents；　and　would　happen　to　schoolmasters　if　the　prison　door

of　the　school　did　not　shut　out　the　trials　of　life。　　I　remember　once；

at　school；　the　resident　head　master　was　brought　down　to　earth　by　the

sudden　illness　of　his　wife。　　In　the　confusion　that　ensued　it　became

necessary　to　leave　one　of　the　schoolrooms　without　a　master。　　I　was　in

the　class　that　occupied　that　schoolroom。　　To　have　sent　us　h