按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
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。
89
… Page 90…
A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
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；
90
… Page 91…
A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
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
91
… Page 92…
A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
grown…up people do now because they have never been free。 They could
hardly behave worse； anyhow。
92
… Page 93…
A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
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 happe