contained the suggestion of such dreams； and the midwinter of this
year must doubtless be preparing for the heart of many an ardent
young child a like legend and a like antiquity。 For the old it is a
mere present。
THAT PRETTY PERSON
During the many years in which 〃evolution〃 was the favourite word；
one significant lessonso it seemswas learnt； which has outlived
controversy； and has remained longer than the questions at issuean
interesting and unnoticed thing cast up by the storm of thoughts。
This is a disposition； a general consent； to find the use and the
value of process； and even to understand a kind of repose in the
very wayfaring of progress。 With this is a resignation to change；
and something more than resignationa delight in those qualities
that could not be but for their transitoriness。
What； then； is this but the admiration； at last confessed by the
world； for childhood？ Time was when childhood was but borne with；
and that for the sake of its mere promise of manhood。 We do not now
hold； perhaps； that promise so high。 Even； nevertheless； if we held
it high； we should acknowledge the approach to be a state adorned
with its own conditions。
But it was not so once。 As the primitive lullaby is nothing but a
patient prophecy （the mother's）； so was education； some two hundred
years ago； nothing but an impatient prophecy （the father's） of the
full stature of body and mind。 The Indian woman sings of the future
hunting。 If her song is not restless； it is because she has a sense
of the results of time； and has submitted her heart to experience。
Childhood is a time of danger； 〃Would it were done。〃 But；
meanwhile； the right thing is to put it to sleep and guard its
slumbers。 It will pass。 She sings prophecies to the child of his
hunting； as she sings a song about the robe while she spins； and a
song about bread as she grinds corn。 She bids good speed。
John Evelyn was equally eager； and not so submissive。 His child
〃that pretty person〃 in Jeremy Taylor's letter of condolencewas
chiefly precious to him inasmuch as he was； too soon； a likeness of
the man he never lived to be。 The father； writing with tears when
the boy was dead； says of him： 〃At two and a half years of age he
pronounced English； Latin； and French exactly； and could perfectly
read in these three languages。〃 As he lived precisely five years；
all he did was done at that little age； and it comprised this： 〃He
got by heart almost the entire vocabulary of Latin and French
primitives and words； could make congruous syntax； turn English into
Latin； and vice versa； construe and prove what he read； and did the
government and use of relatives； verbs； substantives； ellipses； and
many figures and tropes； and made a considerable progress in
Comenius's 'Janua；' and had a strong passion for Greek。〃
Grant that this may be a little abated； because a very serious man
is not to be too much believed when he is describing what he
admires； it is the very fact of his admiration that is so curious a
sign of those hasty times。 All being favorable； the child of
Evelyn's studious home would have done all these things in the
course of nature within a few years。 It was the fact that he did
them out of the course of nature that was； to Evelyn； so exquisite。
The course of nature had not any beauty in his eyes。 It might be
borne with for the sake of the end； but it was not admired for the
majesty of its unhasting process。 Jeremy Taylor mourns with him
〃the strangely hopeful child；〃 whowithout Comenius's 〃Janua〃 and
without congruous syntaxwas fulfilling； had they known it； an
appropriate hope； answering a distinctive prophecy； and crowning and
closing a separate expectation every day of his five years。
Ah！ the word 〃hopeful〃 seems； to us； in this day； a word too
flattering to the estate of man。 They thought their little boy
strangely hopeful because he was so quick on his way to be something
else。 They lost the timely perfection the while they were so intent
upon their hopes。 And yet it is our own modern age that is charged
with haste！
It would seem rather as though the world； whatever it shall unlearn；
must rightly learn to confess the passing and irrevocable hour； not
slighting it； or bidding it hasten its work； nor yet hailing it；
with Faust； 〃Stay； thou art so fair！〃 Childhood is but change made
gay and visible； and the world has lately been converted to change。
Our fathers valued change for the sake of its results； we value it
in the act。 To us the change is revealed as perpetual； every
passage is a goal； and every goal a passage。 The hours are equal；
but some of them wear apparent wings。
Tout passe。 Is the fruit for the flower； or the flower for the
fruit； or the fruit for the seeds which it is formed to shelter and
contain？ It seems as though our forefathers had answered this
question most arbitrarily as to the life of man。
All their literature dealing with children is bent upon this haste；
this suppression of the approach to what seemed then the only time
of fulfilment。 The way was without rest to them。 And this because
they had the illusion of a rest to be gained at some later point of
this unpausing life。
Evelyn and his contemporaries dropped the very word child as soon as
might be； if not sooner。 When a poor little boy came to be eight
years old they called him a youth。 The diarist himself had no cause
to be proud of his own early years； for he was so far indulged in
idleness by an 〃honoured grandmother〃 that he was 〃not initiated
into any rudiments〃 till he was four years of age。 He seems even to
have been a youth of eight before Latin was seriously begun； but
this fact he is evidently； in after years； with a total lack of a
sense of humour； rather ashamed of； and hardly acknowledges。 It is
difficult to imagine what childhood must have been when nobody；
looking on； saw any fun in it； when everything that was proper to
five years old was defect。 A strange good conceit of themselves and
of their own ages had those fathers。
They took their children seriously； without relief。 Evelyn has
nothing to say about his little ones that has a sign of a smile in
it。 Twice are children； not his own； mentioned in his diary。 Once
he goes to the wedding of a maid of five years olda curious thing；
but not； evidently； an occasion of sensibility。 Another time he
stands by； in a French hospital； while a youth of less than nine
years of age undergoes a frightful surgical operation 〃with
extraordinary patience。〃 〃The use I made of it was to give Almighty
God hearty thanks that I had not been subject to this deplorable
infirmitie。〃 This is what he says。
See； moreover； how the fashion of hurrying childhood prevailed in
literature； and how it abolished little girls。 It may be that there
were in all ageseven thosecertain few boys who insisted upon
being children； whereas the girls were docile to the adult ideal。
Art； for example； had no little girls。 There was always Cupid； and
there were the prosperous urchin…angels of the painters； the one who
is hauling up his little brother by the hand in the 〃Last Communion
of St。 Jerome〃 might be called Tommy。 But there were no 〃little
radiant girls。〃 Now and then an 〃Education of the Virgin〃 is the
exception； and then it is always a matter of sewing and reading。 As
for the little girl saints； even when they were so young that their
hands； like those of St。 Agnes； slipped through their fetters； they
are always recorded as refusing importunate suitors； which seems
necessary to make them interesting to the mediaeval mind； but mars
them for ours。
So does the hurrying and ignoring of little…girl…childhood somewhat
hamper the delight with which readers of John Evelyn admire his most
admirable Mrs。 Godolphin。 She was Maid of Honour to the Queen in
the Court of Charles II。 She was； as he prettily says； an Arethusa
〃who passed through all those turbulent waters without so much as
the least stain or tincture in her christall。〃 She held her state
with men and maids for her servants； guided herself by most exact
rules； such as that of never speaking to the King； gave an excellent
example and instruction to the other maids of honour； was 〃severely
careful how she might give the least countenance to that liberty
which the gallants there did usually assume；〃 refused the addresses
of the 〃greatest persons；〃 and was as famous for her beauty as for
her wit。 One would like to forget the age at which she did these
things。 When she began her service she was eleven。 When she was
making her rule never to speak to the King she was not thirteen。
Marriage was the business of daughters of fourteen and fifteen； and
heroines； therefore； were of those ages。 The poets turned April
into May； and seemed to think that they lent a grace to the year if
they shortened and abridged the spring of their many songs。 The
particular year they sang of was to be a particularly fine year； as
who should say a fine child and forward； with congruous syntax at
two years old； and ellipses； figures； and tropes。 Even as late as
Keats a poet would not have patience with the process of the
seasons； but boasted of untimely flowers。 The 〃musk…rose〃 is never
in fact the child of mid…May； as he has it。
The young women of Addison are nearly fourteen years old。 His fear
of losing the idea of the bloom of their youth makes him so tamper
with the bloom of their childhood。 The young heiress of seventeen
in the Spectator has looked upon herself as marriageable 〃for the
last six years。〃 The famous letter describing the figure； the
dance； the wit； the stockings of the charming Mr。 Shapely is
supposed to be written by a girl of thirteen； 〃willing to settle in
the world as soon as she can。〃 She adds； 〃I have a good portion
which they cannot hinder me of。〃 This correspondent is one of 〃the
women who seldom ask advice before they have bought their wedding
clothes。〃 There was no sense of childhood in an age that could
think this an opportune pleasantry。
But impatience of the way and the wayfaring was to disappear from a
later centuryan age that has found all things to be on a journey；
and all things