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JEPTEMBER 1, 1905
The Commoner.
3
THE
LITERATURE
OF THE CHILDREN
i
The Public Ledger of Philadelphia is author
ity for the statement that under the auspices of
khe University of Chicago nursery rhymes are to
he stricken off the list of things suitable for the
minds of children. The Public Ledger makes
vigorous protest, and in doing so speaks for the
countless thousands who are not too dignified to
confess membership in the free and independent
order of the simple hearted, and who do not havo
their heads so high in the clouds that they havo
failed to observe the things that have moved the
world and have moulded men and women for
the world's betterment.
Some mighty poor suggestions come from
some men who owe their prominence to college
professorships. Not long ago one genius of this
sort said that Rockefeller "was greater than
Shakespeare; another declared that the old
hymns were doggerel; another denounced Santa
Claus as "the foolish 'creature of foolish minds";
and there have been instarfces where some half
baked "educator" proposed the abolition of the
Creator! All of which goes to show that "a lit
tle learning is a dangerous thing."
Why should the nursery rhyme be abolished? -Because
it sounds foolish, to the abolitionist? Ap
ply that rule rigidly and there will be little left
Id literature but the cyclopedia and carried to
its logical result the rule would soon leave the
cyclopedia a mass of shreds and patches.
The nursery rhyme is an essential part of a
child's education, and it is indispensable to the
parent who fraternizes with- his offspring and
finds pleasure in the simple songs and tales that
delight the child's heart. It may be defended on
broad educational lines, or, so far as it interests
and instructs by interesting the children, on
literary merit, .even. as it may be justified by the
pleasure it gives to the children and the softening
influence which it has upon the character of the
adult who learns it, loves it, and doesn't care
to forget it.
Education does not begin with the sketch of
John D. Rockefeller's life as published by the
United States Commissioner of Education, or the
tributes paid to the oil trust -magnate by pro
fessors of colleges that have been subsidized with
his ill-gotten gain; it does not begin with Shake
speare nor with Browning, nor even with the
alphabet. In the language of one who may be
counted) among the champions of the nursery
rhymes "Education begins with a mother's' look,
with a father's nod of approbation or a" sign of
reproof; with a sister's gentle pressure of the hand
or a brother's noble act of forbearance; with
handfuls of flowers in green dells, or hills and
daisy meadows; with birds' nests admired, but
not touched; with creeping ants and almost im
perceptible emmets ; with humming bees and glass
bee hives; with pleasant walks, with shady lanes
and with thoughts directed in sweet and kindly
tones and words to Nature, to beauty, to acts of
benevolence, to deeds of kindness, and to the
source of all good to God Himself." And the
nursery rhyme does all that.
The men and women of today were reared
on nursery rhymes, and after recognizing all their
merits and demerits, they are really a fine lot of
people. We recognize the. educational principle
of the nursery rhyme in the kindergarten, in tho
historical novel, and in the art for it Is an art
which some men and women writers have "of
"humanizing" animals, describing their ways,
their wants, and their characteristics in stories
told by the animals themselves. We may even
say that the principle is recognized in poetry, for
tho poets w.ho have left their imprint in politics
as well as in literature are those who have writ
ten of the simple things of life and written in a
simple way, directly, as it were, from., the heart
of one human being to the heart of another
human being. '
Some men can swim as soon as they strike
water, but most of us must first wade. Some In
stinctively turn ,to Browning, but most of us must
be led up gradually, perhaps first drawn in that
direction by coming in contact with vagabond sen
tences or by having its beauties pointed out by
some master Jmnd. Men are often lead to a
study .of literature by a speech or sermon that' has
presented some literary fact in a captivating way,
and the historical novel has its uses because it
nas often aroused the interest of its readers and
prompted them to search the pertinent history
which search will, by tho way, show that somo of
the authors of these novels take a great many
liberties with history.
David Swing said that the writings of Shake
speare, of Homer, of Milton, passed into all Ian
guages becauso tho great thoughts of those
writers belong to the human heart; that " all tho
thoughts of literature spring from the soul, that
is, from the emotions, from tho sentiments, rather
than from tho intellect alone"; also that litera
ture is "nothing else than thought ornamented."
That being truo the nursery rhyme Is entitled to
rank as literature. To be sure, it is not
'entirely satisfying when one has passed
the ago for which that literature was
prepared; although even the well lettered man
may yet derive, at times, great enjoyment In read
ing or reciting these merry jingles to little ones,
just as the professor in algebra might find pleas
ure in unravelling the mysteries of the multipli
cation table to one to whom that table is yet a
puzzle, or as tho disciple of Byron, of Moore, of
Coleridge, of Wordsworth, or of Tdnnyson might
find pleasure In leading tho young along the patliB
made beautiful by the pen of Eugene Field, of
James Whitcomb Riley or of our own Will M.
Maupin.
Froebel, tho founder of the kindergarten, is
known the world over, and in the centuries to
come little children will lisp his name as that of
one of the great benefactors of tho human race.
Froebel said: "What tho child imitates ho begins
to understand. Let him represent the flying of
birds, and he enters partially into tho life of birds.
Let him imitate the rapid motion of fishes In tho
water and his sympathy with fishes is quickened.
Let him reproduce the activities of farmer, miller
and baker, and his eyes open to the meaning of
their work. In one word let him reflect in his
play the varied aspects of life and his thought will
begin to grapple with their significance."
There are little boys who are required by
thoughtless parents to play alone If, indeed,
their pastimes may be dignified with tho name of
play. But few rays of sunshine are permitted to
fall into their lives. They are strangers to the
children's rhymes and tales because within their
parents' souls no music dwells. When thoy are
grown these children may amount to something
so far as real service to tho world Is concerned,
but if so it will bo because, sooner or later, in
spite of the efforts of their eminently practical
parents, they havo learned that "Whatever mine
ears can hear, whatever mine eyes can see, In
Nature so bright with beauty and light, has a
message of love for me!" and that, by tho way,
is one of these nursery rhymes which are to
be barred.
The imagination of the child must be awaken-'
ed. The nursery rhyme operates upon the little
one as .sunshine acts upon the plant "In the
heart of a seed, ouried deep, so deep, a dear little
plant lay fast asleep. 'Wake,' said the sunshine, -'and
creep to the light.' 'Wake,' said the voice
of the raindrops bright. The little plant heard,
and it rose to see what the wonderful outside
world might be." And that is another of tho
rhymes that are to be barred from the men and
women of the future!
Some of the simplest verses havo drawn the1
children's attention to eternal facts. There are'
some unobserving men who do not know, that one
particular little star seems to act as the moon's
chief df staff. In a nursery rhyme the attention
of children is riveted upon this fact: "Last night
I looked out of my window just before I repeated
my prayer, and the moon with the star close be
side her was climbing high up in the air. Did
God make the little star baby 'cause the moon was
so lonely up there? Yes, God made the little
star baby "cause the moon was so lonely up there."
One of the prettiest thoughts relates to the"
similarity between the color of the sky and the
color of the violet, and is conveyed in homely
nursery verse: "I know, blue, modesj; violet,
gleaming at dewy morn, I know the place you came
from and the way that you were born; when God
cut.the holes in the" heavens to Jet the stars shine
through, he let the scraps fall down to earth, and
those little scraps were you."
There are many grown men and women who
could learn valuable lessons by a study of these
nursery rhymes. They cultivate sweet flowers in
the hearts of the little ones and inspire them to
good purpose. How would this- college professor
instruct the little one In love, in duty -and in '
courage in better form than Is given in the
nursery rhyme: "Oh Daffy-do wn-dilly! so brave
and so true, I wish all were like you; so jeady
for duty in all sorts of weather and allowing forth
courage and beauty togothor." Or, an in that
other nursery rhyme: "Come, my lovo, and do not
spurn from a little flower to learn. Lot your tem
per bo as sweet as tho lily at your foot; be as
geutlo, bo as mild, bo a modost, simple child."
How would this collogo professor tell of
purity, of generosity and of service In better form
than: '
ff
The red rose says: "Bo sweet,"
And tho lily bids: "Be pure.'
'''-The hardy, bravo chrysanthemum,
' "Be patient and onduro."
Tho violet whispers: "Give,
Nor grudge nor count the cost." ,
Tho woodbine, "Keep on blossoming,,
In spite of chill and frost."
M
'
"
.4
How would he admonish contentment In bet
ter way than: ' s. '
Whichever way tho wind doth blow
Somo heart Is glad to have it ho.
Then blow it east or blow It west,
Tho wind that blows, that wind Is host.
Ono of the prettiest stories told to the chil
dren Is entitled "To whom shall we give thanks?"
The author was so Impractical that he Undertook
to give thought and voice to many Inanimate
things. It is related that a little boy quenched
his raging thirst at a pump, and then gracefully
raising his cap thanked "Mr. Pump"; but tho
pump disclaimed tho credit and said that he only
helped the water run. Then the little boy offered
thanks to "Cold Water"; but "Cold Water" dis
claimed the credit, .saying that the spring on tho
hillside sent him forth. The boy said that then
ho'd thank the spring; but the spring in turn dis
claimed the credit, saying that it could do nothing
without the dew and rain. The boy said ho'd
thank tho dew and rain, but they also declined '
to accept, the honor, and said that without tho
sun thoy were powerless. Then .tho boy turned
to tho sun and offered "ten thousand thanks";
but tho sun, "with blushing face," admonished tho
little fellow not to thank him, because he drew the
draught from tho ocean's mighty stores. Then'
turning to tho ocean tho boy offered thanks, but
the ocean echoed back "No thanks to me," adding;
"Not unto me, but unto Him
Who formed tho depths in which I lie,
Go give thy thankB, my little boy , r, , ,
To Him who will thy wants supply." ' ;;i
The boy took off his cap and said ' , ';
In tones so gentle and subdued, "' ,
"0 God, I thank Thee for Thy gift. . .
Thou art the giver of all good."
These men who object to the nursery rhymo
will soonobject to "baby talk," and then to cod
dling, and then to playthings; and then instead of
a lot of bright-faced, happy children wo will havo
an assortment of dressed up, intellectual midgets
who will want to talk to us of "the profoundness
of profundity," when we would prefer to havo
them tell us about "Onery, orry, Ickery, Ann, Al
lison, follison, Nicholas John"; and finally there
will be no love and no life for the baby, no life
and no love for the parent, and no fun for any
one other than the solemn owls who seem to ob-
tain pleasure only by denying it to others.
Long ago we read: "The greatest truths aro
the simplest; and so are the greatest men." This
sentence was forcefully recalled to my mind on
one occasion during the present summer. At a
private picnic party, perhaps seventy-five people
among them many children were gathered. In
the party was a man of wide experience, of great
activity and of recognized ability. When lunch
eon was spread he was invited to take the place
of honor at the head of the snowy cloth spread"
on the green grass. I have heard that man de
liver speeches that swayed multitudes, but I was
never so impressed at once with his greatness and
his simplicity as I was by an act of his on that
occasion. Looking around the gathering he asked:
"Do you remember the little verse in which we
gave thanks at our last picnic?' Many children
and some of the grown follcs responded in the
affirmative. It was one of the prettiest sights
imaginable when, with bowed heads, the men, wo
men and children joined with this big, powerful
man in repeating the simple words:
God is great and God Is good, ,
And we thank Him for this food.
By His, hand must all. be fed,
Give us, Lord, our daHy bread.
' RICHARD L. METCALFE.
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