CHAPTER XXVII.
THE CHILDREN'S DAY.
As it was a holiday, the children accompanied us on our walk, and wehad further opportunity of observing the easy, natural relationswhich existed between them and their parents. There was neither unduefamiliarity nor too much restraint. There was respect as well asaffection on both sides, and a scrupulous concern for each other'sfeelings. Evidently the children had all the rights they couldappropriate to their advantage, while there was no abrogation of theprivileges or the duties of the parents.
At a convenient time during the afternoon I spoke to Zenith about thishappy condition of family affairs, and I was greatly enlightened and nota little amused by her reply.
"It was not always so," she said. "One of the sad chapters of ourhistory tells us of an unfortunate episode in the family life. In theearly days the father had complete control over his household, even thelives of its members being at his disposal. But as civilization advancedthe law stepped in and protected the dependent ones from too harshpunishment and from neglect. In time sympathy for the weak andunprotected made all corporal punishment unpopular, both at home andat school, and soon discipline of every kind was much weakened. Thereappeared to be a growing impression on the part of the elders that therecould not be any evil in the child's nature, and so if he were allowedto grow up without any particular training he would not go far out ofthe way. It seemed to be overlooked that this was something new in thehistory of the race, that the experiment had never been tried of givingthe youth their own way, from the cradle up. It had been taught fromvery early times that the child, for its own future welfare, shouldreceive correction, and the teaching had never before been departedfrom. The parents might just as well have put the reins of familygovernment in the hands of the children at once, for this is what itcame to in the end. The children, released from all restraint, lostfirst their respect for their elders, and then all regard for theirfeelings. Instead of love there grew up a careless indifference, and inplace of that tender thoughtfulness so necessary to happiness in thisrelation, parents began to receive harsh and even cruel treatment. Aswe look back upon it now, it seems strange that the result was notanticipated, and the trend of events changed by a decided stand againstsuch an unnatural course. But the approach to a crisis was insidiousand, as I have said, history furnished no parallel from which to draw awarning.
"Two things made it the worst time in the world for parents to becomelax in their discipline. One was the growing sentiment in favor ofindependence which was permeating all classes of society, and the otherthe great revival of learning among the people. Given a large classof persons highly educated and taught to prize personal liberty aboveeverything else, and still without the discretion that comes only withyears, and what could be expected of them when left with no strong handto guide them? The methods of education improved so rapidly, and therewere such constantly increasing opportunities for obtaining knowledge,that there was some excuse for the children in getting the idea thatthey knew more than their fathers and mothers. This belief would notunder any circumstances improve their manners, and at this time it onlycaused them to despise still more those who seemed willing to withdrawall claim to authority over them. Precocity, which had never beena popular trait, came to the front with no modesty to relieve itsdisagreeable character.
"But the conduct of the youth of both sexes was not confined to theexhibition of bad manners, nor to the mere passive indulgence of anundutiful spirit. These led gradually to a more serious phase of therebellion, the inauguration of a series of petty annoyances, to befollowed, naturally, by acts of downright injustice and cruelty. Itseemed as if the old years of oppression to which, in a ruder age, thechildren had been subjected, were about to be repeated, with the parentsfor the victims. You must not suppose that these vast changes came aboutin the course of one generation. Just as a sentiment in favor of libertywill be perpetuated in a people from one generation to another, andincrease with the lapse of years, so this feeling of independenceof parental control and this decadence of natural affection weretransmitted from one set of children to the next, and matters grew frombad to worse.
"At length the behavior of the young people became so notoriously badthat the matter had to be taken out of the heretofore sacred precinctsof home and treated in a public manner. The press tried to work areformation by ridicule and threats, and when this was seen to have noeffect the legislatures took up the subject, and actually passed laws'for the relief and protection of oppressed parents,' and 'for thereestablishment of rightful authority in the home.' These bold measuresso angered the children that they declared they would not submit to suchinsults, but would take the matter of making laws, as well as all otherbranches of public business, into their own hands. They started theirown organs, which made such silly declarations as this: 'We are young,but in all other respects we are superior to our elders. We have moreintelligence, more spirit and courage, we outnumber them two to one,and, what is better than all the rest, we hold them already in ourpower. So why should we not use that power, and go forward and destroyevery vestige of their authority? Let them work and earn our support,and we will do the rest.'"
"And now," asked Zenith, "how do you think the affair came out?"
"I confess," I answered, "that I shall have to give it up."
"Well," she continued, "the problem was solved, as so many others in ourcareer have been, when the needed lesson had been learned, without ourbeing subjected to the extremely dire results which seemed so imminent;and I am happy to be able to tell you that relief came through theefforts of one of my own sex. Just before the last ounce was addedto the weight of foolishness and error which was to turn the worldcompletely over, a girl made her appearance with sense enough to call ahalt. She happened to be editing one of the fiery journals of her class,when it struck her one day that they were carrying the thing too far.She had the courage to say so, and got roundly abused for it. Shepersisted, obtained adherents and helpers, and soon a decided reactionset in. Like a house of cards, which a breath will destroy, the unstablestructure the children had built fell to the ground, never to berestored.
"The lesson was not forgotten, and the experience, which appearslaughable now, has been of great benefit to us at different times since.But the broadening of our minds and the general improvement in ourcharacter have long ago placed us beyond the danger of a recurrence ofsuch events. Compared to our present state those were the days of ourinfancy."
As Zenith closed I told her I had enjoyed her story, and that I hopedthe earth would not require such a lesson.
"I trust not," said Zenith.