Herland Charlotte Perkins Gilman (ebook and pdf reader TXT) đ
- Author: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
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But after the baby-year the mother was not so constantly in attendance, unless, indeed, her work was among the little ones. She was never far off, however, and her attitude toward the co-mothers, whose proud child-service was direct and continuous, was lovely to see.
As for the babiesâ âa group of those naked darlings playing on short velvet grass, clean-swept; or rugs as soft; or in shallow pools of bright water; tumbling over with bubbling joyous baby laughterâ âit was a view of infant happiness such as I had never dreamed.
The babies were reared in the warmer part of the country, and gradually acclimated to the cooler heights as they grew older.
Sturdy children of ten and twelve played in the snow as joyfully as ours do; there were continuous excursions of them, from one part of the land to another, so that to each child the whole country might be home.
It was all theirs, waiting for them to learn, to love, to use, to serve; as our own little boys plan to be âa big soldier,â or âa cowboy,â or whatever pleases their fancy; and our little girls plan for the kind of home they mean to have, or how many children; these planned, freely and gaily with much happy chattering, of what they would do for the country when they were grown.
It was the eager happiness of the children and young people which first made me see the folly of that common notion of oursâ âthat if life was smooth and happy, people would not enjoy it.
As I studied these youngsters, vigorous, joyous, eager little creatures, and their voracious appetite for life, it shook my previous ideas so thoroughly that they have never been reestablished. The steady level of good health gave them all that natural stimulus we used to call âanimal spiritsââ âan odd contradiction in terms. They found themselves in an immediate environment which was agreeable and interesting, and before them stretched the years of learning and discovery, the fascinating, endless process of education.
As I looked into these methods and compared them with our own, my strange uncomfortable sense of race-humility grew apace.
Ellador could not understand my astonishment. She explained things kindly and sweetly, but with some amazement that they needed explaining, and with sudden questions as to how we did it that left me meeker than ever.
I betook myself to Somel one day, carefully not taking Ellador. I did not mind seeming foolish to Somelâ âshe was used to it.
âI want a chapter of explanation,â I told her. âYou know my stupidities by heart, and I do not want to show them to Elladorâ âshe thinks me so wise!â
She smiled delightedly. âIt is beautiful to see,â she told me, âthis new wonderful love between you. The whole country is interested, you knowâ âhow can we help it!â
I had not thought of that. We say: âAll the world loves a lover,â but to have a couple of million people watching oneâs courtshipâ âand that a difficult oneâ âwas rather embarrassing.
âTell me about your theory of education,â I said. âMake it short and easy. And, to show you what puzzles me, Iâll tell you that in our theory great stress is laid on the forced exertion of the childâs mind; we think it is good for him to overcome obstacles.â
âOf course it is,â she unexpectedly agreed. âAll our children do thatâ âthey love to.â
That puzzled me again. If they loved to do it, how could it be educational?
âOur theory is this,â she went on carefully. âHere is a young human being. The mind is as natural a thing as the body, a thing that grows, a thing to use and enjoy. We seek to nourish, to stimulate, to exercise the mind of a child as we do the body. There are the two main divisions in educationâ âyou have those of course?â âthe things it is necessary to know, and the things it is necessary to do.â
âTo do? Mental exercises, you mean?â
âYes. Our general plan is this: In the matter of feeding the mind, of furnishing information, we use our best powers to meet the natural appetite of a healthy young brain; not to overfeed it, to provide such amount and variety of impressions as seem most welcome to each child. That is the easiest part. The other division is in arranging a properly graduated series of exercises which will best develop each mind; the common faculties we all have, and most carefully, the especial faculties some of us have. You do this also, do you not?â
âIn a way,â I said rather lamely. âWe have not so subtle and highly developed a system as you, not approaching it; but tell me more. As to the informationâ âhow do you manage? It appears that all of you know pretty much everythingâ âis that right?â
This she laughingly disclaimed. âBy no means. We are, as you soon found out, extremely limited in knowledge. I wish you could realize what a ferment the country is in over the new things you have told us; the passionate eagerness among thousands of us to go to your country and learnâ âlearnâ âlearn! But what we do know is readily divisible into common knowledge and special knowledge. The common knowledge we have long since learned to feed into the minds of our little ones with no waste of time or strength; the special knowledge is open to all, as they desire it. Some of us specialize in one line only. But most take up severalâ âsome for their regular work, some to grow with.â
âTo grow with?â
âYes. When one settles too close in one kind of work there is a tendency to atrophy in the disused portions of the brain. We like to keep on learning, always.â
âWhat do you study?â
âAs much as we know of the different sciences. We have, within our limits, a good deal of knowledge of anatomy, physiology, nutritionâ âall that pertains to a full and beautiful personal life. We
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