Transcriber’s Note Italic text displayed as: _italic_ The Book of the Child The Book of the Child An Attempt to set down what is in the mind of Children By Frederick Douglas How E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY 31 WEST 23RD STREET, NEW YORK 1907 PRINTED BY SIR ISAAC PITMAN & SONS, LTD., BATH, ENGLAND. (2319) Preface I am rather shy about this little book. If it were not for the kindness of some few friends whose knowledge of children far exceeds my own, it would never have seen the light. For their encouragement and for the gift of their experiences and advice I am deeply grateful. I know that they would rather I did not mention them by name. The thoughts which I have tried to put together have been growing in my mind for years. Some, in fact, I have quoted from articles I wrote some time ago for a magazine no longer in existence. Perhaps my best excuse for letting this book appear is that, though I have no children of my own, other people’s children have always been very good to me. F. D. HOW. _May, 1907._ Contents CHAP. PAGE I. THE CHILD—ITS ARRIVAL 9 II. THE CHILD—ITS MEMORY 24 III. THE CHILD—ITS IMAGINATION 37 IV. THE CHILD—ITS RELIGION 66 V. THE CHILD—ITS IMITATION 96 VI. THE CHILD—ITS PLEASURES 112 VII. THE CHILD—ITS PATHOS 136 VIII. WAYSIDE CHILDREN 162 IX. CHILDREN’S MEETINGS 176 X. APPENDIX 187 The Book of the Child CHAPTER I THE CHILD—ITS ARRIVAL Children have come into greater prominence during the last quarter of a century than ever before in the history of this country. Many things have been written about them, many things have been done for them,—some foolish and some wise, but all suggested by a newly aroused sense of the vital importance attached to their proper upbringing. [Sidenote: The Cause of the Children.] [Sidenote: Legislation for Children.]