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responsible agents of the community as of right； and with some formal
acknowledgment of the obligations it is incurring and a knowledge of the
fact that these obligations are being recorded： if； further； certain
qualifications are exacted before it is promoted from permission to go as
far as its legs will carry it to using mechanical aids to locomotion； it can
roam without much danger of gypsification。
Under such circumstances the boy or girl could always run away； and
never be lost； and on no other conditions can a child be free without being
also a homeless outcast。
Parents could also run away from disagreeable children or drive them
out of doors or even drop their acquaintance； temporarily or permanently；
without inhumanity。 Thus both parties would be on their good behavior；
and not； as at present； on their filial or parental behavior； which； like all
unfree behavior； is mostly bad behavior。
As to what other results might follow； we had better wait and see； for
nobody now alive can imagine what customs and institutions would grow
up in societies of free children。 Child laws and child fashions； child
manners and child morals are now not tolerated； but among free children
there would certainly be surprising developments in this direction。 I do
not think there would be any danger of free children behaving as badly as
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grown…up people do now because they have never been free。 They could
hardly behave worse； anyhow。
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A TREATISE ON PARENTS AND CHILDREN
Children's Rights and Parents'
Wrongs
A very distinguished man once assured a mother of my acquaintance
that she would never know what it meant to be hurt until she was hurt
through her children。 Children are extremely cruel without intending it；
and in ninety…nine cases out of a hundred the reason is that they do not
conceive their elders as having any human feelings。 Serve the elders
right； perhaps； for posing as superhuman！ The penalty of the impostor is
not that he is found out （he very seldom is） but that he is taken for what he
pretends to be； and treated as such。 And to be treated as anything but
what you really are may seem pleasant to the imagination when the
treatment is above your merits； but in actual experience it is often quite the
reverse。 When I was a very small boy； my romantic imagination；
stimulated by early doses of fiction； led me to brag to a still smaller boy so
outrageously that he； being a simple soul； really believed me to be an
invincible hero。 I cannot remember whether this pleased me much； but I
do remember very distinctly that one day this admirer of mine； who had a
pet goat； found the animal in the hands of a larger boy than either of us；
who mocked him and refused to restore the animal to his rightful owner。
Whereupon； naturally； he came weeping to me； and demanded that I
should rescue the goat and annihilate the aggressor。 My terror was
beyond description： fortunately for me； it imparted such a ghastliness to
my voice and aspect as I under the eye of my poor little dupe； advanced on
the enemy with that hideous extremity of cowardice which is called the
courage of despair； and said 〃You let go that goat；〃 that he abandoned his
prey and fled； to my unforgettable； unspeakable relief。 I have never since
exaggerated my prowess in bodily combat。
Now what happened to me in the adventure of the goat happens very
often to parents； and would happen to schoolmasters if the prison door of
the school did not shut out the trials of life。 I remember once； at school；
the resident head master was brought down to earth by the sudden illness
of his wife。 In the confusion that ensued it became necessary to leave
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one of the schoolrooms without a master。 I was in the class that occupied
that schoolroom。 To have sent us home would have been to break the
fundamental bargain with our parents by which the school was bound to
keep us out of their way for half the day at all hazards。 Therefore an
appeal had to be made to our better feelings： that is； to our common
humanity； not to make a noise。 But the head master had never admitted
any common humanity with us。 We had been carefully broken in to
regard him as a being quite aloof from and above us： one not subject to
error or suffering or death or illness or mortality。 Consequently
sympathy was impossible； and if the unfortunate lady did not perish； it
was because； as I now comfort myself with guessing； she was too much
pre…occupied with her own pains； and possibly making too much noise
herself； to be conscious of the pandemonium downstairs。
A great deal of the fiendishness of schoolboys and the cruelty of
children to their elders is produced just in this way。 Elders cannot be
superhuman beings and suffering fellow…creatures at the same time。 If you
pose as a little god； you must pose for better for worse。
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How Little We Know About Our
Parents
The relation between parent and child has cruel moments for the
parent even when money is no object； and the material worries are
delegated to servants and school teachers。 The child and the parent are
strangers to one another necessarily； because their ages must differ widely。
Read Goethe's autobiography； and note that though he was happy in his
parents and had exceptional powers of observation； divination； and story…
telling； he knew less about his father and mother than about most of the
other people he mentions。 I myself was never on bad terms with my
mother： we lived together until I was forty…two years old； absolutely
without the