CHAPTER XIV.
THE CHILD AS MEMBER AND BUILDER OF SOCIETY.
In great states, children are always trying to remain children, and the parents wanting to make men and women of them. In vile states, the children are always wanting to be men and women, and the parents to keep them children.—Ruskin.
Children generally hate to be idle; all the care is then that their busy humour should be constantly employed in something of use to them.—Locke.
Look into our childish faces;
See you not our willing hearts?
Only love us—only lead us;
Only let us know you need us,
And we all will do our parts.—Mary Howitt.
[Greek: Anthropos Phusei zoon politikon] [Man is by nature a political (social) animal].—Aristotle.
Never till now did young men, and almost children, take such a command in human affairs.—Carlyle.
Predestination and Caste.
"Who can tell for what high cause
This darling of the Gods was born?"
asks the poet Marvell. But with some peoples the task of answering the question is an easy one; for fate, or its human side, caste, has settled the matter long before the infant comes into the world. The Chinese philosopher, Han Wan-Kung, is cited by Legge as saying: "When Shuh-yu was born, his mother knew, as soon as she looked at him, that he would fall a victim to his love of bribes. When Yang sze-go was born, the mother of Shuh-he-ang knew, as soon as she heard him cry, that he would cause the destruction of all his kindred. When Yueh-tseaou was born, Tzewan considered it was a great calamity, knowing that through him all the ghosts of the Johgaou family would be famished" (487. 89).