CHAPTERPAGE
PREFACE[7]
I. THE CHILD IN MEXICO[15]-[38]
The people[15]
Women and marriage[16]
Birth[18]
Casting the nativity of the infant[19]
Baptizing and naming child[19]
Care and treatment of children[19]
Dress[24]
Food and drink[25]
Lore[27]
Human sacrifice[28]
Slavery[30]
Industries[30]
Couriers[33]
Amusements[33]
Education[36]
II. THE CHILD IN PERU[39]-[51]
The people[39]
Buildings[41]
Dress[41]
Food, drink, narcotics[42]
Marriage[43]
Care and treatment of children[44]
The Virgins of the Sun[44]
Human sacrifice[45]
Industries[45]
Training of the Inca and the Order of the Huaracu[49]
Education[50]
III. THE CHILD IN EGYPT[52]-[84]
The country[52]
The people[53]
Slavery[54]
The home[55]
Women and marriage[57]
Child and parent[58]
Dress[59]
Food and drink[62]
Food and clothing of children[64]
Industries[65]
Sickness and death[74]
Child and religion[76]
Amusements[76]
Games, plays, and toys[81]
Education[82]
IV. THE CHILD IN INDIA[85]-[103]
Caste[85]
Women and marriage[85]
Boys and girls[96]
Infanticide[97]
Dress[98]
Amusements[98]
Rites[99]
Adoption[99]
Inheritance[100]
Education[100]
V. THE CHILD IN CHINA[104]-[129]
Women and marriage[104]
Infancy[112]
Boys and girls[115]
Child and parent[116]
Deformation of the feet[117]
Amusements[118]
Dress[121]
Religion[122]
Education[123]
VI. THE CHILD IN JAPAN[130]-[160]
Women[130]
Marriage[134]
The mother's memorial[138]
Dress[140]
Regulations[140]
The care of children[143]
Naming children[145]
Carrying children[145]
Adoption and inheritance[145]
Power and duty of father[146]
Amusements[146]
Lore[152]
Religion[155]
Suicide[155]
Work[156]
Education[157]
VII. THE CHILD IN PERSIA[161]-[166]
Characteristics[161]
Women and marriage[161]
Dress[163]
Child and parent[163]
Inheritance[163]
Amusements[164]
Education[164]
VIII. THE CHILD IN JUDEA[167]-[176]
Historical[167]
Women and marriage[167]
Care and treatment of children[170]
Duties of children[171]
Dress[171]
Amusements[173]
Education[173]
IX. THE CHILD IN GREECE[177]-[211]
Physical characteristics[177]
The people[177]
The home[178]
Girls and women[178]
Marriage[182]
Dress[186]
Food[190]
Child and parent[191]
Care of children[191]
Infanticide[193]
Duties of children[194]
Adoption and inheritance[194]
Toys and playthings[194]
Games and plays[195]
Sports and festivals[197]
Other amusements[199]
Sickness and death[201]
Religion[202]
Education[203]
X. THE CHILD IN ROME[212]-[263]
Characteristics[212]
The people[213]
Slavery[214]
The home[215]
Women[218]
Marriage[224]
Dress[231]
Food[237]
Child and parent[238]
Names[239]
Care and treatment of children[239]
Citizenship[240]
Inheritance[241]
Adoption[242]
Sickness and death[243]
Industries[246]
The spectacles[249]
Other amusements[253]
The bath[254]
Games and plays[254]
Religion[255]
Vestal Virgins[255]
Education[257]
XI. THE CHILD IN EARLIER AND MEDIEVAL EUROPE[264]-[312]
Historical and critical[264]
Feudalism[265]
The feudal castle and its life[267]
Chivalry[268]
The peasantry[271]
The town people[273]
The aristocracy[275]
The home[276]
Women[277]
Marriage[279]
Dress[282]
Food[285]
Children of the ancient Britons[287]
Children among the early Christians[289]
Child and parent[289]
Care and treatment of children[290]
Apprenticeship[290]
Military training for the young[291]
Amusements[292]
Education[296]
The children's crusade[302]
Other child-pilgrimages[310]
XII. THE CHILD IN EARLIER UNITED STATES[313]-[455]
Customs relating to land[313]
The people[314]
Slavery[316]
Servants[318]
The home[322]
Women[334]
Marriage[336]
Dress[348]
Infants' clothing[359]
Boys' clothing[360]
Girls' clothing[361]
Food[364]
Drink[369]
Food and drink of children[374]
Infancy[376]
Number and names of children[379]
Child welfare[380]
Manners and courtesy of children[382]
Diary of a Boston school girl of 1771[384]
Inheritance[388]
Sickness and death[389]
The illness of children[396]
Amusements[398]
Games and sports of children and young people[407]
Children's toys and story books[412]
Holidays and festivals[413]
Public punishments[416]
Manufactures[421]
Boys' work and manufactures[422]
Girls' and women's work[423]
Religion[428]
The child and religion[438]
Education[442]
INDEX[457]

THE HISTORICAL CHILD

CHAPTER I
THE CHILD IN MEXICO

The People.

Mexico at the time of the conquest by the Spaniards was a monarchy, in which the king stood supreme as he was a priest of their great god, commander-in-chief of the military forces, and supreme judge. The throne, however, was not hereditary, as upon a vacancy a ruler was selected by four officers appointed for that purpose by the nobles and principal officials of the kingdom. The king was usually taken from the ruling family and might have been a brother of the late ruler or a nephew belonging to an elder branch. The office-holders were usually appointed for life and at their death the vacancies were filled by appointment by the king. The people were divided into classes. The highest class was a landed aristocracy, who paid no definite taxes but owed service to the king; a second class, who ranked with the landed aristocracy, was a military nobility who held land at the king's goodwill; the next class embraced the freemen, who held land in common and paid taxes in common; below these were a class of freemen who rented the lands of the lord and made payment to him for the same; and the lowest of all were the serfs, who were bound to the soil. They maintained a military system and made war upon neighboring tribes; at the time of the coming of the Spaniards this seemed to have been carried on mostly for the purpose of securing captives for the human sacrifices demanded by their religion. They had an elaborate and efficient judicial system and the laws seem to have been justly administered to all alike, whether the ones before the courts were of higher rank or of the common people.

Women and Marriage.

Marriage was an important institution with the Mexicans and it was held in such high esteem that there was a tribunal appointed for the sole purpose of attending to matters relating to it. The customary age with men for marriage was about twenty, women marrying at a younger age. When a young man reached this age it became his duty to marry and sometimes the high priest commanded it of him. The selection of the bride was made by the parents and if a young man refused to abide by his parents' decision and made his own choice, he was looked upon as being quite ungrateful to his parents. Should he refuse to marry, it was his duty to remain continent through his life and devote himself to the service of the gods. Should he afterward decide to marry, he was despised by his friends and publicly denounced for not keeping his vow to the gods and no respectable woman would marry him.

When the parents had decided it was time for their son to marry, all the relatives were called together and a feast given at which the father announced to them that the son was of proper age to be married. The son was then informed that his parents were about to select a bride for him, to which the young man gave consent. Then they called in the priests under whom the young man had received his education and their permission was obtained and one of the priests addressed the young man with advice for the occasion. The next step was to ascertain the day and sign of the young man's birth and also the birthday and sign of the young woman, which was obtained through astrologers or soothsayers. If the horoscopes of both were favorable and showed that the union would have good fortune all was well; if not, another girl had to be selected. If the augurs were favorable to the union, two discreet and virtuous elderly women were called in as go-betweens. These women were given their directions and they called upon the parents of the bride and after a second visit preliminaries were arranged.

The parents of the girl then called in the relatives and friends and informed them of the affair and the girl was given much advice by them. Then their decision was sent to the parents of the young man. A favorable day for the marriage was found by the augurs and both families made preparations for the day of marriage and sent out invitations to relatives and friends. On the day set for the marriage the relatives and friends of the bride went to her home as did also some of the bridegroom's relatives and friends and in procession escorted her to his home, where the best room in the house had been fitted up for the occasion and the house festooned with green branches and garlands of flowers. The bridegroom met the bride at the entrance to his home and took her by the hand and led her into the room for the ceremony. They were then seated upon a special mat, the woman at the left of the man. The mother of the bridegroom gave presents to the bride and the mother of the bride gave presents to the bridegroom. Then the priest made a long talk to the couple, defining their duties to one another and toward the married state. The couple then arose and the priest tied the end of the man's mantle to the dress of the woman. A feast was then partaken of but in which the couple did not participate as they were required to spend four days in fasting and prayer in the room, closely guarded by old women. Upon the fourth night two priests prepared a couch of two mats and the young people were left to themselves. The next day they underwent a baptismal ceremony and they were adorned with new apparel and some more advice was given them by the mothers-in-law or nearest relatives, another feast was given of which they partook, and the marriage ceremony was then fully completed.