You would not be in a Japanese house long without noticing their extreme
politeness, and that this politeness was especially shown by children
toward their parents. The one thing that Japanese children must learn is
perfect obedience; a child would as soon think of refusing to do a thing
altogether, when told, as to ask why he must do it.
A little * * * girl, the child of a missionary, was playing in the
street with some Japanese children.
"Mary," called her father from the house, "come in."
As she paid no attention, the others thought she had not heard, and
began to say to her: "Your august father is calling you," "Your
honorable parent is beckoning to you," and so on.
"I don't care," said Mary.
The children stopped playing and looked at her in astonishment. Her
father called her again. This time she answered crossly, "I don't want
to come in. What for?"
At this the children picked up their playthings and hurried home,
talking excitedly all the way. "Rude little foreigner!" "Bad little
girl!" they said, and it was a long time before Mary saw anything of her
friends again.
_Juniors in Japan._
280
_Children_--Living jewels, dropped unstained from Heaven.
--_Pollock._
281
Children know,
Instinctive taught, the friend and foe.
282
Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in
another time.
283
Children are like the to-morrow of society.
--_Whately._
284
Children think not of what is past, nor what is to come, but enjoy the
present time, which few of us do.
--_Bruyere._
285
_Children_--I love these little people; and it is not a slight thing
when they, who are so fresh from God, love us.
--_Dickens._
286
Love of children is always the indication of a genial nature, a pure and
unselfish heart.
287