The day before yesterday, the physician came from the town to pay a
visit to the judge. He found me on the floor playing with Charlotte's
children. Some of them were scrambling over me, and others romped with
me; and, as I caught and tickled them, they made a great noise. The
doctor is a formal sort of personage: he adjusts the plaits of his
ruffles, and continually settles his frill whilst he is talking to you;
and he thought my conduct beneath the dignity of a sensible man. I could
perceive this by his countenance. But I did not suffer myself to be
disturbed. I allowed him to continue his wise conversation, whilst I
rebuilt the children's card houses for them as fast as they threw them
down. He went about the town afterward, complaining that the judge's
children were spoiled enough before, but that now Werther was completely
ruining them.
Yes, my dear Wilhelm, nothing on this earth affects my heart so much
as children. When I look on at their doings; when I mark in the little
creatures the seeds of all those virtues and qualities which they will
one day find so indispensable; when I behold in the obstinate all the
future firmness and constancy of a noble character; in the capricious,
that levity and gaiety of temper which will carry them lightly over
the dangers and troubles of life, their whole nature simple and
unpolluted,—then I call to mind the golden words of the Great Teacher
of mankind, "Unless ye become like one of these!" And now, my friend,
these children, who are our equals, whom we ought to consider as our
models, we treat them as though they were our subjects. They are allowed
no will of their own. And have we, then, none ourselves? Whence comes
our exclusive right? Is it because we are older and more experienced?
Great God! from the height of thy heaven thou beholdest great children
and little children, and no others; and thy Son has long since declared
which afford thee greatest pleasure. But they believe in him, and hear
him not,—that, too, is an old story; and they train their children
after their own image, etc.
Adieu, Wilhelm: I will not further bewilder myself with this subject.