238 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



CHILDREN'S QUESTIONS. 



MY little daughter is sitting very quietly on the floor beside 

 me, busily engaged in arranging her colored house blocks 

 in streets and lanes. She seems so completely absorbed in her play 

 that I am careful not to speak to her, or even to look at her, lest I 

 should disturb her. Suddenly, however, she drops her little houses 

 and, looking earnestly at me with her blue eyes, she asks : 



" Mother, does everybody die ? " 



" Yes, dear ; everybody," I answer, struck by her question. 



" The very good ones too ? " she questions on timidly. 



" Yes, the good ones too. God takes them to him because he 

 loves them, and wants them to be with him in his beautiful 

 heaven." 



For a while the little one remains quiet ; then again, coming 

 up and nestling at my side, she says : 



" Mother, wouldn't it be all the same to the loving God if he 

 didn't take me into heaven, but left me always here with you ? " 



Drawing her closer to me, I try by caresses and loving words 

 to calm all the doubts of her little heart. She is in an inquiring 

 mood, however, and shortly begins anew : 



" Mother, does the angel who brings the little babies carry them 

 in a box or just in his hand ? " 



Unprepared for this question, I answer hesitatingly, " No, not 

 in a box." 



" But they have dresses on, haven't they ? " 



" No, darling, the little babies come naked into this world." 



" But then, mother, how can the parents tell whether it is a girl 

 or a boy ?" 



Once more I am at a loss, but make out to say, " Oh, we see 

 that in their faces." 



The little one is satisfied for the moment, for she turns again 

 to her toys. Suddenly an idea strikes her. " Mother, father said 

 the other day that I had the face of a boy. Perhaps I am not a 

 girl at all." This time I can answer without hesitation: "No, 

 dear, you are certainly mother's own dear little girl. But now 

 don't ask any more questions, but come and help me to bake in 

 the kitchen." 



The child is quite content to do as I say, and, following me, de- 

 votes her mind with as much seriousness to the cooking, or rather 

 to watching it, as she had before shown in trying to arrive at the 

 origin of mankind. Truly, there is something wonderful in the 

 growing mind of a child. The world and life are full of insoluble 

 problems for the adult understanding, but to the mind of a child 

 every new phase of things comes as a riddle and a mystery. What 



