To be on a _villeggiatura_ with the children is to surprise them in ways
and words not always evident in the London house. The narrow lodgings
cause you to hear and overhear. Nothing is more curious to listen to
than a young child's dramatic voice. The child, being a boy, assumes a
deep, strong, and ultra-masculine note, and a swagger in his walk, and
gives himself the name of the tallest of his father's friends. The tone
is not only manly; it is a tone of affairs, and withal careless; it is
intended to suggest business, and also the possession of a top-hat and a
pipe, and is known in the family of the child as his "official voice."
One day it became more official than ever, and really more masculine than
life; and it alternated with his own tones of three years old. In these,
he asked with humility, "Will you let me go to heaven if I'm naughty?
Will you?" Then he gave the reply in the tone of affairs, the official
voice at its very best: "No, little boy, I won't!" It was evident that
the infant was not assuming the character of his father's tallest friend
this time, but had taken a role more exalted. His little sister of a
year older seemed thoroughly to enjoy the humour of the situation.
"Listen to him, mother. He's trying to talk like God. He often does."

Bulls are made by a less imaginative child who likes to find some reason
for things--a girl. Out at the work of picking blackberries, she
explains, "Those rather good ones were all bad, mother, so I ate them."
Being afraid of dogs, this little girl of four years old has all kinds of
dodges to disguise her fear, which she has evidently resolved to keep to
herself. She will set up a sudden song to distract attention from the
fact that she is placing herself out of the dog's way, and she will
pretend to turn to gather a flower, while she watches the creature out of
sight. On the other hand, prudence in regard to carts and bicycles is