he morning, or again, it is
believed to lie under the trees at night and the angels mind it. God, of
whom the children always hear so much, plays a very large part in these
conceptions, and is made directly responsible for all cosmic phenomena.
Thus thunder to these American children was God groaning or kicking or
rolling barrels about, or turning a big handle, or grinding snow, or
breaking something, or rattling a big hammer; while the lightning is due
to God putting his finger out, or turning the gas on quick, or striking
matches, or setting paper on fire. According to Boston children, God is
a big, perhaps a blue, man, to be seen in the sky, on the clouds, in
church, or even in the streets. They declare that God comes to see them
sometimes, and they have seen him enter the gate. He makes lamps,
babies, dogs, trees, money, etc., and the angels work for him. He looks
like a priest, or a teacher, or papa, and the children like to look at
him; a few would themselves like to be God. His house in the sky may be
made of stone or brick; birds, children, and Santa Claus live with God.

Birds and beasts, their food and their furniture, as Burnham points out,
all talk to children; when the dew is on the grass "the grass is
crying," the stars are candles or lamps, perhaps cinders from God's
stove, butterflies are flying pansies, icicles are Christmas candy.
Children have imaginary play-brothers and sisters and friends, with whom
they talk. Sometimes God talks with them. Even the prosiest things are
vivified; the tracks of dirty feet on the floor are flowers; a creaking
chair talks; the shoemaker's nails are children whom he is driving to
school; a pedlar is Santa Claus.

Miss Miriam Levy once investigated the opinions of 560 children, boys
and girls, between the ages of 4 and 14, as to how the man in the moon
got there. Only 5 were unable to offer a serious explanation; 48 thought
there was no man there at all; 50 offered a scientific explanation of
the phenomena; but all the rest, the great majority, presented
imaginative solutions which could be grouped into seventeen different
classes.

Such facts as these--which can easily be multiplied and are indeed
familiar to all, though their significance is not usually
realized--indicate the special tendencies of the child in the religious
sphere. He is unable to follow the distinctions which the adult is
pleased to make between "real," "spiritual" and "imaginary" beings. To
him suc