Whatever the mythology about children and dogs as judges of character, small children are not necessarily mind readers. Still, one of my early childhood memories is of classifying adults vaguely but sometimes validly into “nice faces” and “mean faces.” Generally, of course, that meant smiling versus frowning, and adulthood has brought more acquaintance with reasons why grownups might frown or be preoccupied.
When I was four years old, I was sitting with my young mother in a waiting room one day. She was pregnant with my little brother; this was in a small town in
Stumble It!