THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND EDUCATION. 533 



been presented to it in such a manner as to interest it. In all 

 cases where the matter is brought under the child's notice in such 

 a way that it clearly understands it, there will not likely be much 

 ground for complaint on the score of lack of interest. But a still 

 further reason for lack of interest in study is that too often the 

 teaching seems to the child to have no connection whatever with 

 its outside life. Children soon learn to make inductions from 

 their experience. If they can see no connection between what 

 they are being taught and their experiences in life, there will cer- 

 tainly be a want of interest in their studies. It is a matter for 

 congratulation that so much has been done in this direction. The 

 natural method of teaching has made great progress, but much 

 remains yet to be done. The most primitive schoolhouse in the 

 land affords abundant facilities for the education of the child's 

 senses, and, through them, its powers of observation. It is all 

 contained in the simple question, Does the teacher understand 

 the rational method of appealing to the child's intellect through 

 its senses ? 



The teacher ought to be a close student of Nature. There is 

 placed under his control a large number of young persons of the 

 most varied possibilities. In the schoolroom we have a collec- 

 tion of members of the highest order of animal life. Every mem- 

 ber of the class should be made to realize that there is the possi- 

 bility of a great future in store for him. The imagination and 

 ambition should be enlarged in wise directions. It is quite true 

 these ambitions may never be realized ; but the mental stimulus 

 they give the growing youth is of a most valuable character. A 

 high code of ethics should be found in every school; but this 

 must have its fountain head with the teacher. I am not con- 

 founding ethics with religion. There was a high ideal of ethics 

 in Plato and Aristides, though pagans ; there was a high code of 

 ethics revealed in the life of Darwin, though an agnostic ; and 

 there was a high code of ethics running through the life and 

 writings of F. D. Maurice, who was a beautiful type of Christian 

 character. Schiller, the German poet, has truly said : " It is an 

 admirable proof of infinite wisdom that what is noble and be- 

 nevolent beautifies the human countenance; what is base and 

 hateful imprints upon it a revolting expression." Through the 

 child's senses, feelings, and affections you must reach its soul, 

 whatever this may be regarded to mean by different schools of 

 thought, avoid inflicting scars upon it, and endeavor to erase 

 those that may unfortunately have been made by former bad 

 environments. Such a work as Mantegazza's Expression and 

 Physiognomy should be in the hands of every teacher. 



But the teacher must carry his studies in this direction fur- 

 ther than that of mere expression and physiognomy. He ought 



