79 6 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Accidents may be turned to account, not only to teach how to 

 avoid them, but the immutability of Nature's laws. The sooner a 

 child finds that Nature never forgives a sin against her, the better 

 for his health and happiness. I know one mother who has taught 

 her child to see the relation between headaches and candy ; and 

 so well he understands it that now, at ten years of age, he does 

 not overindulge, although the favorite sweets stand always on 

 the library-table within his reach. 



Take advantage of any unusual phenomena. The last transit 

 of Venus was a chance offered not again in the lives of ourselves 

 or our children, and every one might have seen it through a 

 piece of smoked glass. A recent railroad-cut exposed fine ex- 

 amples of ripple marks, which will soon be buried from sight 

 by falling earth. After some storms there are exceptional oppor- 

 tunities for lessons in physical geography and geology. Such 

 chances are of more value than many things for which we put 

 them aside. 



The relation of natural-science studies to health and to the 

 mental and moral culture of children has been suggested. Their 

 industrial uses are familiar to all ; so intimately are they connect- 

 ed with the life of man that knowledge of any branch makes one 

 more capable in the conduct of his life. The relations between 

 these studies and the great workshops of the world may with ad- 

 vantage be pointed out until the child feels the mighty pulse of 

 the world's work and acknowledges his debt of service and brother- 

 hood to all men. The habits of mind produced by continual con- 

 tact with things, forces, phenomena, and laws promote clearness 

 of insight and ability to look over a wide field, and to gather the 

 facts necessary to form right conclusions. . These are the habits 

 which give success in business. 



Another important advantage in the study of the natural 

 sciences is found in their relation to invention. The emancipa- 

 tion of man from continuous manual toil is the prophecy which 

 Science has already uttered ; and she but waits the men to put 

 her forces at work in the right ways to fulfill this prophecy. A 

 child rightly started has before him the possibility of doing some 

 of this needed work, and so adding to the sum of human knowl- 

 edge and comfort. If he does not do this, he will have the under- 

 standing which will appreciate and encourage the labor of others; 

 and if his pursuits early lead him quite away from the impetus 

 to those studies which his mother may have given in childhood, 

 still her labors will be rewarded by the increased enjoyment 

 which touch with Nature adds to any life. 



For mothers who have acquired little or no knowledge of nat- 

 ural science, it may be well to indicate some of the best sources 

 of information and direction. For the most elementary works, 



