EDITORIAL AND GENERAL 



337 



have ever really faced any deep-seated 

 superstition in the case of an intelli- 

 gent man or woman you can suspect 

 the problem that must be faced by edu- 

 cators who say that skill in thinking 

 which can make desirable character 

 can be as scientifically taught as any 

 branch in school, and that the differ- 

 ences in result will be no greater than 

 in the case of arithmetic. 



The first and most important issue, 

 educationally, therefore, is to uproot 

 this supersti'.lon, is to convince the 

 educational world of our day that in 

 everything that is taught by which a 

 child knows more, does things better 

 and says things more correctly there is 

 a way to so know, to do, and to say 

 things as to form character through 

 the thinking. 



Have you read Scott's "Guy Man- 

 nering"? If so, do you remember 

 what a strange, uncertain feeling you 

 had because it did not in all respects 

 come out as you were led in your feel- 

 ing to think that it was coming out. 

 There is, probably, no other great 

 novel which has the same psycholog- 

 ical effect. Did you ever know the 

 cause of it? It is said, upon what 

 seems like good foundation for the 

 statement that Sir Walter Scott during 

 the writing of "Guy Mannering" lost 

 a popular superstition which had gone 

 with him through life up to that point, 

 that he had accepted it and had been 

 influenced by it until he started to 

 build a plot thereon, and then the 

 charm vanished, sense supplanted 

 superstition, and he wriggled himself 

 out of his dilemma as best he could, 

 producing thereby probably the most 

 fascinating novel, psychologically, 

 that has been written. 



Whatever of truth there may be in 

 this long-believed account of Scott's 

 mental action, it is true that there 

 should be just such a transformation 

 in the educational life of today. We 

 should see to it at once that our super- 

 stition as to the futility of scientific 

 teaching of skill in thinking is super- 

 seded by unswerving faith that the 

 public schools can lead children to 

 make noble characters through the 

 way we teach them to think while 



we are leading them into knowledge, 

 into doing things, into saying and writ- 

 ing things well. So may it be. — Jour- 

 nal of Education. 



Grass for Rest, Not for Death. 

 But if this life be no dream and the 

 world no hospital — if all the peace and 

 power and joy you can ever win must 

 be won now, and all fruit of victory 

 gathered here or never — will you still, 

 throughout the puny totality of your 

 life, weary yourselves in the fire for 

 vanity? If there is no rest which re- 

 maineth for you, is there none yon 

 might presently take? Was this grass 

 of the earth made green for your shroud 

 only, not for your bed? And can you 

 never lie down upon it but only under 

 it? — Rnskin. 



Nature's Calling You. 



BY BURNHAM W. KING, NEW YORK CITY. 

 Can you hear the voices calling, 



As you sit beside the fire? 

 While your ears are filled with ringing, 

 Like the music of a lyre? 



Can you feel your heart is throbbing 

 As you look into the blaze? 



Can't you hear the red Gods singing, 

 Luring strains of ancient lays? 



Will you heed the soft blown whisperings 

 As they're borne into your ear? 



Do not spurn those tender lispings 

 That in vain to you appear. 



You can see those phantoms gleaming 



In the logs upon the fire, 

 Some wierd form or face revealing 



As your fancy may desire. 



Don't you know it's Nature calling, 



In a voice so soft and low? 

 As your head is gently falling 



And to slumberland you go. 



Now your dreams are sweet, alluring, 

 As you reach the land of Nod. 



Filled with visions not enduring 



In those realms no man has trod. 



Then you wake from such sweet dreaming, 

 Look about you while you may, 



See the sun its bright face beaming, 

 Bids you welcome to the day. 



So you go to Nature seeking, 



With a mind for truth and lore. 



Put your soul into her keeping, 

 She will fill it from her store. 



Now you care no more for dreaming, 

 For you take another view. 



Everything that was but seeming, 

 Nature now reveals to you. 



