61 



they cease to inquire and the windows of the soul 

 become blurred and they go groping about in this world 

 of beautiful mysteries like an owl in the day-time. 



Nature study, which is a development from the 

 kindergarten, is a step in the right direction, but is not 

 scientific enough. While it is a great thing for children 

 to gain a love for the beauties of nature, it is quite as 

 important that they understand the laws w^hich govern 

 their every manifestation. Their lives depend upon the 

 knowledge of natural law^ and physics or the science of 

 na^tural phenomena should be the basis of all the science 

 teaching. 



More than thirty years ago an intelligent father, a 

 director of a country school engaged a teacher who had 

 studied natural philosophy, as it was then called, so that 

 his children, a boy and girl of eight and ten might be 

 tauglit the laws which governed the natural phenomena 

 about them. The children were tilled with enthusiasm 

 for the new study, and in a few months had acquired 

 such a knowledge of natural law as to influence their 

 whole lives. The great forces of the universe were 

 illustrated througii toys and simple apparatus, and the 

 logical habits of thought thus formed were a life-long 

 possession. 



They w^ere considered the best students in a large 

 family although the other members were educated in 

 the graeled schools of the city. 



We read a few days since of a large gas tank col- 

 lapsing in New York City, while being tested by 

 water pressure, and the destruction of many lives in 

 consequence. Proba'bly no one engaged in the work 

 except the engineer knew of the tremendous pressure 

 exerted by 8,000.0()0 gallons of water a: that height. 



All the phenomena of steam, ice and air can be 

 illustrated in the public schools with the simplest 

 apparatus and to the delight of the children. 



i^hysics can be made a most fascinating study 



