262 Fifth Conference 



Our attitude to Nature must be that of pupils; our 

 attitude to our children must be that of the old Greek 

 Ilcuciayfevyof, the slave who led the child to school. 

 " Come along with me and see." And, incidentally, 

 how wise were those same Greeks with their of(5a, " I 

 know ", for " I have learned "; for " I have seen " (eiSw, 

 video}\ How more wise still was the greatest Teacher! 

 " Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye be converted 

 and become as the little children, ye cannot enter, ye 

 cannot see the kingdom of Heaven." No, nor the 

 kingdom of Nature. 



Mutual effort, mutual discovery, mutual reverence 

 must be our relations with our class. Did not Froebel 

 tell us to " become children with the child, learners 

 with the learner " ? 



The larger knowledge, the wider research, the longer 

 experience, the closer friendship with Nature neces- 

 sarily make the older seeker after truth at once a 

 poet and a prophet. He is a poet because he reveals 

 a prophet because he tries to interpret the mean- 

 ing, the purpose, the beauty, truth, power, and divinity 

 of his mistress. He speaks, as it were, for her. She 

 is his inspiration. What has been revealed to him he 

 reveals to the child again like the Master Teacher, 

 " Not many things at the first, because they are not 

 able to bear them ". 



How much may we not learn thus of our children? 

 Yes, much from them! How this treatment would 

 appeal to the best traits and instincts of the child 

 nature; how it would draw out, educate, the best in 

 him! What sympathies would be enkindled between 

 the master and the disciple! How truly would this 

 fulfil the idea underlying the word 'study' studium, 



