No. 4.] NATURE STUDY. 205 



because he has no feeling of power or resource within him- 

 self. 



These fundamental things, then, that we find underlying 

 human progress, things that constitute the real nature study 

 of the race, should be given their place in the education of 

 the child. How far is this done in our modern school sys- 

 tem ? I fear, instead of welling up out of the deepest and 

 richest experiences of mankind, our elementary science 

 courses have sifted down like dust and ashes from the pre- 

 occupied heads of pedagogues and logicians. 



We first had so-called " elementary science lessons," so 

 well taken off by Dickens in the first pages of "Hard 

 Times,"' a Thomas Gradgrind, Mr. M'Choakumehild, affair. 



" Bitzer," said Thomas Gradgrind, " your definition of a horse." 

 " Quadruped. Graminivorous. Forty teeth, namely, twenty-four 

 grinders, four eye teeth and twelve incisive. Sheds coat in the 

 spring; in marshy countries sheds hoofs too," etc. "Now, girl 

 No. 20," said Mr. Gradgrind, " you know what a horse is." 



Possibly we flatter ourselves that we have gotten beyond 

 this stage. We shall see in a moment. 



The next attempt of promise was the "object lesson," 

 with the motto, "Teach the children things, objects, real- 

 ities." A very good idea, if we teach them the right kind 

 of things. I hope you all may have heard James Whitcomb 

 Riley give his recitation on the object lesson, and if we are 

 to spend the time discussing the complexion of a " blond" 

 or " brunette " peanut, the " object lesson " may be a ridic- 

 ulous waste of time. So the object lesson, about which we 

 heard so much a few years ago, has gone by the board. 



The latest movement toward education of this kind has 

 hit upon the happy name "nature study." It would seem 

 that the very words carry the suggestion of a natural, whole- 

 some instruction. They contain in themselves a remonstrance 

 against the forcing of elementary science upon too young 

 children, and they lead us away from the dead mechanical- 

 ness of mere " objects" toward the living realities of nature 

 as it surrounds the child. This new movement has brought 

 new life and hope into the educational field ; but alas, the 



