134 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [7:5— May, 1911 



hand. To rest and heal their nerves they must go out and try to 

 kill some unfortunate creature, — the old, old story of sacrificial 

 blood. Far better will it be, through properly training the child, 

 that the man shall be enabled to enjoy nature through seeing how 

 creatures live rather than by watching them die. 



WHAT NATURE-STUDY DOES FOR THE TEACHER 



During many years, I have been watching teachers in our 

 public schools in their conscientious and ceaseless work; and so 

 far as I can foretell, the fate that awaits them finally is either 

 nerve exhaustion or nerve atrophy. The teacher is apt to become 

 either a neurasthenic or a "clam". 



I have had conversations with hundreds of teachers in the 

 public schools of New York State concerning the introduction of 

 nature-study into the curriculum, and most of them have declared, 

 "Oh, we have not time for it. Every moment is full now !" Their 

 nerves were at such tension that with one more thing to do they 

 must fall apart. The question in my own mind during these conver- 

 sations was always, "How long can she stand it?" I asked some of 

 them, "Did you ever try a vigorous walk in the open air in the open 

 country every Saturday or every Sunday of your teaching year ?" 

 "Oh, no !" they exclaimed in despair of making me understand. 

 "On Sunday we must go to church or see our friends, and on 

 Saturday we must do our shopping or our sewing. We must go 

 to the dressmaker's lest we go unclad, we must mend, and darn 

 stockings ! We need Saturday to catch up." 



Yes, catch up with more cares, more worries, more fatigue, 

 but not with more growth, more strength, more vigor and more 

 courage for work. In my belief, there are two and only two occu- 

 pations for Saturday afternoon or forenoon for a teacher. One 

 is to be out-of-doors and the other is to lie in bed, and the first is 

 l>est. 



Out in this, God's beautiful world, there is everything wait- 

 ing to heal lacerated nerves, to strengthen tired muscles, to please 

 and content the soul that is torn to shreds with duty and care. 

 To the teacher who turns to nature's healing, nature-study in the 

 schoolroom is not a trouble; it is a sweet, fresh breath of air 

 blown across the heat of radiators and the noisome odor of over- 

 crowded small humanity. She, who opens her eyes and her heart 

 natureward even once a week, finds nature-study in the school- 

 room a delight and an abiding joy. What does such a one find 

 in her schoolroom instead of the terrors of discipline, eternal 



