2 HOW NATURE STUDY SHOULD BE TAUGHT 



day clothes. I do not recollect all the events of the 

 occasion, but a few things stand out with vivid 

 prominence. First, there were my new shoes that 

 pinched my toes, and squeaked dismally as I 

 walked. My impression is that it was a quarter of 

 a mile from the door to my desk, and what a row 

 of people I passed in that journey ! 



There were Mrs. Brocker, who beamed at me 

 over her spectacles in a sort of " I-know-you-and- 

 guess-you-are-a-big-man to-day " sort of way ; and 

 Deacon Adams, with an indescribable twinkle in 

 his eye. I thought he was making fun of me on 

 account of my new shoes. Finally, I woke up the 

 Visitor. He opened his eyes, and looked at me 

 over his spectacles, and made my journey longer. 

 He had a learned way of leaning back in his arm- 

 chair, and " going to sleep," as we thought. Woe 

 to the luckless youth that woke him up ! But 

 this time I escaped that disaster. 



When the teacher had tapped on the desk, and 

 told Frank to shut the door and put the water-pail 

 in the corner, the Visitor said to her : " You may 

 call out the class in ' Webster's Speller and 

 Definer,' " and went to sleep again. He may have 

 waked up more than twice during the class, but I 

 do not remember that he did. Some of the parents 



