210 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 



But there's the rub. If mothers and primary teachers were 

 themselves living in sympathetic contact with nature even though 

 ignorant of "science" as such, it could not with truth be said as 

 now that * 'almost all elementary science teaching is a failure." 

 (Howe. Ped. Sem. Oct. 04. 66). 



It is a sad fact that mere contact with the "fair silent things of 

 nature" will not beget the S3mipathy as many a country bred 

 man and wom.an can testify. Belated and conscious efforts of 

 the individual toward the realization of that sympathy can result 

 in mere glimpses of the beauty and the restfulness and the com- 

 pensation of nature and a deep sense of misery at being cheated of a 

 large part of his birthright. 



Now, since this great loss can never be wholly made up to the 

 individual later in his life by conscious effort on his part, let us 

 as Froebel urges, be busy with the children. 



About twelve years ago I was carrying a bouquet of sweet 

 peas through a wretched quarter of San Francisco, a quarter then 

 known as the "Dumps." On my way through this malodorous 

 place I was stopped every few steps by children who begged for 

 "just one" flower. It was pitiful to see the*delight in their pinched 

 dirty little faces as they received the flower. I asked what they 

 intended to do with the flowers and the answer was always the 

 same "keep imi." 



On another occasion in the same quarter of the city I saw 

 two very small boys with stones in their hands creeping stealthily 

 toward a corral, I asked them what they were creeping after, 

 "boids" was the reply. I then inquired what they were going 

 to do to the birds, "kill um," "then what" I asked. "Keep um" 

 they answered. After that I worked for two years with those 

 little waifs and have since had ten years experience in teaching 

 little children and I find that gentle or simple they all want flowers, 

 they all want "boids" and they all want to "keep um." 



The problem then, is by no means hopeless though it must be 

 confessed it often seems so. 



It has needed but the mildest suggestion to start the children on 

 journeys to trace lines of traveling ants to their homes, to stalk 

 the birds and note their markings, size and song, to gather heaps 

 of beautiful leaves and grasses, to watch with delight the fish, 

 bees and butterflies. But always where this had been done came 

 the blank wall and the question "what next?" 



