116 NATURE STUUY. 



surroundings, will there not come to the children a 

 better understanding and better performance of \vhat 

 they owe to their surroundings? Will they not be 

 more careful of flower and bird and tree ? And will 

 not their ethical nature, their appreciation of duty, be 

 thereby developed? 



Have we reached yet the highest aim of nature 

 study ? 



Is that interest complete which does not attract the 

 child toward the Author of nature ? Is that knowledge 

 complete which does not see in nature and through 

 nature the Creator? Is that power complete which 

 does not enable the child to see through nature nature's 

 God, to realize that in nature study he is " thinking 

 God's thoughts after Him; " to read better this other 

 book of revelation, to tell better the story of a Protector 

 and Planner which nature tells him ? Is that sympathy 

 complete which does not bring our pupils into closer 

 touch, into harmony with Him who has breathed into 

 all things the breath of life ? Is that appreciation of 

 beauty, that aesthetic sense, best developed which does 

 not look above beauty of form and color and structure 

 to beauty of adaptation and function ; above beauty of 

 function to beauty of co-operation and mutual helpful- 

 ness ; above beauty of co-operation to the unity of plan ; 

 above the plan to the Planner? 



Let us review in order the aims which should control 

 in the work in nature study. So far as it is possible to 

 arrange in tabular form aims which are so closely re- 



