598 NATURE STUDY. 



green, turn the eyes and the thoughts of the children to the 

 trees and lawns and fields. Gathered about the window 

 (or, better, going out doors), with even one tree or lawn or 

 bit of green in sight, cannot they see and begin to appreci- 

 ate the fact that it is the leaves, not the flowers, which 

 give the chief beauty to this world of ours. The leaves 

 form nature's dress ; the flowers are only the jewels scat- 

 tered here and there. 



Isn't it a great work to fill this world with life and 

 beauty and brightness, to help bring joy and happiness to 

 everybody ? Will not some of the little men and women 

 apply the thought ? What would we and the birds and all 

 the animals do without leaves ? What a world this would 

 be with nothing green ! 



In city schools, in a world of brick and stone and smoke, 

 the leaf study may be the means of showing yearning, hun- 

 gry eyes something of the world of beauty which seems so 

 commonplace to the more favored children in village and 

 country. 



Bring out another use of the veins, to carry water 

 to every part of the leaf. Note how the veins come from 

 the top of the leaf stem, branch again and again, and extend 

 -: to every part of the leaf. Compare with water pipes in the 

 city, or with ditches or drains in the country, or with the 

 blood vessels in the hands. 



The children can understand that, if each leaf is giving 

 out water, all together throw out into the air an enormous 

 amount of water. Some trees are known to exhale several 

 tons of water every day. Those children who have studied 

 during the winter the forms of water can, perhaps, appreci- 

 ate something of the use and value of leaves and of plants 

 in keeping the air moist and thus helping in giving us fre- 

 quent rains. 



