6 INTRODUCTION. 



takes care of mistakes. Every human soul reaches 

 toward the light in the most direct path open to it, 

 and will correct its own errors as soon as it is devel- 

 oped far enough. There is no use in trying to force 

 maturity ; teachers who trouble children beyond all 

 reason, and worry over their mistakes, are fumbling 

 at the roots of young plants that will grow if they are 

 let alone long enough. 



The average mechanical work (spelling, construc- 

 tion of sentences, writing, etc) is better under this 

 method than when more time is devoted to the me- 

 chanics and less to the thought of composition. I 

 have seen many reports of Burroughs's essays from 

 the pens of children more pleasing and reliable than 

 the essays of some professional re viewers ; in these 

 papers I often find the children adding little sugges- 

 tions of their own ; as, " Do birds dream ? " One of 

 the girls says her bird " jumps in its sleep." A little 

 ten year old writes, " Weeds are unuseful flowers," 

 and, " I like this book because there are real things 

 in it." Another thinks she "will look more care- 

 fully ' if she ever gets out into the country again. 

 For the development of close observation and good 

 Feeling toward the common things of life, I know of 

 Ho writings better than those of John Burroughs. 



MAEY E. BURT. 



Jones School, Chicago. Sept. 1, 1887. 



