THE COMING GENERATION 



to forget that these same delusior>s were the mental 

 pabulum on which the budding mind was trained. 

 Surely, in the light of the sequel, such training might 

 well have been omitted. 



"But," you say, I fancy almost in horror, "would 

 you take away from the child all those delightful myths 

 that have entranced children for untold generations? 

 Would you condemn the mind of the child to a barren 

 world of fact?" 



To the first inquiry, I reply unqualifiedly, Yes. I 

 would banish myths, superstitions, and all banishable 

 falsehoods from the world of the child forever. 



To the second inquiry, I reply, No, I would not con- 

 fine the mind to the "barren" realm of truth, but I 

 would confine it if possible to the wonderful, beautiful, 

 entrancing realm of truth. What need is there to 

 seek for wonders of fairy land when wonders of reality 

 are all about us ? The whole realm of nature is a fairy 

 land of fact. The budding flower, the singing bird, 

 the grass beneath our feet, the very ground the whole 

 world everywhere, is teeming with wonders, with mys- 

 teries, with bewildering realms for the exploration of 

 the imagination. 



That is no barren realm to which truth invites. The 

 wonders of nature may be made as alluring to the 

 child as the wonderful untruths of myth land. With- 

 out being led too rapidly, the child's mind may be made 

 to imbibe delightful truths that it need not later un- 

 learn. 



It may from the very first be allowed to see the events 

 of Nature as they occur in orderly, natural sequence, 



[235] 



