i6 



other mediums of expression. What is more natural 

 than to have him tell, in words, or by drawing or 

 painting or model, about what he has seen ? Will he 

 be more interested in expressing anything else ? Is he 

 not likely to do the best work in expression when he has 

 had the strongest impression ? We have found it so. 

 The power of the pupils of expressing clearly and 

 truthfully by language and drawing, has shown a very 

 marked improvement. The pupils write and draw 

 better, very much better, because they are interested 

 and have something to tell. Nature study thus becomes 

 a basis for much of the work in language and drawing. 

 It forms, in the earlier years in school, the best possi- 

 ble foundation for geography. It is as closely con- 

 nected with reading and literature. It becomes, not 

 merely a connecting link between school and out-of- 

 doors, a bond of union and sympathy between teacher 

 and pupils, but also a means of unifying and correlat- 

 ing most of the work of the school, particularly in the 

 earlier years. Nature is one center; the other is man 

 and his experience, more and more important as the 

 child gets older. 



The child should first study nature with his own 

 eyes, but he must not be limited to what he sees. He 

 must learn what others have seen. He must look at 

 nature through the eyes of the poet and other loving 

 interpreters of her thoughts. Nature study thus 

 becomes a means of better understanding and appre- 

 ciation of the best in literature. 



The study of nature misses its highest purpose, and 

 the great purpose of all education, unless it leads the 

 child from nature up to the Author of nature. Unless 



