CHAPTER X 



AS OUTDOOR LESSON 



HAVE had many a person ask me, " What 

 is the best way to learn about the out of 

 doors ? " and I always answer, " Don't try 

 to learn about it, but first go out of the 

 house and get into the out of doors. Then 

 open both eyes, use both of your ears, and 

 stand in one place stock still as long as 

 you can ; and you will soon know the out of doors 

 itself, which is better than knowing about it." 



" But," says my learner, " if I go out of the house, 

 I don't get into the out of doors at all, but into a 

 city street ! " 



Look there — in the middle of the street! What 

 is it? An English sparrow ? Yes, an English sparrow 

 — six English sparrows. Are they not a part of the 

 out of doors ? And look up there, over your head — 

 a strip of sky ? Yes — is not a strip of blue sky a part 

 of the out of doors? 



Now let me tell you how I learned an outdoor 

 lesson one night along a crowded city street. 



It was a cold, wet night ; and the thick, foggy 

 twilight, settling down into the narrow streets, was 

 full of smoke and smell and chill. A raw wind blew 

 in from the sea and sent a shiver past every corner. 



