HOW NATURE STUDY SHOULD BE TAUGHT 8 1 



of April ? To-day our schedule says we are to 

 have buds. I have an armful of specimens here 

 on my desk, as you can all see. I was out hunt- 

 ing for them before some of you children were 

 out of bed." 



John, rather crestfallen, in a mystifying guilt 

 as to his " amphibia " stumped along in the manner 

 that only a boy of repulsed interests can do, and 

 carried the turtle out of doors. The other chil- 

 dren wilted in their eagerness, and slumped into 

 their seats. The hand-bell rang snappishly, the 

 children stiffened, with rigidly folded arms, and 

 perfect order reigned in that schoolroom. No a 

 la carte in that mind restaurant, but a public in- 

 stitution of diet changed only after long routine 

 and per schedule. 



And yet as I day-dreamed there, I thought what 

 an ideal teacher she is. What a good discipli- 

 narian, how perfect in her manner, how conscien- 

 tious and thorough, in everything that she does. 

 Her principal has required " Fifteen minutes a day 

 for nature study, preferably after the opening ex- 

 ercises." (Get it off your hands as early in the 

 day as possible, so that you will be ready to do 

 something — ^this was not in the schedule, but I 



felt it ; perhaps I was wrong, perhaps not.) The 

 6 



