142 HOW NATURE STUDY SHOULD BE TAUGHT 



So in all the diversities of interests in the natural 

 world there should be one spirit, that of walking. 

 Indeed, I am so strongly convinced of this that I 

 sometimes think there is but one thing, one gift, 

 the ability to walk, and that all other matters are 

 diversities of pretexts, excuses for going out to 

 walk. 



The sportsman carries gun and game bag ; the 

 fisherman fishing rod and tackle ; the naturalist 

 camera and collecting box ; each has an all-day's 

 tramp and comes home with but little to show 

 for miles of walking. Tired out ? Discouraged ? 

 Regretting the trip? Yes, tired out, yes, and 

 tired with them, but not of them, but happy, even 

 jubilant, and with full determination to go again 

 as soon as possible. Was that one squirrel, one 

 trout, one photograph, one specimen worth all the 

 time and labor? If it was not, then we may well 

 expect discouragement and regret. But these 

 visible trifles were only souvenirs of the real thing, 

 the walk. That was obtained in all its fullness, and 

 that was happiness and an inspiration for another 

 similar journey. Never mind the little excuses. 

 Now that the real thing has been obtained in such 

 fullness, the excuses are forgotten. 



The Rev. Dallas Lore Sharp is delightfully 



