770 Science- Teaching in the Schools. 
whose attention is attracted to nature, her aspect is multiform, and 
her speech many-tongued. And the devotee of nature’s truth is 
ever delighted with the rich stores of nature’s beauty. It is no 
mere accident that the same generations of mankind that have 
developed the sciences of nature have developed two new arts— 
landscape-painting, and the poetry of nature. There is inspiration 
for the imagination, as well as satisfaction for the understanding, 
in.the contemplation of that far-reaching reign of law which is at 
once the fundamental postulate and the crowning induction of sci- 
ence. The old myth of the music of the spheres is only a parable 
of the all-pervading harmony of natural law. 
Nor is the study of science without its wholesome influence upon 
the moral nature. Science is indeed no patent panacea for human 
depravity; but no one can become imbued in any measure with the 
spirit of science—the spirit of unselfish, courageous, reverent truth- 
seeking—without some degree of moral uplifting. I believe that 
a comparative study of biography will show that flagrant immorality 
has been exceedingly rare among scientific men—much rarer than 
among men of equal intellectual eminence devoted to literature, 
art, or almost any other pursuit. Literature and art may express 
and incite the basest passions. Science—truth—is never impure. 
The claim of natural science to a prominent position m the 
educational course is now pretty fairly conceded in the higher 
institutions of learning. ‘The most conservative of the colleges are 
making liberal provision of instructors and of material facilities for 
the teaching of the sciences, and the student is required or rae 
to devote a large share of his time to this class of studies, while 
numerous scientific schools are open for those students who her 
devote a still larger share of their time to scientific study. T ; 
case, however, is very different in the lower schools. Bomani 
science is usually taught in the high schools, though not, as & ™ us 
to those who are preparing for college. But in the lower i 
there is usually little or no teaching of science. The result is t! ‘ 
those whose educational course ends before they reach the = 
school (the great majority of the population) receive no ene: : 
in science whatever, and those who receive a college education ( 
destined intellectual leaders of their generation) receive 0 ue 
tion in science until a very late period in their educational cou 
