Uncas, or even I, who am a man without a cross, would deliberate about finding a cover in a scrimmage when an open body would do no good? For what have the Frenchers reared up their Quebec, if fighting is always to be done in the clearings?" "All that you say is very true, my friend; still, our custom must prevent us from doing as you wish." Good selections to use for the purposes described and good subjects for compositions are the following from Journeys Through Bookland: For Narration: 1. Stories from The Swiss Family Robinson, Volume III, page 99. 2. The Story of Siegfried, III, 410. 3. The Death of Hector, IV, 364. 4. Tom Brown at Rugby, V, 469. 5. The Recovery of the Hispaniola, VII, 352. 6. The Adventure of the Windmills, VII, 438. 7. The Adventure of the Wooden Horse, VII, 467. 8. The Battle of Ivry, VIII, 76. For Description: 1. How the Old Woman Looked. See The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, Volume I, page 35. 2. The House in the Tree. See Swiss Family Robinson, III, 141. 3. A Forest Scene. ory, IV, 128. 4. See Pictures of Mem Sheridan's Horse. See Sheridan's Ride, IV, 223. 5. Christmas. See The Fir Tree, II, 68, and Christmas in Old Time, VI, 356. 6. A Scene of My Childhood. See The Old Oaken Bucket, VII, 11. 7. My Old Kentucky Home. See poem of the same name, VII, 179. For Exposition: 1. The Character of the Boy, Tom. See Tom, the Water Baby, Volume II, page 215. 2. What Kind of a Man was Viking? See The Skeleton in Armor, V, 327. 3. Exaggeration and Falsehood. See Baron Munchausen, V, 403. 4. On the construction, meaning, and sentiment in "Home, Sweet Home." See VI, 221. 5. The Strength of the Gorilla Compared with that of the Elephant. See A Gorilla Hunt, VII, 247, and Elephant Hunting, VI, 385. 6. The Wit of the Visitor. See Limestone Broth, VI, 467. 7. A Character Sketch of Alice and John. See Dream Children, VIII, 335. For Argument: 1. Was the Second Traveler in the Right? See The Two Travelers, Volume I, page 109. 2. Were the Three Men Perfectly Healthy? See We Plan a River Trip, V, 443. 3. Was the Punishment of the Ancient Mariner Just? See The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, VII, 29. 4. Was it Sensible for Casabianca to Remain on the Burning Ship? See Casabianca, VIII, 313. 5. Should Warren Hastings Have Been Convicted? See The Impeachment of Warren Hastings, IX, 32. CHAPTER XV JOURNEYS THROUGH BOOKLAND IN ITS RELATION TO THE SCHOOL-(Continued) N Nature Study ATURE study to be most valuable must be in reality the study of nature. Its beginnings are in observation and experiment, but there comes a time when the child must go to books for information and enlightenment. The purposes of nature study are to awaken a spirit of inquiry concerning things in the immediate vicinity and thence in wider fields; to develop observation, comparison and reason; to give interests that will charm the possessor through life; to introduce the elements of the natural sciences. Enthusiasts have made the study of nature the basis of all school work, the correlating force in all studies. Such an idea has merit in it, for it is certain that lessons begun in the observation of living things and the phenomena of nature speedily ramify into language, reading, geography, history, and even mathematics. There is among some an unfortunate tendency to go too much to books for material and to seize too quickly any suggestion that leads in that direction. Yet books are valuable at the proper time and in the proper place. When facts have been learned, they may be made vital by good literary selections; when facts not accessible by observation are needed, they may be obtained through books. On the other hand, literature is full of allusions to natural facts and phenomena and may only be understood by him who knows nature. Both phases of the subject are of vital interest. Instead of attempting any systematic outline for nature study we will here try to give help on two problems only: First. How may nature study be broadened by the use of literature? Second. How may the study of nature help in the appreciation of literature? I. N trying to answer the first question we will present first a classified list of selections from Journeys Through Bookland which are closely related to the study of nature and indicate briefly how they may be used. In the first place, there are long selections in which there are many anecdotes and incidents which are usable in nature study. We will give partial lists of what is to be found therein, but it is well to read the whole selection and choose what is best for the occasion, 1. Tom, the Water Baby (Volume II, page 215). This is one of the most charming stories in the book, especially for young children, though older ones and even people of mature years will enjoy it thoroughly. Tom, a little chimney sweep, after perilous adventures, dies, or rather turns into a newt or eft, a water baby. His exciting life thereafter is in the waters, where he meets many of its strange denizens. The whole story is highly imaginative, humorous, and full of fine lessons, beautifully given. The more important of his adventures, from our point of view, are concerned with the following: The Caddis Fly, pages 261-264. The Turbot, page 289. Lobsters, pages 292-294, 300-303. Sea Cucumbers, page 297. Great Auk, page 339. Mother Carey's Chickens (Stormy Petrels), page 344. 2. Robinson Crusoe (Volume III, page 45). Two chapters only are given from this great story, but the first, dealing with the capture and education of Crusoe's man Friday, may be worth while to read in connection with studies of savage races. It is not altogether scientific. 3. The Swiss Family Robinson (Volume III, page 99). This famous old story will be charming to children for many generations to come. It is a tale of the wonderful struggle of a family against nature. It may be a fact that it is unreasonable and impossible; that not all the seeming facts are true; that nature never plays so perfectly into the hand of man; that not all the living things mentioned are to be found in one locality. But it is clean, wholesome adventure, and the errors in it |