2over, except that the strokes of their paddles were longer and more in unison, and caused the little bark to spring forward like a creature possessing life and volition."

It will be observed that the paragraph just quoted is not purely descriptive, but that it contains something of narration as well. A single sentence of pure description is the following, to be found on page 386: "So rapid was the progress of the light vessels that the lake curled in their front in miniature waves and their motion became undulating by its own velocity.

The following, from page 388, is a brief argument in conversational form, the elementary form of debate:

you

"Get then into the bottom of the canoe, you and the colonel; it will be so much taken from the size of the mark.'

"It would be but an ill example for the highest in rank to dodge, while the warriors were under fire!"

"Lord! Lord! that is now a white man's courage! And, like too many of his notions, not to be maintained by reason. Do you think the Sagamore or 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 208.

2. The Story of Siegfried, IV, 57.

3.

The Death of Hector, V, 47. 4. Tom Brown at Rugby, VI, 208.

7. The Adventure of the Wooden Horse, VIII, 320.

8. The Battle of Ivry, VIII, 423.

For Description:

1. How the Old Woman Looked. See The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoc, Volume I, page 13.

2. The House in the Tree. See Swiss Family Robinson, III, 208.

3. A Forest Scene. See Pictures of Memory, IV, 272.

4. Sheridan's Horse. See Sheridan's Ride, IV, 378.

5. Christmas. See The Fir Tree, II, 95, and Christmas in Old Time, VII, 150.

6. A Scene of My Childhood. Oaken Bucket, VII, 298.

7. My Old Kentucky Home.

the same name, VII, 485.

See The Old

See poem of

8.

IX, 36.

The Court of Lions. See The Alhambra,

For Exposition:

1. The Character of the Boy, Tom. See Tom, the Water Baby, Volume II, page 257.

2. What Kind of a Man was Viking? See The Skeleton in Armor, VI, 54.

3. Exaggeration and Falsehood. See Baron Munchausen, VI, 135.

4. On the construction, meaning, and sentiment in "Home, Sweet Home.” See VII, 1.

5. The Strength of the Gorilla Compared with that of the Elephant. See A Gorilla Hunt, VIII, 74, and Elephant Hunting, VII, 180.

6. The Wit of the Visitor. See Limestone Broth, VII, 271.

7. A Character Sketch of Alice and John. See Dream Children, IX, 271.

For Argument:

1.

Was the Second Traveler in the Right? See The Two Travelers, Volume I, page 104. 2. Had Willie a Right to Break His Arrest? See Wee Willie Winkie, III, 189.

3. Were the Three Men Perfectly Healthy? See We Plan a River Trip, VI, 179.

4.

Was the Punishment of the Ancient Mariner Just? See The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, VII, 321.

5. Was It Sensible for Casabianca to Remain on the Burning Ship? See Casabianca, IX, 246. 6. Should Warren Hastings Have Been Convicted? See The Impeachment of Warren Hastings, IX, 439.

Vol. XI.-28.

CHAPTER XV

JOURNEYS THROUGH BOOKLAND IN ITS RELATION TO THE SCHOOL-(Continued)

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 into 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.

A. Seven Long Selections

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.