CONTENTS.

BOOKS HELPFUL IN NATURE STUDY,

By CHARLES B. SCOTT, Oswego Normal School, N. Y.
SYMPOSIUM ON NATURE STUDY,

A few words from each of many prominent educators.
WM. T. HARRIS. U. S. Commissioner of Education.
WILBUR S. JACKMAN, Cook Co. Normal School.
EDWARD SEARING, Pres. of Mankato Normal School.
C. B. GILBERT, Supt. of Schools, St. Paul.

H. C. MUCKLEY, Supervisor of Public Schools, Cleveland.
SARAH L. ARNOLD, Supervisor of Primary Instruction, Boston.
FRANCIS W. PARKER, President Cook Co, Normal School.

From Teachers' College, Columbia University.
ANNIE A. SCHRYDER. Science.

FRANK T. BAKER, English Language and Literature.
JOHN T. WOODHULL, Science.

ELIZABETH A. HERRICK, Form, Drawing and Color.
J. F. REIGART, Psychology and History of Education.
SARAH C. BROOKS, Supervisor of Primary Work, St. Paul.

H. H. BALLARD, Prest. of Nat. Agassiz Asso., Pittsfield. Mass.

SARAH E. SPRAGUE. Throop University, Pasadena.

L. H. JONES, Supt. of Schools, Cleveland.

EMMA F. BATES, State Supt. N. Dak.

M. F. AREY, Iowa Normal School, Cedar Rapids.

W. H. H. BEADLE, Pres. Normal School, Madison.

W. W. PENDERGAST, State Supt. of Minn.

H. L. CLAPP, Master Geo. Putnam School, Roxbury, Boston.

PEDAGOGIC ASPECTS OF NATURE STUDY,

D. L. KIEHLE. LL. D., Professor of Pedagogy, U. of M.

NATURE STUDY AND THE TEACHER,

CHARLES B. SCOTT, State Normal School, Oswego.

THE OUT-DOOR STUDY OF GEOGRAPHY,

SANFORD NILES, Author of Niles's Geographies, Niles's History of the U. S. and Editor of SCHOOL EDUCATION.

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A FEW ENDORSEMENTS.

FRANCIS W. PARKER, Cook County Normal School: It is packed full of good things from beginning to end, and should be in the hands of every teacher in America. I am quite sure that the teaching of science is the beginning of better things for the children and the handsome volume which you have sent out will contribute not a little to this end.

MARIA L. SANFORD, of Minnesota University: If I were a teacher getting only $40.00 a month, I would buy Nature Study if it cost me $5.00.

H. E. KRATZ, Supt. of Sioux City Public Schools: It not only is a rich number on Nature Study but evinces great enterprise on your part as a publisher. I congratulate you on the high grade of excellence generally. Yes, I shall be glad to say a good word to my teachers for your excellent publication.

W. S. JACKMAN, Cook County Normal School: The issue is a most excellent one and reflects great credit upon your enterprise as publisher and I am sure teachers will find much in it to help them.

G. F. KENASTON, Supt. of City Schools, Mankato, Minn.: Upon examination of your "Nature Study" number I am led to say that you have rendered rich service to move real education. This number is worth a year's subscription to an teacher who will study it. Let it inspire every teacher to become a real student of nature and to bring its rich fruits to all the children.

W. H. H. BEADLE, State Normal School, Madison,S. D.: The splendid fulfillment of a most happy and useful thought. It is a great success in the right direction.

FRANK B. COOPER, Supt. Des Moines Public Schools: It will do a good deal toward stimulating and directing thought of teachers in this important department of school instruction. Your enterprise in getting out such an issue is to be highly commended. EMMA F. BATES, State Superintendent N. Dak.:

It is dainty, elegant, delightful. A valuable book. To you and to Prof. Scott great praise belongs. Telegram from MARY E. HOSFORD, Co. Supt.: NORTH PLATTE, NEB., July 30, 1894.

School Education Co.:

Send (for use at Institute) one hundred twenty Nature Study. Money forwarded by mail.

Many hundreds of compliments for this work have reached us but these are sufficient.

Single copy, mailed,

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MAY USHER GRIFFIN, of Supervisor Music, Mankato Normal School.

MIDSUMMER BITS,

SCHOOL EDUCATION CO.,

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WILL DILLMAN, Minneapolis Academy.

25c. $1.00.

Minneapolis, Minn.

My Dear Laurie: I received your letter yesterday, and I cannot tell you how sorry I am that you are so lonely and homesick up there on the farm. I am going to write you a long letter and tell you all about my new teacher; but I am afraid that when I tell you how delightfully interesting she is you will be more homesick than ever.

But first let me tell you how I miss you, dear. There is a great, rough, red-headed boy in your old seat, and every time I look there he makes up a face at me. Then I fall to dreaming of the nice times you and I had together, our long, delightful walks through woods and fields hunting for "specimens," the jolly times we had studying them, the hours we spent with John Burroughs, Mrs. Gatty and Mrs. Dana, and I long to have you back again.

"The flowers run wild, the flowers we sowed
Around our garden tree;

Our vine is drooping with its load,

Oh, call her back to me!"

If I only had a fairy's magic wand or the famous wishingcap I'd soon "call you back to me."

Now I must tell you about school. School opened on Wednesday, and as we were going to have a new teacher, you may guess how anxiously we hurried there that morning, and of course we were far too early-half past eight. Willie Bates was there ahead of us with a great bunch of purple asters for "her." He said he was sure she'd be "awful cross." Minnie Brown said she knew her name, and that it was Miss Brush. Frank Davis, who, you remember, was forever trying to pun, said he'd have to be careful not to "brush" up against her. The time crept so slowly it seemed as if we could not wait for the bell, so Frank dared Willie to carry in his flowers and see what she was like. Willie said he wasn't afraid, so in he marched, and we waited-breathless. Soon he came running through the hall with a pretty glass vase in his hand and his face beaming. You remember how Willie's face can beam. All he said was, "She's a daisy!" and hurried in with the water. Just then the bell rang and we rushed in eager, impatient. There she sat by the desk arranging

Willie's flowers. How sweet she looked! Willie was right. How becomingly her hair was dressed! What a pretty shirt waist she had on! She touched the flowers as if she loved them. She took a beautiful purple cluster and stuck it in her belt, and it looked so pretty against her white waist.

Then she looked up at us and smiled, and said, "Good morning, children. I'm glad to see you all looking so happy. My name is Miss Brush and I hope we shall all be good friends." Her voice was very low and sweet, yet it reached every part of the room.

There was a pencil and paper on every desk. She asked us to write our names, and number of the row, and the number of the seat, and pass our papers forward. She gathered them, and never needed to ask any of us our names. It seemed as if she knew us all.

She asked us if we could sing for her, and we sang our prettiest songs, which she seemed to enjoy very much.

Then she said, "As we have no books this morning we will look at the beautiful asters Willie brought and see if we can learn anything about them. Let us try to find out all we can about them without tearing them or hurting them-they are too pretty to spoil."

She laid seven clusters on each of the front desks and said, "Take one and pass the others back, please." It was all done so quietly it did not seem like the first day of school at all.

Miss Brush asked Willie where he found so many asters and he said, "I found some in the woods, some by the roadside and some on the bare, dry prairie. They seemed to be blowing everywhere." She laughed and said:

"The lands are lit with all the

Autumn blaze of goldenrod,

And everywhere the purple asters nod, And bend and wave and flit."

"That is true, isn't it, Willie?"

"Oh, yes," said Willie, "I could have brought you a whole cart load of goldenrod if I had had time, and some white flowers that look something like these, only they are much smaller. There were so many it looked as if it had snowed little starry flakes."

"Oh, that is why they are called asters," said Miss Brush. "They are star-flowers. Isn't that a pretty name? Listen to what Longfellow said about them:

"Spake full well in language quaint and olden,
One who dwelleth by the castled Rhine,
When he called the flowers so blue and golden,
Stars, that in earth's firmament do shine.'

"Down at my old home they called asters 'Christmas daisies,'" said Bessie Brown.

"You must be a little New England girl, Bessie," said Miss Brush. "Tell the class why they are called Christmas daisies."