T H E TORCH OF REASON, SIL V E R T O N , OREGON, S E P T E M B E R 14, 1SVJ. and thus the world is filled with ignorance, poverty and crime. The first im p o rtan t question for p h ilan th ro p ists to solve is how to be brave and honest themselves. Then if they are equal to the task, the next thing is to introduce into the world what they th in k is the best substitute for the old idea of fear, and fear not to push their ideas to the front. True Secularists believe in free­ dom or thought, in rig h t living, in science, in everything th at m akes men and women better and happier here and now. We call this the re­ ligion of H u m an ity , and we hope th a t we can become brave enough and honest enough in our genera­ tion to push these ideas a long way toward the front before the event th a t m ust happen in common to all the creatures of earth comes to us. Yes, Secularists, let us try to be brave and honest ourselves, and while we yet have strength, let us throw our m ental arm s around all the dear children of earth we can reach and help them to fear not the th re a ts of popes, priests and preach­ ers, the loss of rew ard nor the scoffs and ostracism s of society, but to tru st in the higher pow ers— love, judgm ent and reason. N a tu re S tu d ie s. N a tu re ! g reat p a re n t! whose unceasing h and Rolls round th e seasons of the changeful y ear, How m ig h ty , how m ajestic are thy works ! —T110M80 . Mrs. M innie Preston, our kinder­ garten teacher, read the following excellent paper on “ N ature S tu ­ dies” at a teachers’ meeting in Chippewa Falls, W is.: W hen I was assigned this topic I th in k I had about the same feel­ ing that the pupils have when we give them a lesson to learn th at is beyond their com prehension, and I fear you will feel like the teacher does when she hears such a lesson recited. . . . I have not thought much about the upper grade work, although I fully realize, as do all the first grade teachers, th a t my work m ust be the foundation upon which all the higher work is builded. There is nothing the children love to talk about or listen to as well as subjects from nature. The three great objects in n atu re study are: interesting the children, inspiring them with a love of n a ­ ture, and telling clearly and tr u th ­ fully w hat they have, learned. Charles Scott gives us one more ob­ ject: To lead the pupils to see the higher side of nature, and to think the thoughts of nature. We are in such a h u rry for them to know, th a t we are apt to forget th a t we are only to lead the child to Dame N ature and leave him there. We m ust not deprive them of the joy of discovery there by weakening the force of the lessons. Some one has said nature is a great m utual co-operation society, each p a rt with its work to do. Everyw here are lessons of m utual dependence and m utual helpfulness. But what have we tau g h t? W hat shall we teach? and how sh all we teach it? are the questions th a t are confronting us. F irst we m ust remember th at it is of great im portance th a t the child gain knowledge in the best way. That is, in the way th a t train s him to right habits of study and thought. Therefore the objects studied should be studied by the child himself. George Brown, of the Oshkosh norm al, says: “ All natural objects studied during the first three years should be the basis of language lessons.” This being the case the work m ust he talks about objects— little stories told and w ritten, get­ ting pupils to use correct language if it is but simple words and short sentences. They can read easy stories and com m it to memory short selections. I wish I knew just w hat the other teachers have done, hut I do not so I ’ll try and tell what I have done. D uring the fall term we gathered leaves, pressed and m ounted them . Of these we made a book. Pupils were very anxious to bring all the different kinds of leaves. (H ere Mrs. Preston exhibited a portfolio of pressed leaves, roots and flowers.) I did not go into detail and teach all the technical names. We ex­ am ined each leaf, learned the com­ mon nam e, noticed the shape, found if it were a perfect leaf, looked at its veins, learned the nam e petiole, stipules, blade, m id-rib, base and apex. The pupils wrote short stories about the leaves. I have two about the lilac leaf which I will read to you. The leaf is drawn in the upper left hand corner. A LEAF. I have draw n a little leaf. The leaf has a m id-rib and an apex and a base. T his is a lilac leaf. ^ thf liberal ! I I UNIVERSITY THE O NLY S C H O O L OF T H E K IN D \IZ F 'a c u l t y - -1 8 9 9 -’0 0 . SIZ J. E. HOSMER, Ph. I)., B. S. I)., P resident , MZ Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Psychology. A. A. LEONARD, M. D., M. E.,* SIZ \IZ Anatomy, Physiology, Hygiene, Electricity, Microscopy. \IZ THADDERS B. WAKEMAN, MZ \IZ History, Sociology, Law, Linguistics, Ethics. MINNIE P. HOSMER, L. S., B. S. D., \IZ \IZ History, English, Botany, Vocal Music. \IZ PEARL W. GEER, M. G. IL, S ecretary , \IZ Osteology, Religion of Humanity, Lecturer. MINNIE PRESTON, MZ Primary and Kindergarten. \IZ SOPHIE WOLF, SIZ Piano, Elocution, English Literature. SIZ CLARA WAKEMAN, Art. MZ ALICE DAVENPORT, k will l»e given to th e Liljeral U n iv ersity . against in this work, th a t is we which we use for food. The c h ild -, It should I jc in th e h a n d s of ev ery th in k in g person. A ddress all o rd ers to The TORCH OF REASON, S ilverton, Oregon. m ust not tell the pupils too m u c h .1 Continued on 6th page. U N C LE S A M ’S H O M IL IE S ON F IN A N C E