THE C H E M A W A A M E 11 1 C a N
5
SELF-EDUCATION.
Boy and girls, never forget that you
educate yourselves. Schools, books, and
teachers are helps, but you have to do
the work. Only by persevering indus
trious efforts can you become educated.
There are two objects in education:
first, to develop yourself; second, to
gain knowledge. To develop yourself is
to strengthen and cultivate your whole
being; to improve your memory and
reasoning powers; to learn .to think and
judge correctly; in short, to have your
mind grow so that you will be better
able to do your work in .life.
You develop yourself by acquiring
an education, thinking about it, and us
ing it; for education is the food to make
your mind grow. To gain knowledge is
to learn facts and truths, and methods
which will be of use to you in lifc.
There are four sources from which to
derive education: from your own obser
vation, from your experience, from the
conversation of others, and from study.
You can learn much without books and
teachers.
When you walk in the woods and field-',
keep your eyes open. Watch the ani
nials, birds, and insects. Do not injure
r torment them, but learn all you can
about their hab'ts, how they do and live,
what they eat Learn to distinguish the
different animals by 'sight and by sound..
Some of the birds change their plumage
in winter; some go north, some go south;
so tit; of the animals change the color of
their fur; some of the insects creep part
of their lives and fly during another
part. Notice all these peculiarities, and
you will learn much of natural history.
A celebrated naturalist said of some
of hi-i most important discoveries: k'All I "
had to do; was to look and see a thing
jut at it was made."' Follow bis exam-,
pl look, and you may be able to an
nounce some new discovery.
Study trees and plants. Learn all you
can about how they begin to grow, how
long they live, how often thy blossom
and bear fruit and of what use they are.
Learn to tell the different kinds of wood
by the grain, and examine the different
leaves and stems of plants. Examine
the ground and rocks and see what you
will firrd. Be always on the lookout
and you will see more curiosities than
you ever dreamed of.
1 often think it would be a real treat
to camp out a month and become ac
quainted with nature. Nature's college
is the best college; no other has so wide
and grand a course. There is no need
to go to California or to South America
or to the northern region?, to see won
ders; there are enough in your yard or
garden to keep you interested and busy
for weeks. .
Examine a bit of moss, or the structure
of a honey-bee, with the determination
to rind out ail about it, and you see more
wonderful thiirgsthan could be described
in several pages. Procure a microscope,
if possible; it will show you a fairyland.
Also form a museum, in vvhkdi to pre
serve the curiosities you find.
When you visit a manufactory, ex
amine the machinery; try to learn how
the power applied at one point moves
levers and wheels until it reaches the
part that does the work; wherever work
is going on be sure to learn how it is
done. Study into causes and results.
The steam engine came from the boy
Watts watching a boiling tea-kettle, and
thinking about it.
Listen to conversation. You can learn
something useful from everyone. Every
one can teach the best educated man
something
Ask people to tell yo i what they have
seen and know. Never be ashamed to
ask about what you do not understand.
A learned man was asked how he had
acquired such a vast amount of knowl-'
edge. "By asking information of every
one," he replied.
Avoid asking in regard to private
affairs, but talk with people about what
they work at; they will gladly give you
information, and you will gain much
practical knowledge.
To educate yourself, you must read,
study, observe, reflect, reason, and think.
Keep your eyes open, and your mind at
work. Ex.