But a long-used quiet habit of observation gives it life and the stored-up sweetness of years--"the old is better." The most charming books on nature study necessarily give a second-hand tone to the teaching.

But the point of it all is knowledge at first-hand; yet, for children knowledge at first-hand is so limited that some one to refer to, and some one to guide them is a necessity, some one who will say at the right moment "look" and "listen," and who has looked and listened for years.

Perhaps the requirement of knowledge at firsthand for children has sometimes been pushed a little too far, with a deadening effect, for the progress of such knowledge is very slow and laborious.

How little we should know if we only admitted first-hand knowledge, but the stories of wonder from those who have seen urge us on to see for ourselves; and so we swing backwards and forwards, from the world outside to the books, to find out more, from the books to the world outside to see for ourselves.

And a good teacher, who is an evergreen learner, goes backwards and forwards, too, sharing the work and heightening the delight.