Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-09-18


| Max Muller to be n heightened tissue
| of faddcd INSTRUMENTATION Of
natural phenomena as they expressed
| the plastic imaglnations of our Arynn
| forefathers. So the wonderful mystic
| lore of Greece and Rome, when care
fully scrutinIzed. is found to be nothing
| but idealized nature. Zeus stood for
the sun, Diana for the moon. Mars for
thunder, Pluto for volcanic phenomena,
while the mllder aspects OF nature We're
| symbolized by goddess, nymph or maid.
| So too the Morse and Icelandic myth
ology is but collection Of the obser-
Nations and Interpretations OF nature
| made by that somber but heroic peo-
pie. Even our Indian myths depend
ultimately upon background OF
natural phenomena.
Nor is II difficult to feel the pusa-
ton Of nature in the suplimest crea
tiuns OF literature. Shakespeare, MIL
ton. Goethe. Byron-what would they
he without the voice Of nature whlch
speaks from their wprks-without the
heart Bnd warm blood of nature which
thrill us as we read2 Indeed. II is safe
to say that he who does not love nature
on his own account. can never set foot
within the arcanum of literary genius,
either as creator or as visitor.
NATURE AND RELIGION.
The Oldest religion in the world
that of India, arose from nature-con-
| ceptions. What IL NIvana, the Hin
| doc idea OF God and Of heaven, but n
dedication Of infinite spacc2 The Per-
sians and Babylonians got their re-
llgions from observing the stars. The
whole long list of Greek deitles came
from clothing the mysterious heroes of
nature with human attributes. The
same Ia true of the gods of the north
The great religions OF the world were
formed during the childhood uf the
race. Subsequent ages have but weeded
them of imaginative extravagances,
| and substituted rationalized concep-
| tions. Now, IL the parallel which sci
ence maintains between the childhood
| Of the race and the childhood of the
| individual he well founded, we should
| expect children in our day to be ma
| ture worshlpers: and this Is exactly
what we find when we seriously ana
| lyze the fancies and vagarles Of
childhood. Flowers, plants and trees
| are spoken to and petted by children
as If they had life; birds and animals
| and dolls are quite endowed with hu-
man attributes. At a little later age.
| great faith Is placed in charms anu
let's, divlnations and other devices Of
necromanCy. This IL the lingering in
stinct of fetish worship. an instinct
which many people right in the blaze
| Of civilization do not outgrow.
PARABLE OF THE TADPOLE.
What then shall be our attitude to-
ward these characteristics in child
growth? Shall we seek to encourage
these early instincts Of the race, till
thy are outgrown, or shall we seek to
repress them. as unworthy our state OF
civilization?
Listen to the parable OF the tadpole
Every child knows that the frog at
first has no legs but moves by means
OF a tall but not every child knows
how the legs grow out or what becomes
OF the tail. Do you, fellow teachers?
AS the frog can have no earthly use
for tail, II would at first reasoning
seem to be an act OF kindly assistance
to nature to cut It off. and thus hasten
the sproutlng of n pair of legs. But
should we do so, no legs would appear.
why this is so we cannot tell. but we
know that 1t is so.
Now. the human body has at least
1870 rudimentary organs, which go
through n similarly indirect evolution,
and there Is no doubt that the mind
Is constituted In the same way. Now,
suppose we attempt n short cut to
the DEVELOPMENT of these faculties
we cut or these numerous mental tad
pole tails-we shall inevitably injurc
the mind-power for life.
HELP RATHER THAN HINDER
EVOLUTION.
The only logical conclusion that hi
ology can reach from a careful study
of child-development is not to inter
| feie with but rather give fun play
| to these primitive instincts. Introduce
the child to nature at as early a date
| as possible, and foster a strong love
| for natural objects, no matter how ir'
irrational the method. Do not hesitat,
to indulge the child with myth and
| fairy tales to its hearts content: fol
| the time will swiftly come when tbs
| tadpole tail Of fancy will gather Itself
| and grow into the strong legs OF
| imagination and intellect.
| This then IL the agument for uslnl
| nature myths In the school room, anC
| for encouraging those pretty hctiOn'
| about Santa Claus. Above NIL 1t II
| necessary to suffuse the child's sou
| with absorbing interest In nature; II
| the changes of the seasons, with tn,
multiplicity of causes and effects tina
accompany each; in the habits %
bird and beast and insect and plan
life; taking care to cnvelop each sub
iect in that hazy glamour of fairy
life which is so enhancing to child
mind.
From such a baptism IN the Idea
shall grow the strength and power II
a later age to prosecute the sciences
embellish the arts, invigorate ltera,
L
warmth into religion. But without II
we shall produce q race capable only
of snarllng over the dried bones %
facts. facts, facts. A weakly attemp
at Misunderstanding acts like the IN
| incubation of cow-poX to proven
| smallpox: II V0ccinates against
love OF nature in after life.
METHODS OF TEACHING.
A few remarks on the prevalea
methods OF nature teaching may no
be amiss. We make mistake in be.
ginning with classlfcations. His
tologlcal technique, however vaiu
able at a later age is lost upon tn,
opening minds of children: what 4
worse, it bores and disEusts then
with the subject. Pursue the natura
method which, in the main. Is tn
method that children would spOn
taueously follow II turned loose In tn,
fields and meadows. Childhood mem
DRY is VIGOROUSLY unreliable; the pur
pose of Misunderstanding IL less L
store up facts than to develop mentn
tadpole tails.
Following general conclusions mG,
| safely be arrived at.
The mythu-peic way OF beginnlnt
nature-studies is the natural way
The objects taught may be soon for