The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-27
STRANGE TO CITY CHILDREN
DISCOVERIES IN THE PtRhS
M NATURE CLASSES.

I've Rassaan ChisAren Nham the Tree.
FVaghaenem Kind 90 FlSN - Iliip,i.
Rsas-Mare anaerest N sheep Thar In
inc EoO-A Cellege CARTS NarL
Last sprinG Z earned more than
a month by taking children into the PEI,
and giving than nature lessons. snd 90.
year I have prospects Of doing s.,
better declared q young woman VIII"
working hsr way through college 90
al my claaaea. with ono except on '..
expenses are betrayed ny the paren', ,
my pupilA Thin one exception oompr-e.
ten children from the lower EAs, sd,
Their expenaes are paid by a woman
who few ysars aGo lost her only child
This child. though q cripple from her
birth. was paNsionatsly fond OF nature
and naoat of hsr hfs was spent in IN.
parla. WHARF, she was pushed about n
a wheeled chair by her mother or gov
arnans. After hsr death the govoFnsaa vas
employed for several years TO take othsr
children fond Of nature TO tho park. She
vas married two seasons ago and got
her place.
Twice a week I 10 down 10 a certain
cross street. whore hnA the tsn waiting
for me- under the caro- Of soms ono Of their
mothers An that is necessary for an EAs,
Side child 10 join this class. h never tn
have been In the park OF the country and
20 have parents too poor 60 pay his car
fare. They must be over and under t.
Aftsr a two hours rambls through the
park they have q light lunch. served by
the woman who pays all sxpsnsss. OF her
maid.
During that two hours ramhis talk
70 the children about the trses and ami
mails that 80 ere. In the class had last
spring thsrs were two Russian children
two little sisters. who were horn in
Moscow. On thar hrst visit Co the park
they STARED about them. evidently fright
ened. A We went dsepsr into thu park
down a secluded path where I wanted
the children Ia sss 90 Ear a. possible
what it looked like In the real woods the
Russians hung back and finally baked
altogether.
Their fear Of the trees Was quite evil
dent. so ! oct 20 work 10 find out the reA-
son. After much patient Questioning
and calling In the assistance Of an older
child who spoke Russian. learned that
the two little Rirls had seen trees once
before wl'sn they were lsaving Russia.
Now. seeing them again. they imsgined
they were 90 he taken lack to Russia. and
as consequence were terrified.
-As a rule children who see the trees
and flowers in the parks for yhs FIRST time
take IL In absolute silence. ! fancy IL
comes a. them like one great blur OF
strangeneas and Il takes sotne little time
beIore they can distinguish either color
or form.
This spell &C silencs IL generally broken
nv the appearance u q squirrel or a
bird. When tile awe finally wears OF
they are 49, a rule much more inquisitivs
than children WIN have been accustomed
TO parks and country al their days.
The classes begin in the spring ami
continue for thres months. -Bhen when
summer II over the work u taken up
again in the FIRST week in October and
carried on until the FIRST SNOW. 50 you
50 though only began as the teacher Of
this endowed nature class last spring.
have alrs@dy graduated two classes This
season there are 10 ha twenty neW Chill
dren. and the lady Who paynths expenses
feiIE me that she has grpae difklcuity in
selecting them from the usImbsr Of apDli
wants that have como 10 her.
-Ons thing miesed last year in Central
Park was fruit trees. 10 seems a pity
there are not more. for children are all
interested in the growth Of the fruit they
eat. never received closer attention
than the days we went 20 the apple tres.
The first Tiny fruit ne found there
evoked n regular chorus Of rejoicing.
when Il comes tn animal life the scope
IL limited. but the children were interosted
in every specimen hey could find Toward
the end Of the spring they recoGntxed the
birds ~ quickly ~ I could. They took
ing time hooked forward for days 60 seeing
the wool cRpped. Missing that tunction
they contented themselves by watching
the new wool grow out. .t
Though my expsriencq IL not yet what
you could cal wide. I am sure that chill
and plants about which thsy know than
about the strange ones. They were much
more concerned about tho sheep end tho
squirrels and the native tiFda flying aiout
the park than In the strange animmls In
the ZOO. Thts vas tlas cass With al my
hoSnes n wcil n those Who travelled W
through the Bowery.
1T l. pleasnnt work for any woman who
70 fond 20 children and out Of door life.
and Especially adapted IN girls working
their way Through college. because the
hours can be arranged 30 ~ not to CON
hict with lectures and class work. NV
charges are q dollar an hour and on penses
I have been told that they are too mod
crate for New York. but n | hadn't any
infiueoce 10 get among the extremely
rich ] took what could gst. ~ mOst
81 my leaaona are two houTs long and
given TO classes Of at least ten, 10 V not .
trent tar ON the parenes nnAthe children
certainly enjoy u and are beDeflted.
Il believe an almost unlimited ntimler
of such classes could he GOT up by college
women who know aboeIt trees and animate
n they don't know 10 10 best for then
either not TO try OF not 20 Get children N
their CLASSES. Few powuupr can equal
q child IN asking searching questions. n
you don't actually know or are Q iItt nm
CERTAIN q child onetisc0vers u, and hav-
ina Loaf conhdencs IN you promptly losss