Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-03
Fields Make
An Asset of
Child's Life
Nature Is Disclosed
in It's Best Moods
When One Walks.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

THERE Is only one way to see the
nature of the countryside and
that is by taking walk. We took
the children out to the country to give
them fresh air and to let them see the
growing things. We rode along the
State highway until we saw a nice
parking place down a side road. We
had lunch with us and ate it there.
We rested a little and then rode back
home. 1t was rather crowded coming
back, but the country was lovely. We
like the children to feel an interest
in the growing things, you know"
An interest in the growing things.
a love for the sky and the water and
the little creatures of the fields and
woods Is a wonderful asset of child
hood. one to be carried down to old
age for comfort and delight. But it
is not won by taking a motor ride
along the State highways. The fields
and woods can be reached by motor.
But they cannot be explored save by
the use of your own two legs and a
good pair Of feet.
Park the car in q safe place, take
the dog along, and go into the thick
of things. Feel the grass under your
feet. Scramble over the walls and
up the rocks. Gather the flowers of
the field, the daisies and buttercups
and red clover. Let the children play
in the brook or the pond. Let them
listen to the bird calls; and if a nest
Is discovered, study it without touch
ing it. That is the only way to know
about the nature you want the chill
dren to understand and love.
Knowing the names of the flowers
and trees helps create a fondness for
them, helps to make them real, like
friends. We are not deeply interested
in people whose names wo do not
know. We call them strangers and
feel strange toward them. But once
we learn their names we begin think
ing of them more personally, begin
feeling for them and about them and
like them. What we like we cherish.
There are neat little books, fitting
into a pocket easily, that tell you the
names Of flowers you see in the fields.
Colored pictures help children identify
them. The more of them you can
recognize the happier you will be in
the country. Children like to hunt
for flowers and are delighted to learn
their names and their ways.
Bird songs are delightful. The
birds voices make the woods a dwell
ing place where there Is communion
OF spirit. A bird song says something
to those who listen, creating a feeling
Of nearness to hidden power and great
oenencence. To be able to recognize
a bird by its voice is another delight.
To be able to say, That's a robin, I"
and. That's an oriole,' and be right
both times, Is q soul-satisfying
achievement.
Prof. Brand, who works with the
Cornell College group, has succeeded
IN making accurate photograph rec
ords Of bird songs. When you place
the record on the photograph and
turn the switch, the robin calls. or
the whip-p oor-will laments. You hear
many bird calls just as they sounded
IN the woods when Prof. Brand caught
them. If children could have these
records and become familiar with the
birds voices by listening, their fun in
the woods would be increased q hun
dredfold.
But they must travel on their feet.
They get nothing Of nature in an au-
tomobile.
Copyright. 1887