to rewrite. Sometimes the second papers show careful correction-and
sometimes the mistakes are partially neglected. Very often the child
wishes to improve on the first composition, and so adds new blunders
as well as creates new interest.

There is a law of self-preservation in Nature, which takes care of
mistakes. Every human soul reaches toward the light in the most direct
path open to it, and will correct its own errors as soon as it is
developed far enough. There is no use in trying to force maturity;
teachers who trouble children beyond all reason, and worry over their
mistakes, are fumbling at the roots of young plants that will grow
if they are let alone long enough.

The average mechanical work (spelling, construction of sentences,
writing, etc.) is better under this method than when more time is
devoted to the mechanics and less to the thought of composition.
I have seen many reports of Burroughs's essays from the pens of
children more pleasing and reliable than the essays of some
professional reviewers; in these papers I often find the children
adding little suggestions of their own; as, "Do birds dream?"
One of the girls says her bird "jumps in its sleep." A little ten year
old writes, "Weeds are unuseful flowers," and, "I like this book
because there are real things in it." Another thinks she "will look
more carefully " if she ever gets out into the country again. For the
development of close observation and good feeling toward the common
things of life, I know of no writings better than those of
John Burroughs.


MARY E. BURT