We have found that to help the body to freedom we must give it a sense of its greatest weight and teach it in use, in its greatest lightness. We have also found that the existence of a true repose or quiet consists in living so that one at all times may hear the "inner voice," and that all work and all play is helped by this quiet becoming a part of our permanent organizations. In maturity this. repose can not sincerely exist without making self-consciousness impossible.

It may appear to exist. There may be an exterior which is calm to an uncomfortable point; or it may be quiet in the sense of not noisy, but true quiet or freedom of body and soul it knows not, and is often too busy listening to itself. to hear anything else. But true quiet, as we said above, is inharmonious with self-consciousness. What feeds the one kills the other.

Self-consciousness is a prevailing tendency of the day. Men and women are conscious each in their own ways; little children are conscious and even babies sometimes at a very early age show consciousness which, though pretty (if one sees not its end), at the time is the embryo of the same evil.

The question as to what can be done as a remedy, reminds one of the directions some clear thinker gives for a successful education-namely, to begin with the great-grandfather, giving him and all other ancestors down to the child in hand the best that is known to-day! Doubtless the consciousness of self has been handed down to us from many generations, and we continue to hand it down. Besides giving it to our children. prenatally we surround them with the

elements of a hothouse development for it, almost from the moment of their arrival.

What beautiful eyes," says one child-lover; then questioningly, "I suppose I can admire, now that your baby is so young?

Of course this may be done in the right spirit, and if the baby is too young to understand, harmlessly.

But ought not far greater care to be taken?

Can we tell just the time that a child can understand us?

Sometimes we think we detect when the recognition of a noun comes to him, but this is seldom with surety.

The very attitude of admiration affects the sensitive organization of the infant and fans the dreaded consciousness of self into existence. Knowing this, and also that we can not tell exactly when modifying words are understood, do we not run an incalculable risk in not being more watchful?

Even caresses may be given to a baby or child in such a way as to increase the self-consciousness.

When we draw the child to us in love, not only to him, but to the Creator from whom he came, we but impress the child with good and lead him unconsciously to strengthen his covenant with that Crea

tor.

When we kiss him, alone conscious of himself and his gratification to us, it is seldom, if ever, that the love is free from personality, and the repetitions of these caresses often increase the self-consciousness of the child.

If it seems a hard law to us that we should never caress a child without

thought higher than gratification, we must trace it backward and forward, and the path we should tread will become light and plain.

Unnecessary mention of the child's name; use of the third person and overuse of endearing epithets are directly fostering to self-consciousness and should be avoided like every other slow working poison.

"Come and let me put Harry's mittens on" gives a subtle prominence to Harry, which is sure to deepen the impression of himself.

Self-consciousness sometimes appears in sensitive children very suddenly and unexpectedly, and perhaps will leave as quickly as it comes.

We must try in every way in advance, to prevent it, yet, not surprised at its appearance, lead the child at once and quickly to something far more engrossing.

Let it lose the evil by getting some fresh impress of good, be it only to note the faithfulness with which a horse draws his load up the hill.

In Kindergarten there is ample opportunity for the child to be self-conscious; but how much more is there in the true Kindergarten that is best calculated to preserve all unconsciousness!

In the games, children sometimes hesitate to take the individual part. When this hesitation is shown, the Kindergartner should not tarry a moment over the request, but instantly turn to some child

of whom she is sure, or suggest that the part be taken by several.

It is clear too that self-consciousness may be increased by praise and by reproof.

A little child should cease to do evil" and "learn to do well" almost as a bird builds his nest; with only this difference-the bird follows the only instinct in him-the child has liberty to refrain from following his best instincts, and must be conscious just enough to detect good from evil.

But we often see it otherwise. A child makes an effort toward some act of kindness or generosity, and the short-sighted guardian praises in such a way that the beautiful influence of the effort is quite dissipated, and in its place upon the child's heart is imprinted in new strength the big I.

Froebel tells us very plainly in the "Education of Man' how often a fault imputed to a child is his introduction to it. This is another way of making the child self-conscious, and a way which is very harmful.

The child for whom not much is done, has compensation in the fact that he is left in greater unconsciousness and so remains a simple child. While this is by no means a reason for giving up doing for our children, it is reason for greater watchfulness in all that we do; watchfulness to see that each contribution we make to the life influences of the child bears good result.

Boston. GRACE CALL Kempton.

TRAMP, tramp, tramp! deep under the ground,

Comes a wonderful army of roots and seeds,

And millions and millions of grasses

and weeds,

Soon with wee soldiers the woods will abound.

Some thoughts

are presented by Ruskin in "The Two Paths," a volume of lectures on Art, which Kindergartners may find suggestive and worthy of consideration in their effort to lead the children to the truest work along the line of the æsthetic. In his lecture on "The Deteriorative Power of Conventional Art," and also in the one on "Modern Manufacture and Design" this artist-author argues strongly for the truth, that the art life of the nation or the individual is imbued with vigor and power only when pulsating with throbs of Nature's heart.

The reverse side of this truth is equally emphasized and illustrated, to the effect that the nation or individual which pursues art for art's sake, which delights. in the ingenuity of human device and the execution of arbitrary laws of geometrical arrangement rather than in the work of God's hand, is cut off from the fountain head of truth and life, and can never rise higher than its own source, the fancy of the human mind.

In Ruskin's own words, "Whatever is great in human art is the expression of man's delight in God's work." Again, "Wherever art is practiced for its own sake and the delight of the workman is in what he does and produces, instead of what he interprets or exhibits,there art has an influence of the most fatal kind on brain and heart, whereas art devoted humbly and selfforgetfully to the clear statement and record of the facts of the universe, is always helpful, full of comfort, strength and salvation. Let it propose to

.

itself any other end than preaching this. living word, and think first of showing its own skill or its own fancy, and from that hour its fall is precipitate,-nothing that it does or designs will ever have life or loveliness in it." Emerson in his "Essay on Art" presents the thought that a noble subject is essential to noble expression in art.

If all this is true of art in its highest expression, it is also true of its smallest beginnings. To be sure, the Kindergarten is not an art school, nor is its primary object the development of artists, but it is a school for the development of the aesthetic side of the child's nature and for freeing and training the powers of expression.

It was certainly intended that with the surface material, tablets, sticks, rings and lentils, and with much of the occupation material, children should be led to artistic expression in designing. Are we to be satisfied if we obtain a certain arrangement of surface, angle and line which results in a "pretty" figure or pattern? Shall we depend on geometry, caprice, fancy or ingenuity in this work? Let us rather fill the children with some beautiful thought, some natural truth embodied in the organic life around us, and then help them to interpret not imitate nature. In its own way the work of these little ones may be truly artistic and creative. But to be so, the emotions, the impulses of the heart must be called into action; then the head may direct, the hand execute, and the result will be a complete activity very different from that which is exercised in the mechanical fitting together of parts

We may appeal to the feelings of the children not only through the subject for expression, but also through the object which their picture or design is to ornament. Let all decorative work be for a purpose.

Either the actual decoration of the Kindergarten room and home, or with the thought that it might be applied to handkerchiefs, clothing, carpets, table-covers, wall paper, china, or any object near to the child's interests and capable of ornamentation.

Taking nature for our model, the heart impulse as a starting point, and a beautiful expression of truth as the end, we will avoid the cold, barren work into which we are apt to fall when carried away by the varied and tempting array of forms which this wonderful material (I refer not alone to tablets) is capable of assuming.

For several weeks the work of the Kindergarten has been based upon the simplest of science lessons on metals, stones, and crystals, -their nature and use. The children have listened to a fascinating story of the wonderful way. in which the little "crystal fairies," (atoms) work to build their houses of such beautiful and perfect shapes. They have watched spellbound the crystallization of bluestone and alum, filled with wonder at the beautiful mystery. They have themselves assumed the part of fairies in the Circle game and with light,

They

Other crystals beside those seen in process of formation have been shown, and through it all, the thought has been running that this silent, beautiful, mysterious action is an evidence that it is the work of the Master Builder.

In the experiment with bluestone, a strong solution was poured into a bottle, and crystallization took place around at string suspended from its mouth. Separate crystals of more or less perfect shape were formed in the bottom of the bottle. The crystals are thin and of rhomboidal form.

In introducing the following gift-work in designing with tablets, each child is given a single crystal to examine, and the string with clusters clinging to it is again wondered at and admired. A brisk little talk follows about how the earth, "the great brown house," is full of many such beautiful forms. would like to have them about us in our own homes, and we can have pictures. that will tell a story about them.

"We