In dealing with this study of the Home, the teacher is sure to find that, ere long, the members of the class become a little weary of the theme. Before the season ends one or another of the children is quite sure to be overheard saying, "Oh, I am tired of the Home". And yet we wish, as far as possible, to avoid having this feeling arise. As a result of such experience, we have introduced another feature in connection with these Home studies, and one that has worked quite happily in avoiding the monotony of just one theme for a whole season.

Along with the study of Home, or Family Life, we have a series of studies telling of the home or social life in the great Animal Kingdom. In a way, this part of the lesson can also be made subsidiary to the main theme, while adding charm and variety to it. It will be very readily found that the children would be only too glad to employ the whole lesson hour throughout the year talking about animals and telling animal stories. We need take only from ten to fifteen minutes of the morning lesson for this purpose, perhaps studying the home or social life of one type of animal each Sunday.

At one time it may be the home life among birds; then, again, among fishes, and we tell about sticklebacks and their nests. Another Sunday there may be some talk about the termites, and the colonies or

homes which they build for themselves. Here and there we can introduce beautiful stories dealing with animal life, as, for instance, making use of Kipling's "The White Seal". Then, too, we can go into some little account of the home and social life of the larger animals; to what extent they live by themselves; how they take care of their young; to what extent they have separate homes, or live in herds or colonies. At the same time, we take the greatest care that these animal stories shall not be of all sorts and kinds, just with the idea of amusing or entertaining the children. We adhere rigidly to our theme, and nothing is to be introduced or talked about in these animal studies save in connection with the home, family, or social life of animals. On the other hand, this study affords an opportunity of showing the superiority of human beings over the whole Animal Kingdom, in that they preserve the family relationship all through life; whereas, for the most part throughout the Animal Kingdom, it is only a relationship between parent and child during the early portion of life when the young cannot take care of themselves.

Inasmuch as we have been dealing with animal life, at least with this one special phase of it, throughout the year of study in connection with the "Home," we close the subject at the end by taking up a consideration of the whole theme as to the ethical

relationship between the human creature and all living things, especially all animal creatures. We start with the poem by Burns "To the Mousie," asking for the sense or reason in such a sentiment. Then in one or more lessons we raise the question as to what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil in the way we deal with the lower orders. We may try to explain why it is that the phrase "being humane" has come to apply especially to the way one acts toward animals.

If the teacher wishes, this subject might be taken up in connection with the study of the "Habits". We prefer in our school, however, to attach it to the close of our study of "The Home".

CHAPTER VI.

THE LIFE OF JESUS FOR THE YOUNG.

AT about the age of eleven or twelve we interrupt the series of institutional studies, and introduce a study of the "Life of Jesus". We do not undertake to deal with the "Christ Life" in its completeness. The supernatural side, with its doctrinal problems, is left for the mature mind to grapple with. We want to use this wonderful life for the special purpose of imparting ethical principles or ethical sentiment. We tell it, with this purpose in view, as a life, a beautiful and noble life, the most beautiful, the noblest that ever was lived. We want the young to separate this life in their minds from all other lives, and never to think of it in the same connection with the lives of others. On the other hand, as to what is history and what is tradition we do not discuss. That point we do not touch upon. "The miracleside" is passed over or omitted. We are dealing

with the life of Jesus as the story

of the man who

went about doing good"; and who did it, we are told, with a more beautiful spirit and in a nobler

way than any other man who has ever lived, all for the sake of others, suffering martyrdom at the hands of the people he was trying to serve, and dying for those who hated him.

But more than all, we want to use this life for the purpose of lodging in the minds of the young some of the ethical truths which have come down to us in connection with the life of Jesus. No other literature gives these truths in such beautiful form. They are the rarest jewels of ethical experience that the moral nature of man has ever evolved. If we hope to educate the young ethically, we want to have these jewels somehow strung together in the minds of the young and lodged there, committed to memory, explained in as simple a way as possible, and to remain as a lasting possession in the heart.

We keep these sayings separate from the other "Beautiful Thoughts" which we use in our general exercises. They are to stand off by themselves. Are there any fathers or mothers who would not like to have their children know by heart such jewels of wisdom as : "It is more blessed to give than to receive;" "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also;" "The kingdom of heaven is within you;" "He that is greatest among you shall be as one that serves ;" "He that is faithful in that which is little, is faithful in that which is much;'