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METHODS OF TEACHING HISTORY TO CHILDREN. 285 
of man, showing wide distribution of general physical characteristics and 
types of language. 
Out of these two elements, and by means of their combination, rises 
that supreme form of life, the nation. In the nation families of all 
races mingle more or less, as children see in their own country. Still, 
each nation has been born into the world with a special character of its 
own, and upon its own land, out of the life first planted ; each nation has 
expressed a life entirely individual and characteristic, by virtue of which it 
stands apart from others, has its separate history and its own name. 
The earth is thus peopled by the nations; the keynote of history is the 
principle of nationality. The nation is the highest degree of existence. 
[t is the completion of society, the form of life dearest and most sacred, to 
which the family is sacrificed if necessary. 
Within the nations, as expressions of their character, arise every form 
of human thought relative to government, religion, and life. The growth 
of the nation is the following out of the natural law of organization. 
All force of life coming from God takes some organic form by which to 
represent itself. It uses nature as its support, moves even unconsciously 
after divine law, and offers at once the organic, consolidated growth of 
aumanity, with room for the individual in his protected personal life. 
The nations have arisen like seeds planted in the earth, moving after 
the plan of God from east to west. Each has left its life behind as an 
inheritance, or uses it organically, as a whole, in connection with others. 
Thus to know the rise, progress, and decline of nations as a few great char- 
acters who have dwelt upon and now use this earth, is to know history. 
To know the great distinctions of anthropology enables us to separate 
and classify the nations, to comprehend the differences of physique, lan- 
guage, and general cast of mind. To keep the nations in contrast on this 
ground is the comparative method by which all minds seek to study and 
to know the progress of a few great thoughts and ideas in their move- 
ment from east to west ; is to see the divine plan of life worked out by 
auman hands, as men have fought, built, governed, written, sung, and 
vrought their art work, each in the land that was given to it. 
To teach history, if we pass through the outer aspects.of things and 
take the natural history of man as the basis of his political history; if 
we use the personality of the nations, as America, or India, before we 
emphasize personal men and women, we. teach history as the science— 
the order and progress of life—and have a scientific method. 
it may be objected that children cannot study in this way. In this 
brief moment I can only say that children are responsive to all their 
natural relationships. Nationality springs from the heart and soul of 
man, It belongs to the present as to the past; and children, by their 
jJuestions, revealing their instincts and desires for unity and order, led me 
to mv conclusions.