The interest we have in mind is _intrinsic_, native to the subject, and
springs up naturally when the mind is brought face to face with
something attractive. The things of sense in nature and the people
whom we see and read about, have a perennial and inexhaustible
attraction for us all. It is among these objects that poets and
artists find their materials and their inspiration. For the same
reason the pictures drawn by the artist or poet have a charm which does
not pass away. They select something concrete and individual; they
clothe it with beauty and attractiveness; they give it some inherent
quality that appeals to our admiration and love. It must call forth
some esthetic or moral judgment by virtue of its natural quality. Like
luscious grapes the objects presented to the thought of the children
should have an unquestionable quality that is desirable.
We just spoke of interest, not as fluctuating and variable, but steady
and persistent. It contains also the elements of ease, pleasure, and
needed employment; that is, in learning something that has a proper
interest, there is greater ease and pleasure in the acquisition, and
occupation with the object satisfies an inner need.
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