file which includes the original illustrations4 ,see #cidhc-;h4htm or #cidhc-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/cache_/epu b_/#cidhc_/pg#cidhc-;images4html7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/files_/#ci dhc_/cidhc-;h4zip7 ,transcriber's note3 ,text in italics is contained within underscores1 i4e43 italics4 ,additional notes can be found at the end of the text4 ,the ,rural ,science ,series ,edited by ,l4 ,h4 ,bailey ,,farm ,,boys ,,and ,,girls 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,rural ,science ,series ,,the ,,soil4 ,,the ,,spraying ,,of ,,plants4 ,,milk ,,and ,,its ,,products4 ,,the ,,fertility ,,of ,,the ,,land4 ,,the ,,principles ,,of ,,fruit-,,growing4 ,,bush-,,fruits4 ,,fertilizers4 ,,the ,,principles ,,of ,,agriculture4 #aeth ,ed4 ,,irrigation ,,and ,,drainage4 ,,the ,,farmstead4 ,,rural ,,wealth ,,and ,,welfare4 ,,the ,,principles ,,of ,,vegetable-,,gardening4 ,,farm ,,poultry4 ,,the ,,feeding ,,of ,,animals4 ,,the ,,farmer',s ,,business ,,handbook4 ,,the ,,diseases ,,of ,,animals4 ,,the ,,horse4 ,,how ,,to ,,choose ,a ,,farm4 ,,forage ,,crops4 ,,bacteria ,,in ,,relation ,,to ,,country ,,life4 ,,the ,,nursery-,,book4 ,,plant-,,breeding4 #dth ,ed4 ,,the ,,forcing-,,book4 ,,the ,,pruning-,,book4 ,,fruit-,,growing ,,in ,,arid ,,regions4 ,,rural ,,hygiene4 ,,dry-,,farming4 ,,law ,,for ,,the ,,american ,,farmer4 ,,farm ,,boys ,,and ,,girls4 ,,the ,,training ,,and ,,breaking ,,of ,,horses4 ,others in preparation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,i4 ,,fig4 #a4--;,at least once each day the busy farm father may think of a way to combine his work with the children's play4 ,,farm ,,boys ,,and ,,girls by ,,william ,a4 ,mc,k,e,e,v,e,r ,professor of ,philosophy ,kansas ,state ,agricultural ,college ,new ,york ,the ,macmillan ,company #aiac ,all rights reserved ,copyright1 #aiab1 by the ,macmillan ,company4 ,set up and electrotyped4 ,published ,february1 #aiab4 ,reprinted ,august1 #aiab2 ,january1 ,june1 #aiac4 ,norwood ,press ,j4 ,s4 ,cushing ,co4--,berwick ,smith ,co4 ,norwood1 ,mass41 ,u4,s4,a4 ,,dedicated ,,to ,,the ,,service ,,of ,,the ,,ten ,,million ,,boys ,,and ,,girls ,,who ,,are ,,enrolled ,,in ,,the ,,rural ,,schools ,,of ,,america ,,preface ,in the preparation of this book ,i have had in mind two classes of readers2 namely1 the rural parents and the many persons who are interested in carrying forward the rural work discussed in the several chapters4 ,it has been my aim to give as much specific aid and direction as possible4 ,the first two chapters constitute a mere outline of some of the fundamental principles of child development4 ,it would be fortunate if the reader who is unfamiliar with such principles could have a course of reading in the volumes that treat them extensively4 ,nearly every suggestion given in the main body of the book is based on what has already either been undertaken with a degree of success or planned for in some rural community4 ,i am very greatly indebted to the following persons and firms for their kindness and generosity in lending pictures and cuts for illustrating the book3 ,e4 ,t4 ,fairchild1 ,state ,superintendent of ,public ,instruction1 ,topeka1 ,kansas2 ,j4 ,w4 ,crabtree1 ,principal ,state ,normal ,school1 ,river ,falls1 ,wisconsin2 ,george ,w4 ,brown1 ,superintendent of ,edgar ,county1 ,paris1 ,illinois2 ,o4 ,j4 ,kern1 ,superintendent of ,winnebago ,county1 ,rockford1 ,illinois2 ,miss ,jessie ,fields1 ,superintendent of ,page ,county1 ,clarinda1 ,iowa2 ,a4 ,d4 ,holloway1 ,general ,secretary1 ,county ,y4,m4,c4,a41 ,marysville1 ,kansas2 ,dr4 ,myron ,t4 ,scudder1 of ,rutgers ,college2 ,doubleday1 ,page ,company1 ,garden ,city1 ,new ,york2 ,rural ,manhood1 ,new ,york ,city2 ,the ,farmer's ,voice1 ,chicago1 ,illinois2 ,the ,american ,agriculturist1 ,new ,york ,city2 ,the ,oklahoma ,farmer1 ,oklahoma ,city1 ,oklahoma2 ,the ,inland ,farmer1 ,lexington1 ,kentucky2 ,the ,farmer's ,advocate1 ,winnipeg1 ,canada4 ,my thanks are also due ,successful ,farming1 of ,des ,moines1 ,iowa1 for permission to use excerpts from ,president ,kirk's article on the model school1 and portions of a series of brief articles written for the same magazine by myself4 ,the references given at the close of the chapters have been selected with considerable care4 ,it will be found in nearly every case that they give helpful and more extended discussions of the several topics treated in the preceding chapter4 ,,william ,a4 ,mc,k,e,e,v,e,r4 ,,manhattan1 ,,kansas4 ,,table ,,of ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page ,i4 ,,building ,a ,,good ,,life #a ,what is a ,good ,life8 #b #a4 ,good ,health #c #b4 ,usefulness #c #c4 ,moral ,strength #d #d4 ,social ,efficiency #e #e4 ,religious ,interest #e #f4 ,happiness #f ,is the ,human ,stock comparatively ,sound8 #g ,,ii4 ,,the ,,time ,,to ,,build #ab ,what of the ,human ,instincts #ab ,the ,dawning ,instincts #ab ,social ,sensitiveness ,helpful #ai ,,iii4 ,,the ,,rural ,,home ,,and ,,character ,,development #bf ,what ,agencies build up ,character8 #bf #a4 ,play #bg #b4 ,work #cj #c4 ,recreation #cc ,moving to ,town for the ,children #cf ,a ,back-to-the-country ,club #ch ,,iv4 ,,the ,,country ,,mother ,,and ,,the ,,children #da ,poor ,conditions of ,women #db ,for the ,sake of the ,children #dd #a4 ,surplus ,nerve ,energy #dd #b4 ,a ,rest ,period #de #c4 ,the ,home ,conveniences #df #d4 ,the ,mother's ,outings #dg #e4 ,the ,home ,help #dh #f4 ,the ,children shield the ,mother #di #g4 ,planning for the ,children #ej #h4 ,a ,common ,conspiracy #ea ,v4 ,,constructing ,,the ,,country ,,dwelling #ed ,plans and ,specifications not ,available #ee ,what appeals to the ,children #eg ,the ,house ,plan #ei ,how ,one ,farmer does ,it #fj ,outbuildings and ,equipment #fa ,human ,rights prior to ,animal ,rights #fa ,the ,children's ,room #fd ,the ,evening ,hour #fg ,,vi4 ,,juvenile ,,literature ,,in ,,the ,,farm ,,home #fi ,how ,good ,thinking grows up and ,flourishes #gj ,types of ,literature #gb ,a ,selected ,list #ge ,literature on ,child-rearing #gi #a4 ,periodicals on ,child-rearing #hj #b4 ,books on ,child-rearing #hj ,,vii4 ,,the ,,rural ,,church ,,and ,,the ,,young ,,people #hb ,decadence of ,rural ,life #hc ,work for the ,ministry #hd ,the ,country ,minister #hf ,a ,mistake in ,training #hi ,rural ,child-rearing #ij ,the ,churches too ,narrow #ib ,constructive ,work of the ,church #ic ,an ,innovation in the ,rural ,church #ie ,spiritualize ,child ,life #ig ,a ,summary #ih ,,viii4 ,,the ,,transformation ,,of ,,the ,,rural ,,school #aja ,radical ,changes in the ,view-point and ,method #ajb ,all have a ,right to ,culture #ajc ,work for a ,longer ,term #aje ,compulsory ,attendance ,laws ,needed #ajf ,better ,schoolhouses and ,equipment #ajg #a4 ,location #ajh #b4 ,the ,water ,supply #aji #c4 ,size and ,adaptation of ,grounds #aji #d4 ,improvement of ,school ,grounds #aaj ,a ,model ,rural ,school #aab ,the ,cornell ,schoolhouse #aae ,help make a ,school ,play ,ground #aag ,general ,instruction in ,agriculture #abj ,domestic ,economy and ,home ,sanitation #abb ,consolidation of ,rural ,schools #abc ,more ,high ,schools ,needed #abd ,better ,rural ,teachers ,needed #abe ,,ix4 ,,the ,,county ,,young ,,men',s ,,christian ,,association #abi ,boys leave the ,farm too ,young #acj ,purposes of the ,county ,young ,men's ,christian ,association #aca ,how to organize a ,county ,organization #acb #a4 ,select a ,good ,leader #acc #b4 ,local ,leaders ,necessary #acd #c4 ,a ,committee on ,finance #acd #d4 ,little ,property ,ownership #ace ,how to conduct the ,work #acf #a4 ,local and ,county ,athletic ,clubs #acf #b4 ,debating and ,literary ,clubs #acg #c4 ,receptions and ,suppers #ach #d4 ,educational ,tours and ,problems #ach #e4 ,camping and ,hiking #aci #f4 ,exhibitions #aci ,spirituality not lost ,sight ,of #ada ,work in a sparsely ,settled ,country #adc ,x4 ,,the ,,farmer ,,and ,,his ,,wife ,,as ,,leaders ,,of ,,the ,,young #adf ,preparation for the ,service #adg ,work persistently for ,social ,unity #adi ,corn-raising and ,bread-baking ,clubs #aej ,other ,forms of ,contests #aea ,the ,improvement of the ,school ,situation #aeb ,home and ,school ,play ,problems #aed ,a ,neighborhood ,library #aef ,holidays and ,recreation for the ,young #aeh ,many over-work their ,children #afj ,federation for ,country-life ,progress #afa ,the ,vocations of ,boys and ,girls #afb ,other ,local ,possibilities #afd ,the ,boy ,scout ,movement #afe ,rural ,boy ,scouts in ,kansas #aff ,,xi4 ,,how ,,much ,,work ,,for ,,the ,,country ,,boy #aga ,see that the ,work is for the ,boy's ,sake #agb ,not ,enforced ,labor1 but ,mastery #agd ,provide ,vacations for the ,boy #agf ,a ,tentative ,schedule of ,hours #agh ,think out a ,reasonable ,plan #agi ,,xii4 ,,how ,,much ,,work ,,for ,,the ,,country ,,girl #ahc ,a ,balanced ,life for the ,girl #ahe ,work begins with ,obedience #ahf ,working the ,girls in the ,field #ahh ,some ,specific ,suggestions #ahi ,do you ,own your ,daughter8 #aij ,difficult to make a ,schedule #aia ,teach the ,girl ,self-supremacy #aib ,summary #aid ,,xiii4 ,,social ,,training ,,for ,,farm ,,boys ,,and ,,girls #aig ,a ,happy ,mean is ,needed #aig ,a ,social ,renaissance in the ,country #aii ,conditions to guard ,against #bjj #a4 ,the ,social ,companionship of ,girls #bja #b4 ,bad ,companionships for ,boys #bjb #c4 ,secret ,sex ,habits #bjd #d4 ,the ,so-called ,bad ,habits #bje ,a ,center of ,community ,life #bjg ,invite the ,young to the ,house #bjh ,how to conduct a ,social ,entertainment #bji ,what about the ,country ,dance8 #baa ,additional ,forms of ,entertainment #bab #a4 ,the ,social ,hour at the ,religious ,services #bab #b4 ,a ,country ,literary ,society #bac #c4 ,the ,social ,side of the ,economic ,clubs #bae ,some ,concluding ,suggestions #bae ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,farm ,,boy',s ,,interest ,,in ,,the ,,business #bbj ,what is in your ,boy8 #bbj ,much ,experimentation ,necessary #bba #a4 ,willingness to ,work #bbb #b4 ,ability to ,save #bbc ,start on a ,small ,scale #bbd ,give your ,son a ,square ,deal #bbe ,keep the ,boy's ,perfect ,good ,will #bbf ,some will be retained on the ,farm #bbg ,the ,awakening often comes from ,without #bbi ,an ,awakening in the ,south #bbi ,partnership between ,father and ,son #bca ,summary and ,concluding ,suggestions #bcb ,,xv4 ,,business ,,training ,,for ,,the ,,country ,,girl #bce ,is the ,country ,girl ,neglected8 #bcf ,why the ,girl leaves the ,farm #bcg ,certain ,rules to be ,observed #bci #a4 ,teach the ,girl to ,work #bci #b4 ,teach her ,business ,sense #bdj #c4 ,train her to transact ,personal ,business #bda #d4 ,make her the ,family ,accountant #bdb #e4 ,miserliness to be ,avoided #bdc #f4 ,teach her to ,give #bdd #g4 ,teach the ,meaning of a ,contract #bde #h4 ,prepare her to deal with ,grafters #bdf ,should there be an ,actual ,investment8 #bdg ,,xvi4 ,,what ,,schooling ,,should ,,the ,,country ,,boy ,,have #bej ,changes in ,rural ,school ,conditions #bej ,the ,boy a ,bundle of ,possibilities #beb ,classes of ,native ,ability #bec ,the ,great ,talented ,class #bed ,round out the ,boy's ,nature #bef ,other ,important ,matters #beg ,develop an ,interest in ,humanity #bei ,,xvii4 ,,what ,,schooling ,,should ,,the ,,country ,,girl ,,have #bfb ,special ,problems relating to the ,girl #bfb ,protecting the ,girl at ,school #bfc ,lessons in ,music and ,art #bfe ,the ,reward will come in ,time #bfg ,the ,mother's ,office as ,teacher #bfh ,home-life ,education #bgj ,education for ,supremacy #bga ,an ,outlook for ,social ,life #bgb ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,farm ,,boy',s ,,choice ,,of ,a ,,vocation #bge ,should the ,farmer's ,son ,farm8 #bge ,impatience of ,parents #bgf ,what of ,predestination8 #bgg ,three ,methods of ,vocational ,training #bgi #a4 ,the ,apprentice ,method #bhj #b4 ,the ,cultural ,method #bhj #c4 ,the ,developmental ,method #bha ,the ,farmer ,fortunate #bhb ,what ,college for the ,country ,boy8 #bhc ,the ,foundation in ,work #bhd ,clean up the ,place #bhe ,money ,value of an ,agricultural ,education #bhf ,a ,successful ,vocation ,certain #bhg ,,xix4 ,,the ,,farm ,,girl',s ,,preparation ,,for ,a ,,vocation #bij ,what is the ,outlook8 #bij ,desirable ,occupations for ,women #bib #a4 ,may teach the ,young #bic #b4 ,may take up ,stenography #bid #c4 ,may do ,social ,work #bie #d4 ,may secure ,clerkships #bif ,a ,college ,course for the ,girl #bih ,associations with ,refined ,young ,men #bii ,make the ,daughter ,attractive #cjj ,summary and ,conclusion #cja ,,xx4 ,,conclusion ,,and ,,future ,,outlook #cjf ,strive for ,preconceived ,results #cjf ,consult ,expert ,advice #cjh ,meet ,each ,awakening ,interest #caj ,work for ,social ,democracy #caa ,the ,outlook very ,promising #cab ,the ,modern ,service ,training #cad ,the ,state doing its ,part #caf ,the ,new ,era of ,religion #cai ,final ,conclusion #cai ,,index #cbc ,,illustrations ,,plate ,i4 ,fig4 #a4 ,at least once each day the busy farm father may think of a way to combine his work with the children's play ,frontispiece ,,facing ,,page ,,ii4 ,fig4 #b4 ,canadian boys breaking young oxen #f ,,iii4 ,fig4 #c4 ,an attractive ,kansas home #bh ,,iv4 ,fig4 #d4 ,a day nursery in the country #db ,v4 ,fig4 #e4 ,a rural home in the ,south #ef ,,vi4 ,fig4 #f4 ,a well-equipped farmhouse #fd ,,vii4 ,fig4 #g4 ,children playing under the shade trees #gb ,,viii4 ,figs4 #h-i4 ,rural church1 ,plainfield1 ,illinois #hf ,,ix4 ,fig4 #aj4 ,village church at ,ogden1 ,kansas #ib ,x4 ,fig4 #aa4 ,corn ,sunday in an ,illinois church #if ,,xi4 ,fig4 #ab4 ,a country schoolhouse in ,california #ajh ,fig4 #ac4 ,type of model rural school used in ,kansas #ajh ,,xii4 ,fig4 #ad4 ,model rural school at ,kirksville1 ,missouri4 ,normal #aab ,,xiii4 ,fig4 #ae4 ,rear view of the ,kirksville school #aad ,,xiv4 ,fig4 #af4 ,using ,babcock tester #abj ,,xv4 ,figs4 #ag-ba4 ,consolidated school and those it displaced #abd ,,xvi4 ,fig4 #bb4 ,the ,cornell rural schoolhouse #abf ,,xvii4 ,fig4 #bc4 ,a4,y4,m4,c4,a4 play club #acb ,,xviii4 ,fig4 #bd4 ,y4,m4,c4,a4 ,convention in ,ohio #ach ,,xix4 ,fig4 #be4 ,jerry ,moore1 champion corn raiser #aej ,,xx4 ,fig4 #bf4 ,a lonely schoolhouse #afd ,,xxi4 ,fig #bg4 ,tennis in the country #ahj ,fig4 #bh4 ,country play festival #ahj ,,xxii4 ,fig4 #bi4 ,industrial exhibit in rural school #aib ,,xxiii4 ,fig4 #cj4 ,agricultural and domestic science club #bjh ,,xxiv4 ,fig4 #ca4 ,school and church in ,canada #bab ,,xxv4 ,fig4 #cb4 ,kansas prize winners #bcj ,,xxvi4 ,fig4 #cc4 ,girls' doll display #bch ,,xxvii4 ,fig4 #cd4 ,boys whittling #beb ,,xxviii4 ,fig4 #ce4 ,study of corn #bef ,,xxix4 ,fig4 #cf4 ,school gardeners #bgj ,,xxx4 ,fig4 #cg4 ,country schoolgirls #bij ,,xxxi4 ,fig4 #ch4 ,a girls' class in sewing #cjj ,,xxxii4 ,fig4 #ci4 ,girl sowing seed #cab ,fig4 #dj4 ,boy thinning vegetables #cab ,,farm ,,boys ,,and ,,girls ,,chapter ,i ,,building ,a ,,good ,,life ,if you were about to begin the construction of a dwelling house1 what questions would most likely be uppermost in your mind8 ,if this house were intended for your own use1 you would doubtless consider among other important matters those of comfort1 convenience of arrangement1 attractiveness of appearance1 strength1 and durableness4 ,the great variety of dwellings to be seen on every hand is outwardly expressive of the great variety of ideals in the minds of the people who construct them4 ,no matter what means there may be available for the purpose1 it may be said that he who builds a house thereby illustrates in concrete form his inner character4 ,with practically the same quality of materials1 one man will construct a house apparently with the thought that its chief purpose is to be looked at4 ,much work and expense will be put upon outer show and embellishment1 while in its inner arrangements it may be exceedingly cramped and thoughtlessly put together4 ,another will erect his building with a thought of placing it on the market4 ,cheap workmanship1 weak and faulty joinings1 and the like1 will be concealed by some thin covering meant to last until a profitable sale has been made and some innocent purchaser caught with a mere shell of a house in his possession4 ,occasionally1 however1 there is found a man whose plans conform to such ideals as those first named4 ,,what ,,is ,a ,,good ,,life8 ,as with the construction of a house1 so it is in some measure with the building of a character4 ,some lives apparently are constructed to look at2 that is1 with the thought that outer adornment and a mere appearance of worth and beauty constitute the essential qualities4 ,other lives are1 in a sense1 made to sell4 ,not infrequently parents are found developing their boys and girls as if the chief purpose were to place them somewhere or other in the best possible money market4 ,a life is worth only as much as it will bring in dollars and cents1 is apparently the predominating thought of such persons4 ,and then1 occasionally1 a life is built to live in2 that is1 with the idea that intrinsic worth constitutes the essential nature of the ideal character4 ,but what is a good life8 ,and why is not this precisely the question for all parents to ask themselves at the time they begin the development of the lives of their own boys and girls8 ,assuming a fairly sound physical and mental inheritance on the part of the child and the given environment as the raw materials of construction1 what ideals should parents have uppermost in mind before undertaking the tremendously important and interesting duties of constructing worthy manhood and womanhood out of the inherent natures of their children8 #a4 ,good health4--,it is a difficult task to develop a sound1 efficient life without the fundamental quality of good health4 ,so it may be well to remind parents of this fact and to urge them especially to avoid in the lives of the children1 first1 the beginnings of those lighter ailments which frequently grow into menacing habits--for example1 the diseases that become chronic as a result of unnecessary exposure to the weather--and second1 those various contagious diseases which so often permanently deplete the health of children1 such as scarlet fever and whooping cough4 ,it is now held by medical authority that every reasonable effort should be made to prevent children from taking such infectious ailments--that the so-called diseases of children can and should be practically all avoided4 #b4 ,usefulness4--,the newer ideals of character-building call for the early training of all children as if they were to enter permanently upon some bread-winning pursuit4 ,such training is a most direct means of culture and refinement1 provided it be correlated with the proper amount of book learning and play and recreation4 ,such uniform and character-building discipline tends to preserve the solidarity of the race1 and to acquaint all the young with the thoughts and feeling of the great productive classes4 ,it may be this is now regarded as both a direct means of culture and of leading the young mind into an intimate acquaintance with the lives of the masses4 ,such training is regarded also as one of the best means of preserving our social democracy4 ,therefore1 although on account of inherited wealth the child may apparently be destined for a life of comparative ease1 even then there is every justification for teaching him early how to work as if he must do so to earn his own living4 ,much more will be said about this point later4 #c4 ,moral strength4--,in the construction of a good life1 moral strength must be estimated as one of the important foundation stones4 ,but this quality is not so much a gift of nature or an inheritance as it is an acquisition4 ,it cannot be bought or acquired through merely hearing about it1 but it must come as a result of a large number of experiences of trial and error4 ,the child acquires moral self-reliance from the practice of overcoming temptation in proportion to his strength1 the test being made heavier as fast as his ability to withstand temptation increases4 ,as will be shown later1 it proves weakening to the character of the growing child to keep him entirely free from temptation and the possible contamination of his character in order that he may grow up good4 #d4 ,social efficiency4--,the good life is not merely self-sustaining in an economic way1 but it is also trained in the performance of altruistic deeds4 ,in building up the lives of the young it will be necessary and most helpful to think of the matter of social efficiency4 ,therefore1 it will be seen to that the child have practice in assuming the leadership among his fellows1 in taking the initiative on many little occasions1 and in some instances to the extent of standing out against the combined sentiment of his young associates4 ,of course1 during all this time he will be backed strongly by the advice and the insistent direction of his parents1 the idea being to induce him to think out his own social problems and to carry forward any suitable plans of a social nature that he may devise4 #e4 ,religious interest4--,few parents will deny that religious instruction is just as essential to the development of a good society as is intellectual instruction4 ,indeed1 there is much evidence to bear out the conviction that religion is a deep and permanent instinct in all normal human beings4 ,this being the case1 it is fair to say that such an instinct should have some form of awakening and indulgence in the life of the child4 ,however1 there is no thought or intention of prescribing any particular form of religious faith4 ,he might at least be sent to ,sunday school and to church regularly where he may be led to do a small amount of religious thinking on his own account4 #f4 ,happiness4--,the good life is a happy life4 ,but nearly all the students of human problems seem to think that happiness eludes the grasp of the one who seeks it in a direct way4 ,i want my children to be happy and enjoy life1 is often the remark of well-meaning parents4 ,they then proceed as if joy and happiness could be had for money4 ,it is true that during his early years of indifference to any serious concern or personal responsibility1 the child may be made extremely happy by giving him practically everything his childish appetites may call for and allowing him to grow up in idleness4 ,but there comes a time when the normal individual begins to question his own personal and intrinsic worth4 ,the instincts and desires of mature life come on and if there be not available the means for the realization of the better instinctive ambitions1 then bitterness and woe are likely to become one's permanent portion4 ,however1 it may be put down as a certainty that happiness and contentment will naturally come in full measure into the life that has been well built during the years of childhood and youth4 ,if the good health has been conserved1 a life of usefulness and service prepared for1 moral strength built into the character1 social efficiency looked after continuously1 and something of religious experience not neglected--it will most certainly follow as the day follows the night that the wholesome enjoyments and the durable satisfactions of living will come to such an individual4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,ii4 ,,fig4 #b4--,these ,canadian lads are enjoying their first lessons in live-stock management4 ,we call their conduct play1 but surely no one was ever more in earnest than they4 ,,is ,,the ,,human ,,stock ,,comparatively ,,sound8 ,there are now among the students of the home problems many who are seriously interested in the matter of breeding a better human stock4 ,many noteworthy conclusions have already been reached1 and ample proofs have been produced to show that the human animal follows the same general lines of evolution as do the lower animal orders4 ,it is shown in general1 for example1 that little or nothing that man has learned or acquired during his life is transmitted to his offspring4 ,that is1 even though a man devote many years to the intensive study of music or mathematics or the languages1 such study will not affect the ability of his child in the study of the specialized subject4 ,the same unaffected result obtains in respect to any other form of expertness of the merely acquired sort4 ,for example1 the fact that a man through long practice becomes expert in the use of the typewriter does not affect the character of the child in respect to such ability4 ,it is a no less difficult task for the child to learn to master the use of the typewriter keyboard4 ,on the other hand1 it is shown very conclusively that physical and mental characters inborn in the life of a parent tend at all times to be transmitted to the child1 although many traits are known to be wanting in the first generation of children and to appear in the second or successive generations4 ,according to the law of ,mendel1 the traits of the parents are transmitted to the child about as follows3 one-half of the elements of one's physical and mental natures are inherited from his parents1 one-fourth from his grandparents1 one-eighth from his great-grandparents1 and so on4 ,in any given case1 however1 there might be great variation from this rule of the averages1 just as actual men and women vary more or less widely from the average human height of so many feet and inches4 ,there is no thought here of discussing the intricate problems of eugenics4 ,the purpose of this brief dogmatic sketch is that of attempting to induce parents to believe that the great mass of our ,american-born children are comparatively sound in their physical and mental inheritances4 ,the pathologists profess to be able to prove that nature is most kind to the new-born child in respect to inheritance of disease4 ,in fact1 it is shown that very few diseases are directly transmitted through the blood1 and that many once so regarded are now found to be infectious in their natures4 ,there is considerable indication1 however1 that the children of the diseased--tuberculous parents1 for example1--inherit a weakened power of resistance for such disease4 ,but this matter is somewhat foreign to our present discussion4 ,best of all1 for our present consideration1 is the great mass of evidence sustaining the theory that about ninety-nine per cent of our new-born infants are potentially good in an economic and moral sense4 ,that is to say1 this great majority of the young humanity have latent within their natures at the beginning of life the possibilities of development into sound1 self-reliant manhood and womanhood4 ,so1 the writer of these lines would gladly lead rural parents to the point of being very courageous and optimistic about their infant children4 ,he would have them see in the latter all the possibilities of good and efficiency that they may care to attempt to bring out by thoughtful and conscientious training4 ,for that matter1 it can be shown that many of the leaders of men are constantly springing up out of the ranks of the common masses and from those of humble parentage4 ,some of these great leaders1 it is true1 are what may be called accidental geniuses in respect to their native strength and their persistent life purposes4 ,but many others1 and perhaps the majority of them1 are merely men and women who have been reasonably sound at birth and who have been trained from childhood to maturity in a manner that best served to build up strong1 efficient character4 ,,references ,the references given at the close of each chapter are meant to direct the reader to specific treatment of the topics named4 ,it is thought that nearly every chapter or book referred to will be found helpful and instructive to such persons as may naturally become interested in this volume4 ,in some instances a line of comment is given to make clearer the contents of the reference4 ,must ,children have ,children's ,diseases8 ,newton4 ,ladies' ,home ,journal1 ,april1 #aiaj4 ,dietetic and ,hygienic ,gazette4 ,gazette ,publishing ,company1 ,new ,york4 #a per year1 monthly4 ,the ,miracle of ,life4 ,j4 ,h4 ,kellogg1 ,m4,d4 ,good ,health ,publishing ,company1 ,battle ,creek1 ,mich4 ,read especially pp4 #cfc-chh1 ,how to be ,strong4 ,our ,duty to ,posterity4 ,editorial4 ,the ,independent1 ,february4 #aiji4 ,relation of ,science to ,man4 ,professor ,a4 ,w4 ,small4 ,american ,journal of ,sociology1 ,february1 #aijh4 ,character ,building4 ,marian ,m4 ,george4 ,a4 ,flanagan ,company4 ,treats the ethical problems of the home4 ,through ,boyhood to ,manhood4 ,ennis ,richmond4 ,chapter #a1 ,usefulness4 ,longmans4 ,making the ,most of ,our ,children4 ,mary ,wood-,allen1 ,m4,d4 ,chapter ,,ix1 ,keeping the ,boy on the ,farm4 ,mc,clurg4 ,youth4 ,g4 ,stanley ,hall4 ,chapter ,,xii1 ,moral and ,religious ,training4 ,appleton4 ,the ,contents of a ,boy4 ,e4 ,l4 ,moore4 ,chapter ,,vi1 ,social ,interests4 ,jennings ,graham1 ,cincinnati4 ,mind in the ,making4 ,e4 ,j4 ,swift4 ,chapter ,,ii1 ,the ,criminal ,natures of ,boys4 ,scribners4 ,the ,young ,malefactor4 ,dr4 ,thomas ,travis4 ,chapter ,,ii1 ,the ,child born ,centuries ,too ,late4 ,crowell4 ,the ,family ,health4 ,m4 ,solis-,cohen1 ,m4,d4 ,chapter ,i1 ,the ,preservation of ,health4 ,penn ,publishing ,company1 ,philadelphia4 ,the ,durable ,satisfactions of ,life4 ,dr4 ,charles ,w4 ,eliot4 ,crowell4 ,points out ably the higher way4 ,the ,study of ,children4 ,francis ,warner1 ,m4,d4 ,chapter ,,iv1 ,observing the ,child4 ,what to ,look at and ,for4 ,the ,macmillan ,company4 ,what makes a ,liberal ,education4 ,editorial4 ,the ,independent1 ,july #a1 #aiji4 ,relation of the ,physical ,nature of the ,child to ,his ,mental and ,moral ,development4 ,george ,w4 ,reed4 ,annual ,report ,national ,educational ,association1 #aiji1 p4 #cje4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,time ,,to ,,build ,we shall continue to assume that the reader1 if a parent1 is thinking of his child as being in the position of one whose character requires constant attention in order that it may be built up through the right sort of training and the right sort of practices4 ,just as certainly as there is a best time in the season to plow corn and also a time not to plow1 as there is a time to plow deep and another time to plow shallow1 so there is unquestionably a best time to give the child any particular form of training or to withhold it4 ,in general1 it may be said that the most effective training in respect to the human young is that which centers most closely around the childish interests and instincts4 ,,what ,,of ,,the ,,human ,,instincts ,by observing critically for a few days the conduct of an infant child1 one may notice two or three pronounced instincts at work producing helpful results in the little life4 #a4 ,there is the instinct to nurse1 which is so fundamental in securing the food with which to sustain and build up the body4 #b4 ,there is the accessory instinct of crying1 also often necessary as nature's signal for another intake of the food supply4 ,associated with these two instincts are a number of reflexes which take care of the important organic processes1 such as digestion1 assimilation1 and excretion4 ,now1 we have practically all there is to the character of the human infant4 ,he has1 as yet1 no instinct for fighting1 for sexual love1 or for business4 ,and any effort to arouse and make use of the last-named dormant qualities would be futile as well as ridiculous4 ,in respect to a vast majority of the things to be learned1 the child is a mere bundle of potentialities1 all of which must bide their time for an awakening4 ,in short1 wise parents soon learn that the center of life in the infant child is in the stomach1 and that if he be fed rightly1 kept much in the open air1 clothed comfortably1 and bathed frequently1 the body-building processes will usually go on in a satisfactory manner4 #c4 ,although the little life seems so tiny and the daily round of infantile activities so simple and monotonous1 the character-developing processes are already making their subtle beginnings4 ,for example1 the first lessons in habit are being inculcated through the comparative rhythm in the infant's life4 ,it will be found both conducive to good health and helpful to character-development to attend to all the infant's needs with strict regularity4 ,let us follow the new-born child around his little cycle and see what happens4 ,first1 he is given a hearty meal1 which is followed at once by perhaps two hours of profound sleep4 ,then1 there is a gradual waking1 the body writhes and wiggles slightly1 and then more1 and then still more1 until a loud cry is set up4 ,under healthy conditions the crying should go on for a very few minutes1 as it helps to send the good blood through every part of the body1 purifying and building up the parts and carrying out the effete matter4 ,the function of excretion is not only thus much aided1 but the nervous equilibrium is completely restored4 ,the little life has now swung completely round to the beginning point of two hours previously and it is ready to start on another journey with the intake of another hearty meal4 ,it will be found that the life circle described above continues with slight variations for the first few weeks1 the child sleeping probably twenty to twenty-two hours out of twenty-four1 if it be in a natural state of health4 ,but slowly the conduct of the infant will become more complex1 and that in response to the growths and changes taking place within his body4 ,it will be found that he can take a heartier meal1 can stay awake longer1 kick harder1 wriggle more1 and cry louder as the days multiply4 ,in a month or so his eyes will be seen following some brilliant or attractive moving body1 while the impulsive movements of the hands will begin to suggest some slight definition of their conduct4 ,not long thereafter1 the baby smile will break out in a reflex fashion and the hands will likewise grasp objects placed in the little palms4 ,coordinate with these new activities1 nature is at work storing up new nerve structures and cells1 especially in the region of the spinal cord and the cranial centers4 #d4 ,the child is all the while learning4 ,as yet1 there is little for the caretaker to do other than to feed the infant with exceeding care and regularity1 and to enjoy the awakening of the new infant activities4 ,in four to six months1 the young learner will lead a much more complex life1--sitting alone1 holding things in his hands1 and looking about the room4 ,but it must be understood that he still hears and sees very few things in a definite way4 ,then1 in the next two or three months he will first creep1--he should in time be induced to do so if possible for the sake of his health1--at length he will stand upright1 and finally walk4 ,none of these processes must be hastened1 although they may be aided when the inner prompting and strength warrant such conduct4 #e4 ,during the second year there will probably break out with sudden and surprising strength the new instinct of anger4 ,it has been latent there all the time1 but the low degree of intelligence and of nerve structure has not given it proper support and indulgence4 ,but on an occasion there is perhaps taken from the child some cherished plaything1 when he suddenly flies into a rage1 yelling1 screaming1 kicking1 and growing red in the face4 ,this outburst of rage is a most interesting and enjoyable aspect to the parent who rightly understands children1 although some ignorantly make it a matter of deep concern1 regarding it as significant of a vicious character in the coming boy and man4 ,the purpose of this present discussion is to illustrate how the human instincts come into their functions at various times during the life of the growing child4 ,and the further purpose is to urge that such thing be watched for and met with just the sort of training necessary for permanent and helpful results4 ,now1 let the little child fly into a rage two or three times and have his anger appeased through indulgence in the thing he cries for1 and he has acquired his first lesson in the management of the parent or nurse4 ,he has learned that if he wants a thing1 all he needs to do is to squall or yell and the desired results will be forthcoming4 ,but this childish rage really furnishes the occasion for the beginning of some disciplinary lessons4 ,should ,i give the child everything he cries for1 or withhold the desired object until he quits8 asks an anxious parent4 ,neither rule is necessarily the right one1 and yet both1 on occasions1 may be correct4 ,suppose1 instead of the infant you have a five-year-old boy who cries for a loaded revolver he happens to see in your hand4 ,would you give it to him to stop his crying1 or withhold it8 ,suppose again he should cry for the return of his own plaything which some one unjustly snatched from him4 ,would you return his plaything to stop his crying1 or let him cry it out8 ,now1 here is implied the correct answer in dealing with the outburst of anger in the infant4 ,it is all a matter of justice and fairness4 ,if some agency1 human or otherwise1 snatches his food from his mouth1 and the child squalls for its return1 indulge the infant at once4 ,if he has been well fed1 comfortably clad and bathed1 and under every proper consideration should lie still and behave himself1 then do not run and take him up because he happens to be trying your patience with his squalling4 ,hold him to it and let him bawl it out4 ,there is really nothing better coming to him if you are thinking of the development of his character--and your own4 #f4 ,so1 somewhat later on you will find this same instinct of anger showing itself in the various forms of fighting and quarreling4 ,the parent who understands the true natures of healthy children will not worry for a moment because the children show natural dispositions for contention and combativeness4 ,on the other hand1 it will be understood that these very tendencies furnish the occasion of many a lesson in social ethics4 ,how can the child ever learn to be just and fair to his mates or square and considerate in his dealings with adults unless it be through the give-and-take experiences that come from attempting to get more than his share1--and failing much of the time1--and from attempting to over-ride the rights and privileges of others1 and having such attempts properly thwarted8 ,indeed1 it may be regarded as a great misfortune to the child if he has to grow up as the only one in a home and is denied the daily companionship of those of his own age from whom he may learn justice and fairness as a result of his attempts to get more than is just and fair for himself4 #g4 ,the watchful parents will observe that perhaps some time during the second half year1 and with some pronounced repetitions later1 there will be clear manifestations of the instinct of fear on the part of the child4 ,again1 there is nothing for deep concern other than to meet this instinct in a general way as has been observed for the others named and to give the proper training4 ,fear must have been a human necessity during many years of savagery and barbarism4 ,it still has its positive and negative values in the development of character4 ,it serves as a deterrent from dangerous and criminal acts4 ,it is also found to deter the growing infant from doing many a thing which he ought to be learning to do4 ,fear shows its most interesting aspects in the form of what has been called social sensitiveness2 that is1 bashfulness1 shyness1 reticence1 and the like4 ,parents should by all means watch closely the various childish and youthful tendencies to fear1 allowing those fears which promise to be helpful to remain in the life or to die out slowly through counteracting conduct2 and eliminating those other forms which would seem to serve no useful purpose4 ,examples of the latter sort would be the fear of ferocious animals and of murderers4 ,such mortal enemies are so uncommon in this civilized land that fear of them will probably be of no service to life4 ,on the other hand1 it may stunt and deter the development of courage4 ,especially do such fears tend to induce the habit of unnecessary concern and deep worry1 thus destroying the peace and happiness and cutting off the length of years of many members of our society4 #h4 ,there is no questioning the value of social sensitiveness in respect to the development of character in the young4 ,some degree of bashfulness and embarrassment in dealing with people1 especially those regarded by him as of superior worth1 may be considered an actual asset in the life of the growing boy4 ,this bashfulness will give him a rich inner experience of doubts and fears1 and of hopes and triumphs4 ,slowly1 under proper guidance and direction1 the sensitiveness wears away through repeated experience of a contrary sort1 and such qualities as create a self-reliance take its place4 ,on the other hand1 it is doubtless a misfortune1 especially for the boy1 to become blase--indifferent and unembarrassed in the presence of people of all ranks and conditions--while he is yet a mere lad4 ,under our present organization of society1 the boy who would win the life race must have much experience of trial and error1 of failure and success1 and of tribulation and triumph2 and all that for the sake of a self-reliant character4 ,now1 the boy who has lost all sense of embarrassment in the presence of others is likely to be denied the stirring inner experiences just named1 and to settle down in an indifferent1 self-satisfied attitude toward the big problems of human conduct4 ,it may be counted1 therefore1 as an indication of much promise and advantage that the country youth and the country maiden continue to be comparatively green and bashful during the period of their adolescence4 #i4 ,the instinct of sexual love will manifest itself at the proper time and age4 ,before so doing1 certain organic changes and inner nerve developments must take place4 ,parents may learn some lessons from observation of this instinct that will apply to practically all the others4 ,for example1 there should be no attempt to hurry the manifestation and the functioning of the instinct1 nor should the training necessary for its development and refinement be denied or withheld4 ,of all the many inner awakenings that come to the developing human being1 there is probably none that quite matches the surging energy of sexual love in healthy young manhood and womanhood4 ,and to an extraordinary degree1 opportunities for instruction and development of the character become present at this time4 ,first of all1 parents need to be reminded of the naturalness and wholesomeness of the sex instincts in adolescent boys and girls4 ,they must be urged to provide carefully for its natural growth through the proper commingling of the sexes in a social way1 and yet there must be preserved in the young lives just enough strangeness and mystery about the sex matters as to indulge the poetic and the romantic aspects of the unfolding natures4 ,it need not1 therefore1 be a matter of worry and unusual concern to parents if their fifteen-year-old son and a neighbor's thirteen-year-old daughter show pronounced tendencies to be crazy in love with each other4 ,however1 this situation furnishes most fitting opportunities for teaching the boy courtly manners1 gallantry1 consideration for women of all ages2 and that through and by means of his own personal experience4 ,in fact1 this stirring period of sex-love opens up in the mind of the boy reflections that tend to run out into every possible avenue of his future life4 ,likewise1 the girl4 ,that same little girl who shortly ago hated boys and declared she would never have anything to do with them is now manifesting much interest in the youth of her acquaintance4 ,this thing cannot be laughed to scorn1 or scolded away1 or whipped out of the life of either boy or girl4 ,its roots are in the sex organs as well as in the heart4 ,this first love period furnishes the rarest opportunities for teaching the girl proper lessons in respect to her comeliness1 her purity of thought1 and the sweetness of her own personal character4 ,if during this time she be withheld entirely from wholesome association with boys and young men1 there is a probability that she may become a drone or a mope1 and especially that she may lose valuable training in the acquisition of those winsome ways so helpful to young women in the matter of their obtaining suitable life companions4 ,perhaps less need be said in respect to giving the growing son those forms of social training which make it possible for him to win to his side an attractive helpmate4 ,but beyond the question of a doubt there can and should be much done by way of training the daughter in this respect4 ,in addition to her good health1 her moral self-reliance1 and those other desirable qualities illustrated in a preceding paragraph1 the young woman who is thoroughly prepared for meeting successfully the issues of life has had careful training in all the practices that refine and beautify her character4 ,this duty of rural parents to the growing daughter is no less imperative than in the case of city parents4 ,it may be considered as an excellent way of planning for the future happiness and well-being1 not merely for one1 but doubtless for an entire family1 if the growing girl be indulged and directed reasonably in social matters during this period of greatest strength of her natural sex instinct4 ,this thing cannot be safely put off a few years with the thought that the family will move to town and then the girl may have her proper opportunities of training4 ,after such procrastination and neglect1 it becomes too late ever to correct the many faults of omission4 #aj4 ,there develops somewhat late in the lives of young men and young women what might be called the homing instinct1 which amounts to nothing other than a deep and pronounced prompting from within to set definitely about the matter of getting into a home of one's own and providing for and building it up4 ,this is different from the mere sex instinct named above1 although perhaps an outgrowth of it4 ,it must be noted in passing that this homing instinct1 when at its strongest1 furnishes the proper occasion for instruction in respect to the home and the home-building affairs4 ,happy indeed is the young man or the young woman who1 after a period of such instruction1 may have the opportunity of settling down in a suitable dwelling place and there beginning the establishment of the ideal family life4 #aa4 ,unquestionably there dawns in the life of normal young men--and perhaps to a milder degree in respect to young women--a pronounced instinct of a business and economic sort4 ,this inner prompting is doubtless associated with the two last named4 ,it may be observed by any person who knows how to study the lives of children and young people that some particular youth who a few months ago was a spendthrift1 indifferent of his future needs and welfare1 is now heard to declare emphatically again and again that he must get into business1 must save and invest his means and provide for his future needs4 ,so1 there is not a little evidence in effect that we have here another inner development of the nerve mechanism4 ,and the time is most fit and opportune for the parents to exhaust every reasonable effort to discover what the youth is best suited for as a life practice and to guide him on toward the realization of that purpose4 ,much more will be said in another chapter in respect to the choice of a vocation4 ,,references ,rural parents who develop an intensive interest in the child-training problems will find it most profitable to read somewhat extensively in the texts that are not too direct but that give a careful treatment of the fundamental principles of child psychology4 ,king's and ,o',shea's books listed below are of this special character4 ,for a fuller list1 see ,chapter ,,vi4 ,the ,child3 ,a ,study in the ,evolution of ,man4 ,a4 ,f4 ,chamberlain4 ,chapter ,,iv1 ,the ,period of ,childhood4 ,scribner4 ,a sound and somewhat scholarly treatment4 ,boy ,wanted4 ,nixon ,waterman4 ,chapter ,i1 ,the ,awakening2 ,chapter ,,ii1 ,am ,i a ,genius8 ,forbes ,co41 ,chicago4 ,education of the ,central ,nervous ,system4 ,reuben ,p4 ,halleck4 ,chapter ,,vii1 ,special ,sensory ,training4 ,american ,book ,company4 ,the ,moral ,life4 ,arthur ,e4 ,davies4 ,chapter ,v1 ,motive3 ,the ,beginnings of ,morality4 ,review ,publishing ,company1 ,baltimore4 ,psychology4 ,j4 ,r4 ,angell4 ,chapter ,,xvi1 ,the ,important ,human ,instincts4 ,holt4 ,essentials of ,psychology4 ,w4 ,b4 ,pillsbury4 ,chapter ,x1 ,instinct4 ,macmillan4 ,rural parents will find this entire text a non-technical and fundamental help4 ,development and ,education4 ,m4 ,v4 ,o',shea4 ,chapter ,,xii1 ,the ,critical ,period4 ,houghton1 ,mifflin ,company4 ,psychology of ,child ,development4 ,irving ,king4 ,chapter on ,instinct4 ,university of ,chicago ,press4 ,your ,boy3 ,his ,nature and ,nurture4 ,george ,a4 ,dickinson1 ,m4,d4 ,chapter ,,ii1 ,elements of ,character4 ,hodder ,stoughton1 ,new ,york4 ,an ,introduction to ,child ,study4 ,w4 ,b4 ,drummond4 ,chapter ,,xii1 ,the ,instincts of ,children2 ,chapter ,,xiii1 ,instincts and ,habit4 ,longmans4 ,the book is worthy an entire reading4 ,a ,study of ,child ,nature4 ,elizabeth ,harrison4 ,chapter ,i1 ,the ,instinct of ,activity4 ,chicago ,kindergarten ,college4 ,observing ,childhood4 ,a4 ,s4 ,draper4 ,annals ,american ,academy1 ,march1 #aiji4 ,are we spoiling our ,boys who have the ,best ,chances in ,life8 ,henry van ,dyke4 ,,scribner',s ,,magazine4 ,october1 #aiji4 ,how to civilize the ,young ,savage4 ,dr4 ,g4 ,stanley ,hall4 ,mind and ,body1 ,june1 #aiaa4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,rural ,,home ,,and ,,character ,,development ,that the farm home is an ideal place in which to build up the lives of growing boys and girls has become almost a trite saying4 ,but that rural parents are yet failing to realize the child-nurturing possibilities of such a place may be exemplified in thousands of instances4 ,when we point to the farm home as being the best possible place for rearing children1 we mean that it contains all the crude materials for such work1 and that there must be in charge of that work some one who is conscious of the many aspects of the problem4 ,so we hope to show the fathers and mothers of the farm community1 not what they might do if they were differently situated1 but as specifically as possible what there is in the present rural home situation that can be made directly available in the construction of the lives of their children4 ,,what ,,agencies ,,build ,,up ,,character8 ,first of all1 we must ask1 ,what are the ordinary forces which need to be brought into service in the development of children8 ,at the head of the list1 we should name play1 as furnishing a great variety of instructive activities2 then1 work and industry2 after that1 the recreation that comes properly after the performance of work4 ,so1 we have with all their implied meanings the three great child-developing agencies3 play1 work1 recreation4 ,now the question naturally presents itself1 ,can the ordinary farm life be made to furnish in right amount and proportion these three essential elements of character development8 #a4 ,play4--,the necessity of indulging and training properly the play instinct of the child is becoming so fully appreciated of late that many of the state legislatures1 and even the national ,congress1 have seen fit to make it a matter of deep concern4 ,in order that all children may have full exercise of the divine1 inherent right to play and to learn through play1 many so-called child labor laws have been passed4 ,these enactments have prescribed conditions under which children will be permitted to work at gainful occupations1 and in the majority of cases they have strictly forbidden such child labor below the ages of fourteen to sixteen4 ,but the foregoing efforts in behalf of the young have been of a somewhat negative sort1 merely guaranteeing the child the right to play4 ,on the positive side1 much is also being done4 ,the scientific students of child life have been pointing to the great benefits of play and to the present need for larger means and fuller opportunities for play on the part of the masses of children4 ,as an outcome of all this research and public agitation1 there is now in progress a general movement which looks to the placing at the disposal of children everywhere the equipment and apparatus necessary for building up the character by means of play experience4 ,the large cities are expending millions of dollars on municipal playgrounds1 and the towns and rural communities are catching the spirit also4 ,it has been shown beyond a question that adult life can be prepared for and enriched in many ways by means of scientifically provided play during childhood4 ,two or three results are especially sought through the playground training3 7#a7 better physical health and increased power to resist disease2 7#b7 enlarged opportunities for the outlet of the spontaneous activities through the use of the hands and other parts of the body2 7#c7 the provision of a powerful deterrent of evil thought and deed and of juvenile crime2 7#d7 the manifold opportunities for learning how to get along with one's fellows and to treat them in fairness and justice4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,iii4 ,,fig4 #c4--,this beautiful ,kansas home1 with its large orchard and many shade trees adjoining1 was constructed away out on the barren plains where no tree will grow4 ,in this place an excellent family of nine children grew up4 ,it has already been urged that sound health constitutes one of the foundation stones of good character4 ,play is especially conducive to sound health4 ,some may think that work without much if any play will bring about the same results in the child life1 but such proves not to be the case4 ,the monotony and drudgery of enforced labor have been crushing the lives of children everywhere1 especially until the wise legislation of very recent years prevented such thing4 ,strange to say1 the same amount of exertion in spontaneous play may build up and strengthen the physical and mental life of the child4 ,what is the secret of the striking difference in the result8 ,spontaneity6 is the answer4 ,the child goes at his play with a joy and an eagerness which are entirely absent from work--a sufficient guarantee that his nature is being fed upon the very stuff which his soul craves4 ,it is true that children will play in a bare room containing nothing more than a pile of trash1 but such a situation is woefully lacking on the side of instruction4 ,very little will be learned from a year of such ill-provided play4 ,so1 there is every necessary reason for urging that the farm home provide not only the time and the occasion for the play life of the children1 but that the means and proper materials also be looked after4 ,at a certain rural home in the state of ,michigan1 where two boys and one girl were growing up1 were found the following nearly ideal arrangements for the play life3 a small clump of trees1 which afforded opportunities for climbing and ample shade during the warm weather2 a swing hung between two of the trees2 a pole serving as a horizontal bar between two others2 and a ladder leading to a rude playhouse constructed between the forks of a branching maple tree4 ,thereabout were seen also a boy's wagon1 two home-made sleds and other materials of this same general class1 not to mention a fairly well-kept lawn1 where the children could romp4 ,now the cost of all the foregoing materials would be trifling in a money sense and not very expensive in point of preparation and work1 while they would pay for themselves a hundred-fold in their results for character-development4 ,if necessary1 it could even be shown how just such provision for the play of the boys and girls on the farm will in time add to the actual cash value of the place and to the money-earning power of the boys and girls whose lives are being served4 ,it seems altogether fitting to remind rural parents of their duty in respect to their children even though the mortgage may not yet have been lifted1 and even though some of the live stock may have to suffer a little1 and some of the farm crops deteriorate slightly4 ,let there be provided1 first of all1 some adequate materials for the indulgence of the play instinct of the child4 #b4 ,work4--,this term implies a wide meaning1 and deserves a lengthy discussion4 ,in a chapter to follow under the title ,how ,much ,work for the ,country ,boy1 we shall give due attention to it4 ,the purpose here is to advise the parent to make a study of the situation and to make provision for the amount and kind of work and industry necessary for the proper culture of the growing child4 ,first of all1 there must be appreciated the sharp distinction between work and play4 ,the latter is spontaneous1 allowing the child to follow his caprice of mind4 ,he may take up one play activity and drop it at any moment that another appeals to him more strongly4 ,but with work1 the situation is different4 ,the purpose is outside of and not within the performance1 as in the case of play4 ,the work looks toward some end necessary of achievement and carries with it the elements of sacrifice1 of giving out of one's life something that is his very own in order that some other thing may be acquired4 ,in the case of work the normal child probably at first finds almost any assigned task irksome4 ,he feels that he is being more or less unfairly or unnecessarily driven to it and that when he grows to be a man1 he will have a lot of money and hire somebody else to do the work4 ,all natural1 healthy-minded boys are at first somewhat stubborn and rebellious in regard to work4 ,no matter how good their parents may be1 if merely turned loose in the world without direction and the spur of authority1 they will almost invariably avoid manual labor4 ,so it might as well be put down at once as a rule that every boy who is to become a real worker and an industrious character must be set definitely at his tasks while a mere child and held strictly to their performance4 ,after much persistent urging1 the young worker begins to forget the thought of being driven to his duty and to acquire instead a habit of industry4 ,by slow degrees he develops within a sense of obligation in relation to work1 also a feeling of responsibility for tasks done or left undone4 ,finally1 after years of this sort of experience1 the young industrialist reaches a point in his life when he can throw himself enthusiastically into some sort of well chosen occupation4 ,and then and there emerges from his inner consciousness the exceeding great joy known to so many of the industrious men and women whose worthy life-long devotion to work is constantly reconstructing this good world in which we live4 ,it will be understood1 of course1 that the term work as here used includes the school training4 ,the ordinary child regards the appointed duties of lesson getting in the nature of work and feels the same pressure of insistence and compulsion in relation to them4 ,unquestionably1 the ordinary school course goes part way toward furnishing discipline in industry4 ,the course of the newer schools about to be instituted throughout the country will reach still farther in this direction4 ,it is very encouraging indeed to observe that the public school curriculum is destined to include1 not only the study of books and the recitation of lessons learned from books1 but also the many forms of manual labor and industry applicable to the character of the growing child4 ,but until the public school authorities have provided such an ideal course of training1 parents must see to it that the class-room duties be thoroughly supplemented with carefully assigned home tasks of the industrial training sort4 ,in a later chapter specific attention will be given the question of the schooling of the country boy and the country girl4 #c4 ,recreation4--,what a vast amount of misunderstanding and misuse there is of this term6 ,observe1 if you will1 the real meaning of the term or of the kindred word1 to re-create4 ,it implies in this use that the body has been depleted1 worn out1 or fatigued by work and that there is to be a rebuilding of the same4 ,but it is amusing--or would be if it were not so pathetic--to see how city parents often bestir themselves in an effort to provide recreation for their idle boys4 ,many of these boys who are seen loafing about the home town during practically the entire summer vacation period are given an outing in order that they may thus be furnished recreation--from indolence4 ,but farm parents are inclined to err on the other side4 ,that is1 they tend to over-work their boys and not to give them enough outings to furnish proper recreation and renewed zeal for the work required of them4 ,hence1 the need of carefully considering the matter of the outings for the farm boy and girl4 ,it can most probably be shown1 for example1 that the boy who works on the farm five and a half days of the week and who is given the other half day for rest and recreation--that he does more work in the five and one-half days and does it better than he would do in six full days without the half-holiday4 ,the question here is that of a balanced schedule4 ,how long should the boy be held to his task before being allowed a holiday or recreation period8 ,just how can these half-holidays1 outings1 and the like1 be worked into the farm boy's program so as to make them contributive to the up-building of his character8 ,what of this sort can be done to cause him to return to his assigned tasks with greater zeal and enthusiasm8 ,how can it be provided that the boy may look forward to these outings with a thrill of joy during the long days he has to spend behind the plow or in the harvest field8 ,finally1 how can these recreation periods1 large and small1 be so associated with his work-a-day tasks that he may come to regard farm life as a wholesome type of vocation--one that he may follow with pleasure and profit for himself1 and one in which he may succeed so well as to make his achievements constitute a living commendation of such a calling to others8 ,in a later discussion there will be shown many methods whereby the recreation experience of the farm boys and girls may be properly looked after4 ,few persons seem to appreciate the value of solitude as a means of recreating and building up the inner life4 ,probably one of the greatest agencies in the development of many a powerful personality is the fact that its possessor was compelled by force of circumstances while young to spend much time in the company of his or her own thoughts4 ,it is impossible to think intelligently while one is doing any body-straining work2 for example1 wood sawing or hay pitching4 ,but there are many forms of occupation for boys and girls on the farm which permit of comparative rest of the body4 ,so the foundations of many a worthy career have been laid in the silent reflections of the boy spending the day alone in the woods or on the prairies with his cattle and dog and pony1 or sitting on the seat of the riding plow4 ,likewise1 the farmer's daughter1 during the performance of many simple1 non-fatiguing tasks1 reflects perforce upon the larger meanings of life and makes out in mind many plans for the time when she hopes to undertake the mastery of various trying and interesting problems4 ,lack of this enforced solitude and its attendant reflections--lack of the discovery of the joy of being at regular intervals alone with the great soul of ,nature and with one's inner consciousness--doubtless contributes in some measure to the undoing of city boys and girls4 ,the constant turmoil of the street1 the excitement of the ever changing scenes and situations1 give an over-indulgence to the senses1 ripen the judgments too early1 and rob the character of those soberer habits which later enable one to find good in the common situations and the common people of the world4 ,it is1 therefore1 recommended that farm parents provide for a part of the sterner duties of the boys and girls such tasks as will allow for comparative rest of the body while the mind may tarry undisturbed with the reflections of the inner life4 ,,moving ,,to ,,town ,,for ,,the ,,children ,the practice of the well-to-do farmer who moves to town to educate his children is an old story and is fraught with many a hidden tragedy1 to say nothing of the impoverishment of the land and of the social order left behind4 ,why cannot the intelligent farmer remain on the home place and join a movement having for its purpose that of making the neighborhood a more desirable place of human habitation8 ,one of the dullest places in the world is the country town which has been filled up with retired farmers4 ,these are usually men who came into the place for the purpose of getting all the possible advantages at the lowest possible cost4 ,in the typical case the new city dweller of this class secures a very good residence1 and that often1 if possible1 just outside the city limits1 in order to avoid local taxes4 ,he takes little or no interest in the town's municipal affairs and votes against nearly all proposed improvements4 ,he keeps his own cow1 horse1 chickens1 and garden1 and brings extra supplies in from the farm4 ,gradually he takes on a few of the city ways4 ,that is1 he uses less home produce and does some buying at the stores4 ,but for want of stimulating employment he gradually grows stouter and mentally more stupid1 sleeping away many of the hours of the day in his chair--an indication that he is dying at the top and that he is soon to be cut down4 ,really1 the retired farmer is a nuisance to the town and the town is a bore to him4 ,but what of the children whom he brought in to educate8 ,they learn rapidly1 soon taking on the city manners4 ,the natural restraints from evil conduct1 which the farm home furnished1 are now wanting4 ,the blare and bluster of the town both excite and delight them1 while the parents have positively no rules or standards by which to govern and direct their young in the new situation4 ,all the boys and girls need to do in order to gain parental consent for going out at night is to declare that everybody is going or that they are expected to be there1 and the thing is settled4 ,thus the young ruralists newly come to town go dancing and prancing off into a veritable world of sweet dreams and delights--spoiled forever for any service that they might have rendered in building up the country community--and finally destined to become mere cogs in the ever grinding wheel of some city4 ,a ,,back-,,to-,,the-,,country ,,club ,nearly every town and city of the ,united ,states has had a so-called ,commercial ,club4 ,this has been in reality a boosters' club bent first of all on bringing big business to the place and thus opening the way for a bigger population4 ,anything for the sake of more people has been the watchword4 ,now1 ,i would reverse this order of things4 ,nearly every one of these towns and cities needs a club or committee that might have for its purposes3 7#a7 to show the would-be retired farmer how to shift the burdens from his wife as housekeeper1 how to provide better social and intellectual advantages for his children and yet stay on the farm2 7#b7 to find means and methods whereby to plant in the rural community those persons of the city population who are not making a fair living in their present positions1 seeking first of course to choose those who are capable of transplanting and then preparing them with care for the change4 ,i am satisfied that this thing can be successfully thought out1--that is1 how the worthy poor city family may be removed to the country and there through hard work gradually acquire enough land whereon to earn a fair living at least4 ,this end will never be accomplished by merely driving out the poor families1 but rather by means of scientific and sympathetic practice of re-establishing them4 ,well-conducted research shows that these poor people are nearly all constituted of good1 sound1 human stock4 ,so1 if transported under the conditions named1 there may be expected to come forth in the second generation a splendid crop of rural boys and girls4 ,,references ,report of the ,commission on ,country ,life4 ,introduction by ,theodore ,roosevelt4 ,sturgis-,walton ,company1 ,new ,york4 ,a brief but epoch-making book4 ,the student of rural problems will find it a splendid outline guide4 ,cutting ,loose from the ,city4 ,e4 ,g4 ,hutchins4 ,country ,life1 ,jan4 #a1 #aiaa4 ,back to the ,farm4 ,j4 ,smith4 ,collier's1 ,feb4 #be1 #aiaa4 ,value of a ,country ,education to ,every ,boy4 ,craftsman1 ,january1 #aiaa4 ,why ,back to the ,farm8 ,editorial4 ,craftsman1 ,february1 #aiaa4 ,the ,country-,life ,movement4 ,l4 ,h4 ,bailey4 ,the ,macmillan ,co4 ,contains a contrast of the back-to-the-land movement and the country-life movement4 ,drift to the ,city in ,relation to the ,rural ,problem4 ,j4 ,m4 ,gillette4 ,american ,journal of ,sociology1 ,march1 #aiaa4 ,the ,new ,country ,boy4 ,independent1 ,june #bb1 #aiaa4 ,overworked ,children on the ,farm and in the ,school4 ,dr4 ,woods ,hutchinson4 ,annals ,american ,academy1 ,march1 #aiji4 ,why ,one ,hundred ,boys ran away from ,home4 ,l4 ,e4 ,jones4 ,ladies' ,home ,journal1 ,april1 #aiaj4 ,the ,country ,girl who is coming to the ,city4 ,batchelor4 ,delineator1 ,may1 #aiji4 ,play and ,playground ,literature4 ,for most helpful and inexpensive literature on this subject address3 ,the ,playground ,association of ,america1 #a ,madison ,ave41 ,new ,york ,city4 ,conservation in the ,rural ,districts4 ,james ,w4 ,robertson1 ,d4,sc4 ,the ,association ,press1 ,new ,york4 ,education for ,country life4 ,willet ,m4 ,hays4 ,free ,bulletin1 ,u4,s4 ,department of ,agriculture4 ,treats ably consolidation and rural agricultural high schools4 ,child ,problems4 ,george ,b4 ,mangold4 ,ph4,d4 ,book ,,ii1 ,chapters ,i-,,ii1 ,play and the ,playground2 ,book ,,iii1 ,chapters ,i-,v1 ,child ,labor ,problems4 ,the last reference contains accurate information as to child-labor legislation up to date of publication4 ,influence of ,heredity and ,environment upon ,race ,improvements4 ,kelsey4 ,annals ,american ,academy1 ,july1 #aiji4 ,burning up the ,boys4 ,editorial4 ,north ,american1 ,september1 #aiaj4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,country ,,mother ,,and ,,the ,,children ,greater attention needs to be given to the conservation of the farmer's wife4 ,although there are many other justifications for giving more thought to the care and the comfort of the country mother1 the single fact of her very close relation to the children growing up in the home1 and of her peculiar responsibilities as center of life there1 warrant us in devoting a chapter to her interests4 ,recently1 while passing upon a country highway1 the author met a funeral procession4 ,a little inquiry revealed a pathetic situation1 one that has been repeated thousands of times throughout the length and breadth of this fair country4 ,the deceased was the wife of a young farmer1 both of them under thirty-five years of age1 hard working and ambitious for success1 but thoughtless of their own health and comfort4 ,their farm was somewhat new and unimproved1 there were hundreds of things to do other than the routine affairs of home keeping and crop raising4 ,worst of all1 there was a mortgage to be lifted4 ,after all reasonable improvements were made and the mortgage paid off1 then1 according to their plans1 they were going to take matters easy4 ,but the delicate cord of life suddenly broke in the case of the wife1 and left the young husband as overseer of the farm and home and sole caretaker of three little children4 ,how can parents hope to produce a better crop of boys and girls in the farm communities so long as the typical farm wife is crushed into the earth with the over-weight of the burdens placed upon her8 ,a few minutes' enumeration in this same rural neighborhood brought out the startling fact that in fully half of the homes a scene similar to the one just described had been enacted during the last score of years4 ,that is to say1 during the twenty years1 fully one-half of the farm mothers living in that particular neighborhood had died before their time from one cause or another4 ,in most instances the death occurred during what we usually speak of as the prime years of life1 and at a time when the rose bloom should naturally be fresh upon the cheek4 ,fortunately1 this serious condition1 still present in some communities1 is being gradually improved by the improved methods4 ,,poor ,,conditions ,,of ,,women ,the report of the ,country ,life ,commission makes the following suggestions3-- ,the relief to farm women must come through a general elevation of country living4 ,the women must have more help4 ,in particular these matters may be mentioned3 ,development of a cooperative spirit in the home1 simplification of the diet in many cases1 the building of convenient and sanitary houses1 providing running water in the house and also more mechanical help1 good and convenient gardens1 a less exclusive ideal of money getting on the part of the farmer1 providing better means of communication1 as telephones1 roads1 and reading circles1 and developing of women's organizations4 ,these and other agencies should relieve the woman of many of her manual burdens on the one hand and interest her in outside activities on the other4 ,the farm woman should have sufficient free time and strength so that she may serve the community by participating in its vital affairs4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,iv4 ,,fig4 #d4--;,a day nursery at the ,country ,social ,center4 ,it may be otherwise called an institution designed to lengthen the lives of tired country mothers4 ,in discussing this same matter1 ,henry ,wallace1 a member of the ,commission1 says in his paper1 ,wallaces' ,farmer3-- ,they have been saying that the mother is the hardest worked member of the family1 which is often and we believe generally true4 ,they have been saying that in the anxiety of the farmer to get more land1 he not only works himself too hard1 but his wife too hard1 and the boys and girls so hard that the boys get disgusted and leave the farm1 and the girls marry town fellows and go to town4 ,now the farmer's wife is really the most important and essential person on the farm4 ,as such she needs the most care and consideration4 ,you are careful1 very careful1 not to over-work your horses4 ,how much more careful you should be not to over-work the mother of your children4 ,you rein back the free member of the team4 ,you take special care of the brood mare1 and the cow that gives three hundred pounds of butter4 ,have you always kept the freest of all workers1 your wife1 from doing too much8 ,how about this8 ,,for ,,the ,,sake ,,of ,,the ,,children ,but this chapter1 as well as the entire book1 is being prepared in the interest of boys and girls4 ,so we shall attempt to show a number of specific conditions that may be sought as tending to conserve the strength and the life of the rural mother1 with a view to her continuing to be in every best sense of the word a caretaker and conserver of the lives of her own children4 #a4 ,surplus nerve energy4--,however it may be achieved1 the thing to work for in this connection is a surplusage of nerve energy4 ,if the child training is to go on in a satisfactory manner1 the mother especially1 and if possible both parents1 must have stated times and occasions for looking after such training and for inculcating a series of important fundamental lessons4 ,the first and best test of this child-rearing situation may be made at evening4 ,if1 after the work of the ordinary day1 the mother is still fresh enough to take a real interest in the children's affairs1 to read to them briefly and perhaps tell them a story or two1 or to read for further preparations of her work with them1--then it may be said that her life energies are being conserved in a fairly satisfactory manner4 ,the children will most certainly reap the benefits4 ,but if the close of the ordinary day's work finds the farm mother suffering from physical and nervous exhaustion1 cross and impatient with the other members of the family1 depressed in spirit and gloomy as to the future1 these are signs which should give alarm to the head of the household and arouse him to the point of looking into such distressful conditions1 and setting them right4 #b4 ,a rest period4--,how would it do to plan for the mother a daily period of rest and relaxation8 ,would not such a program furnish something of a guarantee of length of life in her own case and of peace and contentment in the home1 and of improved well-being in respect to the children8 ,how shall we state this question8 ,must the very lives of the rural mother and her children be run through the mill of over-work as a grist for the improvement and up-building of the farm animals and the farm crops8 ,or should all of these material things be valued only in proportion as they contribute to the happiness and contentment and the long life of the members of the family8 ,too many farmers seem to say1 as expressed by their conduct3 ,i must lift that mortgage this year6 ,i must market so many bushels of corn and so many head of live stock6 ,so here goes my wife1 and here go my children into the hopper6 ,perhaps they will have to give up their lives4 ,at any cost ,i must make this thing pay6 ,then1 how would it be to set apart an hour or more each day1 regularly1 for the rest and relaxation of the mother1 and call it ,mother's hour8 ,during that time let it be the policy of the entire family to require no work1 no assistance1 no favors of her1 unless it be in case of illness4 ,during such a time of recuperation1 the delicate organism of the ordinary woman would tend to regain its poise4 ,the nerve energy would be more or less restored1 while she would tend to view the better things of life more nearly from their right angle4 ,best of all1 she would regather during the hour not a little strength to be used later in the caretaking of her children4 ,try it for a week4 #c4 ,the home conveniences4--,this is not the place for a detailed discussion of what might or ought to be put into the house for the sake of the convenience of the home-maker4 ,but if such materials be thoughtfully arranged1 they may be made most effective1 even though they be small and inexpensive4 ,a little inquiry among the ordinary homes will show what is meant here1 by either the presence or the lack of the things indicated4 ,it is not so much a question of expense as it is one of thoughtful provision4 ,the guiding principle of the home convenience is that of saving and conserving the strength of the housekeeper4 ,there is especially one day in the week which might be appropriately called the mother-killing day4 ,that is the occasion of her doing the washing and ironing for the family4 ,not infrequently two or three days thereafter are required for the restoration of her normal strength and health4 ,now1 it is clearly the specific duty of the farmer to take hold of just such matters as this and attempt seriously to put them right4 ,doing the washing for four or five1 and that with the use of the wash tub1 is a man's work so far as required muscular energy is concerned1 and very few women are able to do it regularly and live out their allotted lives4 ,therefore1 let the conscientious farmer see to it first of all that some kind of machinery be installed for lightening such wife-killing tasks as that just named4 ,let him provide such household helps and conveniences first1 and for the sake of the house mother and her children4 ,and then1 if there be other means available1 let him provide the man-saving machinery about the barn and the fields4 ,in the chapter on ,constructing a ,country ,dwelling1 fuller attention will be given to these matters4 #d4 ,the mother's outings4--,the farmer who is seriously interested in providing for the care and comfort of his family1 and for the instruction and intelligent direction of his children1 will see to it that his life companion be allowed her share of outings4 ,this matter must be just as much on his mind as that of marketing the produce4 ,the usual habit of the farmer's wife is to give up willingly her rights and opportunities of this sort4 ,but she cannot well continue to be spiritually strong and mentally well disposed toward the world unless she be permitted to get out among her friends and acquaintances at frequent intervals4 ,so1 arrange carefully a series of outings for the country mother4 ,the beginning of such a program is to provide that there be available for her use and at her command a horse and carriage4 ,this equipment need not be of the finest quality1 and it may be used for other purposes1 but when her needs appear1 it should be given up to her purposes4 ,at least one afternoon a week she should go away from the place and be free as much as possible temporarily from the cares of the household while she finds congenial company among some of the neighboring women1 or at the library or elsewhere4 #e4 ,the home help4--,the unending problem of the home life throughout much of the civilized world is that of obtaining adequate assistance in the performance of the household work4 ,much of the time such assistance from outside sources is practically unavailable4 ,and yet something must be done to meet the situation4 ,if there be young girls growing up in the home1 the solution of the problem may1 and should1 be met by means of requiring the daughters to assist with the home duties4 ,but in case there be no daughters it is seriously recommended that either the father or the boys do certain parts of the heavier housework4 ,it is not necessarily beneath the dignity of the best and most brilliant man of this country for him to get down on his knees in his own home and help perform the menial work there which threatens to break the health of his life companion4 ,if there be growing sons in the family1 there is every justification for training them to assist in the housework in a case where such assistance is needed to shield the health and strength of the mother4 ,it prepares for better manhood and for more sympathetic protection of his own wife to be1 if the boy be required to do such things and thus to become intimately acquainted with what it means to perform the many burdensome tasks that tend to wear away the lives of so many good women4 #f4 ,the children shield the mother4--,there will perhaps be no better occasion than this to remind parents of the necessity of carefully training the growing children to perform such deeds as will shield the mother in the home1 and show a sympathetic interest in her welfare4 ,these matters will not naturally be acquired by children4 ,the country to-day is full of grown men whose mothers and wives have worked themselves to death2 and yet these men did not detect the seriousness of the situation until it was too late4 ,there are many men of this same general class who are willing and even anxious to protect the women of the home from the crush of over-work1 but who know not how to do it4 ,such faults as we have just named might easily have been avoided had these men1 during very early boyhood1 been brought into an intimate acquaintance with the burdensome tasks of the household4 ,especially should they have been drilled time after time in the performance of deeds of love and sympathy in respect to their mother4 ,it may seem a little thing for a younger child to rush to the table1 call for and partake of the best the table provides and1 inattentive to the wants of any other members of the family1 hurry off to his play full fed and happy4 ,and yet this very thing may be indicative of a serious lack of attention to the rights and requirements of others1 such as may be carried over into his future home life and there amount to serious abuse4 ,again1 it must be insisted that deeds of sympathy and altruism are acquired through the actual and continued practice of the performance of such deeds4 #g4 ,planning for the children4--,among the other splendid results of the conservation of the nerve energy and the vital interests of the house mother may be mentioned that of her ability to plan thoughtfully for the instruction of the boys and girls4 ,it is not an easy task to select appropriate stories and readings for the young4 ,it is neither an easy nor a trifling matter for the parent to be able to read suitable stories to them and to interpret helpfully such stories4 ,it is not a trifling matter for the parents to converse together an hour at evening and there plan as to the future home instruction of their young4 ,when should this be introduced into the boy's life and when that into the girl's life8 ,what is a fair allowance for the boy for what he does and for his spending money for the ,fourth of ,july1 ,christmas1 and the like8 ,what is a fair allowance for the girl with which to purchase her clothes and for her pin money8 ,when should each of them be told this and that about the secrets of life1 and where may helpful literature thereon be obtained8 ,just when and how much should the boy and girl be allowed to go among the young people of the community8 ,when we consider the far-reaching results which their solution may mean for the developing young lives1 these and many other such questions become exceedingly important4 #h4 ,a common conspiracy4--,in many a farm home to-day there is a secret compact which goes far to shape the destiny of a great number of lives4 ,go if you will to the farm home where the life of the mother is being gradually crushed out by the over-work and the lack of sympathetic protection on the part of the husband1 and you will almost invariably find a secret understanding between the mother and the growing children in reference to the future careers of the latter4 ,it is implied by these words put into the mouth of the mother3 ,your father is too ambitious about the work and in his desire for accumulating wealth about the farm4 ,he is over-working me1 is thoughtless of me1 and indifferent to your present needs and your future welfare4 ,work on as you must1 driven by him1 but do as little as you can and grow up to manhood and womanhood4 ,study your books1 get through with your schooling1 and in time find something easier for your own life work4 ,perhaps we can persuade him to give it up after a while and move to town1 where you can go out more1 dress better1 and get more enjoyment out of life4 ,thus1 the children grow up to mistrust and dislike their father1 and to despise the vocation in which he is engaged4 ,such a state of affairs will precipitate their flight from the home nest4 ,this will take place at the earliest possible moment and will often be in the nature of a leap into the dark1 anything to get away from the drudgery of the farm4 ,mark you this situation well1 you farm fathers1 and attack it in all possible haste with the best available relief4 ,a happy1 contented1 well-protected farm mother almost certainly means the same sort of farm children1 while the converse situations will also run in the same unvarying parallel4 ,do not satiate your desire for more hogs and more land with the sacrifice of the peace and happiness and the very life-blood of your wife and children6 ,,references ,the ,nervous ,life4 ,g4 ,e4 ,partridge1 ,ph4,d4 ,sturgis-,walton ,company1 ,new ,york4 ,this book is especially recommended as an aid to the relief of the tired farm mother4 ,parenthood and ,race ,culture4 ,charles ,w4 ,saleeby1 ,m4,d4 ,chapter ,,ix1 ,the ,supremacy of ,motherhood4 ,moffat1 ,yard ,co41 ,new ,york4 ,this is a book of great value for students of race improvement4 ,from ,kitchen to ,garret4 ,virginia ,van de ,water4 ,chapter ,i1 ,a ,heart-to-,heart ,talk with the ,house ,wife4 ,sturgis-,walton ,company4 ,wholesome advice concerning the conservation of the mother's strength4 ,proceedings of ,child ,conference for ,research and ,welfare1 #aiaj4 ,l4 ,pearl ,boggs1 ,ph4,d4 ,page #e1 ,home ,education4 ,g4 ,e4 ,stechart ,co41 ,new ,york4 ,the ,efficient ,life4 ,dr4 ,l4 ,h4 ,gulick4 ,chapter ,,xviii1 ,growth in ,rest4 ,this entire volume is highly recommended as being suitable for over-worked mothers4 ,what the ,farmer can do to ,lighten his ,wife's ,work4 ,t4 ,blake4 ,ladies' ,home ,journal1 ,feb4 #ae1 #aiaa4 ,the ,higher ,tide of ,physical ,conscience4 ,dr4 ,l4 ,h4 ,gulick4 ,world's ,work1 ,june1 #aijh4 ,education for ,motherhood4 ,charles ,w4 ,saleeby4 ,good ,housekeeping1 ,april1 #aiaj4 ,the ,profession of ,motherhood4 ,dr4 ,lyman ,abbott4 ,outlook1 ,april #aj1 #aiji4 ,power ,through ,repose4 ,annie ,payson ,call4 ,chapter ,,xii1 ,training for ,rest4 ,little1 ,brown ,co4 ,wallaces' ,farmer1 ,des ,moines1 ,ia41 is especially to be commended for its editorial championship of ,the ,farm ,mother4 ,the ,freedom of ,life4 ,annie ,payson ,call4 ,chapter ,,iv1 ,hurry1 ,worry1 and ,irritability4 ,little1 ,brown ,co4 ,ideas of a ,plain ,country ,mother4 ,ladies' ,home ,journal1 ,may #a1 #aiaa4 ,american ,motherhood4 ,coopertown1 ,new ,york ,monthly1 #a4 ,this magazine publishes many short articles bearing on the subject of this chapter4 ,how to conduct ,mothers' ,clubs4 7,pamphlet ,no4 #cjb1 #h cents47 ,american ,motherhood4 ,coopertown1 ,new ,york4 ,,chapter ,v ,,constructing ,,the ,,country ,,dwelling ,much has been written in books1 and more has been spoken from platform and pulpit1 relative to the patriotism of the ,american people4 ,in addition to all this the public schools of city and country have been consciously instructing the children with a view to laying a permanent foundation in their lives for love of the native land and for defense of the national ideals4 ,but it seems to me that the best word on the subject of patriotic instruction has never as yet been given wide publicity4 ,so long as a boy has to grow up in a home where there are meanness and turmoil and strife and hatred and degradation1 one may point a thousand times with pride to our great nation1 display again and again before his eyes the proud banner of freedom1 sing with him numberless times the patriotic songs eulogistic of the fatherland and its national heroes1--under such circumstances a boy can never be expected to develop into anything other than a superficial patriot4 ,but give him a good home1 simple and unadorned though it may be1 where love reigns1 where his childish needs are thoughtfully ministered unto1 whereinto he may go at nightfall after a hard day's work and find rest and peace and comfort2 a home whereinto he may take his childish cares and perplexities and place them before the affectionate consideration of his parents and perhaps his elder brothers and sisters2 a place where he is carefully taught the rudiments of filial respect and a wholesome regard for work and industry1--bring up the boy in the midst of these plain1 sympathetic situations1 and you have a real patriot4 ,although he may be reminded only occasionally of the meaning of the national flag1 and although he may read with no unusual interest about the blood that was spilled on the national field of battle1 a life so reared would mean that the love of home has become rooted in the heart of the young patriot1 and that he would rise up if need be and give his life in defense of that home4 ,in such a case1 only a small stretch of the imagination would make it possible for the youth to regard the nation as his home in the larger sense1 while his willingness to defend that home in time of real need would be none the less present and strong4 ,,plans ,,and ,,specifications ,,not ,,available ,there are hundreds of types and thousands of varieties of rural dwelling houses4 ,it would perhaps be impracticable to attempt to furnish definite plans and specifications in connection with this chapter4 ,the wide variation in the nature of the selected sites1 in the means available for building the home1 in the size of the family to be accommodated1 and the like1 would hinder us in the attempt4 ,but there are certain principles that may perhaps apply in nearly every instance and that especially in thought of serving the first and best needs of the juvenile members of the household4 ,it is altogether possible to make a two-room cottage out on the open prairie a place suggestive of repose1 of beauty1 and of other high ideals4 ,so1 no matter how small and inexpensive the rural dwelling may be1 let the builders work first of all for that simple beauty and attractiveness which may most certainly invest the heart of the indweller with a feeling of comfort and satisfaction4 ,let it be a place1 though humble1 that may soon become to the members of the family the most beloved spot on earth4 ,for1 after all1 the best things of life cannot possibly be bought with money4 ,there are often misery and dissension and bitterness in the finest palatial dwelling1 while the essential elements of beauty and worth may have lodgment in the hearts of the humblest cottage dwellers4 ,however1 it is not the intention here to argue any one into the thought of building a humble cot for the mere sake of humility4 ,the point we desire to make is merely this3 that1 although possessed of very meager means with which to build1 one can actually construct a home in which the inhabitants thereof may dwell in peace and contentment1 and a place over which the ,spirit of the ,most ,high may brood in great strength and beauty4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,v4 ,,fig4 #e4--;,an attractive old country residence in the ,south1 built in #ahed4 ,at least one good family has been matured therein4 ,and to them ,how many sacred memories ,bring back those childhood scenes4 ,,what ,,appeals ,,to ,,the ,,children ,in the selection of a location and a site for the dwelling the welfare of the children must be thought of1 second only to that of the house mother4 ,now1 what material arrangements will appeal to the growing children and add much interest and romance to their lives as in future time they view them in retrospect8 ,first of all1 perhaps1 a broken landscape might well be mentioned1 a hill or two near by the place1 with a sharp cliff or embankment to the crest of which the children may climb and there cast down missiles4 ,such things tend to add a charm to the young lives4 ,and then1 if possible1 have a brook or larger stream of fresh running water4 ,a large river is less desirable on account of the danger to child life4 ,but a stream which may furnish1 not merely water for the live-stock1 but a swimming and bathing place for the children in summer and a skating pond for them in winter1 to say nothing about the pleasures of fishing and boating--these will appeal most strongly to the boys and girls4 ,and then1 the woodland1 or at least the shady grove with trees to climb1 and possibly nuts and wild flowers to gather--a place where chipmunks and song birds and the like may have their natural habitat1 and wherefrom there may proceed the weird and doleful sound of the night owl and the whip-poor-will2 herein one may find many of the crude materials well suited to give proper nourishment to the souls of the young4 ,but the things just named will not nearly always be accessible4 ,throughout many of the commonwealths there are vast stretches of level plateaus with scarcely a hill or woodland in sight1 and yet covered with a rich1 tillable soil4 ,these places may for good reasons be selected for the site of a dwelling4 ,but they demand more work and heavier expense of money and time before the best material surroundings of an ideal home for boys and girls may be realized4 ,before the house is scarcely laid out in such a place1 the shade and ornamental trees should be planted1 selecting for part of the planting a quick-growing species that may be removed later after more permanent and more valuable trees have reached a suitable height4 ,of course1 a stream of water cannot always be diverted so as to make it pass the place1 but a fair substitute may be had by the construction of a pond4 ,and this thing should be accomplished at the earliest possible moment4 ,if there be a small dry ravine1 dam it up with concrete and catch it full of surplus water during a rainy season4 ,it is a positive injustice to boys and not a little unfair to girls to require them to grow up without any access to open water of some kind4 ,and it is almost a matter of criminal neglect to require children to live permanently in a home about which there are no trees growing4 ,so it is recommended1 even if the house construction must in part be delayed or cut off1 that the surroundings just named be sought in all earnestness4 ,,the ,,house ,,plan ,in planning and arranging the house1 the matters to be thought of in addition to those named above are convenience and comfort4 ,while it is somewhat important that the house look well to those who may be passing upon the highway1 it is vastly more important that it be good within and serve such needs of the home-maker and the children as will conserve the strength of the former and render the lives of all happy and contented4 ,in addition to the matters just named1 that of placing the dwelling to face in the right direction will be thought of4 ,that is1 arrange the house so as to take advantage of the morning sunlight1 the evening shade1 the winter blasts and the summer breezes4 ,while for the sake of entertainment it may be well to place the rural dwelling near the public highway1 rather than sacrifice the child-developing factors of shade trees and streams and the like1 it is often better to build back from the road and make a private lane leading thereto4 ,in arranging for the heat and light in the house1 think first of all of the health and sanitation of the family4 ,ordinarily1 the windows of the farmhouse are too small2 while worse still1 many of them1 even in the bed chambers1 are permanently nailed down4 ,so1 if the health and the general well-being of the boys and girls1 as well as the parents1 are worth anything at all1 attend religiously to these small and inexpensive conveniences1 not neglecting to provide most carefully for keeping out flies and other insects4 ,the wise farmer will find the secret of getting along with his own household and of rearing a strong1 healthy family to lie in the strict attention he gives to just such small matters as these4 ,the things that overstrain the physique1 that try the temper and patience of the housewife1 must especially be looked after and something of a better nature substituted for them4 ,,how ,,one ,,farmer ,,does ,,it ,mr4 ,w4 ,f4 ,mottier1 living in ,ford ,county1 ,illinois1 gives in ,farmer's ,voice his plan of providing for the children1 as follows3-- ,i have always tried to farm intelligently4 ,one of my favorite ideas in regard to farm life is that of making the home as attractive as possible for the children4 ,so ,i put on the place all the modern improvements that ,i can afford1 in order that the children may not feel that town life is the best4 ,and our children do not have any desire to go to town4 ,it would bring a sad thought to me to hear my children talk against the farm life or home life on the farm4 ,,outbuildings ,,and ,,equipment ,with few exceptions1 the money available for building the home should be expended first in putting the house into the ideal condition just named4 ,after that1 if any means remain1 the outbuildings may be constructed4 ,otherwise1 crude1 temporary arrangements may easily suffice4 ,there is one thing1 however1 that must be provided with scrupulous care and that is the water for the household use4 ,it must be1 first of all1 wholesome and comparatively free from impurities4 ,then1 if at all possible1 it should be cool and taste well4 ,actual records have shown that one will not drink enough water to satisfy the demands of his health in case the taste be in any degree unpleasant to him4 ,so the ideal water for household use is comparatively soft1 is cool1 highly pleasing to the taste1 and is free from disease-carrying germs4 ,this comparatively simple matter of providing the water will prove most important in relation to the well-being of the household and the up-building of the family life4 ,see to it at any cost that the well be situated out of the way of seepage from any barn or outbuilding1 even though it may from such necessity be placed somewhat out of the reach of convenience4 ,,human ,,rights ,,prior ,,to ,,animal ,,rights ,if the farmer cannot afford to erect a good barn he may take reasonable care of his horses with the use of a cheap1 improvised one4 ,actual test will show that horses may be made comfortable in the summer time with the use of a straw-thatched shed for a barn1 provided the drainage be reasonably good and the earth floor be kept in good order4 ,the thatched covering may be made to keep out the rain4 ,during the winter1 with the use of a few slender poles1 the entire shed may be inclosed with a hay or straw wall and the place thus be made very satisfactory for the time being4 ,similar sheds and protection may be provided for the other live-stock1 all to await the time when the means are at hand for better conveniences4 ,it is especially suggestive of a mean lack of consideration of human rights in the case of the farmer who has a big1 expensive farm barn towering up beside a little dingy shanty of a dwelling house4 ,and yet this thing is all too common1 particularly in new prairie regions4 ,such is the place out of which beastliness and criminality and anarchy tend to be germinated from the lives of boys and girls1 to say nothing about the hidden tragedies that surround the lives of the many women who are forced to put up with such an arrangement for half a lifetime4 ,just one illustration of a situation of the sort described will suffice to point out the moral4 ,on an occasion two strangers drew up to a farmhouse4 ,one of them was a land agent1 and the other a home seeker4 ,their mission was that of purchasing a farm4 ,the owner of the farm showed them about the place with considerable enthusiasm1 but his heart swelled with pride when he reached the magnificent barn1 one side of which was devoted to the propagation of a high-grade strain of ,duroc ,jersey swine4 ,every convenience and comfort for the hogs was provided4 ,he boasted about his success with them1 showed an affectionate regard for the different individuals1 calling them by name4 ,the horses1 too1 might have aroused the envy of the entire neighborhood4 ,they were sleek and well-fed1 full in flesh and fair in form4 ,there was provided every convenience for feeding and caring for the horses and the hogs1 so that the hired men found the work about the barn exceedingly easy and pleasant4 ,then the attention of the visitors was turned to the farmhouse4 ,yes1 it was small and run down and poor1 the intention being to build a larger one some time4 ,but that same intention was known to have been expressed repeatedly for a period of twenty years past4 ,and where were the boys8 ,well1 that was the trouble1 and furnished the excuse for his willingness to sell the place4 ,he simply could not induce the boys to stay there and take an interest in things4 ,two of them1 barely more than boys1 had left the home nest in its meanness and degradation and hired out in town4 ,the mother of the boys was living there because she had to1 but upon her face were lines of suffering and disappointment and degradation4 ,yet in the midst of it all1 strange to say1 the father seemed to blame the boys and their mother for having conspired against the interests of the farm home and plotted to get away4 ,in the course of his conversation he made it somewhat evident that he would have sold out and left sooner had the other members of the family not been so urgent about the matter1 and that he was now holding on partly to indulge his spite and feeling of stubbornness in reference to them4 ,the cheap novels one may pick up depict many a fictitious tragedy4 ,but in the place just described lies the typical scene of thousands of real tragedies during the course of which numberless lives of boys and girls have been wrecked forever1--lives latent with possibilities of goodness and beauty1 of mental and moral strength4 ,and then1 the bitterness and anguish of soul of the mothers of these lost members of a high humanity--what of that8 ,the silent walls of an untimely grave in many cases closed them in1 while much of the memory of their secret suffering lies buried with them4 ,,the ,,children',s ,,room ,even though the means available will not allow for more than the humblest sort of cottage1 there should be definite thought of providing therein some room or niche or corner to be considered as the private property of the children4 ,in a three-room dwelling on the ,kansas prairie in which lives a happy family of five1 and about which thrifty young shade trees and orchards are growing1 there may be seen a children's room that would surprise and inspire any ordinary observer4 ,in a little attic room facing the east and reached by a mere step-ladder arrangement1 may be found the den1 which is the private place of the three children4 ,a small window opens out to the east and a small improvised dormer window about twelve by twenty inches admits light and air from the south4 ,there is no plastering or other expensive covering upon the sloping roof walls1 but the artistic mother has provided dainty white muslin for concealing the rough places1 and with the help of the children she has decorated the little room in a manner that would attract the very elect4 ,none of this has required a money cost1 but it has all been done beautifully at the expense of thought and good sense and artistic taste1 prompted by rare consideration for the needs of the boys and girls4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,vi4 ,,fig4 #f4--;,a commodious farmhouse in ,canada1 equipped throughout with a complete water system4 ,many farmers waste enough trying to build a house without a modern plan to pay for this extra convenience4 ,the two little girls and their brother1 ranging in age from five to ten years1 spend many a happy hour in their attic chamber4 ,the heat from the room below comes through a small aperture and warms the little place in winter time1 while the breeze passes through the little windows in summer1 tempering the room satisfactorily excepting upon extremely hot days4 ,upon the walls are arranged beautiful post cards1 larger pictures gathered from magazines and other sources1 and small though beautiful home decorations of every conceivable sort4 ,the little seven-year-old boy has a small assortment of curios collected from the hills and streams1 while the girls have a small display of their childish needlework1 their dolls1 and some of their best school drawings4 ,how suggestive and how helpful it would be if this little den could be displayed before the eyes of all the humble cottagers throughout the rural districts6 ,yes1 the hogs may live out-of-doors and the horses get along very well indeed with a temporary barn thatched with straw1 but the places of the boys and girls must be looked after and that in the interest of making them happy1 of filling their lives with every good1 clean sentiment1 and of preparing them for that large sphere of usefulness which may mark their future4 ,if the house be larger than the one we have described1 then provide accordingly for the children4 ,give them a good room of their own4 ,put their ornaments and playthings in it4 ,if there be space1 provide a library containing a few suitable volumes4 ,and after this thoughtful provision has been made1 see to it carefully that their schedule for work1 schooling1 and the other duties allows for ample time and opportunity for their enjoyment of the apartment set aside for them4 ,in years to come1 that sweet poetic sentiment running back to the home of one's childhood will be given greater strength and beauty because of the fact that this thing just urged has been done4 ,and more than that1 the man 7or woman7 who has the blessed privilege of recalling these bygone scenes of childhood receives from such contemplation a new sense of inner strength and new enduement of power to go on with life's struggle and master the larger problems that come to him4 ,,the ,,evening ,,hour ,no matter what the cares of the day may have been1 how many things may have gone wrong1 how much hay left out in the field unprotected from the rain1 how many acres of corn unplowed and losing in the battle with the weeds1 how many items of household duties unperformed--there is every justification for laying aside these work-a-day affairs at the approach of bedtime and for the spending of a precious hour with the problems of the children4 ,farm parents as well as other parents can thus preserve their youth and add immeasurably to the joys of their own lives4 ,this thing of being with the children at evening may seem slightly awkward and prosaic at first1 but it will slowly grow into a habit and will become transformed into an experience of great charm and beauty4 ,best of all the high refinement1 potential in the lives of the children1 will thus be gradually brought to an expression1 and the foundation stones of substantial manhood and womanhood will be laid in their lives4 ,yes1 it is true1 even farm parents may learn to lay aside their cares and perplexities and enjoy the splendid privilege of getting intimately acquainted with the hopes and desires and aspirations of their boys and girls6 ,,references ,the ,outlook to ,nature4 ,revised edition4 ,l4 ,h4 ,bailey4 ,page #gi1 ,the ,country ,home4 ,macmillan4 ,low ,cost ,country ,homes4 ,a4 ,embury1 ,jr4 ,collier's1 ,june #aj1 #aiaa4 ,a ,primer of ,sanitation4 ,john ,o4 ,ritchie4 ,chapter ,,xxxiii1 ,public ,sanitation4 ,world ,book ,company1 ,yonkers1 ,n4,y4 ,recommended for general use4 ,from ,kitchen to ,garret4 ,virginia ,van de ,water4 ,chapter ,x1 ,the ,boy's ,room4 ,sturgis-,walton ,company4 ,home ,waterworks4 ,carleton ,j4 ,lynde4 ,sturgis-,walton4 ,comforts and ,conveniences in ,farmers' ,homes4 ,w4 ,r4 ,beattie4 ,yearbook1 ,department of ,agriculture1 #aiji4 ,washington1 ,d4,c41 pp4 #cde-cef4 ,see also in same volume1 ,hygienic ,water ,supply for ,farms1 pp4 #cii-djh4 ,water ,supply for ,farm ,residences1 ,the ,plan of the ,farm-,house1 ,saving ,steps4 ,cornell ,reading-,courses4 ,rural ,hygiene4 ,h4 ,n4 ,ogden4 ,the ,macmillan ,company4 ,rural ,hygiene4 ,i4 ,n4 ,brewer4 ,j4 ,p4 ,lippincott ,company1 ,philadelphia4 ,earn your ,child's ,friendship4 ,j4 ,balfield4 ,lippinott's ,magazine1 ,january1 #aiaa4 ,fireside ,child ,study4 ,patterson ,du,bois4 ,dodd1 ,mead ,co4 ,home ,decorations4 ,dorothy ,t4 ,priestman4 ,chapter ,,xiv1 ,rooms for ,young ,people4 ,penn ,publishing ,company1 ,philadelphia4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,juvenile ,,literature ,,in ,,the ,,farm ,,home ,it may be truly said that the strength and impressiveness of the personality depend on the nature of the inner thought of the individual4 ,now1 thoughts are not unlike the trees and the growing grain1 or1 for that matter1 any other living thing2 unless they have proper nourishment they wither1 perish1 or dwindle away to a puny shadow of their possible selves4 ,how shall we measure the strength and force of the human character other than by the bigness and the purity of the daily thoughts of the individual8 ,it matters little what the occupation may be--a hewer of stone1 a hauler of wood1 a captain of industry1 or a governor of a state--each of these may be mean and little in his respective position provided his thoughts be sensuous and groveling4 ,on the other hand1 each of these can shine in his allotted place in a light all his own1 provided he have the habit of entertaining clean and inspiring ideas in his secret consciousness4 ,now1 one of the larger problems of the rural life is that of supplying the many hours necessarily devoted to silent reflection with a suitable form of thought culture4 ,proverbially1 the farmer and his wife and their children are hurried along with the work-a-day affairs and tend gradually to acquire the non-reading habit4 ,this is bad for the parents in that it keeps their minds running around upon a little cycle of hard1 industrial facts4 ,it is worse for the children in that it fails to supply the proper nourishment for the dream period through which their lives are necessarily passing4 ,what can be done1 therefore1 to nourish and build up the best possible thought activities1 especially in case of the rural boys and girls8 ,,how ,,good ,,thinking ,,grows ,,up ,,and ,,flourishes ,it may not be out of place to show here somewhat more definitely how attractive forms of literature gradually work themselves into the lives of the young4 ,in the first place1 the young person cannot invent his own ideas4 ,he does not manufacture his thoughts out of something latent within his organism4 ,the latent situation consists merely of a nervous system prepared to receive manifold impressions and to retain them and give them back through the process of ideation4 ,that is1 the young person thinks only about things that have actually happened in his life4 ,all he knows has come to him through the avenue of his senses2 what he has seen and heard and felt1 and so on1 constitutes the stuff out of which his thoughts are made4 ,so he must have the widest possible experience1 while young1 in the use of his natural senses4 ,the literature best adapted to the child would be that which appeals to the interests predominating in his life at any given time4 ,during his early years not hard1 prosaic facts1 but situations that stretch the truth and sport with the fixed condition of things are especially appealing to him4 ,he should therefore be indulged in the classic myths1 fables1 fairy tales1 and the like4 ,the parent will of course be on guard against his acquiring any seriously erroneous beliefs in respect to such things1 and also against his receiving any serious shock or fright from the tragic aspects of the tale4 ,later on1 during the early teens1 the boys and girls will become more and more interested in the stories of the wars of old and in the fact and romance of history4 ,stories supplementing the text-book history of the home country may now be introduced4 ,as a possible means of bringing the minds of the boys and girls into a more intimate knowledge of the rural situation1 nature studies and nature stories should be offered4 ,it must be remembered that it is quite possible for the boy to grow up within a stone's throw of many of the living things of nature and yet scarcely recognize their presence1 much less know anything definite about them4 ,therefore1 nature-study books and leaflets written perhaps in story form and containing attractive illustrations of the birds1 bees1 flowers1 and trees to be found near about the rural home will prove most interesting and instructive to the young4 ,through such helpful literature the mind will gradually acquire the habit of casting about in the home environment for the description of possible objects and conditions new to one4 ,one of the best and most helpful results accruing to the young person who indulges the habit of reading good literature is this3 he acquires a large vocabulary of words and phrases in which to clothe his secret thought and with which to express himself to others4 ,all this furnishes1 not merely a splendid form of entertainment for the silent reflections1 but it also gives the thinker a sense of the power and the worth of his own personality4 ,,types ,,of ,,literature ,it may be stated as a foregone conclusion that no farm is well equipped for the happiness and well-being of those who dwell thereon unless there be an ample supply of good literature in the house4 ,no matter how well stocked with high-grade farm animals1 how productive in point of farm crops1 how well kept the hedges and lanes may be1 secret poverty and littleness of mind lurk in that home if the literature is wanting4 ,so1 first of all1 let us lay the foundation by means of enumerating some periodicals and books of a more general nature4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,vii4 ,,fig4 #g4--;,it is a mistake to try to make bookworms of children4 ,many of their best books are green fields and running brooks1 also frequent opportunity to play together in groups and neighborhoods4 #a4 ,the best reading4--,of course the ,bible might head the list4 ,whether or not there be a large family ,bible1 there should be at least a text of convenient size and form for everyday use4 ,this book should contain a good concordance4 ,then there should come into the home a first-class weekly newspaper2 possibly the local paper will supply this need4 ,many farm homes now receive a daily paper regularly4 ,in addition there should be available a weekly or monthly summary of the current events of the nation and the world4 ,the ,literary ,digest1 the ,world's ,work1 and the ,review of ,reviews are examples of standard magazines of this particular class4 ,either one of them will stimulate most helpfully the quiet thought of the farmer and the members of his family and keep one in touch with the most important movements of the country4 ,along with the foregoing1 there should be kept constantly at hand a first-class farm magazine4 ,there are numberless periodicals of this sort1 but perhaps among those of the first rank and those which especially give definite helps for the boy-and-girl life of the farm may be mentioned ,wallaces' ,farmer1 ,des ,moines1 ,iowa1 the ,farmer's ,voice1 ,chicago1 ,illinois1 and the ,farmer's ,guide1 ,huntington1 ,indiana4 ,also1 the semi-official state paper well known in many of the commonwealths is usually very helpful4 ,look out for trash4 ,there are many papers published1 ostensibly in the interest of farm life1 which are in fact cheap and trashy sheets made use of almost wholly as a medium of advertising quack medicines1 get-rich-quick schemes1 and other frauds4 ,a reliable means of testing the value of any one of these so-called farm or home papers is to examine the advertisements4 ,if there be any considerable number of advertisements which offer sure cures for chronic diseases1 confidential treatments for secret troubles1 fortune telling1 and attractive high-priced articles at a trifling cost1 then the whole thing is probably fraudulent and not worthy to come into your home4 ,also avoid the paper or magazine which advertises intoxicating liquors4 ,it is very low in moral tone1 to say the least4 #b4 ,books for children4--,in selecting a list of books for farm boys and girls1 we should make little or no distinction between them and the children of the city homes4 ,their earlier literary needs are practically all alike and their youthful minds must be nourished in about the same fashion4 ,in offering the lists to follow we do not pretend to have selected nearly all the profitable books available1 but rather to have named a few examples of volumes already found enticing and helpful to the young mind4 ,the majority of them are standard and well known4 ,while the price and publisher are given in many instances1 often a cheaper edition may be had4 ,in order to proceed with greater certainty and economy in purchasing books for the children1 the rural parent is advised to consult some one near at hand who is thoroughly familiar with children's literature4 ,perhaps the superintendent of schools of the town near by1 or some local minister1 or some well-informed leader of a mothers' club1 may furnish the desired assistance4 ,it would also be helpful to write for the general catalogues of a number of the large publishing and distributing houses and from their lists select a number of suitable titles4 ,many of them publish the older classics in very attractive form for ten to twenty-five cents1 the original unchanged and unabridged4 ,in order to stimulate interest in forming the nucleus of a home library the farmer should either make or purchase a small set of book shelves4 ,important as it may seem to build a first-class house for the thoroughbred hogs1 this matter of the children's reading is even more important and should be attended to first1 before it becomes too late to catch the attentive ear of the boys and girls4 ,a ,,selected ,,list ,the following lists are taken chiefly from those selected by such well-known critics as ,mary ,mapes ,dodge1 ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin1 ,edward ,everett ,hale1 ,thomas ,wentworth ,higginson1 and ,hamilton ,w4 ,mabie4 ,ages ,four to ,six ,years ,,various ,,authors4 ,boston ,collection of ,kindergarten ,stories4 ,j4 ,l4 ,hammett ,company1 ,boston4 #ej cents4 ,,bryant4 ,stories to ,tell to ,children4 ,houghton1 ,mifflin ,company4 ,,holbrook4 ,hiawatha ,primer4 #ej cents4 ,houghton1 ,mifflin ,company4 ,,eggleston4 ,story of ,great ,america for ,little ,americans4 #ce cents4 ,houghton1 ,mifflin ,company4 ,,scudder4 ,fables and ,folk ,stories4 ,,stevenson4 ,a ,child's ,garden of ,verses4 ,,lang4 ,blue ,fairy ,book4 ,,ruskin4 ,king of the ,golden ,river4 ,,field4 ,lullaby ,land4 ,,wiggin4 ,the ,story ,hour4 ,,sewell4 ,black ,beauty4 ,ages ,six to ,seven ,years ,,norton ,,and ,,stephens4 ,the ,heart of ,oak ,books1 ,no4 #a4 #be cents4 ,heath4 ,,gilbert4 ,mother ,goose4 ,,carroll 7,,charles ,l4 ,,dodgson74 ,alice in ,wonderland4 #c4 ,harper4 #ce cents4 ,crowell4 ,,andrews4 ,the ,seven ,little ,sisters4 #fj cents4 ,ginn4 ,,kingsley4 ,water ,babies4 ,,kipling4 ,the ,jungle ,book4 ,,greene4 ,king ,arthur and his ,court4 ,ages ,seven to ,eight ,years ,,grimm4 ,fairy ,tales4 ,translated ,mrs4 ,e4 ,lucas4 #b4ej4 ,lippincott4 ,,goldsmith4 ,goody ,two-,shoes4 #be cents4 ,heath ,,aesop4 ,fables4 ,selected by ,jacobs4 #a4ej4 ,macmillan4 ,,harris4 ,nights with ,uncle ,remus4 #a4ej4 ,houghton1 ,mifflin4 ,,bible ,,stories4 #fj cents4 ,a4 ,l4 ,burt ,company1 ,new ,york4 ,,hawthorne4 ,wonderbook and ,tanglewood ,tales4 ,,irving4 ,rip ,van ,winkle and ,the ,legend of ,sleepy ,hollow1 or ,the ,sketch ,book4 ,ages ,eight to ,nine ,years ,,baldwin4 ,fifty ,famous ,stories ,retold4 #ce cents4 ,american ,book ,company4 ,,longfellow4 ,hiawatha1 ,the ,village ,blacksmith1 ,the ,children's ,hour1 etc4 ,,mabie4 ,norse ,stories ,retold from ,edda4 #a4hj4 ,dodd1 ,mead4 ,,miller4 ,out-of-,door ,diary for ,boys and ,girls4 ,sturgis-,walton ,company4 ,ages ,nine to ,ten ,years ,,norton ,,and ,,stephens4 ,heart of ,oak ,books1 ,no4 #d4 #de cents4 ,heath4 ,,hodges4 ,the ,garden of ,eden4 7,bible ,stories47 #a4ej4 ,houghton1 ,mifflin4 ,,mathews4 ,familiar ,trees and ,their ,leaves4 #a4ge4 ,appleton4 ,,burroughs4 ,wake ,robin4 ,ages ,ten to ,eleven ,years ,,higginson4 ,tales of the ,enchanted ,islands of the ,atlantic4 ,,dana4 ,how to know the ,wild ,flowers4 #b4 ,scribner4 ,,blanchan4 ,bird ,neighbors4 #ce cents4 ,doubleday1 ,page4 ,,norton ,,and ,,stephens4 ,heart of ,oak ,books1 ,no4 #e4 #ej cents4 ,heath4 ,,church4 ,stories from ,virgil4 ,,morley4 ,a ,song of ,life4 ,,stevenson4 ,treasure ,island4 ,ages ,eleven to ,twelve ,years ,,alcott4 ,little ,women4 #a4ej4 ,little ,men4 #a4ej4 ,little1 ,brown ,co4 ,,lucas4 ,a ,wanderer in ,london4 #a4ge4 ,macmillan4 ,,aldrich4 ,story of a ,bad ,boy4 #a4be4 ,houghton1 ,mifflin4 ,,shakespeare4 ,the ,tempest4 ,,scott4 ,tales of a ,grandfather4 ,the ,talisman4 ,,edgeworth4 ,parent's ,assistant4 ,ages ,twelve to ,thirteen ,years ,,kipling4 ,just ,so ,stories4 #a4bj4 ,doubleday1 ,page4 ,,seton-,,thompson4 ,wild ,animals ,i have ,known4 #b4 ,scribner4 ,,wyss4 ,swiss ,family ,robinson4 #fj cents4 ,mc,kay2 also ,dutton4 ,,palmer4 ,the ,odyssey4 #a4 ,houghton1 ,mifflin4 ,,goldsmith4 ,the ,vicar of ,wakefield4 ,,dickens4 ,a ,christmas ,carol4 ,the ,cricket on the ,hearth4 ,,hughes4 ,tom ,brown at ,rugby4 ,ages ,thirteen to ,fourteen ,years ,,swift4 ,gulliver's ,travels4 #a4ej4 ,macmillan4 ,,longfellow4 ,evangeline4 ,,dana4 ,two ,years before the ,mast4 #a4 ,houghton1 ,mifflin4 ,,norton ,,and ,,stephens4 ,heart of ,oak ,books1 ,no4 #f4 #ee cents4 ,heath4 ,,lamb4 ,tales from ,shakespeare4 ,,coffin4 ,old ,times in the ,colonies4 ,,franklin4 ,autobiography4 ,,stowe4 ,uncle ,tom's ,cabin4 ,ages ,fourteen to ,fifteen ,years ,,defoe4 ,robinson ,crusoe4 #a4 ,mc,loughlin4 #a4ej4 ,harper4 ,,bunyan4 ,pilgrim's ,progress4 ,,norton ,,and ,,stephens4 ,heart of ,oak ,books1 ,no4 #g4 #fj cents4 ,heath4 ,,austen4 ,pride and ,prejudice4 ,,thoreau4 ,walden4 ,ages ,fifteen to ,sixteen ,years ,,cooper4 ,leather ,stocking ,tales4 ,,burroughs4 ,birds and ,bees4 #ae cents4 ,strawbridge and ,clothier4 ,,pyle4 ,robin ,hood4 #fj cents4 ,scribner4 ,,scott4 ,ivanhoe4 #fj cents4 ,appleton4 ,lady of the ,lake4 #ce cents4 ,,ginn4 ,lay of the ,last ,minstrel4 #be cents4 ,macmillan4 ,sixteen ,years ,old and ,older ,,irving4 ,the ,alhambra4 #be cents4 ,macmillan4 ,,macaulay4 ,lays of ,ancient ,rome4 #ge cents4 ,macmillan4 ,,kipling4 ,captains ,courageous4 #a4ej4 ,century4 ,,nicolay ,,and ,,hay4 ,boy's ,life of ,lincoln4 #a4ej4 ,century4 ,,eggleston4 ,hoosier ,school ,boy4 #a4 ,scribner2 also ,heath4 ,in addition to the foregoing1 there is beginning to come from the press a mass of juvenile literature that promises to furnish most practical inspiration and guidance to the juvenile mind on the farm4 ,much of this new rural life literature may be had for the asking or for the mere price of publication4 ,the following are recommended3-- ,the ,rural ,school ,leaflet4 ,edited by ,alice ,g4 ,mc,closkey1 and issued under the general direction of ,l4 ,h4 ,bailey at ,ithaca1 ,n4,y4 ,the ,country ,life ,publications1 issued by ,d4 ,w4 ,working1 ,superintendent of ,agricultural ,extension1 ,morgantown1 ,w4,va4 ,the series published by ,a4 ,b4 ,graham1 ,superintendent of the ,extension ,department1 ,ohio ,university1 ,columbus4 ,the annual reports of ,county ,superintendent ,o4 ,j4 ,kern1 ,rockford1 ,ill41 and of ,county ,superintendent ,george ,w4 ,brown1 ,paris1 ,ill4 ,the ,wisconsin ,arbor and ,bird ,day ,annual1 issued by ,state ,superintendent ,c4 ,p4 ,cary1 ,madison1 ,wis4 ,the ,extension ,departments of many of the state universities and nearly all of the state agricultural colleges are now issuing a series of small pamphlets on such matters as stock judging1 grain breeding1 soil testing1 and home economics4 ,this literature should be given the widest possible circulation in the country home1 as it will prove helpful both to the young and to the parents in their direction of the young4 ,literature on ,child-rearing ,parents who are seriously in earnest in the matter of developing the lives of their children will find great assistance and much inspiration through the reading of books and magazines on the child-rearing problems4 ,in fact1 it may be put down as a practical certainty that the work of child training cannot go on effectively and continue in its interest except one have some aids of the kind just named4 ,therefore1 the interested parent should cast about for the books and magazines that promise to serve in the solution of the particular problems at hand4 ,it happens that the author has collected a large number of books and periodicals of this class and that he has made a somewhat critical examination of them4 ,in listing the titles below1 a word or phrase is used to indicate the contents or purpose of the text4 #a4 ,periodicals on ,child-rearing ,the ,american ,baby4 ,american ,publishing ,company1 #a ,madison ,ave41 ,new ,york ,city4 #a per year1 #aj cents per copy4 ,contains much detailed and most helpful instruction on the care of the child4 ,american ,motherhood4 ,coopertown1 ,n4,y4 #a per year1 #aj cents per copy4 ,helpful and sympathetic4 ,especially strong in respect to health and sanitation and in methods of instructing children in regard to the secrets of life4 ,the ,child-,welfare ,magazine4 ,official organ of the ,national ,congress of ,mothers1 #adg ,north #ajth ,street1 ,philadelphia4 #ej cents per year1 #aj cents per copy4 ,the educational pamphlets published by the ,society of ,sanitary and ,moral ,prophylaxis1 #i ,e #b;d ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,excellent monographs1 each treating some urgent child problem in relation to morals1 sanitation1 and the like4 ,the ,home-training ,bulletins1 prepared and issued by ,william ,a4 ,mc,keever1 ,professor of ,philosophy1 ,state ,agricultural ,college1 ,manhattan1 ,kan4 #e cents each4 ,each of these pamphlets contains about sixteen pages and covers a particular home-training problem4 ,the numbers thus far issued are3-- #a4 ,the ,cigarette ,smoking ,boy4 #b4 ,teaching the ,boy to ,save4 #c4 ,training the ,girl to ,help in the ,home4 #d4 ,assisting the ,boy in the ,choice of a ,vocation4 #e4 ,a ,better ,crop of ,boys and ,girls4 #f4 ,training the ,boy to ,work4 #g4 ,teaching the ,girl to ,save4 #h4 ,instructing the ,young in ,regard to ,sex4 ,others are in course of preparation4 #b4 ,books on ,child-rearing ,,holt4 ,care and ,feeding of ,children4 #a ,appleton4 ,most helpful and practical4 ,,curley4 ,short ,talks with ,young ,mothers4 #a4ej4 ,putnams4 ,helpful from the medical side4 ,,harrison4 ,a ,study of ,child ,nature4 #a4 ,chicago ,kindergarten ,college4 ,excellent4 ,a standard help4 ,,allen4 ,civics and ,health4 #a4be4 ,ginn ,co4 ,most helpful on the side of sanitation4 ,,hall4 ,youth4 #a4ej4 ,appleton4 ,a great book on child study by one of the world's leading authorities4 ,,king4 ,psychology of ,child ,development4 #a4 ,university of ,chicago ,press4 ,a ,fundamental work for those who wish to make a scientific study of child life4 ,,ritchie4 ,a ,primer of ,sanitation4 #fj cents4 ,world ,book ,company4 ,a clear1 helpful presentation of the facts4 ,,chance4 ,the ,care of the ,child4 #a4 ,penn ,publishing ,company4 ,full of detailed information about infants1 especially4 ,,mangold4 ,child ,problems4 #a4be4 ,macmillan4 ,presents the matter ably and in the light of the freshest information4 ,,call4 ,the ,freedom of ,life4 #a4 ,little1 ,brown ,co4 ,a great and inspiring book4 ,will give rest and poise to tired mothers4 ,,gulick4 ,mind and ,work4 #a4 ,doubleday1 ,page ,co4 ,a companion book to the one above1 only more suitable for the father4 ,,saleeby4 ,parenthood and ,race ,culture4 #b4ej4 ,moffat1 ,yard ,co41 ,new ,york4 ,a remarkably instructive volume on race improvement4 ,,references ,how to ,direct ,children's ,reading4 ,mae ,e4 ,schreiber4 ,annual volume ,n4,e4,a41 #aijj1 p4 #fcg4 ,a ,suggestive ,list for a ,children's ,library1 #dhc titles4 ,helen ,t4 ,kennedy4 ,democrat ,printing ,company4 ,minneapolis4 ,a ,mother's ,list of ,books for ,children4 ,catherine ,w4 ,arnold4 ,a4 ,c4 ,mc,clurg ,co4 ,children's ,rights4 ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin4 ,pages #fi ff4 ,what shall ,children ,read8 ,houghton1 ,mifflin ,company4 ,fingerposts of ,children's ,reading4 ,walter ,taylor ,field4 ,mc,clurg ,co4 ,gives extensive lists4 ,books for ,boys and ,girls4 ,brooklyn ,public ,library1 ,new ,york4 ,a carefully selected list of #agjj titles1 #bjj of them being especially marked for their value4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,the ,,rural ,,church ,,and ,,the ,,young ,,people ,there was never a greater demand for efficient leadership in the rural communities than there is to-day4 ,the country has continued for many years past to become richer in farm products and equipment1 but it has steadily grown poorer in social and spiritual values4 ,in fact we have unconsciously acquired a distorted idea of values4 ,hogs are too high in proportion to boys4 ,beef cattle are absorbing too much interest in proportion to the time and money expended in perfecting the character of girls4 ,it has long been the proud boast of the ,middle ,western states that they could feed the entire country4 ,and we have continued so long in this way as now to regard big crops and the great abundance of farm animals and other such material possessions as ends in themselves4 ,so it is high time that we ask ourselves what this material wealth is all for4 ,looked at from at least one high vantage point1 it may be properly regarded as so much encumbrance unless we shall be able to convert it into a means to some worthy and spiritual purpose4 ,,decadence ,,of ,,rural ,,life ,the open country in the ,middle ,western states has for some time been the breeding place for sterling manhood and ideal womanhood1 and the recruiting ground wherefrom have been drawn many men and women to undertake the management of the larger enterprises of the country4 ,the enforced self denial and discipline of work2 the continued practice of quiet reflection2 the comparative freedom from the evil and degrading influences peculiar to much of the child life in the cities2 and many other character-building experiences could be set down on the favorable side of rural child-rearing in the past4 ,but this situation is rapidly changing4 ,the ten-year period just closing has witnessed a decadence of country life1 the rural population actually showing a decrease4 ,large numbers of the best families have moved to the cities and towns1 and their places on the farm have been taken by irresponsible laborers and transient renters4 ,yes1 the wealth of the rural community is still there1 lying more or less dormant1 and all the other means of a splendid civilization are there4 ,but in the usual instance there is no one to assume the leadership in bringing about the reconstruction of the rural life4 ,now that he has accumulated such an abundance of material things1 the typical farmer needs to be shown how to deal more fairly and helpfully with the various members of his family4 ,some farmers' wives are gradually being dragged to death with the over-burden of work1 which might be obviated if the farmer and his wife were both shown specifically a better way of getting things done4 ,many boys and girls growing up in the country are being cheated out of their natural heritage of good health1 spontaneous play1 and the joy of social intercourse1 all because of the fact that farm products are too much regarded as an end rather than a means to the higher development of the members of the rural family4 ,so a good soil and excellent crops are essentials for a substantial rural society1 but they are not a certain evidence of such thing4 ,it is possible to go into some of the country communities where these material things are accumulated in great abundance and yet find the people there living a little1 mean1 and narrow form of life1 and that chiefly because they do not quite understand how to use the splendid means at hand in the accomplishment of some high and worthy purposes4 ,,work ,,for ,,the ,,ministry ,and so we hereby issue a call and a challenge for workers to enter the great fallow field just named and make it blossom with new social and spiritual life4 ,and it is the conviction of some that the ministers of the town and village churches can undertake this work much better than any other class of persons1 for they are already in many respects trained leaders4 ,let these ministers be provided if possible with an assistant1 a layman it may be1 for both their town and country work4 ,then let each of them have a rural appointment to which they may go from one to four times each month2 and1 inspired by a vision of all the possibilities ahead of them and endued with divine power and guidance1 enter earnestly into the great work of rehabilitating the country community4 ,it is evident that the minister who will leave his town congregation with perhaps only one ,sunday sermon and go to a country church and preach to the adults1 and teach and lead the young1 while his assistant takes charge of the second ,sunday service at home--it is evident that such a minister will not only wear longer in the locality in which he is stationed1 but that he will find in the rural work just mentioned such a flood of zeal and inspiration as will more than make up for and repay the effort4 ,many of the town ministers are preaching to audiences that are more or less irresponsive to what they have to say4 ,under present conditions they are compelled to preach to the same audiences too much4 ,their sermons grow stale4 ,but under the arrangement here recommended1 such conditions would not obtain4 ,they would come back from the rural appointment so laden with new ideas and ideals as to appear to the home congregation in a most advantageous light4 ,,the ,,country ,,minister ,there is at present not a little promise that there may be developed throughout the country a new type of country-dwelling ministers4 ,it is certainly a logical position for the effective religious worker to assume2 namely1 that of actually dwelling among those whom he is attempting to serve4 ,he acquires an intimate knowledge of their problems1 their point of view1 including the status of their individual beliefs and prejudices4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,viii4 ,,fig4 #h4--,the fifty-year-old country church at ,plainfield4 ,,fig4 #i4--,the new country church at ,plainfield1 ,illinois1 erected through the inspiration and leadership of ,reverend ,matthew ,b4 ,mc,nutt4 ,as an example of what the country minister can achieve one needs to read an account of the splendid work of the ,rev4 ,mathew ,b4 ,mc,nutt of ,plainfield1 ,illinois4 ,mr4 ,mc,nutt was called to this charge in #aijj when a fresh graduate from a ,presbyterian seminary4 ,at the time of his call there was in the locality a small dead or nominal church membership and an occasional weak1 ineffective service held in the little old church of fifty years' standing4 ,this devoted and far-seeing man got down among the people with whom he settled1 made a careful survey of the economic1 the social1 and the religious life of the place1 and began his wonderful work of reconstructing all this4 ,the ultimate purpose was the improvement of the spiritual well-being4 ,he organized singing schools1 granges1 literary and debating societies1 sewing societies1 and clubs of various other sorts1 all as a means of awakening the life of the community and bringing the people together in a spirit of mutual sympathy and helpfulness4 ,after less than a decade of hard work a marvelous transformation of the rural life thereabout was achieved4 ,among other notable changes was a new church to supplant the old one4 ,the new building was erected at a cash cost of ten thousand dollars2 has an audience room seating five hundred or more1 several ,sunday school class rooms1 a choir room1 a cloak room1 a pastor's study and a mothers' room1 all on the main floor4 ,in the basement below there is a good kitchen1 a dining room with equipment1 also a furnace1 a store room1 and the like4 ,the church membership has grown to one hundred sixty-three with many non-members attending1 while the ,sunday school enrollment increased to three hundred4 ,now there are always a few minds who wish to measure all earthly things in terms of a money value4 ,to such it may be shown that the land values in the vicinity of this new country church have gone up to a marked degree and that the economic conditions are all of a most satisfactory nature4 ,as further evidence of what a rural community working together may achieve for the spiritual welfare1 there may be cited the instance of the little side station by the name of ,ogden in ,riley ,county1 ,kansas4 ,here the people got together and voted to build a country church1 and that without determining as to the denominational affiliation4 ,a committee of leaders was appointed to raise funds and to draw plans for the building4 ,in a short time1 arrangements were perfected for constructing the building at a cost of four thousand dollars4 ,it was later voted to place this new church temporarily under the direction of the ,congregational church in ,manhattan1 fifteen miles away4 ,in one or two instances the religious leaders in a country community have succeeded admirably in establishing a commission form of church administration4 ,the method pursued has been that of having a committee of three1 each a member of a different church1 to call by turn from the towns near by the ministers of the various denominations4 ,further details of the plans provide for the committee to raise funds so that the minister may be paid a definite amount for the service conducted4 ,one of the first essential steps in the establishment of a rural church is a careful survey or study of the situation4 ,while it may be accounted a sin against ,god and humanity to add another church where there are already more than the people can support1 often it will be found that very large1 well populated country districts are wholly without access to any religious service whatever4 ,verily1 the field is white unto the harvest and the laborers as yet are few4 ,a ,,mistake ,,in ,,training ,too long we have been training young people in the school and in the home to struggle for the best of everything--a sort of rivalry that results in envy1 jealousy1 and strife1 and a falling apart where there should be cooperation and sympathy and a spirit of mutual helpfulness4 ,the craze for clothes1 the glare of the electric lights1 and the lure of the cheap theater have struck the country people and are drawing away much of the best young blood there4 ,it seems that we have over-done this thing of pointing to the top and urging our young people to scramble for that1 until as a result no one is looking for a place to serve1 while all are looking for a place to shine4 ,now1 there may be plenty of room at the top for selfish scrambling1 but in some respects the top is woefully over-crowded4 ,on the other hand1 there is a vast amount of good room at the bottom1 acres of it1 and we might well commend it to every one who may be imbued with the idea of doing some effective work in the world4 ,all over the broad1 open country1 in thousands of rural districts1 the situation at the bottom is literally crying out for constructive workers who will come in there with their good courage1 their scientific training1 and in the name of the ,most ,high get down among the people and the common things in the midst of which the people live and lay a substantial foundation for a new and beautiful structure--an edifice erected out of the plain materials to be found in any ordinary rural community1 and that by means of transforming such things and making them contributive to the high and lofty spirit-purposes for which they are really designed4 ,,rural ,,child-,,rearing ,we are not half awake as yet to the meaning and possibilities of the rural community as a place for rearing children4 ,the city environment ripens youths too fast and too early and works all the spontaneity and aggressiveness out of the boys and girls before their mature judgments are ready to function4 ,as a result of this city hot-bed1 we have as a type the blase sort of young man1 and a young woman who is overly smart in respect to the proper things to do4 ,either of them has little power of initiative and less power of persistence4 ,one of the greatest virtues of the somewhat isolated rural home is that it matures human character more slowly and keeps the boys and girls fresh and green and spontaneous while there is being gradually worked into their characters the habit of industry and the power of doing constructive work4 ,if one should desire to obtain a sterling specimen of manhood1 he would not take up with the smart city youth who at the age of sixteen has had all the experiences known to men4 ,the latter is too ripe4 ,he knows it all4 ,from his own point of view1 his knowledge of the world is nearly completed4 ,no1 one would prefer to go to the most remote country district and1 if need be1 lasso some green1 gawky1 sixteen-year-old who is afraid of the cars and the big girls and who has never had a suit of clothes that fits him4 ,this scared1 unbroken youth would go through a tremendous amount of rough-and-tumble1 trial-and-error experiences during the course of his college training2 and he would live intensively and rush into many unknown places and commit many blunders1 between whiles catching countless inspiring visions of how he might be or become a man of great strength and ruggedness of character4 ,such a man might be relied upon to shoulder the heavy burdens of the world4 ,such a man could be called out to join in the forefront of battle when the moral and religious rights of the people were at issue4 ,such a man when fully matured could be sent into some kind of missionary field and be expected to labor there for a long time alone1 courageous and persistent1 finally winning a very small following2 then a larger number of adherents2 and then the entire population at his heels1 applauding and backing him up in his every worthy effort4 ,the author has long had a vision of a man trained and developed through the seasoning experiences just sketched and who1 under the inspiration and the guidance of the ,most ,high1 will go into these rural communities which are latent with material life1 and there begin his labors in behalf of the higher things into which all the elements of this typical rural situation may be transformed4 ,just as fast as men hear this divine call and heed it and take up this work1 so fast will our country life be reconstructed and the best that is in our society become gloriously transformed and everlastingly saved as a heritage of the oncoming generations4 ,and it is evident that the rural minister1 working through the rural church1 is the person to whom this divine call may most naturally come4 ,,the ,,churches ,,too ,,narrow ,not a few of the country churches are too narrow in their limitations1 tending to chill out those who do not happen to be adherents of the creed1 and to foster dissensions and hatred among neighbors4 ,and they are not touching in a vital way the lives of country boys and girls4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,ix4 ,,fig4 #aj4--,this attractive and modern church building was erected by the ,christian people living in the vicinity of the country village of ,ogden1 ,kansas4 ,four different denominations participated at its dedication4 ,its ruling body is undenominational4 ,it will be agreed that the gospel of the ,master of men may be made so broad and inviting as to attract all who have a spark of religion in their natures1 and that means practically every one in the community4 ,but there is no good reason why the rural church should stand alone as such4 ,it should and can be made a social as well as a religious center for the whole community4 ,so1 let there be constructed a modern building with big windows1 and several apartments for ,sunday school classes1 and for meetings of social groups1 such as the grange1 the farmers' institute1 the sewing society1 and the literary and debating clubs4 ,then there should be apparatus for the preparation of meals1 with a room in which a long table might be spread as occasion demands4 ,outside of this building there should be a children's playground with some simple apparatus for play4 ,not less frequently than one afternoon of the month--and twice would be better--the people of the community should drop everything and come together for a good social time and a general exchange of ideas4 ,on an occasion of this kind the town minister could be present or someone from the outside who would bring with him at least one helpful and practical idea about building up country life4 ,let this building be regarded as the property of every man1 woman1 and child in the community and strive to bring it to pass that the legitimate and worthy interest of all shall be actually served there4 ,,constructive ,,work ,,of ,,the ,,church ,this country church here thought of need be no less a religious affair1 but it must become distinctively a socializing agency4 ,it must not merely save souls1 but it must save and conserve and develop for this present life the bodily1 the moral1 and the intellectual powers of the young4 ,one cannot adequately develop those splendid latent powers in young people solely by means of teaching them the ,sunday school lesson or preaching to them1 no matter how true the gospel may be4 ,the evidence is ample to show that boys and girls who attend church and ,sunday school are nevertheless falling into many vicious habits of conduct1 and are growing up without many of the forms of discipline and training essential for stable ,christian character and social and moral efficiency4 ,in fact as a means of temporal salvation the old-fashioned church and ,sunday school are proving more and more a failure4 ,now1 as soon as the church realizes the meaning of the foregoing situation and acts accordingly1 just so soon will this splendid old institution be enabled to do efficient work in vitalizing the practical affairs of the community in which it is located4 ,to illustrate this point3 ,the great curse of boyhood to-day is the tobacco habit1 and this vitiating practice is slowly working its way among the country youth4 ,the youth who acquires the smoking habit before becoming physically matured thereby depletes his physical health to a marked degree1 reduces his mental efficiency ten to fifty per cent1 and almost completely destroys his power of initiative4 ,such a youth is never found contending for any moral issue or any high and worthy cause of the people4 ,his constructive instinct is made more quiescent1 while his disposition to condone evil is greatly and permanently increased4 ,boys who attend church and ,sunday school are also1 like others1 falling victims to the sex evils of various forms4 ,,an ,,innovation ,,in ,,the ,,rural ,,church ,perhaps there is no better illustration of how the economic affairs of the neighborhood may be vitally linked with the church service than the work carried on under the direction of ,superintendent ,george ,w4 ,brown1 of ,paris1 ,illinois4 ,during one year ,mr4 ,brown conducted on seven different occasions an over-,sunday program1 somewhat as follows3-- ,on ,saturday either at the country school house or in the basement of the country church there was arranged an exhibition of corn1 while during the day class exercises in the study of corn were in progress4 ,on the day following1 ,sunday1 there were two sermons1 the theme of each being closely allied to the economic problems studied the day previously4 ,the ministers are reported to have cooperated enthusiastically in this work1 each one attempting in his sermon to show how better economic life may be made contributive to a better religious life4 ,on the ,monday following1 the program was continued with a farmers' institute representative of the several interests of the adults and the young people4 ,at this ,monday meeting a number of the faculty of the state university were in attendance and gave helpful addresses appropriate to the occasion4 ,at night the ,county ,superintendent gave an illustrated lecture1 using the stereopticon to show the audience just what was being done in the various parts of the county and country by way of improvement of the social and economic conditions4 ,in many places in the ,new ,england and other eastern states the rural communities are attacking the social-religious problems in practically the same manner as is being done at ,plainfield1 ,illinois4 ,at ,danbury1 ,new ,hampshire1 there is a ,country ,settlement ,association1 which is accomplishing some epoch-making things4 ,at the official building there is provided a trained nurse to assist the entire community4 ,the organization conducts social-betterment work for the local neighborhood and leads in a campaign for social reform throughout the state4 ,likewise1 at ,lincoln1 ,vermont1 there is an interesting example of cooperation between the religious and social interests4 ,three churches have formed a federated society4 ,in a building maintained in common by them1 the meetings of the ,ladies' ,aid ,society1 the ,good ,templars1 the ,grange1 the ,grand ,army ,post1 and many others of a social nature are held4 ,such cooperative work is certain to have a helpful and far-reaching effect on any community4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,x4 ,,fig4 #aa4--;,an illustration of ,corn ,sunday1 as instituted by ,superintendent ,jessie ,field1 ,clarinda1 ,iowa1 in the rural churches thereabout4 ,,spiritualize ,,child ,,life ,above all things else1 let the country church be reorganized with reference to the interests of the young4 ,let the minister and the other leaders take a firm stand for a square deal for the farm boys and girls in respect to work and play and sociability4 ,let them place before country parents clear1 concrete models and methods as to how to accord fair treatment to the children in every particular thing4 ,let them organize the young people of the community into groups for play and sociability and direct them in both of these matters4 ,it is high time we were considering all of our legitimate interests as a part of our religion4 ,indeed1 there is no good reason why the young people could not meet together at the rural church and on the same evening have an oyster supper and a prayer meeting4 ,they could very consistently discuss and participate in both a temporal and a spiritual affair on the same occasion and in such a way that each part of the program would be vitalized by the others4 ,and likewise the smaller children4 ,it should not be considered at all irreverent for one to go directly with them to the playground after the ,sunday school lesson is ended and there lead and direct them in their health-giving enjoyments4 ,try this in your rural-church society centers and see if the boys and girls do not run with great enthusiasm to the whole affair4 ,one great error committed by many of us in the past is that of regarding work and things as arbitrarily high or low4 ,but the author does not see why plowing corn may not be made just as sacred and just as divine a calling as preaching the gospel1 provided the former be regarded in the light of service of some high spiritual purpose2 as indeed it may be4 ,so1 here is a distinctive part of the function of the rural church2 namely1 to spiritualize work as well as workers--to urge upon the attention of the rural inhabitants the thought that their work must all be regarded as a means to the transformation of the community life and of each individual life into a thing of transcendent worth and beauty4 ,a ,,summary ,now1 here is the proposed plan in a nutshell4 ,the country community is the best place in the world for bringing up a sturdy race of men and women and the country church is or can be made one of the greatest agencies in the achievement of this work4 ,but such achievement can best be brought about only when the country church goes to work to save the whole boy and the whole girl4 ,and that means that the church must understand better how human life grows up--that it must meet these growing boys and girls on their own level of everyday interest and socialize and spiritualize these interests through close contact with them4 ,then1 make the rural church a social center for the young1 including exercises in work and play and recreation1 as well as a place for religious instruction4 ,the child is a creature of activity and not of passivity4 ,you cannot preach him into the kingdom in a lifetime2 but you can get down with him and work with him and play with him and guide and direct him through his self-chosen1 everyday interests1 to the end that he may afterwards enter the ranks of the ,lord's anointed4 ,again1 it is urged1 make your country church a center for the entire life of the community4 ,not only have the adults bring their practical affairs to this center for consideration1 but have the boys and girls come with their implements of work and play1 with their specimens of farm and home produce and handiwork1 with their miniature menageries and workshops--all this with joy and reverence before and after the religious services4 ,,references ,efficient ,democracy4 ,w4 ,h4 ,allen4 ,chapter ,x4 ,efficiency in ,religious ,work4 ,dodd1 ,mead ,co4 ,rural ,christendom4 ,charles ,roads4 ,prize ,essay4 ,american ,sunday-,school ,union1 ,philadelphia4 ,report of the ,commission on ,country ,life1 pp4 #acg-add1 ,sturgis-,walton ,co4 ,the ,country ,church and the ,library4 ,john ,cotton ,dana4 ,outlook1 ,may #f1 #aiaa4 ,the ,country ,church and the ,rural ,problem4 ,kenyon ,l4 ,butterfield4 ,university of ,chicago ,press4 ,a strong presentation of the entire situation4 ,the ,rural ,church and ,community ,development4 ,president ,kenyon ,l4 ,butterfield4 ,the ,association ,press1 ,new ,york4 ,a collection of practical papers and discussions on several important topics4 ,the ,day of the ,country ,church4 ,j4 ,o4 ,ashenhurst4 ,funk ,wagnalls ,co41 ,new ,york4 ,read especially the excellent chapter on ,leadership4 ,the ,church and the ,rural ,community4 ,symposium4 ,american ,journal of ,sociology4 ,march1 #aiaa4 ,philanthropy1 ,a ,trained ,profession4 ,lewis4 ,forum1 ,march1 #aiaj4 ,rural ,manhood4 ,the ,association ,press1 ,new ,york ,monthly4 ,this magazine publishes many excellent articles on the ,rural ,church4 ,the ,inefficient ,minister4 ,literary ,digest1 ,april #aj1 #aiji4 ,a report of the criticisms of ,dr4 ,henry ,s4 ,pritchett1 of the ,carnegie ,foundation1 and ,dr4 ,henry ,aked1 of ,san ,francisco4 ,world's ,work1 ,december1 #aiaj4 ,an interesting account of ,reverend ,matthew ,mc,nutt's work in building up a country church4 ,the ,country ,church4 ,george ,f4 ,wells1 in ,cyclopedia of ,american ,agriculture1 by ,l4 ,h4 ,bailey1 volume ,,iv1 page #big4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,the ,,transformation ,,of ,,the ,,rural ,,school ,the country districts are slowly waking up to an appreciation of the fact that within their bounds lie1 not only all the elements fundamental to the material wealth of the world1 but that they also contain in a more or less dormant form all the essential factors of intellectual and spiritual wealth4 ,the rural school is theoretically the best place on earth for the education of the child1 not only because of its close proximity to the sources of material wealth1 but because of the openness and comparative freedom of its surroundings4 ,then1 the country school is especially effective as a place of instruction on account of its happy relation to work and industry4 ,too often the boys and girls of the town school go unwillingly to their class rooms with the feeling that the lessons are heavily imposed tasks4 ,but in the typical country school the pupils are young persons who have already experienced much of the strain of work and who go somewhat eagerly to the schoolroom1 because it is in a sense recreative to them1 and because of their being in a position to see more clearly what substantial training is to mean to them in the future4 ,that is to say1 a distinctive difference between the typical country child and the typical city child is this3 the former believes that he is pursuing the course of instruction in a more voluntary spirit and for the sake of his own personal interests and up-building1 while the latter is inclined to feel that he is performing the school tasks for the sake of some one else and because of the strict requirements of outside force or law4 ,,radical ,,changes ,,in ,,the ,,view-,,point ,,and ,,method ,but if the theoretic worth of the rural school is to be made at all actual1 some very radical changes in view-point and method must come to pass4 ,first of all1 we must keep asking the question1 ,what is education for8 ,and perhaps we must accept the answer that in its best form education serves the higher needs and requirements of the life we are trying to live to-day4 ,in case of rural teachers and parents it has been too common a practice to urge the child on in his lesson-getting with the statement1 or at least the suggestion1 that lessons well mastered in time furnish a guarantee of a life of comparative ease and freedom from heavy toil4 ,the sermonette preached to the boy in this situation is too often substantially as follows3 ,go on1 my boy1 master your lessons1 pass up through the grades1 and be graduated4 ,behold ,so and ,so1 a great captain of wealth1 and such and such a one1 a great statesman4 ,now1 these persons are in a position to take life easy4 ,they have wealth to spend for the employment of labor and need to do little of such thing themselves4 ,in other words1 the view-point of the school has been radically wrong4 ,we have been advancing the idea that education enables one to get out of work1 whereas we should have been urging that education of the right sort enables one to get into work4 ,that is1 it means enlarged capacity for work and service and proportionately enlarged joy and contentment in the performance of worthy work of any nature whatsoever4 ,let rural parents once inculcate the last-named point of view upon their growing boys and girls and the attitude of the latter toward the school and its tasks will be likewise radically changed4 ,,all ,,have ,a ,,right ,,to ,,culture ,and then1 a second question we need to ask ourselves is1 ,whom is education for8 or1 ,what classes should have the benefits of it8 ,a close comparison of the school ideals of twenty-five years ago with the most progressive ones of to-day reveals a surprising situation4 ,without seemingly realizing the fact1 we continued for generations in this country to tax ourselves heavily for the purpose of supporting schools almost exclusively in behalf of the so-called professional classes4 ,we said1 especially to the growing boy3 ,now1 if you wish to become a lawyer1 a physician1 a minister1 or a teacher1 here is your opportunity4 ,pursue this well-arranged course1 finish it up1 and that all at our expense4 ,but if you wish to become a farmer1 a merchant1 a craftsman of any sort1 then this institution is not at your service4 ,we will teach you to read and write and cipher1 after which you may look out for yourself4 ,thus we were taxing the masses for the exclusive education of a few classes4 ,to-day the best ideal is a radically different one1 as it attempts to serve all worthy classes and vocations through the school administration4 ,it assumes that artisans as well as artists and the professional classes have the same inherent right to both the practical aid and the direct culture which an educational course may furnish4 ,as a practical result of this new ideal1 now rapidly advancing throughout the country1 we are about to have an age of cultured farmers1 high-minded stock raisers1 refined architects and builders1 and so on4 ,that is1 our newest and best educational courses are beginning to provide the means and opportunities for the education of all worthy classes4 ,so it behooves all interested rural parents to turn their best efforts toward the transformation and the betterment of the country school4 ,certain specific achievements in relation thereto are now being planned for and in many instances accomplished4 ,let every one concerned take notice of this situation and join with all possible earnestness in the forward movement4 ,in his instructive monograph entitled ,changing ,conceptions of ,education1 ,professor ,e4 ,p4 ,cubberley states the new ideal as follows3-- ,the school is essentially a time- and labor-saving device1 created--with us--by democracy to serve democracy's needs4 ,to convey to the next generation the knowledge and the accumulated experience of the past is not its only function4 ,it must equally prepare the future citizen for the to-morrow of our complex life4 ,the school must grasp the significance of its social connections and relations1 and must come to realize that its real worth and its hope of adequate reward lie in its social efficiency4 ,there are many reasons for believing that this change is taking place rapidly at present1 and that an educational sociology1 needed as much by teachers to-day as an educational psychology1 is now in the process of being formulated for our use4 ,,work ,,for ,a ,,longer ,,term ,one of the first steps toward a more helpful schooling for the country youth is that of lengthening the yearly school term4 ,in many thousands of instances1 the country school is conducted for only three to five months during the year1 and even this short term is indifferently attended4 ,but the actual length of the year should be seven months or more4 ,many of the country districts can easily provide for eight months4 ,the farmer should not concern himself about a small additional tax1 but should have in mind rather the larger additional gain to the well-being of the young in the community4 ,if the local tax be not sufficient for supporting a longer term and a better school1 then seek to have laws authorizing the distribution of state aid to the weaker districts4 ,this law has been actually passed in a number of the commonwealths4 ,the act in the usual case provides a general school fund out of which the deficit for the smaller rural districts may be made up4 ,,compulsory ,,attendance ,,laws ,,needed ,the far-seeing country dweller will be glad to join in a movement in behalf of compulsory attendance at the public schools4 ,already a number of states have enacted fairly good laws on this subject1 but some of them allow loopholes providing for the too easy avoidance of their requirements4 ,perhaps the best and most effective type of law of this class is that which requires the child under fourteen years of age to attend the entire term of the public schools1 allowing for his absence only in case of sickness or in cases where it is shown upon investigation and beyond question that he is the main support and breadwinner of a family4 ,in connection with the legal requirements for compulsory attendance1 there must1 of course1 be provision for the truant4 ,truant officers1 who may be required to serve only part time and who may receive pay for actual services1 are set over specified districts and required to bring in all truant school children4 ,although this compulsory attendance law has been in force only a few years1 reports show an almost unanimous belief in its effectiveness4 ,the reader will understand the justification of such a law to be this2 namely1 the inherent right of the child to be educated whether he may appreciate such right or advantage or not1 and the implied right of the community to have his best service as a well-educated member of society4 ,the effects upon crime and criminality of the neglect of the education of the young have been so thoroughly discussed of late as to require no restatement here4 ,,better ,,schoolhouses ,,and ,,equipment ,a survey of the entire country from one side to another reveals a deplorable state of affairs in respect to the conditions of the typical rural schoolhouse4 ,in thousands of cases1 there is nothing more than a dingy1 little1 old one-room building1 scarcely suitable as a place wherein to shelter chickens or pigs1 and with nothing in the surroundings to suggest or even hint at a place where young minds are taught how to aim at the high things of life4 ,now1 these crude structures were once a necessity4 ,in pioneer days the little1 old box schoolhouse1 or even the sod structure1 served a mighty purpose in the transformation of the plains and the wilderness4 ,but times are now radically changed4 ,the wealth of the country is abundant4 ,improvements of nearly every other sort have gone on as the times advanced4 ,but too often the little1 old cheap schoolhouse on the bleak country slope became a fixed habit4 ,in setting forth plans for a newer and better country school building1 the author cannot improve upon those prepared by ,e4 ,t4 ,fairchild1 ,state ,superintendent of ,public ,instruction in ,kansas1 and published in his ,seventeenth ,biennial ,report4 ,we therefore quote as follows3-- #a4 ,location4--,in selecting a site for a school building1 the questions of drainage1 convenience1 beauty of surroundings1 and accessibility should have prime consideration4 ,select1 if possible1 some plat of ground slightly elevated1 and of which the surface may be properly drained and kept free from mud4 ,it should be especially seen to that water may not stand under the building4 ,if the elevation is not sufficient1 this trouble should be overcome by proper filling in beneath the building4 ,the location should be as nearly as possible central with reference to the pupils of the district4 ,but other things should also be considered4 ,it is better that some pupils should be put to a slight disadvantage than that attractiveness of surroundings1 remoteness from environment likely to interfere with the work of the school1 or other essentials1 should be sacrificed4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xi4 ,,fig4 #ab4--;,a cozy little country schoolhouse in the tall1 picturesque woods of ,california4 ,,fig #ac4--,this model country school building1 planned by ,state ,superintendent ,e4 ,t4 ,fairchild1 of ,kansas1 is being copied in many places4 #b4 ,the water supply4--,the purity of the water supply for the school is no less important from the standpoint of health than that of the air supply4 ,the greatest danger lies in the use of water taken from wells that are used only a portion of the year4 ,such water is certain to become stagnant4 ,in the autumn before the term commences special care should be taken to pump all water out of the well and to clean the same if necessary2 thereby much sickness may be avoided4 ,the well1 of course1 should be so located as to avoid any contamination owing to vaults or drains4 #c4 ,size and adaptation of grounds4--,the school grounds should contain at least three acres1 and five acres would not be too much4 ,while the cities are cramped for playgrounds and purchase them only at a high cost1 the latter can be secured in the country in sufficient size and at a relatively small expense4 ,let it be kept constantly in mind that the school grounds should be adapted for play1 that they should afford a protection from winds1 and that they should also be attractive4 ,they should likewise be adapted for school gardening and experiments in agriculture4 ,for the purpose of play1 the breadth should exceed the depth where there are separate grounds for boys and girls4 ,where the playground is large1 the building should be centrally located with relation to the size of the grounds and should be situated well toward the front4 ,this will provide two fair-sized and well-proportioned playgrounds4 ,where the grounds are small and contain but one acre1 symmetry must yield to utility and the building should be located well to the front and to one side1 so as to leave one well-arranged playground4 #d4 ,improvement of school grounds4--,in writing of the value of well-arranged school grounds1 ,professor ,albert ,dickens of the ,kansas ,state ,agricultural ,college says3-- ,this sermon on school ground improvement is one that ,i have tried to preach for some time4 ,in my judgment1 it is the most important and the most difficult of any of the problems in civic improvement4 ,the average country cemetery is sorrowfully neglected1 as a rule1 but its treatment is careful and generous compared with the school grounds of the average country district4 ,some day we shall realize that all these factors of environment are formative influences1 and shall not wonder that the character formed in surroundings devoid of beauty has hard1 coarse1 and cruel lines in its make-up4 ,it is an easy matter to picture an ideal country school--its clean-swept walk to the road1 its ample playground1 its windbreak of evergreens1 its groups of hard- and soft-wood species1 borders of shrubs and beds of bulbs for early spring and perennials for summer and fall4 ,but to get it--to find some way to overcome the serious obstacles--is worthy the attention of statesmen and club women4 ,nearly every district has made an attempt4 ,that is one of the hard things to forget--one of the reasons so many districts fear to try again4 ,they had a spasm of civic righteousness--an ,arbor ,day revival--and every patron dug a hole in the hard1 dry ground2 every child brought a tree1 some of which were carried for miles with the roots exposed to sun and wind--and then they were planted and1 in some cases1 watered for the summer2 and the days grew warm and the weeds grew high2 and by the next fall the two or three trees yet alive were not noticed when the director went over with his mower the ,friday before school opened2 and so ended that attempt at a schoolyard beautiful4 ,it ought to be possible to convince the patrons of every district that a single acre of land is not sufficient ground upon which to grow big1 bright1 broad-minded boys and girls2 that two1 or three1 or four acres of land1 well planned as to baseball diamond1 basketball court and a good free run for dare-base and pull-away--that such would give the state and the world better results than if the land were devoted to corn and alfalfa4 ,this1 ,i believe1 is the first problem of great magnitude--to get the ground--and it must be considered4 ,children must play4 ,the noon hour1 when they eat for five minutes and play fifty-five minutes1 is all-important in a child's life4 ,in order to carry out the suggestions given by ,professor ,dickens1 why not organize a general rally1 perhaps on the occasion of ,arbor ,day1 and all hands join in preparing and planting the school grounds to suitable shade trees1 shrubs1 and the like8 ,the playgrounds could also be laid out and equipped on this occasion4 ,then1 after this excellent start has been made1 have the school board appoint some reliable man as caretaker of the grounds with payment of reasonable wages for what he does4 ,thus the good beginning will not be lost4 ,a ,,model ,,rural ,,school ,the ,state ,normal ,school at ,kirksville1 ,missouri1 has built and equipped a model rural school for use in practical demonstration work4 ,president ,john ,r4 ,kirk gives a detailed description of this building in ,successful ,farming 7,april1 #aiaa7 as follows3-- ,this schoolhouse has three principal floors4 ,the basement and main floor are the same size1 #bh x #cf feet1 outside measurement4 ,the basement measures #h feet from floor to ceiling4 ,its floor is of concrete1 underlaid with porous tile and cinders4 ,the basement walls are of rock and concrete1 protected by drain tile on outside4 ,the basement has eight compartments4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xii4 ,,fig4 #ad4--,the model rural school building1 as constructed for practice and demonstration work at the ,kirkville 7,missouri7 ,normal ,school4 #a4 ,furnace room1 containing furnace inclosed by galvanized iron1 also double cold air duct with electric fan1 also gas water heater4 #b4 ,coal bin1 #f x #h feet4 #c4 ,bulb or plant room1 #c x #h feet1 for fall1 winter1 and spring storage4 #d4 ,darkroom1 #d x #h feet1 for children's experiments in photography4 #e4 ,laundry room1 #e x #ba feet1 with tubs1 drain1 and drying apparatus4 #f4 ,gymnasium or play room1 #ac x #bc feet4 #g4 ,tank room containing a #djj-;gallon pneumatic pressure tank1 storage battery for electricity1 hand pump for emergencies1 water gauge1 sewer pipes1 floor drain1 etc4 #h4 ,engine room1 containing gasoline engine1 water pump1 electrical generator1 switchboard1 water tank for cooling gasoline engine1 weight for gas pressure1 gas mixer1 batteries1 pipes1 wires1 etc4 ,the pumps lift water from a well into pressure tank through pipes below the frost line4 ,gasoline is admitted through pipes below the frost line from two #ej-;gallon tanks underground1 #cj feet from building4 ,all rooms are wired for electricity and plumbed for gas4 ,the basement is thoroughly ventilated4 ,the main floor contains a school room #bb x #bg feet in the clear1 lighted wholly from the north side4 ,a ground glass in the rear admits sunlight for sanitation4 ,schoolroom has adjustable seats and desks1 telephone1 and teachers' desk4 ,stereopticon is hung in wall at rear4 ,alcove or closet on east side for books1 teachers' wraps1 etc4 ,schoolroom has a small organ1 ample book cases1 shelves1 and apparatus4 ,pure air enters from above children's heads and passes out at floor into ventilating stack through fireplace4 ,main floor has two toilet rooms1 each of these having lavatories1 wash bowl with hot and cold water1 pressure tank for hot water and for heat1 shower bath with hot and cold water1 ventilating apparatus1 looking glass1 towel rack1 soap box1 etc4 ,each toilet room is reached by a circuitous passageway furnishing room for children's wraps1 overshoes1 etc4 ,the scheme secures absolute privacy in toilet rooms4 ,all toilet room walls contain air chambers to deaden sound4 ,the toilet rooms are clean1 decent1 and beautiful4 ,they are never disfigured with vile language or other defacement4 ,all rural schoolhouses with the comb of the roof running one way have attics1 but the attic of this rural school is the first one and the only one that has been well utilized4 ,this attic is #ae x #ce feet1 inside measurement1 all in one room2 distance from floor to ceiling #g-a_/b feet in the middle part4 ,it is abundantly lighted through gable lights and roof lights4 ,it contains modern manual-training benches for use of eight or ten children at one time1 a gas range and other apparatus for experimental cooking4 ,it is furnished with both gas and electric light4 ,it has a wash bowl with hot and cold water1 looking glass1 towels1 etc4 ,it has a large typical kitchen sink and a drinking fountain1 but no drinking cup1 either common or uncommon4 ,it has cupboards1 boxes1 and receptacles for various experiments in home economics4 ,it has a disinfecting apparatus1 a portable agricultural-chemistry laboratory and numerous other equipments4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xiii4 ,,fig4 #ae4--;,a rear view of the model rural school building at the ,kirkville ,normal4 ,a rural school can be built here from beginning to completion with all the above-mentioned equipments of every kind1 including furniture1 for #bbej4 ,the heating and ventilating apparatus1 the pressure tanks1 gasoline engine1 water pumps1 dynamo1 furnace1 etc41 can all be easily adapted to a two-room model1 a three-room school1 or a six-room school by having each fixture slightly larger4 ,this model therefore solves the schoolbuilding question for villages1 towns1 and consolidated rural schools4 ,,the ,,cornell ,,schoolhouse ,an attractive rural schoolhouse was erected some years ago at the ,new ,york ,state ,college of ,agriculture1 to serve as a suggestion architecturally and otherwise to rural districts4 ,it is a one-teacher building1 and yet allows for the introduction of the new methods of teaching4 ,it is a wooden building1 with cement stucco interior1 heated with hot-air furnace1 and with two water toilets attached4 ,the total cost was about #bjjj4 ,the ,college writes as follows of the house3-- ,the prevailing rural schoolhouse is a building in which pupils sit to study books4 ,it ought to be a room in which pupils do personal work with both hands and mind4 ,the essential feature of this new schoolhouse1 therefore1 is a workroom4 ,this room occupies one-third of the floor space4 ,perhaps it would be better if it occupied two-thirds of the floor space4 ,if the building is large enough1 however1 the two kinds of work could change places in this schoolhouse4 ,the building is designed for twenty-five pupils in the main room4 ,the folding doors and windows in the partition enable one teacher to manage both rooms4 ,it has been the purpose to make the main part of the building about the size of the average rural schoolhouse1 and then to add the workroom as a wing or projection4 ,such a room could be added to existing school buildings2 or1 in districts in which the building is now too large1 one part of the room could be partitioned off as a workroom4 ,it is the purpose1 also1 to make this building artistic1 attractive1 and homelike to children1 sanitary1 comfortable1 and durable4 ,the cement-plaster exterior is handsomer and warmer than wood1 and on expanded metal lath it is durable4 ,the interior of this building is very attractive4 ,nearly any rural schoolhouse can secure a water-supply and instal toilets as part of the school building4 ,the openings between schoolroom and workroom are fitted with glazed swing sash and folding doors1 so that the rooms may be used either singly or together1 as desired4 ,the workroom has a bay-window facing south and filled with shelves for plants4 ,slate blackboards of standard school heights fill the spaces about the rooms between doors and windows4 ,the building is heated by hot air2 vent flues of adequate sizes are also provided so that the rooms are ventilated4 ,on the front of the building1 and adding materially to its picturesque appearance1 is a roomy veranda with simple square posts1 from which entrance is made directly into the combined vestibule and coatroom and from this again by two doors into the schoolroom4 ,,help ,,make ,a ,,school ,,play ,,ground ,throughout the entire country there is at last rising a wave of enthusiasm in behalf of affording the child a better means of play4 ,first the cities took the matter up1 then the towns1 and now the country districts are beginning to do their part4 ,the farmer and his wife should feel an interest in such a matter1 for they can render no better service to their community than that of joining the district teacher in an effort to equip the school grounds with play apparatus4 ,as a suggestive outline of what materials to procure1 the dimensions and cost of the same1 there is given below the equipment worked out by certain officials in ,colorado and described briefly in ,superintendent ,fairchild's report1 as follows3-- ,a turning pole for boys may be made by setting two posts in the ground1 six or eight feet apart1 and running a #a or #a-a_/d inch gas pipe through holes bored in the tops of the posts4 ,the cost of such a piece of apparatus should be as follows1 assuming that the necessary work will be done by the teachers and boys3 ,two posts1 #d x #d1 #h ft4 long1 #ej cents2 one piece gas pipe1 #h ft4 long1 #ae cents4 ,teeter boards may be made by planting posts ten or twelve feet apart1 and placing a pole or a rounded #f x #f on top of them1 and then placing boards1 upon which the children may teeter4 ,individual teeter boards may be made by placing a #b x #h board in the ground1 and fastening the teeter board to it by means of iron braces placed on each side of the upright piece4 ,the cost of the above apparatus would be1 for several teeters3 ,two upright posts1 #f x #f1 #e ft4 long1 #ic cents2 one piece1 #f x #f1 #ab ft4 long1 #a4bb2 four teeter boards1 #b x #h1 #ad ft4 long1 #b4ej4 ,for individual teeter3 ,one piece #b x #h1 #af ft4 long1 #ef cents--to make upright piece #d ft4 long and teeter board #ab ft4 long2 two iron braces and four large screws1 #be cents4 ,a very attractive and desirable piece of apparatus may be made as follows3 ,secure a pole about ten or fifteen feet long4 ,to the small end attach by the use of bolts one end of a wagon axle1 spindle up4 ,upon the spindle place a wagon wheel1 and to the wheel attach ropes1 about as long as the pole4 ,place the big end of the pole in the ground three or four feet1 and brace it from the four points of the compass4 ,the ropes will hang down from the wheel in such a way that the children may take hold of them1 swing1 jump1 and run around the pole4 ,the one described was rather inexpensive4 ,a telephone company donated a discarded pole1 a farmer a discarded wagon wheel and axle4 ,the only expense was that of paying a blacksmith for attaching the wheel to the pole and the cost of the ropes--about #b4 ,it furnished one of the most attractive pieces of apparatus on the playground4 ,an inexpensive swing may be constructed by placing four #d x #d's in the ground in a slanting position1 two being opposite each other and meeting at the top in such a way as to form a fork4 ,the pairs may be ten or twelve feet apart1 and a pole or heavy galvanized pipe1 to which swings may be attached1 wired1 nailed1 or bolted to the crotches formed by the pieces placed in the ground4 ,the cost of this apparatus will be3 ,four pieces1 #d x #d1 #ad ft4 long1 #a4be1 one piece galvanized pipe1 #c1 #ab ft4 long1 #b4ej4 ,boards of education could well afford to purchase one or more basketballs1 and a few baseballs and bats for the boys4 ,these things more than pay for themselves in the added interest which boys and girls who have them take in the school4 ,for much of the apparatus suggested above the wide-awake board of education and teacher will see opportunities to use material less expensive than that suggested4 ,and to such persons many pieces of apparatus not specified here will suggest themselves to fit particular needs and opportunities4 ,,general ,,instruction ,,in ,,agriculture ,a great fault with the district schools has been an inclination to think that anything close at hand is too mean and common to be considered as subject matter for instruction4 ,the thought has usually been that the school would prepare the learner for some brilliant calling away off where things are better and life is easier and more beautiful4 ,as a result1 the country schools have been educating boys and girls away from the farm4 ,the new method is that of educating them to appreciate what is under their feet and all around them1 through an intimate knowledge of the processes of nature and industry as carried on in their midst4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xiv4 ,,fig4 #af4--,using the ,babcock milk-tester in a ,new ,york school4 ,one of the more direct means of educating the boys and girls for a happy1 contented life on the farm is to teach them while young the rudiments of agriculture4 ,this method is now actually being put into practice in thousands of the rural schools4 ,the state of ,kansas recently enacted a law requiring all candidates for teachers' certificates to pass a test in the elements of agriculture and also requiring that the rudiments of this subject be taught in every district school4 ,other states have similar laws4 ,as a result of this and like provisions1 there is now a tremendous awakening in the direction named4 ,the boys and girls in the country schools are finding new meaning and a new interest in the fields and farms upon which they are growing up4 ,it is a comparatively simple matter1 that of teaching the young how the plant germinates and grows1 how the seed is produced1 and how farm crops are cared for and harvested4 ,likewise1 it is easy to describe the elements of the various types of soil and to show how these elements contribute to the life and growth of the plant4 ,the questions of moisture in its relation to plant life1 of insects harmful and helpful to growing crops and animals1 of the bird life as related in its economic aspects to farming--all such matters can be easily taught to children by the young-woman school teacher4 ,it is only necessary for the latter to take an elementary course of instruction herself1 to read a number of collateral texts1 and to get into the spirit of the undertaking4 ,in a similar manner1 instruction in regard to farm animals may be given1 the emphasis being placed upon the consideration of the types of live stock actually raised and marketed in the home neighborhood4 ,it must be emphasized that these matters relating to elementary agriculture and animal husbandry can be made just as interesting and quite as cultural as any of the subjects in the general curriculum of the schools4 ,wherefore1 the rural dweller who catches the spirit of such instruction should lead out in the securing of public measures and public improvements looking toward an early embodiment of these new subjects within the prescribed course of study4 ,,domestic ,,economy ,,and ,,home ,,sanitation ,the time is now at hand when the district school failing to give any attention to practical household affairs is to be classed as out of date and unprogressive4 ,well-written texts and pamphlets covering the home-keeping subjects are now both available and cheap1 so that the excuse for deferring their use is approaching the zero point4 ,of course it is impracticable as yet to have apparatus for cooking and sewing installed in the one-teacher district school1 but the bare rudiments of these subjects may nevertheless be taught with the expectation that home practice may be thereby improved and better understood4 ,perhaps the most practical method of present procedure is that of organizing an independent class of the girls of suitable age and meeting them informally4 ,the texts and pamphlets furnished by the college extension departments may be followed4 ,in case of graded and high school courses this work should by all means be carried on as a regular class exercise4 ,home sanitation may easily and profitably be taught in the district school1 even though only one or two periods per week be set apart for the purpose4 ,perhaps the best method of instruction is that of presenting carefully one specific lesson at a time4 ,for example1 pure drinking water1 clean milk1 food contamination by house flies may be treated each in its turn4 ,adequate charts and illustrations should be brought into service4 ,,consolidation ,,of ,,rural ,,schools ,there is much agitation nowadays in regard to consolidating the rural schools4 ,although present progress is slow1 it seems comparatively certain that the one-teacher rural school is destined in time to become a thing of the past4 ,however1 there is no particular haste in the matter1 provided some such plans as the foregoing be put into effect in case of the single school4 ,perhaps the sparsely settled district has the greatest justification for looking toward consolidation4 ,it happens that there are thousands of small schools having an attendance of from five to ten pupils4 ,in such an instance1 it is practically impossible to do the best work1 the children lacking the spur of rivalry and enthusiasm and the helpful lessons in social ethics offered only by the larger massing of the young at play4 ,in many places1 three or four rural districts are uniting in this movement1 the general plan being that of constructing a central building with ample working space for all1 and then transporting the children to and from the school4 ,the scheme is working well as a rule4 ,among the great advantages is that of a possible grading of the school so that the teacher may have time for each subject and more opportunity for specialization4 ,perhaps the most serious and difficult part of the plan is that of providing a safe and suitable means of conveyance to and from the school4 ,some excellent patterns of school wagons are already on the market1 while manufacturers are constantly at work improving them4 ,so we may expect better results as time goes on4 ,it has already been shown very satisfactorily that the conveyance1 when in charge of a well-trained driver1 furnishes improved moral and physical safeguards for the child4 ,,more ,,high ,,schools ,,needed ,not only every county1 but also every rural township1 should have its well-equipped high school4 ,it is a serious matter to send boys and girls in their middle teens away to college4 ,many lives are thus more or less ruined simply from too early loss of the personal restraints and influence of the parents4 ,but with a first-class high school in easy reach the young people may at least return home for the ,saturday-,sunday recess and thereby continue in the close councils of their parents4 ,and then1 the rightly-managed high school will bring the student into closer touch with the local rural problems that may not be possible in case of the distant institution4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xv4 ,,figs4 #ag-ba4--,this magnificent consolidated school in ,winnebago ,county1 ,illinois1 was inspired by the excellent work of the well-known ,superintendent ,o4 ,j4 ,kern4 ,the four little one-room buildings illustrated above gave way to it4 ,in the location of high schools intended to serve the rural interests there should be an effort to keep away from the towns and cities4 ,in the latter places the allurements of the cheap theater and the snobbery that often invades the city high school are illustrations of the evils that serve to entice the young away from the substantial things of life4 ,a good county or township high school located centrally and in the open country is ideal4 ,at such a location it is vastly easier than in the city to center the attention of the students upon the rural problems1 not to mention the greater availability of demonstrations on farm and garden plots4 ,,better ,,rural ,,teachers ,,needed ,the ideal preparation for a teacher in the rural school is a complete course in a first-class agricultural college1 with the inclusion of a few terms' work in the educational subjects4 ,so long as we send into the district schools young teachers who have been taught merely in the common text-book branches1 and whose training has been exclusively pedagogical1 the practice of educating the boys and girls away from the farm will go on4 ,the country school is1 in its best sense1 an industrial school2 and only those teachers can do best work therein who have had the personal experience in industrial training and the changed point of view which only the agricultural college can give4 ,so if the board of trustees in any rural district really wishes to unite in supporting an effective back-to-the-farm movement1 let them offer to some country-reared graduate of the agricultural college a salary of about twice or three times the amount usually paid4 ,after a few terms of school taught by such a person1 the good effects on the rural uplift will most certainly reveal themselves4 ,but so long as school trustees continue to try to drive a sharp bargain in the employment of teachers--securing the one with the passable county certificate who will teach for the least wages--the boys will continue to run off to town for jobs and the parents will continue to move to town to educate their children4 ,there is some hope of a new ideal in relation to the country school teacher2 namely1 that he shall be a man in every sense1 worthy of a salary large enough to support himself and his family the year round as residents of the community4 ,then we shall have a profession of teaching in the rural school work4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xvi4 ,,fig4 #bb4--,the ,cornell schoolhouse4 ,a one-teacher building1 with a workroom or laboratory at one side that the teacher can control through the folding doors and glass partitions4 ,every effort is made to render the building and place attractive and homelike4 ,,references ,annual ,report ,page ,county 7,iowa7 ,schools4 ,miss ,jessie ,field1 ,superintendent 7,clarinda74 ,the reader who is especially interested in this chapter is urged to become acquainted with the splendid work accomplished for the district schools of ,page ,county1 ,ia41 by ,superintendent ,jessie ,field4 ,as indicated by her published annuals1 and otherwise1 she has led all the other young women superintendents in the work of organizing the boys and girls into clubs and classes for the study of school gardening1 bread making1 grain propagation1 and the like4 ,report of the ,committee on ,industrial ,education in ,schools for ,rural ,communities1 of the ,national ,educational ,association4 ,among ,country ,schools4 ,o4 ,j4 ,kern4 ,ginn ,co4 ,a clear helpful1 and inspiring text4 ,the ,american ,rural ,school4 ,h4 ,w4 ,foght4 ,macmillan4 ,covers the entire subject carefully4 ,the ,school and ,society4 ,john ,dewey4 ,mc,clure1 ,phillips ,co41 ,new ,york4 ,the ,school and its ,life4 ,charles ,d4 ,gilbert4 ,chapter ,,xxii1 ,home and ,school4 ,mc,clurg4 ,efficient ,democracy1 ,wm4 ,h4 ,allen4 ,chapter ,,vii1 ,school ,efficiency4 ,dodd1 ,mead ,co4 ,a most helpful and stimulating volume4 ,the ,school as a ,social ,institution4 ,henry ,suzzallo4 ,monograph4 ,houghton ,mifflin ,company4 ,wider ,use of the ,school ,plant1 ,clarence ,arthur ,perry4 ,chapter ,,vi1 ,school ,playgrounds4 ,charities ,publication ,committee1 ,new ,york4 ,education in the ,country for the ,country4 ,j4 ,w4 ,zeller4 ,annual ,volume ,n4,e4,a41 #aiaj1 p4 #bde4 ,teachers for the ,rural ,schools2 ,kind ,wanted2 ,how to secure ,them4 ,l4 ,j4 ,alleman4 ,annual ,volume ,n4,e4,a41 #aiaj1 p4 #bhj4 ,the ,state ,board of ,health of ,maine 7,augusta7 issues a series of practical pamphlets on health and sanitation in the school and the home4 ,the ,most ,practical ,industrial ,education for the ,country ,child4 ,superintendent ,o4 ,j4 ,kern4 ,annual ,volume ,n4,e4,a41 #aije1 p4 #aih4 ,among ,school ,gardens4 ,m4 ,louise ,green1 ,ph4,d4 ,charities ,publication ,committee1 ,new ,york4 ,a ,model ,rural ,school ,house4 ,henry ,s4 ,curtis4 ,educational ,foundations1 ,april1 #aiaa4 ,a4 ,s4 ,barnes ,co4 ,dr4 ,curtis is a national authority on the question of the school playground4 ,education for ,efficiency4 ,e4 ,davenport4 ,d4 ,c4 ,heath4 ,a most able plea for making the schools serve every worthy interest4 ,changing ,conceptions of ,education4 ,e4 ,p4 ,cubberly4 ,monograph4 ,houghton ,mifflin ,company4 ,methods of conducting ,book and ,demonstration ,work in teaching ,elementary ,agriculture4 ,o4 ,h4 ,benson4 ,bureau of ,plant ,industry1 ,washington1 ,d4,c4 ,an excellent guide4 ,report of ,committee to investigate ,rural ,school ,conditions4 ,superintendent ,e ,t4 ,fairchild and others4 ,address the ,secretary ,n4,e4,a41 ,winona1 ,minn4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,the ,,county ,,young ,,men',s ,,christian ,,association ,among the movements of first importance looking toward the uplift of young men is that named at the head of this chapter4 ,parallel with the intensive and systematic effort to build up the commercial life of the city and allow the country district to take care of itself1 has been a like effort to provide for the care and development of the city boy and the uniform neglect of the needs and interests of the country boy4 ,now1 here at last is a movement that is proving a real means of salvation of the rural youth1 mind1 body1 and soul4 ,president ,henry ,j4 ,waters1 of the ,kansas ,state ,agricultural ,college1 struck the keynote of this young country-life movement most effectively in a recent address when he said3 ,we believe in the existence of a social renaissance4 ,one needs only to read the daily and weekly papers printed in hundreds of prosperous villages and cross roads corners1 the faithful chroniclers of the community's activities1 to find buoyant hope of the future of farm life4 ,the dignity of labor2 the close connection between heads and hands2 the monthly or weekly meetings of farmers' institutes in hundreds of counties2 the special lectures provided by agricultural colleges2 the movable schools2 the farmers' winter short courses1 in which thousands of men and women and boys and girls participate2 corn contests2 bread contests2 sewing contests2 play carnivals2 poultry-raising contests2 stock-raising contests2 conferences on the country church1 country school1 good roads--all these activities denote the growth of a new and mighty spirit in the country life of ,america4 ,we need further demonstrations1 together with concrete thinking1 a lot of constructive programs1 and a deal of hard work and self-sacrifice1 in which the county work department of the ,young ,men's ,christian ,association can have no little share1 to speed on the great epoch of rural social renaissance4 ,,boys ,,leave ,,the ,,farm ,,too ,,young ,it is a tragic story when the whole truth is known1 that of the young boy running off to town in search of some employment that will bring him a little ready cash for spending money1 and also in search of the sociability so woefully lacking in the rural home environment4 ,too long have the country parents attempted to argue and scold and force their boys to remain at home where they are confronted only with the monotony of hard work and a very dim prospect of a possible land or other property inheritance4 ,so at last there is being raised the very important questions1 ,what is the matter with the country boy8 and ,what can be done to help him8 ,knowledge of the fact that more than one-half of the boys of the ,united ,states are living in farm homes makes the problem of their individual salvation assume momentous proportions4 ,there can be no reasonable thought of holding all the boys on the farm4 ,many of them are best fitted by nature to go elsewhere and find suitable employment1 but there is every good reason for preventing the great exodus of immature youths who run off to the cities1 not knowing what they are to face and without any well-defined purpose4 ,yes1 the great concerns of the towns and cities must continue to call many of the brainiest young men from the rural districts4 ,in fact1 the country may with every good reason be considered the proper breeding ground for the virile minds destined to control the great affairs of nation1 state1 and municipality4 ,but every reasonable effort must be put forth to keep the boy in his country home until his character is relatively matured and his plans for a future career are fairly well defined4 ,,purposes ,,of ,,the ,,county ,y4,m4,c4,a4 ,doubtless the first chief purpose of the county association is that of building up the boy's character and finally perfecting his spiritual nature4 ,but this high aim is not sought in the old-fashioned1 direct manner4 ,instead1 there is a studied effort to build up the boy gradually through the enlistment of his natural interests in matters that lie dormant in his home environment4 ,the truly scientific method in this field is first concerned with providing means whereby the boy may work out his own spiritual salvation4 ,along with the farm labors1 tedious and irksome to him when undertaken as exclusive requirements1 the country boy is given an opportunity to take part in certain athletic and social exercises which appeal to his instincts and arouse the spontaneity from the depths of his own nature4 ,in carrying on the country work1 an attempt is made to approach the boy from the peculiar situations of his home environment4 ,what specific readjustments are needed in his home life in respect to the amount of work required of him8 ,what of the recreation he enjoys8 ,the local society in which he moves8 ,the home church and ,sunday school8 ,the temptations that may lie near about him8 and so on4 ,these and many other such inquiries are made with a view to dealing with the boy in an individual way and reestablishing his life for the better4 ,,how ,,to ,,organize ,a ,,county ,,association ,unless it may chance that1 after a brief survey of the field1 some person from the outside comes in to perfect the organization of the county association1 any interested person within the limits of the county must make the start4 ,devotion to the cause1 persistence1 and unfailing enthusiasm are perhaps the best personal equipment for the local beginner of this new work4 ,his first concern should be that of gathering a committee of men like himself from different parts of the county4 ,doubtless these will form themselves into a sort of brotherhood committee4 ,after such temporary organization1 the next important step is that of securing an able county leader4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xvii4 ,,fig4 #bc4--,these ,y4,m4,c4,a4 members find time for play as well as work4 ,try a club like this as a means of keeping the boy interested in the farm4 #a4 ,choose a good leader4--,now1 the success of the movement is to depend very largely upon the character of the leader to be chosen4 ,if the right man be selected1 no matter how hard the conditions1 he will be able finally to bring system and order and spiritual progress out of it all4 ,the important characteristics of the ideal leader of country boys are comparatively few4 ,first of all1 he must1 of course1 be moved by a sense of devotion to the cause of ,christianity--the up-building of the characters1 especially the spiritual natures1 of young men4 ,he should be a man who has been trained in a good college1 if possible a graduate1 with experience in the ,y4,m4,c4,a4 and other like organizations4 ,he should have had some special training in such subjects as psychology1 sociology1 and economics1 and should be fairly well versed in the literature of these subjects4 ,he should be especially fond of boys and boy life and interested in the conduct of people of every kind and sort4 ,he should be somewhat trained in athletics and an enthusiastic supporter of clean sports4 ,he should have what is known as good business sense4 ,it may not be essential1 but it will certainly prove advantageous1 if the chosen leader has himself been reared in the country4 #b4 ,local leaders necessary4--,after the leader has been selected1 the next step is that of the appointment of carefully chosen leaders for the local neighborhoods4 ,these may be men of almost any age from middle life down1 but perhaps the ideal age would be that of a few years older than any of the boys of the neighborhood4 ,all must be enlisted if possible1 not one being slighted or offended4 #c4 ,a committee on finance4--,an able finance committee is also of high importance4 ,this should consist of men chosen especially for their unusual ability as solicitors and persuaders of men in a financial way4 ,let these workers go over the county soliciting funds for the organization1 providing from the first especially that the secretary shall be well paid for his services4 ,close-fisted residents1 as well as all others1 in every nook and corner of the territory must be seen and asked to contribute4 ,it should be a comparatively easy matter to show men who cannot appreciate the social and spiritual needs of the boys that the new movement will most certainly increase general property values and bring up the price of land4 #d4 ,little property ownership4--,while new1 the county organization should guard against attempting to own and control any considerable amount of property or equipment4 ,not the material goods possessed1 but the strength and force of the spiritual enthusiasm will have greatest value in carrying on the work4 ,it will be found quite satisfactory in nearly every case to have the boys meet in some farm home1 village club room1 or country schoolhouse4 ,and then1 there is always danger of developing a ,y4,m4,c4,a4 too exclusively as a business organization4 ,there are many instances in the towns and cities where this is deplorably true4 ,the best spirit of the work is submerged by the continuous hounding of the people in the skirmish for funds to keep going the over-heavy business machinery of the institution4 ,there often develops1 in such cases1 a large body of men who regard the ,y4,m4,c4,a4 as an organization of loafers and easy-going money spenders4 ,once such sentiment develops1 it is desperately difficult to eradicate it4 ,so the country ,y4,m4,c4,a4 should preserve the semblance of humility1 and that partly by getting along with almost no property or equipment other than what its own members may provide in a crude fashion and what may be necessary to furnish the office of the general secretary4 ,,how ,,to ,,conduct ,,the ,,work ,one of the first steps in conducting the new work is that of making a survey of the entire county4 ,the names1 ages1 and location of all the boys must be secured1 together with some items respecting their present social and religious affiliations4 ,in fact1 the more personal items included in the first survey1 the better4 ,some boys will at first look with disfavor upon the new movement1 believing that it is merely another scheme to convert them to religion and get them into a church4 ,care must be taken to disabuse the boy's mind of this thought from the very beginning4 ,therefore1 it may be well not to try to hustle him into a ,bible-study class the first time he is invited out4 ,while the main issue1 namely1 that of spiritual development of the boy1 is not to be forgotten1 he must nevertheless be led to this goal through the path of many very common instrumentalities4 ,a ,y4,m4,c4,a4 athletic meet would most probably prove a better opening number than a ,bible-study class or merely a religious service4 ,as the work proceeds1 the occasions for a great variety of exercises and programs will present themselves4 ,among these perhaps there would be the following3-- #a4 ,local and county athletic clubs4--,the athletic event is one of the easiest to put on in a newly organized boys' club4 ,an able leader1 perhaps the county secretary1 should be present to preside over the event1 inducing the boys to form a baseball club1 or a basketball team2 or at least to arrange for some event in which they can all participate1 although that may be as simple a thing as swimming or jumping4 ,introduce at once the thought of practice and the development of skill1 holding out the plan of a county organization and a county field meet in the future1 which all may attend and in which the ablest shall have promise of a conspicuous part4 #b4 ,debating and literary clubs4--,there is always the possibility of a literary society1 provided the thing be carefully instituted4 ,the secret of successful debates among persons of any class is to find a burning question4 ,so1 avoid such matters as ,tariff ,reform and the ,world ,peace ,movement and come right down home to some perplexing problem in the lives of the boys of the club4 ,something about their work1 their lack of recreation1 their chances against those of city boys1 and so on1 will arouse interest and bring out rough debating material4 ,find latent talent of other sorts in the club4 ,some boy can sing2 perhaps another can play a musical instrument2 still another one may be a natural-born storyteller2 a fourth may be an expert acrobat and tree climber2 a fifth a shrewd hunter or trapper of wild animals4 ,in this way1 nearly every boy can be led to take part in a general program4 ,thus1 while contributing something toward the entertainment of all1 each boy's active participation will go far by way of awakening his personal interest in the new life4 #c4 ,receptions and suppers4--,after the boys get fairly under way with their club1 they may need to arrange an oyster supper or some such affair at which they will discuss their many mutual problems4 ,on some such occasions they may desire to invite their parents to come and enjoy the program1 also to participate in the discussion of their affairs4 ,this form of close association will be found especially enticing to the boys1 giving them a good1 clean place to go for social enjoyment and something to look forward to in their thoughts during the somewhat prosaic hours of the day in the field4 #d4 ,educational tours and problems4--,the boys may find it feasible to go in a body once or twice a year on an educational tour--to the state fair2 to study some particular thing in the city2 to gather data for the solution of some local problem2 to make a study of the habitat of some bird or animal2 to gather specimens of rocks or plants2 and so on4 ,in case of any such trip there is not a little necessity of some college-trained person as overseer1 so that the study may be made intensive and not become dissipated in mere sport and fun4 ,it is usually advisable to make a careful study of only one thing at a time4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xviii4 ,,fig4 #bd--;,a great ,y4,m4,c4,a4 ,convention in ,ohio4 ,let the boy attend one of these great gatherings if possible1 and he will return with a year's supply of enthusiasm4 #e4 ,camping and hiking4--,the boys of the county should be brought together at least once a year in a summer camp4 ,farmers will soon learn to appreciate the value of such things in the life of the boy and will gladly allow him a few days' vacation for the purpose4 ,the boy who enjoys such a privilege will more than pay it back through the extra amount of work his enthusiasm will naturally prompt him to perform4 ,for the camp site there should be selected some shady woodland with a good stream of water for fishing and swimming4 ,a crude lodge may be constructed and all the necessary crude camp equipment provided4 ,each boy will want to carry his own blanket and extra clothing4 ,one matter must be considered in all seriousness2 namely1 the sanitation of the camp4 ,even at the outlay of a comparatively heavy expense1 the camp food supplies1 including the dining table1 should be screened off from flies4 ,the garbage therefore will all be scrupulously buried1 and it will be ascertained with certainty that the drinking water is free from disease organisms4 ,then1 the boys may sleep on the ground1 wallow in the dirt1 splash in the water and mud as they please and return home in the best of health4 #f4 ,exhibitions4--,it has been found practicable to have the boys prepare during the season for coming together with a county exhibit1 including a wide variety of things peculiar to their interests4 ,this exhibition should be made as a big annual event1 if possible1 such as will attract all manner of persons and make friends for the county association4 ,in its ideal arrangement the money expense will be kept down to a minimum4 ,also keep out the idea of premiums4 ,the contest plan of promotion will some day receive its desired consideration and lose its place as a means of promoting social and spiritual well-being4 ,as a matter of fact it fosters much envy1 ill-feeling1 and bitter strife and thus strikes at the root of the good-fellowship which you are striving to encourage4 ,but1 urge every boy to bring something for the sake of the help he may contribute and let the honor of this service and the approbation of his fellows be his high reward4 ,one boy may come with a mammoth pumpkin2 another with a device of his own invention for catching ground squirrels2 still another with a new method of tying a knot2 another with a bushel of highly bred corn2 others with farm and garden produce of the same attractive nature2 others with wild grasses1 curios1 or geological specimens2 others with the parts of a miniature menagerie4 ,one boy may have caught a badger alive2 another a coyote2 another a jack rabbit2 another a huge turtle4 ,another may bring a cage of rattlesnakes or a box full of snakes of all sorts2 another a set of original plans and specifications--for an ideal farmhouse1 or farm barn and surroundings2 for making the well sanitary2 for a milk house2 for keeping flies out of the house or barn2 a recipe for driving ants and other insects from the house4 ,the boys in one family may come with a lot of samples of soil1 showing how differently each must be treated for the same general crop results4 ,others may bring specimens of cheat and noxious weeds1 and the like1 with a scheme for destroying them4 ,another may have a plan for a patent churn or a labor-saving device in the kitchen4 ,thus there may be brought to the boys' fair an interesting and most instructive variety of objects1 plans1 and devices1 all looking toward the improvement of home conditions4 ,such a gathering as this will bring not only the parents and other adults from the home county1 but great flocks of outsiders will also come in and learn and become deeply interested in the affairs of the ,county ,young ,men's ,christian ,association4 ,,spirituality ,,not ,,lost ,,sight ,,of ,it ought to be easy for the average thinker to appreciate the fact that all the foregoing rough-and-ready work in the lives of the boys can be made a practical means of the salvation of their souls as well as of their bodies and intellects4 ,spiritual perfection is not reached at a bound4 ,there must be much doing of the crude yet worthy things which grow naturally out of his inner nature before the boy can finally achieve a degree of spiritual development that may prove a permanent and fixed part of his adult life4 ,yes1 there will be some ,bible study1 an occasional short prayer1 and now and then a real sermonette in connection with the work of the organization1 but much more frequently the ,christian life and character will come as a sort of discovery in the boy's life and that through his own conduct4 ,through all this wholesome exercise of his better and cleaner interests1 the youth will gradually be led away and kept away from those things which contaminate both the body and the spirit and introduce the individual to a coarse1 debauched life4 ,in other words1 ,christianity will be a thing achieved and that through the young man's efforts rather than a thing instantly caught in some emotional revival meeting only gradually to waste away in the months immediately following4 ,one well-built specimen of ,christian manhood--a character of the sort which the ideal work of the ,county ,y4,m4,c4,a4 may finally construct--is worth a dozen of those suddenly converted men whose secret lives are so often embittered with the consciousness of backsliding and following ever after the old evil ways4 ,it will be observed at a glance that in the foregoing outline there is an avoidance of the heavier work-a-day tasks and problems4 ,it is the thought of the author that the boys have quite enough of such labor as it is and that the ,county ,y4,m4,c4,a4 can do its best service if it provides a set of new activities of a more recreative sort4 ,the central idea--second to the perfection of his spiritual nature--is that of giving the boy a larger amount of social experience through self-training in matters that will bring out his latent unselfishness and his self-reliance4 ,the heavier problems of an economic sort suitable for discussion among the boys and the girls of the country districts will have due consideration in another chapter4 ,in planning the various parts of the county work and the club life of the boys1 there must be extreme care not to arrange for too many and too frequent meetings4 ,it is especially to be desired that the boy do not acquire the runabout habit1 even though he may in every case go to a desirable place4 ,therefore1 in arranging the programs it will be seen to that the meetings are held somewhat infrequently1 but that on each occasion the meeting be continued until some intensive work has been done4 ,for example1 it would be much preferable to have all or a major part of one afternoon and evening of the week for the exercises rather than to have brief evening meetings a number of times during the week4 ,,work ,,in ,a ,,sparsely ,,settled ,,country ,the following statement will show what was achieved during the first year in the ,y4,m4,c4,a4 of ,washington ,county1 ,kansas1 which has a rural population of about ten thousand people4 ,general ,statement3-- #aha boys enrolled in ,bible-study groups1 meeting weekly4 #ce men give time to the supervision and planning of the work4 #bcf boys attended ten boys' banquets4 #ea out-of-town delegates attended the county convention4 #age men and boys attended the convention banquet4 #afa boys took part in the relay race4 #ia men and boys on baseball teams4 #bd boys played basketball4 #ef men attended #aj leaders' conferences4 #fe men conducted one day financial canvass4 #bjj boys given physical examination4 #bf took part in the annual athletic meet4 #ac young men's ,sundays conducted by secretary4 #fjjj miles 7approx47 traveled by secretary4 #bhc citizens back of work4 ,financial ,statement3-- ,pledges unpaid from previous year #abj4be ,pledges for year #aefh4be #afhh4ej ------- ,received during year #achf4ae ,due unpaid pledges #cjb4ce #afhh4ej ------- ,amount paid #aceb4hi ,due unpaid #bih4jj ,available balance #cg4fa #afhh4ej ------- ,,references ,neighborhood ,improvement ,clubs4 ,professor ,e4 ,l4 ,holton4 ,agricultural ,extension ,bulletin1 ,manhattan1 ,kan4 ,camping for ,boys4 ,h4 ,w4 ,gibson4 ,association ,press1 ,new ,york4 ,careful directions for camp life4 ,training for ,boys2 ,symposium4 ,harper's ,bazaar1 ,march1 ,april1 ,august1 ,september1 ,november1 #aiaj4 ,keeping ,home ,ties from ,breaking4 ,e4 ,a4 ,halsey4 ,world ,to-day1 ,january1 #aiaa4 ,training ,men to work for ,men4 ,e4 ,a4 ,halsey4 ,world ,to-day1 ,march1 #aiaa4 ,the ,organization and ,administration of ,athletics4 ,dr4 ,clark ,w4 ,hetherington4 ,annual ,volume ,n4,e4,a41 #aijg1 p4 #icj4 ,rural ,manhood1 issue of ,june1 #aiaj4 ,rural ,leadership ,number4 ,social ,activities for ,men and ,boys4 ,albert ,m4 ,chisley4 ,y4,m4,c4,a4 ,press1 ,new ,york4 ,a valuable book covering a wide variety of activities4 ,rural ,manhood4 ,henry ,israel1 editor4 #ej cents per year4 ,a most valuable exponent of the ,county ,y4,m4,c4,a4 work4 ,the ,physical ,life of the ,boy4 ,dr4 ,d4 ,g4 ,wilcox4 7,pamphlet47 ,address1 ,federated ,boys' ,clubs1 ,boston4 ,,chapter ,x ,,the ,,farmer ,,and ,,his ,,wife ,,as ,,leaders ,,of ,,the ,,young ,no less urgent and divine is the call for spiritual aid and leadership in the rural districts to-day than was that which came to the apostle ,paul of old in form of a vision and a voice crying1 ,come over into ,macedonia and help us4 ,in the open country field1 far removed from church or social center1 is the demand for leaders and directors especially great4 ,men engage for a lifetime in an enthusiastic endeavor to amass wealth and to build up great business concerns4 ,but the man or woman who heeds the call to go forth into the country districts and save the bodies and souls of the young--that person will not only experience exceeding great joy and enthusiasm in his work1 but he will thereby lay up for himself in the memories of the redeemed a precious treasury of golden deeds4 ,country parents as a rule are not in a position to do the best things even for their own children1 much less to go out as leaders of the young at large4 ,they are sometimes lacking in the necessary means1 more frequently too busy1 and most frequently not sufficiently informed as to be fully awake to the meanings and possibilities of any such undertaking4 ,however1 in nearly every country neighborhood there is a man or woman1 or both1 who possess many of the big opportunities for enlisting in the service of the young4 ,those who have no small children of their own to care for would naturally be freest to get away from the present home duties4 ,then1 some parents having children of their own not infrequently catch the inspiration and heed the call4 ,at any rate1 it is entirely fair and reasonable to assume that some one of the neighborhood could do it were there the disposition4 ,as a means of arousing any such persons to attempt to do some constructive work among country boys and girls1 the following detailed suggestions are offered4 ,those who feel at all called to undertake this service may be assured that the interest grows more intense with time and effort put forth1 and that the joy of accomplishing something in behalf of the young people of one's own vicinity is perhaps unsurpassed by that of any other type of human endeavor4 ,in the discussions to follow we assume that some farmer and his wife have heeded this divine call4 ,,preparation ,,for ,,the ,,service ,since very few are sufficiently versatile to undertake any and every kind of social work1 perhaps the first step is that of choosing a definite line of action4 ,and let the choice be in the direction of the chooser's leading social interest4 ,as a means of preparation for efficient work a brief course of training is to be much commended4 ,it may be found practicable to slip away from home during the winter months and take a farmers' short course in one of the agricultural colleges4 ,or1 one may find the peculiar instruction and inspiration needed by attending a convention or conference of the ablest leaders representative of the work4 ,one of the rural-life conferences now frequently held might be found ideal4 ,go prepared to take notes1 to ask questions1 and especially to obtain a large number of literary references4 ,the use of helpful literature is most important at this stage4 ,a magazine which admirably covers this particular field is ,rural ,manhood1 published by the ,association ,press1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,then1 secure the report of the ,country ,life ,commission1 and a number of the latest works of a similar nature1 some of which are listed below4 ,write to the ,department of ,agriculture at ,washington for their bulletin on the organization of boys' and girls' clubs4 ,also from the extension department of the agricultural college may be obtained for the asking all available literature of this same general class4 ,now1 make a careful survey of the neighborhood1 or the larger field1 with a view to finding out the specific conditions in relation to the chosen line of service4 ,make lists of names and ages of the boys and girls1 including all other data of a helpful nature4 ,proceed with the thought that the work to be undertaken is not to be merely a means of entertainment1 but of education for the young4 ,,work ,,persistently ,,for ,,social ,,unity ,in his most instructive volume ,the ,rural ,church and ,community ,achievement1 ,president ,butterfield says3 ,we are in great need in this country of an institution or institutions which have for their definite objective the study of the conditions and problems of farm home-life2 not merely the matter of home management1 or home keeping1 but the fundamental relationships of the family to the development of a better community life in the rural regions4 ,now1 let the newly enlisted social worker assume that he is to undertake something by way of bringing about a fuller integration and unity of the people of the neighborhood4 ,every new worker in the social field needs a word of warning against the rebukes and discouragements with which he may at first meet4 ,to say the best1 the neighborhood will doubtless be indifferent in regard to the newly proposed organization4 ,but let the social worker go on persistently1 unmindful of any such hindrance1 even though scarcely a person in the neighborhood seems ready to join in the movement4 ,in the typical case of valuable constructive work of this sort1 it will be found at first that the masses are practically all opposed to the plan4 ,however1 as fast as it wins its way through unrelenting effort and unswerving devotion1 the doubters and opposers will come over to its support4 ,and after the movement has established itself reasonably well and achieved something worth while1 the same people who once stood out will then fall enthusiastically into line and help with the undertaking4 ,it will be impossible1 of course1 to point out definitely to the local1 self-appointed leader just what plan of social endeavor to follow4 ,since there is such a great variety of conditions1 it seems advisable here to make a somewhat extended list of possible lines of work in the rural districts4 ,,corn-,,raising ,,and ,,bread-,,baking ,,clubs ,perhaps among the easiest organizations to effect among the young people of any farm district are the clubs or contests in juvenile farm work and home economics4 ,the beginning of such a purpose will consist of getting into communication with the extension department of the state agricultural college4 ,after obtaining their literature and learning their methods of procedure1 call the boys and girls together1 asking their parents to come along4 ,it may be found practicable to call a general meeting of the entire neighborhood1 inviting old and young possibly to a basket dinner1 and there to lay before them the plans of the organizations4 ,while the contest in corn-raising or bread-baking has proved a marked success where tried1 if possible arrange matters so that every earnest endeavor on the part of the young shall receive a suitable reward1 not merely the winners of the first and second prizes4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xix4 7,courtesy of ,american ,magazine47 ,,fig4 #be4--;,jerry ,moore1 the champion boy corn raiser of the ,united ,states4 ,he raised #bec bushels on a single acre of ground4 ,it is usually an easy matter to secure funds for paying the way of the boys to the state-wide farmers' institute or the boys' institute usually held at the agricultural college during the holiday season4 ,provide that every boy who reaches a certain standard--say1 that of raising so many bushels of corn on an acre of land--shall go at the expense of the fund4 ,likewise1 organize the girls into a bread-baking club or something of the sort4 ,prizes may be offered for the best bread1 but all the girls whose home-making work meets a certain fixed standard of requirement should have promise of a suitable reward4 ,perhaps they too may be sent without expense to themselves to a state conference on home economics4 ,in case of these trips to the state meetings it will be necessary to appoint responsible chaperons for the boys and girls4 ,,other ,,forms ,,of ,,contests ,it may be found advisable to start a good-roads contest among the boys of the home township1 offering an attractive prize to the one who shows the best results at the end of a given period and a per diem payment of money to every boy who faithfully takes care of his half mile or quarter mile of public road4 ,then1 there may be instituted on a small scale stock shows and poultry shows in the hands of the boys of the neighborhood4 ,to this the girls too may come with any such thing as display specimens of their home sewing and fancy work1 house plants1 and the like4 ,in fact1 these exhibitions may gradually develop into a sort of neighborhood or township fair for the special benefit of the young4 ,to this display may be brought1 not only the items named immediately above1 but the larger variety of things mentioned in the chapter on the ,rural ,y4,m4,c4,a4 ,,the ,,improvement ,,of ,,the ,,school ,,situation ,rural leaders will nearly always find many opportunities for improving the local school situation4 ,but let the organizer keep unfailingly in view the high aims of all this rural work2 namely1 the awakening of a deeper interest in the affairs that normally belong to the neighborhood life1 and the fuller measure of joy and contentment to result from every such achievement4 ,so1 there may be undertaken the redirection of the work of the country school4 ,for example1 bring forces to bear upon it that will result in the introduction of the study of elementary agriculture and the simple elements of home keeping and home sanitation therein4 ,work for a better class of teachers and a higher salary payment4 ,endeavor to have the length of the school term extended and the school attendance made more regular4 ,institute a series of red-letter days for the school during the year4 ,it may be practicable to have a parents' day1 an occasion on which all will be invited to come out and join the pupils in a noonday lunch and learn more about the progress and the needs of the school4 ,provide a half-day for free and open discussion of school matters and if possible organize among the patrons a sort of boosters' club4 ,another form of endeavor in behalf of the schools is that of striving for improvement of the high school facilities of the neighborhood4 ,perhaps there is not a high school within riding distance of the homes4 ,cannot one be instituted1 say1 for the township8 ,or1 what can be done to improve the present neighborhood relations to the high school that may be already within reach8 ,is there a prohibitive tuition fee8 ,does the high school now in existence actually serve through its courses the best interests of young people who come in from the neighborhood8 ,again1 perhaps it would be feasible to organize the grown boys and girls who have dropped out of the country school into a neighborhood group and provide a daily conveyance for taking them to and from the town high school ,by this means1 many may be induced to go to school who are idling away the valuable winter months4 ,during the last decade1 what has been the trend of the young men and women who have gone from the home district to high school or college8 ,have any of the best of them returned to the farm8 ,or1 have these institutions been a means of sending them away as permanent city dwellers8 ,does this thing need to continue8 ,cannot some movement be instituted for bringing about a radical change8 ,so long as the country boys and girls attend the town high schools and there be required to take the old-fashioned classical courses--which have always served to introduce their minds to the city life and to the professional callings--the country districts will continue to be depleted of their best brains and energy4 ,,home ,,and ,,school ,,play ,,problems ,start a movement in the interest of better provided play opportunities for the children of the neighborhood4 ,the possibilities of enriching and extending the young life through the avenue of better play are just beginning to be understood4 ,we have always accepted the theory that young children must have some time to play1 but we have given little or no heed to the matter of providing for their play such apparatus as might furnish scientific contributions to the development of their characters4 ,make a brief inquiry throughout the neighborhood and you will perhaps find that not a single farm home has apparently given this matter any definite attention4 ,now1 what playthings may easily be provided in such homes8 ,after having determined that matter1 begin a campaign of education of the rural parents4 ,first1 write to the ,playground ,association of ,america in ,new ,york ,city and ask for a list of their literature on play4 ,from this source you will obtain pamphlets and larger volumes giving specific suggestions for installing rural play apparatus1 and details as to dimensions1 prices1 and the like4 ,now1 you are ready for work4 ,appeal to a centrally located family for their cooperation in establishing a model4 ,induce them to provide for their children a full set of the apparatus1 seeing to it that the expense is kept down to the minimum4 ,nearly all of the materials of construction are lying about the ordinary farm home and need only to be assembled and put into place4 ,once you have established your model home playground1 then invite your neighbors in to see it1 perhaps making a sort of picnic or holiday occasion out of the affair4 ,at any rate1 you may be sure that the parents of the neighborhood will begin at once to copy the models and many will even improve upon them4 ,along with your efforts there may be necessary a campaign of instruction and admonition in relation to the play of the children4 ,many parents may be working their small boys and girls too hard and allowing not enough time for play4 ,in this respect your persistent effort will in time show excellent results4 ,let us suppose that the farm home selected for the model playthings has at least one small boy and one small girl therein4 ,then1 the following might be set up3-- ,a swing1 a seesaw1 a sliding board or pole1 a pair of rings1 a trapeze1 and a horizontal bar4 ,have all under shade if possible4 ,provide also a small play wagon and a cart or two1 with a sand box for the small child4 ,inspect the district school in reference to play facilities and you may find nothing other than the bare ground with perhaps a baseball diamond4 ,here1 then1 is a rare opportunity for constructive work4 ,organize in your own way a boosters' club and provide play apparatus4 ,in ,chapter ,,viii you will find full details as to the equipment best suited for the purpose4 ,provide in every case that the expense be minimized4 ,nearly all of the apparatus may be constructed free of cost by interested persons in the home neighborhood or in the near-by village4 ,a ,,neighborhood ,,library ,another very enticing line of endeavor for the rural leader is that of establishing the country library4 ,some one in the neighborhood has a big house1 one room or more of which may conveniently be set apart for the purpose4 ,induce the owners of this house to clear up a room and remodel it1 if need be1 and make their home a sort of intellectual center for the district4 ,of course the schoolhouse or rural church may be available for the purpose1 but the farm home will be better for a great many reasons1 among them being the possibility of having the library open at all hours of the day so that books may be exchanged on the occasion of one's passing the place4 ,now1 go after the well-to-do residents of the district and gather a fund for the library4 ,paint in glowing terms the visions you have of this thing when it has been set on foot4 ,declare your purpose as that of helping and uplifting the community life4 ,show the close-fisted resident that the establishment of a neighborhood library will attract desirable settlers into the district and improve prices of land and produce4 ,after having obtained a small fund1 consult the best authorities for advice in selecting the books4 ,by all means avoid cheap stories and trash of every other sort4 ,since your work is in behalf of the young1 obtain a few attractive and instructive picture books4 ,there can probably be obtained a book which treats and illustrates fully the bird life of the local state1 giving a brief description and pictures in their natural color4 ,young people may be very much attracted by authentic books of the nature-study class1 including those descriptive of wild animals and of hunting and exploring tales4 ,consult the lists given under the chapter on the literature in the country home for additional titles and suggestions4 ,if it be found difficult or impracticable to purchase books for the neighborhood library1 then1 the next best thing will be the traveling library4 ,communicate with the state library association and learn definitely what may be obtained from that source4 ,then1 proceed to bring the best available volumes into the neighborhood4 ,in the selection of the library do not forget the local interest4 ,secure every attractive volume that will help to make the boys and girls acquainted with the best meanings of their own community life and more interested in staying by the home affairs and building them up4 ,not the least among the valuable elements of the neighborhood library will be the periodicals1 in the selection of which expert advice is recommended4 ,,holidays ,,and ,,recreation ,,for ,,the ,,young ,in an ably written article published in ,rural ,manhood of ,january1 #aiaj1 ,john ,r4 ,boardman1 ,international ,county ,work ,secretary1 says3 ,a new gospel of the recreation life needs to be proclaimed in the country4 ,rural ,america must be compelled to play4 ,it has to a degree toiled itself into deformity1 disease1 depravity1 and depression4 ,its long hours of drudgery1 its jealousy of every moment of daylight1 its scorn of leisure and of pleasure must give way to shorter hours of labor1 occasional periods of complete relaxation and whole-hearted participation in wholesome plays1 festivals1 picnics1 games1 and other recreative amusements4 ,better health1 greater satisfaction1 and a richer life wait on the wise development of this recreative ideal4 ,a brief survey of the neighborhood will doubtless show the lack of general method in dealing with the farm boys' and girls' holidays and vacations during the long summer months4 ,here1 then1 is apparent another field for constructive leadership4 ,in proceeding to change the present situation1 it may be well to gather a considerable list of authoritative statements like the one just quoted4 ,farm parents gradually fall into the habit of over-working their half-grown children4 ,now1 if we can institute a custom of weekly half holidays for the young people of the neighborhood1 a splendid work will be done in behalf of a higher community life4 ,begin work by selecting an attractive central location1 and plan that the young1 and the older ones1 too1 may come to this place one afternoon every week1 or at least two afternoons every month1 and have a good time generally4 ,games may be played1 local clubs may meet in the shade of the trees1 the sewing society and other groups of women having their interests served4 ,the farmers' clubs may have opportunity for helpful exchange of ideas1 while the little children may play and romp about the premises4 ,invite all to come early in the afternoon and bring an evening lunch to be enjoyed in common4 ,thus1 you may give the young people who regard their everyday work as drudgery1 such interest and inspiration as to tone up their lives noticeably for every hour of the long days of toil4 ,,many ,,over-,,work ,,their ,,children ,in connection with your efforts in behalf of the holiday or weekly picnic1 take up carefully the matter of the proper amount of work for the farm boys and girls of any given age4 ,you will find such willingness on the part of parents to do the right thing by their children and a proportionate amount of ignorance as to what ought to be done4 ,therefore1 you may be able to carry on most profitably to all a campaign of instruction in regard to such thing4 ,you will1 of course1 first make out as best you can with the aid of all available literature1 an ideal schedule of hours of work and play and recreation suitable for the boys and girls of the different ages4 ,at the holiday picnic it may be found advisable to organize the boys into a club of their own and the girls1 likewise1 for the promotion of their several and mutual interests4 ,inspire all with your earnestness and enthusiasm and lead them to consider the latent possibilities of the neighborhood1 of how it might be transformed into a place of great worth and attractiveness4 ,at the same country picnic1 look to the practicability of organizing into a club the tired mothers of the district4 ,they are many4 ,you will know them by their careworn looks4 ,create a sentiment in behalf of more frequent outings and more recreation for these women4 ,help them obtain literature relative to their own affairs1 to exchange ideas and plans in behalf of their own betterment4 ,show them especially the possibility of quitting the work at stated times even though that work be less than half finished1 and getting away from the tedium thereof--all in the interest of longer life for themselves and better service for their homes and families4 ,almost any sort of club which these mothers can be induced to attend will achieve the purpose desired4 ,,federation ,,for ,,country ,,life ,,progress ,federations for country-life progress are now arising in many parts of the country4 ,one of the first was organized in ,new ,england1 under the leadership of ,president ,butterfield4 ,the ,illinois movement may be described1 as an example4 ,the ,illinois ,state ,federation for ,country ,life ,progress is composed of nearly half a hundred subordinate organizations4 ,their platform of ten principles given below sets forth a number of most important and practical purposes1 as follows3-- #a4 ,local country community building4 #b4 ,the federation of all the rural forces of the state of ,illinois in one big united effort for the betterment of country life4 #c4 ,the development of institutional programs of action for all rural social agencies4 ,this means a program of work for the school1 another for the church1 another for the farmers' institute1 and so on4 #d4 ,the stimulation of farmer leadership in the country community4 #e4 ,the increase and improvement of professional leadership among country teachers1 ministers1 and all others who serve the rural community in offices of educational direction4 #f4 ,the perpetuation among all the people of country communities of a definite community ideal1 and the concentrated effort of the whole community in concrete tasks looking toward the realization of this ideal4 #g4 ,the recognition of the country school as the immediate initiator of progress in the average rural community of ,illinois4 #h4 ,the study and investigation of country life facts and conditions4 #i4 ,the holding of annual country life conferences4 #aj4 ,the protection of this federation and of all country life from any form of exploitation4 ,,the ,,vocations ,,of ,,boys ,,and ,,girls ,a most commendable work for the rural social leader would be that of showing the possibilities of guiding country boys and girls more scientifically in the direction of their coming vocational life4 ,too often1 there may be found a mistaken farmer who is attempting to force his boy to take up the farm life when as a matter of fact the boy is in no sense fitted for such vocation and should be trained for a distinctly different line of work4 ,then1 on another occasion1 you will meet a man who is farming simply because he has to do it1 and who is over-anxious that his boy be guided in the direction of something else4 ,the point especially to be emphasized here is that the parent cannot choose arbitrarily a vocation for his child4 ,the native interests of the latter must be consulted again and again1 while the child is growing up1 and in the end the young person must decide the matter for himself4 ,the world is full of wrecks of human character who are such largely because of the single fault of their never having been trained scientifically in a vocational way4 ,so advance as best you can the idea that parents must be most patient in awaiting the development of the various instincts and desires in their growing children1 and for the final decision of the latter in respect to a calling4 ,it should be made clear that many of the best and ablest men in the world floundered about not a little in deciding upon the final choice4 ,this very important matter of choosing a vocation for the young man and the young woman will be taken up in ,chapters ,,xviii and ,,xix of this book4 ,,other ,,local ,,possibilities ,it will be understood that the possibilities of church and ,sunday school work in a rural neighborhood are not intentionally slighted4 ,little is said in regard to them here simply because of the fact that there is a country-wide organization with well-directed local branches and with a flood of excellent literature constantly at work in building up the church and ,sunday school life4 ,the reader may be reminded1 however1 that this field still presents many excellent opportunities for serving the highest interests of the home community4 ,the matter of purely social gatherings for the boys and girls is important4 ,it will perhaps be found that they are running to cheap1 degrading dances1 either in the home neighborhood or in a near-by town4 ,if the rural leader can break this thing up and substitute a literary club1 a better form of social intercourse1 or any other gathering1 for the cheap dance and its resultant debauch1 the effort will certainly be most commendable4 ,it is not as a rule advisable to condemn and denounce these cheap affairs1 but rather to begin at once a movement in the interest of the better substitute4 ,just as soon as the latter begins to take form1 the young people will naturally discontinue their degrading affairs4 ,chapter ,,xiii of this book will offer a more extended discussion of the social problems of country youth4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xx4 ,,fig4 #bf4--;,an example of the little lonely school in the woods1 a problem of the social worker4 ,not enough children to stimulate one another properly in the lesson-getting and play activities4 ,,the ,,boy-,,scout ,,movement ,there is much to commend the boy-scout movement as a country organization4 ,it must be thought of as an educative institution4 ,in discussing its best meanings and possibilities1 ,professor ,e4 ,l4 ,holton1 of the ,kansas ,state ,agricultural ,college1 says3 ,education as used here means habits of health1 of work1 of thrift1 of observation1 and of research4 ,it is habit that determines the health of an individual and the sanitary conditions of a community2 the social and moral level of the worker and the quality of his work2 the returns from the farm and the ideals of the farmer2 a man's bank account and his insight into the secrets of his environment4 ,habit has its physical basis in the flesh1 the blood1 and the nerve cells4 ,there must be actual first-hand experience and leadership hitched up with text-book knowledge in educating the boy4 ,the old elemental instincts of adventure1 pugnacity1 gang life1 and following leadership must be taken into account and made to work out into life-compelling desires4 ,before attempting the organization of the local ,boy ,scouts1 one is advised first to send to the national organization and that of the state1 if there be any1 for literature and directions4 ,the only caution which it seems necessary to give here is that there be connected with the conduct of the organization some serious problems and requirements and that it be not given over exclusively to merely doing wild and daring stunts and hiking about the country4 ,,rural ,,boy-,,scouts ,,in ,,kansas ,as an example of what is being done by way of organizing the rural boy scout movement1 the ,kansas plan under the direction of ,professor ,e4 ,l4 ,holton is here given3-- ,the ,agricultural ,college ,council is organizing companies of ,rural-,life ,boy ,scouts in all parts of ,kansas4 ,the aim of the ,council is a company in every community4 ,there are #afj1jjj boys in ,kansas eligible to membership4 ,it seeks to encourage boys to learn the secrets of the prairies1 the streams and the forests1 and be able to read nature as well as books2 to have a growing bank account1 and to do some type of work better than it has been done by anyone else4 ,during the month of ,july or ,august there is to be a five to ten days' ,rural-,life ,camp of ,instruction in each county1 which is to be attended by all companies of the county4 ,this camp of instruction will be under the direction and management of the ,county ,council4 ,the program will consist of3-- #a4 ,games and athletic contests4 #b4 ,contest in judging farm crops and stock4 #c4 ,naming birds1 wild animals1 fish1 flowers1 trees1 shrubs1 etc4 #d4 ,reporting on the savings bank accounts4 #e4 ,contests in any other line of work carried on in the county4 #f4 ,talks on rural life subjects4 ,the duties of the individual scout are as follows3-- ,for the ,third ,class-- #a4 ,know by sight and call ten common birds4 #b4 ,know by sight and track ten wild animals4 #c4 ,know by sight five common game fish4 #d4 ,know in the fields ten wild flowers4 #e4 ,know by leaf1 bark1 and general outline ten common trees or shrubs4 #f4 ,know the sixteen points of the compass4 #g4 ,know the elementary rules for the prevention of typhoid fever4 #h4 ,plant and cultivate according to the latest scientific methods not less than one-half acre of some farm or garden crop4 7,the town boy may substitute a town lot47 #i4 ,own and care for according to the latest scientific methods some type of pure bred domestic animal4 7,this includes poultry47 ,value not less than #aj4 #aj4 ,maintain a bank account of not less than #ae4 #aa4 ,shall strive to graduate from the common schools4 ,for the ,second ,class-- #a4 ,know by sight and call twenty common birds4 #b4 ,know by sight and track twenty wild animals4 #c4 ,know by sight seven common game fish4 #d4 ,know in the fields twenty wild flowers4 #e4 ,know by leaf1 bark1 and general outline twenty common trees and shrubs4 #f4 ,know the elementary rules for the prevention of tuberculosis4 #g4 ,plant and cultivate according to the latest scientific methods not less than one acre of some farm or garden crop4 7,the town boy may substitute town lots47 #h4 ,own and care for according to the latest scientific methods some type of pure bred domestic animal4 7,this includes poultry47 ,value not less than #bj4 #i4 ,maintain a bank account of not less than #bj4 #aj4 ,read the books of the ,young ,people's ,reading ,circle for the eighth and ninth grades4 ,for the ,first ,class-- #a4 ,know by sight and call fifty common birds of ,kansas4 #b4 ,know by sight and track all wild animals of ,kansas4 #c4 ,know by sight all the common game fish of ,kansas4 #d4 ,know in the fields twenty-five wild flowers4 #e4 ,know by leaf1 bark1 and general outline all common trees and shrubs of ,kansas4 #f4 ,know by sight twenty-five common weeds4 #g4 ,plant and cultivate according to the latest scientific methods not less than two acres of farm crops4 7,the town boy may substitute town lots47 #h4 ,own and care for according to the latest scientific methods some type of pure bred domestic animal4 7,this includes poultry47 ,value not less than #be4 #i4 ,maintain a bank account of not less than #be4 #aj4 ,shall read at least two of a list of books on rural life4 ,the motto is3 ,know the secrets of the open country4 ,,references ,see ,rural ,leadership ,number of ,rural ,manhood1 ,june1 #aiaj4 ,play for the ,country ,boy4 ,clark ,w4 ,hetherington4 ,rural ,manhood1 ,may1 #aiaa4 ,the ,y4,m4,c4,a4 ,socializing the ,country4 ,farman ,s4 ,vance4 ,the ,independent1 ,april #ae1 #aiaa4 ,holiday ,plays4 ,marguerite ,merington4 ,duffield ,co4 ,suitable for rural leaders4 ,the ,county and ,local ,fair4 ,l4 ,h4 ,bailey4 ,the ,country-,life ,movement1 #aiaa4 ,this article contains many practical and stimulating suggestions for making a successful county fair1 on a new basis4 ,farmers' ,institutes for ,young ,people4 ,circular ,no4 #ii of the ,u4,s4 ,department of ,agriculture4 7,free47 ,this circular gives a large fund of details of all sorts of clubs and movements4 ,kindergarten at ,home4 ,v4 ,m4 ,hillyer4 ,baker-,taylor ,company4 ,n4,y4 ,contains much constructive work4 ,the ,young ,farmer's ,practical ,library4 ,edited by ,ernest ,ingersoll and published by ,sturgis-,walton ,company1 ,n4,y4 7#ge cents each47 ,contains some excellent matter4 ,the following volumes are included3 ,from ,kitchen to ,garret4 ,virginia ,t4 ,van de ,water4 ,neighborhood ,entertainments4 ,renee ,b4 ,stern4 ,the ,farm ,mechanic4 ,l4 ,w4 ,chase4 ,home ,waterworks4 ,carleton ,j4 ,lynde4 ,the ,satisfaction of ,country ,life4 ,dr4 ,james ,w4 ,robertson4 ,roads1 ,paths and ,bridges4 ,l4 ,w4 ,page4 ,health on the ,farm4 ,dr4 ,l4 ,f4 ,harris4 ,farm ,machinery4 ,j4 ,b4 ,davidson4 ,electricity on the ,farm4 ,county ,superintendent ,j4 ,f4 ,haines1 ,noblesville1 ,indiana1 has a fund of helpful data on agricultural fairs by young people4 ,the ,extension of ,industrial and ,agricultural ,education4 7,pamphlet47 ,extension ,department1 ,university of ,wisconsin1 ,madison4 ,children's ,singing ,games ,old and ,new4 ,mari ,ruef ,hofer4 ,a4 ,flanagan ,company4 ,chicago4 ,miss ,hofer is an authority of national reputation on the subject of play and games4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,how ,,much ,,work ,,for ,,the ,,country ,,boy ,over-work1 poor pay1 and little recreation are the agencies which annually drive thousands of good1 promising youths from the rural districts into the cities1 where their splendid native abilities for serving the world and society are most likely to become subordinated4 ,all too often it is a case of a young man leaving the home place1 surrounded by opportunities which he has not been allowed to avail himself of1 and going into a place where he will take up the monotonous round of merely holding a job4 ,in the former position1 under intelligent care and direction1 he might have grown into a strong1 self-reliant man1 full of resources1 endued with good purposes2 and at last have taken rank among those who are lifting the race to higher things4 ,in the position obtained in the city he is almost certain to find his surroundings badly cramped1 his spontaneity largely restricted1 and his power of initiative without a motive for its indulgence4 ,in short1 his city position will press him continually and insistently to the end that he reduce himself to a mere machine1 or a mere cog in a great machine4 ,,see ,,that ,,the ,,work ,,is ,,for ,,the ,,boy',s ,,sake ,one of the means whereby rural parents may assist their boy to develop into that fullness of life which the latter's native abilities and excellent environment guarantee him1 is to provide a scientific relation of the young life to the work which he may be required to perform4 ,first of all1 what is the proper way in which to regard the boy's work8 ,ordinarily1 the farmer is inclined to think of the work rather than the worker1 and to ask himself what he can put the boy at in order to make his services most profitable to the business4 ,now1 no evil intention is charged here1 but this erroneous point of view is almost certain to lead gradually to an abuse of the boy4 ,why not put the question in this way3 ,how much work and what sort of work will be most conducive to the boy's present development and to his future welfare8 ,the radical difference between the two positions may be readily seen4 ,and while the latter may be less profitable in form of material and monetary gain1 it will prove to be far more serviceable in the production of sterling manhood4 ,it is not an easy matter to determine offhand as to the amount of work a boy of any given age should perform4 ,conditions vary greatly4 ,the safest mode of procedure is to study the individual boy carefully4 ,let the parent first acquaint himself with the general principles of human development through the service of suitable literature1 as recommended in a former chapter4 ,then1 the boy's physical strength1 his aptitudes1 and his native interests should be taken into account4 ,among other aims1 seek that of a happy adjustment of the boy to his work4 ,some of the tasks required of him will be and should be somewhat irksome1 as a means of discipline4 ,on the other hand1 much of the work he does should be backed up by his hearty approval and good will4 ,it is probably true that no boy is instinctively fond of work and that the average boy must be held to his tasks whether he chooses to perform them or not4 ,but the final pleasant relations of the boy to his work can best be secured by means of counseling with him on the subject4 ,explain to the lad the fact that industry is the greatest factor in the world's progress and development4 ,point out to him instances of worthy men1 young and old1 who are faithful workers4 ,make him to see that he can the better become an honorable man through an intimate knowledge of labor4 ,point out to him instances of men who are failures in life1 and others who are criminals1 explaining--as statistics prove--that the majority of these delinquent persons were never trained during youth in the performance of any specific work4 ,show him if possible how even the wealthy person who has nothing important to do1 is a burden to himself and a menace to society4 ,,not ,,enforced ,,labor1 ,,but ,,mastery ,as stated above1 no natural boy probably takes up hard work willingly or voluntarily4 ,parents may as well accept it as their peculiar duty to direct and discipline their boys with required tasks4 ,but after considerable persistent and conscientious enforcement of the boy's labors the parent is almost certain to be rewarded with the latter's manifest willingness and fondness in doing what was at first thought of as pain and punishment4 ,it is a serious matter1 however1 to observe how many grown men there are who look upon their work with the dread and disfavor natural to little boys4 ,one is inclined to wonder at this and at the cause of it4 ,so far as can be learned by inquiry among workmen and those who dread their enforced labor1 their view of the situations is about as follows1 to render liberally the language of a stonemason-philosopher3 ,work is something no man is naturally fond of4 ,every worker would quit if he could afford to and take life easy4 ,if ,i had ten thousand dollars ahead1 ,i would never work another day4 ,of course somebody has to work or we should all starve1 but my advice to a boy is that he get a good education and thus learn how to make a living some other way4 ,here the parent who has true foresight in respect to his child's development is confronted with a serious problem4 ,it is not merely a matter of teaching the boy to work1 but rather that of teaching him to become master of his work in order that personal pleasure may finally come from the performance thereof4 ,so1 one must follow the boy most thoughtfully in the latter's initial steps toward satisfactory industry4 ,while it is sometimes advisable to take him forcibly back to the place where he failed and even to enforce obedience and effort with the rod1 it is most certainly the parent's duty to praise the small lad for his first light tasks well performed1 and otherwise to show appreciation thereof4 ,it took me a year to get this boy down to business1 said the proud father of a fifteen-year-old who had just won a second prize in a state-wide corn-raising contest4 ,during the summer of his sixth year ,i took him with me into the field on occasions when he could do something light and learn from it4 ,but my chief plan was to train him in garden work4 ,i gave him a small plot to tend and helped him lay it out and plant it4 ,at first he showed great interest1 but ,i knew that it was of the playful kind and that it would soon wane4 ,sure enough1 in a short time he was dodging and slighting his garden work4 ,then1 ,i began a more definite method4 ,at morning ,i would instruct him very carefully what he must do for the day1 and at each evening ,i required him to compare results and instructions with me4 ,punishment was necessary more than once1 but slowly he began to catch my point of view4 ,i bought the boy's first spring radishes for table use and permitted him to spend half the money4 ,this seemed to open his eyes4 ,later ,i paid him for his other produce4 ,during the second season ,i emphasized such matters as carefulness in selecting seed and the arrangement and cultivation of the garden produce4 ,several of the neighbors expressed surprise and delight when they saw the attractive garden4 ,this merited approbation was noticeably effective4 ,since that time ,i have had little trouble4 ,i can give that boy any ordinary farm problem to-day and he will work it out most enthusiastically4 ,he has learned the joy of mastery in his work4 ,the foregoing somewhat lengthy statement is given with the thought that it may furnish illustrative material to others4 ,it is a mistake to keep driving boys to their work just because they ought to do it1 as one stern father put the matter4 ,but it is altogether fair and advisable that a series of rewards be offered4 ,the youth must be made to feel that his work is to serve some worthy personal end4 ,this well-trained boy's reward came gradually as follows3 7#a7 parental approbation4 7#b7 a money return4 7#c7 the praise of the neighbors1 7#d7 the joy of self-reliance and mastery4 ,,provide ,,vacations ,,for ,,the ,,boy ,it is unreasonable to expect the growing boy to have the same vital interest in the work as that of his parents4 ,the wise father will see to it that his youthful son has some outside incentive for work1 as well as money payments and words of praise4 ,vacation periods and holidays judiciously placed will prove a splendid tonic for the working boy's mind4 ,the schedule given below will indicate the relative amount of time that should be given to such recreative indulgences4 ,even in the matter of holidays there is a tendency of some fathers to regard them as so much stock in trade to exchange for the boy's extra effort4 ,so1 some farmers will map out more than a reasonable week's work and say1 ,now1 boys1 finish that up by ,saturday noon and you may quit4 ,in such case we have mere exploitation of the boy's strength and energy in the interest of the work and the profits4 ,the scheme will fall flat sooner or later and leave the boy still despising the work and mistrustful of his employer4 ,the plan pursued by a prosperous farmer in dealing with his two sons may serve to illustrate a very good method4 ,this thoughtful father reports substantially as follows3-- ,the work on our place is never ended1 but whenever ,i find that the boys need a vacation they get it just the same4 ,they are fourteen and sixteen and splendid help during the summer4 ,i never permit them to work more than ten hours a day1 while they are allowed a full half day off each week to use as they please1 and about once each month they have an entire day to themselves4 ,also during the hot weather in the middle of the summer they have from three days to a week for some special outing4 ,last summer they camped out five days with some other good boys4 ,it is my theory that the boys who are given such vacations will do more work and do it better than those who are not4 ,the foregoing plan may seem to sacrifice the interests of the work1 but in fact it really does not4 ,after all1 it is merely a question of the right point of view4 ,is the boy for the sake of the work1 or the work for the sake of the boy8 ,answer the question conscientiously for yourself1 dear reader4 ,and may the boy be forever the gainer6 ,a ,,tentative ,,schedule ,,of ,,hours ,obedience may be regarded as a pre-requisite for successful boy training4 ,so1 the first light tasks required of the small lad will be intended as merely a means of training him to obey and to feel the meaning of responsibility4 ,no one has thus far seemed to think it worth while to attempt to prescribe for the work and play of children4 ,how different in the case of the school requirements6 ,even in the district schools the thing is reduced to a system--both the quantity and the quality of the work necessary for each age and grade are carefully scheduled4 ,now1 why not the same forethought in planning the necessary amount of the other exercises8 ,and why not have this scheme made out by highly trained experts as is the case with the school course8 ,there seems to be no plausible defense for this traditional expensive oversight on the part of society4 ,the schedule below is offered as merely schematic and possibly suggestive4 ,in any given case there may be wide departures from it4 ,but the thought is that of training the whole boy1 and that for the sake of his own and society's future good4 ,age #d or younger4--,may be taught the nature of a required duty from being sent on an occasional small errand about the place4 ,practically all the time should be given to play4 ,age #e4--,use substantially the same methods as for age #d1 but add the requirement of one regular light task daily and follow him up in the performance of it4 ,age #f4--;,continue as above1 adding to the required tasks slightly4 ,if the lad now be taken to the field1 he must go more in the spirit of play than of work4 ,of course he will learn much about farm matters at this age1 but his activities will be largely spontaneous4 ,note the plan reported above4 ,age #g4--;,at this age1 the boy should be required to do light chores at evening after school--such as carrying in wood and kindling and attending to the stock4 ,or he may help in the house4 ,during vacation he may help for two to four hours daily with some easy tasks1 preferably about the house4 ,of course there is much work about the barn and fields which is not too heavy for him4 ,age #h4--,some boys are put to plowing at this age1 but such a thing is little short of criminal4 ,moreover1 they should be held regularly to no sort of work all day long at this age2 that is1 unless the parent desires to reduce his boy to a little old dried-up man before the age of twenty is reached1 and perhaps drive him from home4 ,age #i4--;,intermittently half-day or all-day tasks may now be imposed2 provided the lad be taken along as a mere helper and may1 about two-thirds of the time1 either play at his work or regard it in the light of a playful pastime4 ,do not work the joyousness and spontaneity out of him at this young age4 ,age #aj4--;,an average of five hours solid work per day is all that the #aj-year-old farm boy should be required to do4 ,much play and recreation of the rougher sort should supplement it4 ,the desire to construct something with tools is now strong and should be indulged4 ,or1 see that he has a pony to ride as he hurries about the place in the performance of his many errands4 ,age #aa4--;,increase the required tasks about one hour per day with similar treatment as for age #aj4 ,this is the age for training the boy to be a sort of page in service of his mother and sister4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxi4 ,,fig4 #bg4--;,a tennis court in connection with the country boys' camp4 ,there should be more of these4 ,,fig4 #bh4--;,a country play festival4 ,we cannot answer rightly the question1 ,how much work for the country boy8 and at the same time neglect to provide for his play4 ,age #ab4--,many #ab-year-old boys are required to do a man's work every day4 ,but such a thing is done in the interest of the work and the profits and not for the sake of the boy4 ,a good way to measure his worth at this age is to see that he does not earn more than half as much as the full-grown man4 ,give many half-holidays4 ,his interest in fishing1 rowing1 swimming1 and the like1 needs much indulgence4 ,age #ac4--;,from this age to #ae1 watch the boy for the beginning of adolescence and be unusually careful not to over-work him4 ,most of his bodily strength must go into making new bone and muscle4 ,frequent intervals of rest and relaxation should be the rule1 together with avoidance of too long and too heavy a day's work4 ,even permit some crops to be lost rather than abuse the boy4 ,age #ad-af4--,this is the time to begin to interest the boy in working to serve his own ends4 ,his social instincts will now appear strong and he will desire many new possessions not hitherto thought of4 ,therefore1 adjust his work to these new interests and lead him to feel as much as possible that he is working for his own advantage4 ,there is still danger of over-work4 ,so see to it that rests and vacations with opportunities for social experience are frequent4 ,it is a matter for parental concern if the farm boy be not able to return to his labors at the beginning of each new day with freshness of spirits and overflowing energy4 ,,think ,,out ,a ,,reasonable ,,plan ,finally1 the farmer is urged to take up the matter for consideration early and make out what seems a reasonable plan of relating the boy to his work1 and then to adhere persistently thereto4 ,it has been charged repeatedly that the typical well-to-do farmer works his wife and children hard all day and until late bed time in the evening2 that heavy chores are piled upon the boys after they have already worked overtime in the field2 that they are routed out at four o'clock every morning1 when they go half asleep and moaning to their work again4 ,if the foregoing accusation be at all true1 its truth must certainly be the result of carelessness and ignorance of human rights1 and not premeditative inhumanity and criminality as it seems to be6 ,the reading of good farm literature1 together with some intensive study of books and periodicals on the care and management of children--these will most certainly prove corrective agencies of some of the abuses named herein4 ,,references ,standards in ,education4 ,arthur ,h4 ,chamberlain4 ,chapter ,,iii1 ,industrial ,training3 ,its ,aim and ,scope4 ,american ,book ,company4 ,child ,labor and the ,republic4 ,homer ,folks4 ,national ,child ,labor ,committee1 ,n4,y4 ,teaching the ,boy to ,work4 7,pamphlet47 ,wm4 ,a4 ,mc,keever4 ,published by the author1 ,manhattan1 ,kansas4 ,half ,time at ,school and ,half ,time at ,work4 ,f4 ,p4 ,stockbridge4 ,world's ,work1 ,april1 #aiaa4 ,an interesting experiment at the ,university of ,cincinnati4 ,care of the ,child4 ,mrs4 ,burton ,chance4 ,chapter ,x1 ,the ,awkward ,age4 ,penn ,publishing ,company4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,how ,,much ,,work ,,for ,,the ,,country ,,girl ,imagine a wedding scene in a rural home4 ,the only daughter1 a young woman of ideal age for marriage1 is joining her heart and her hand1 for weal or for woe1 to those of a young man of suitable character4 ,but strange and unexpected as it may seem1 there are many tears on the part of the immediate relatives of the girl4 ,her parents are manifesting the strange emotion of solemnity at a time when gaiety might be expected4 ,why is it8 you ask4 ,the whole situation has an interesting and inspiring history4 ,it is simply this3 ,during all her years the parents of this girl have watched her grow up1 through infancy1 childhood1 maidenhood1 and finally into the full maturity of a woman2 and every stage of her growth has been carefully safe-guarded by them4 ,they have made the home life and the home work serve her needs and purposes in a most beautiful and instructive manner4 ,they seem to have attempted at all times to put into their daughter's life just such experience as would become a helpful part of her growing character4 ,and what a reward6 ,what a splendid satisfaction to the worthy parents to be able to contribute to society such a product of their affectionate care and training6 ,a ,,balanced ,,life ,,for ,,the ,,girl ,should we follow it out1 the biography of the good young woman mentioned above would teach many a valuable lesson to the parents of other girls--would teach them that a growing girl has her specific needs and her inherent rights1 which must be provided for by her parents through the proper kind of directing and caretaking4 ,a certain amount of restraint1 of work1 of play1 of recreation1 of social experiences1 of practice in self-dependence1 of opportunity for service of others--yes1 a certain amount of all these things must be conscientiously supplied for the life of the growing girl so that she may develop into a well-rounded character4 ,parents are not accused of intentional wrong to their daughters4 ,such cases are rare4 ,the chief sins against the daughters of the rural homes are the sins of neglect1 of indifference1 and of ignorance as to what were necessary to be done4 ,so what we may accomplish in this chapter is1 first to arouse parents to an appreciation of the seriousness of the problem before them2 and second1 to offer some specific aids to the better achievement of the task of bringing up a girl to the rural home4 ,it is a well-established principle in plant propagation that certain nutrient elements must be present in the soil before growth will go on properly4 ,it does not satisfy the needs of the plant for some of the chemical substances to be present in large amount if the others be absent4 ,there must be a sort of balanced ration for the vegetable life4 ,similarly in case of that tender plant of the household1 the young girl2 she can be kept alive on work and study alone1 but for beautiful and symmetrical growth other elements of character-nourishment are necessary4 ,what are they8 ,the reader is referred to ,chapter ,i for a general list4 ,the hurry of work and the isolation of the ordinary country home tend to foster an over-serious disposition in girls4 ,there is too little to provoke a smile and not half enough practice in smiling4 ,laughter is also too infrequent4 ,a boy may grow up habitually stern and sedate and yet be able to fight his way through a successful manhood4 ,but with the girl it is different4 ,her habit of smiling and of being pleasant and agreeable may prove to be one of her most valuable charms4 ,so1 the early and continuous training of the girl in sociability must be considered among the parental duties to her2 and that by encouraging her to be sociable at home and by providing that she have frequent companionship with others of her age4 ,,work ,,begins ,,with ,,obedience ,one of the initial steps in the training of a child is that of securing a willing obedience1 a habitual performance of required tasks and duties4 ,it may prove an easy matter to drive the girl to the work4 ,but how about the problem of teaching her to take up her daily tasks willingly and with a joyous heart8 ,girls are little different from boys at this stage of their education4 ,they do not take naturally and fondly to work4 ,they will slight and neglect it4 ,worse than that1 if untrained in faithfulness to household duties1 they will lounge about the place or run much in society and allow their mothers to work themselves slowly to death--and scarcely seem to realize what is taking place4 ,similarly as in case of the boy1 some forcing1 some rebuke1 and occasional punishment will be necessary to initiate the girl into the work habit4 ,but shortly obedience and willingness will come1 and with them a deeper consciousness than is manifested in her young brother4 ,after that1 the danger of over-work will soon begin to be apparent to the watchful mother1 and be guarded against4 ,habit formation is a prominent factor in the first lessons of obedience in work4 ,it will be highly advisable to start everything right4 ,after a few instances of slighting one kind of work or expending too much energy upon another kind the young character begins to take on these faults permanently4 ,many women scrub floors and wash dishes unto their death4 ,others perform these endless tasks quite as well in a jiffy and go on their way singing4 ,why is this8 ,is it not a matter which the mother should think about most seriously in relation to the training of her daughter8 ,,working ,,the ,,girls ,,in ,,the ,,field ,is there any justification for requiring a girl to work in the field with the men and boys8 ,many girls are doing so1 whether required or not4 ,careful consideration of the matter seems to bring out a few suggestions4 ,the farm girl while a child under ten years may accompany the father or the brothers into the field and there be permitted to do some light work occasionally1 provided she regard it in a semi-playful way4 ,on very rare occasions1 when older1 she may be rightfully called on to drive a rake for a day or take some similar part of the work in order to help prevent the loss of a valuable crop4 ,but the practice followed by some farmers1 of often requiring their daughters to do a man's work in the field1 and excusing the fault with the thought that it is for the sake of laying up wealth for her future enjoyment--that is abominable and should be prohibited by law4 ,among other objections1 it is probably most hurtful to the young woman's pride and self-respect to be forced to perform farm labor4 ,and then1 during such time as she works in the field her much needed opportunities for the practice of the womanly arts and refinements are slipping away4 ,of course we should not take away from the country-reared woman the poetic sentiment about the days of her childhood when she helped rake the hay and drive the cattle home1 just for fun4 ,,some ,,specific ,,suggestions ,it is difficult1 of course1 to lay down specific rules here1 because every case is a special one4 ,but nearly all intelligent parents can easily determine whether or not they are fair to their girls4 ,it would seem reasonable that in addition to the affection and interest properly bestowed upon her in the home1 the daughter should have at least the same measure of value--money value--put upon her work as is the rule with the hired helper4 ,certainly no worthy parent would ask her to work for a smaller sum4 ,too many of these good1 promising girls are cramped and limited in their lives until the self-pride is crushed well-nigh out of them4 ,often such young women will be seen moping about in a stooped attitude of body1 stiff and awkward in their manners1 lacking in self-confidence and in that beautiful grace and ease of movement which mark the well-developed young woman of twenty years4 ,all of this is more or less indicative of parental disregard and mistreatment--indicative that some one has cheated her out of the time that should have been allowed for rest and recreation and social improvement and given her in exchange an over-amount of grinding toil and enforced seclusion--all for the sake of the work and the profits4 ,it is a singular fact that so many country mothers make no provision for throwing extra safeguards around their young daughter during the monthly period of physical drain and weakness4 ,it could probably be shown that her lowered vitality and the increased susceptibility to fatigue at this time make almost complete rest and relaxation highly advisable4 ,it is also most probable that the strain of work and the exposure to inclement weather1 so often allowed during the monthly period1 are the incipient causes of life-long weakness and disease4 ,,do ,,you ,,own ,,your ,,daughter8 ,there are still not a few parents who are possessed of the old-fashioned idea that their children belong to them1 that they have a proprietary right in their own sons and daughters4 ,just now there is thought of a father who is intelligent1 in many ways above the average man1 but who seems to regard his twenty-three-year-old daughter as a sort of chattel4 ,being a widower1 he needs her services1 so he would employ her at the least possible wages1 or none1 to take charge of the home1 rear the two or three smaller children1 and cook and keep house for himself and three or four hired men4 ,the best excuse that may be offered for this man's attitude toward his daughter is sheer ignorance of the true meaning of the situation4 ,but such treatment of a mature daughter is little short of cruelty4 ,this young woman should have every possible opportunity just now to prepare herself for the future4 ,her conduct for the present may even have the appearance of being somewhat selfish in order that her future well-being and that of those dependent upon her may be safe-guarded4 ,further details of the foregoing case need not be given4 ,the issue to be made out of it is this3 ,the parent who is doing the fair and square thing by his daughter not only trains her to work and then safeguards her life against an over-amount of work1 but he also sees to it that the labor she performs is contributive to her enjoyment1 to the strengthening of her character1 and to the perfection of her life for the future4 ,parents are justified in using every possible means as contributory to the future well-being of their growing daughters1 and all this for the sake of the generations yet unborn4 ,thus1 perhaps without realizing the fact at all1 the former may return to the race life that measure of assistance which they themselves received4 ,,difficult ,,to ,,make ,a ,,schedule ,it is difficult to make out a schedule of hours for the growing girl as we did for the boy1 but the former chapter may be taken as a general guide4 ,as with the boy1 so with the girl1 the first step in discipline is that of securing a willing obedience4 ,then the tasks may be assigned in accordance with the girl's age and strength4 ,there is no good reason for attempting to get work out of the child through a make-believe policy of play4 ,children had better be made to understand from the first that the world we live in is constructed largely through work2 and that labor is honorable and may even be made pleasurable4 ,i should rather do the work myself than be bothered with trying to get the children to do it1 is a very common expression1 and one which indicates an erroneous idea of the problem we are considering4 ,so long as parents put their children at the tasks merely for the sake of getting the tasks done1 the children will suffer as a consequence4 ,but if the thought of the child's need of the discipline coming from work be uppermost1 then1 the results are likely to be wholesome4 ,,teach ,,the ,,girl ,,self-,,supremacy ,one of the greatest problems of the future of the race is involved in the fact that many thousands of the best young women in the land--young women who are well fitted to be the mothers of a better race of human beings than we now have--are choosing an independent calling for themselves4 ,it is the author's belief that one of the most tragic experiences known to any considerable portion of the ,american people is this gradual starvation of the maternal instinct usually necessary in the case of the well-sexed young woman of the class just mentioned4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxii4 ,,fig4 #bi4--;,an industrial exhibit in a country school4 ,if the boys and girls could enjoy frequently the refining experience of having their work observed by approving eyes1 their appointed tasks would seem lighter4 ,and yet much of this fatal choice of an independent vocation on the part of many young women doubtless results from bad management of the growing girl4 ,in too many country homes especially1 the work is complete master of the housekeeper and not the converse1 as the case should be4 ,as a result1 thousands of good women who ought to be in the pink and prime of life are going pathetically to the only rest which the conditions seem to allow--the grave4 ,it is an awful thing1 this wreck of so many good lives through over-work4 ,under such conditions1 may we reasonably censure the many young women who foresee such a fate as a possibility for themselves and avoid it through choice of an unmarried life and independent support8 ,girls are more readily enslaved to work than boys4 ,it is comparatively easy to teach a young woman to work1 but it is an extremely difficult matter to teach her when and how to quit work4 ,here1 then1 is the point whereat we would center the attention of the parents of the country girl4 ,make her mistress of her work4 ,develop in her by actual concrete lessons the ability to stop and rest or take recreation at the necessary time1 even though the work be not half done4 ,,summary #a4 ,give the girl a trifling daily task at four or five years of age1 merely for the sake of discipline4 ,see to it1 however1 that her young life be occupied chiefly in play and enjoyment and outdoor recreation4 #b4 ,gradually increase the amount of work required1 but always with an eye single to the girl's physical growth and character-development4 ,some definite thing to do as a regular daily requirement will prove most helpful4 #c4 ,continue throughout the daughter's growing years to provide for her pleasure4 ,her schooling1 her personal belongings1 her social advantages1 and the like1 must all be made to serve the purpose of making her life in the home a happy one4 ,as she grows in strength and years1 she will assume the increased amount of work with willingness and even with pleasure1 provided the assigned duties be vitally related to her present purposes and her life interests4 #d4 ,moreover1 country parents must learn to think of themselves as first of all engaged in bringing up their children for a better human society2 and secondly1 as engaged in farming and housekeeping4 ,if this point of view be held to persistently1 the crops may often suffer and the housework frequently remain unfinished1 but the vital interests of the boys and girls will continue ever to be served4 #e4 ,finally1 let us continue to appreciate the value of outings and vacations as potent factors in relieving the drudgery of work about the country household4 ,women's work in the country home naturally calls for much isolation and seclusion4 ,the pre-adolescent girl should be taken out of the farm home once or twice per week during the summer vacation4 ,it is good for her to go with her mother to the town market and to the women's club meetings4 ,as soon as she enters young womanhood1 a square deal for the girl who helps in the home will call for a weekly outing of some kind and a careful provision for her social needs4 ,all of this outside intercourse will serve to quicken the body and the intellect of the girl as she goes daily about the household duties1 and to give her ,thoughts that on easy pinions rise ,and hopes that soar aloft to the skies4 ,,references ,the author has been able to find little printed matter of worth on the important problems outlined in this chapter4 ,the industrial training of the country girl is a neglected subject4 ,it seems to have been taken for granted that she needed none4 ,sex and ,society4 ,w4 ,i4 ,thomas1 pp4 #adi-age1 ,sex and ,primitive ,industry4 ,university of ,chicago ,press4 ,shows in outline the emancipation of women from the bondage of work4 ,growth and ,education4 ,john ,m4 ,tyler4 ,chapter ,,xii1 ,manual ,training ,needed for ,girls4 ,houghton ,mifflin ,company4 ,mind and ,work4 ,dr4 ,l4 ,h4 ,gulick4 ,chapter ,,ii1 ,the ,habit of ,success2 also ,chapter ,,xiii1 ,the ,need of ,adequate ,work4 ,doubleday1 ,page ,company4 ,motive for ,work4 ,margaret ,e4 ,schallenbeyer4 ,annual ,report ,n4,e4,a4 #aijg4 ,wallaces' ,farmer4 ,des ,moines1 ,iowa4 ,weekly4 ,this periodical prints many articles1 editorial and contributed1 which discuss the subjects treated in the foregoing chapter4 ,the ,mother of the ,living4 ,mrs4 ,catherine ,barton4 ,published by the ,author4 ,kansas ,city1 ,mo4 ,the ,girl ,wanted4 ,nixon ,waterman4 ,chapter ,,viii1 ,the ,purpose of ,life4 ,forbes ,co41 ,chicago4 ,life's ,day4 ,william ,l4 ,bainbridge1 ,m4,d4 ,chapter ,,viii1 ,the ,irresponsible ,age4 ,frederic ,a4 ,stokes ,company4 ,n4,y4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,social ,,training ,,for ,,farm ,,boys ,,and ,,girls ,we have been exceedingly slow in realizing the social needs of our children1 in the usual instance depending on chance conditions to determine the matter for us4 ,the city and the rural communities present a striking contrast in this respect4 ,it does not seem possible that both can be right1 while there is much to support the opinion that both are wrong4 ,that is to say1 in the city community the majority of the children are allowed to spend too much time in the company of others4 ,as a result1 they take on social manners and customs in a mere formal way and by far too early for the good of their character-development4 ,the city ripens young life too fast4 ,it produces the manners and refinements of adult life before the child becomes matured mentally4 ,in the ordinary rural community there is not enough social experience for the young2 and hence1 a certain amount of crudeness1 awkwardness1 and lack of refinement tend to linger permanently in the character4 ,a ,,happy ,,mean ,,is ,,needed ,what seems necessary1 therefore1 is the establishment of a social life which will be a compromise between the excess of the city and the deficit of the country4 ,so far as can be learned1 very little has been achieved in the matter of establishing just such a social order in the rural communities as will tend to develop the lives of the boys and girls in an ideal1 symmetrical way4 ,we may not feel very certain as to just how this ideal juvenile society should be constructed4 ,nevertheless1 an attempt will be made to sketch in this chapter a working plan therefor4 ,some may see fit to adapt it1 while others may improve it through practice4 ,what especially needs to be thought of in the development of any normal young life is the problem of rounding out the character on all sides4 ,there are certain fundamental character-forming experiences and disciplines1 such as work1 play1 recreation1 and social intercourse4 ,many parents seem to be possessed of the idea that they can develop their children through play and social training alone4 ,others seem to believe that hard work and plenty of it is all that is necessary for the development of a substantial character in the young4 ,still others appear to allow their boys and girls to roam at will and to indulge them only in the recreative experiences4 ,but how indefensible the idea that anyone should try to find permanent joy and satisfaction through recreative experiences without first having had as their counterpart the experience of work and the responsibilities that pertain thereto6 ,so1 again1 it may be contended that there is a happy mean between the over-work and the absence of social experience so common in the farming communities and the lack of work and the extreme social excitement that so often obtains in the life of the city child4 ,a ,,social ,,renaissance ,,in ,,the ,,country ,there is becoming more and more apparent the necessity of not only a revival of the social life in the country1 but also the demand for its reconstruction4 ,it is especially to be desired that the reorganization be effected under the guidance of sound principles of psychology and sociology4 ,that is1 it must be based on the fundamental fact of the sex instinct so prominent during the adolescent period1 and the further fact of the imperative demand at this time for a large amount of social intercourse4 ,how differently this point of view persistently held will shape the matter as compared with the older ideal of merely giving the young folks a good time6 ,yes1 the social life of adolescent boys and girls has its source in the sex instinct then so predominant4 ,it is not therefore to be viewed as a piece of superficial sentimentality1 but rather as a profound law of nature4 ,as suggested by two or three of the preceding chapters1 there may be organized a social center in the church1 or other such centers may develop independently through the leadership of some mature persons4 ,but instances of this class of effective organization are as yet few and far between4 ,meanwhile1 the young are growing up and their present social needs are very pressing4 ,individual farmers cannot wait for neighborhood movements2 and so the parents of the children requiring the social life must themselves take the initiative in the matter4 ,,conditions ,,to ,,guard ,,against ,before proceeding to a detailed outline of various plans for supplying the social needs of rural young people1 it may be well to point out a few of the pitfalls to be guarded against4 ,in reference to the latter1 it is not the purpose to advise parents to try to place their children in an exclusive social set4 ,far from that4 ,the purpose is rather the converse2 namely1 to urge parents to attempt to build up good1 clean characters in their boys and girls and yet permit the latter to mingle freely with common humanity4 ,an aristocracy in the towns and cities is bad enough and a thing wholly out of harmony with the best and highest interpretation of our national life2 but an aristocracy in the country neighborhood is an abomination4 ,but while the so-called best families must think of their young as growing members of the entire social community and not as belonging to an exclusive set1 there is nevertheless great need of constant watchfulness in respect to certain evils that always threaten the lives of farmers' sons and daughters4 #a4 ,the social companionships of girls4--,of course it must be admitted that there is frequently present in the country neighborhood some vile or wicked young character whose influence is very pernicious4 ,on one occasion this person may appear in the guise of an exemplary young man1 smooth in manners1 stylishly dressed1 and apparently interested in the best affairs4 ,but as a matter of fact1 he may be secretly an agent for some infamous institution in the city4 ,the records show that thousands of country girls have been enticed away to the cities by such characters only to meet an untimely and awful fate4 ,the parents of the country girl should therefore know who the young man is with whom she keeps company4 ,usually it is a comparatively easy matter to test his worth4 ,if he have no fixed local attachment in a home1 and no permanent business relations in the community1 he may be regarded with suspicion at least1 and may be compelled to furnish evidence of his moral integrity4 ,another type of the young country man unworthy of the company and companionship of the young woman is the one who is known by the men of the community as being habituated to the use of vile and indecent language1 or to the practice of drinking intoxicants4 ,if such be among his known characteristics1 the evidence is decidedly unfavorable1 making him unsuitable as a social companion of the country girl4 ,it is reasonable to predict that he will never change his ways very radically1 and especially that he will not develop into a desirable life companion for the daughter4 ,some good parents make the fatal blunder of allowing their girl to keep company with such a coarse-grained young man simply because he is so good hearted1 and means well1 and the like4 ,to say the least1 a depraved social taste will gradually develop in the girl's life if she continue in such company4 ,another contamination for the country girl sometimes results from the depraved young woman who has drifted into the neighborhood4 ,the girl herself will be in the best position to detect such a type1 as the latter will be marked by her coarse manners when in the presence of the girls1 and by her practice of discussing obscene matters in private conversation with them4 ,this is the situation in which the innocent young girl's mind may become forever poisoned and her wholesome faith in humanity entirely too much unsettled4 #b4 ,bad companionships for boys4 ,similar warnings as those given above need to be sounded with reference to the young country boys1 and others as well4 ,farm boys are necessarily much in the company of men of very common tastes and low ideals4 ,they hear not a little evil conversation and profanity1 as it is used by such men4 ,as a result1 there will be need of much constructive teaching at home4 ,admonitions1 warnings1 and advice will be necessary4 ,in every instance it is well for the parents to remind the boy of the great interest they have in his welfare1 of how deeply he may grieve them by taking up any of the evil practices in question1 and of the high ideal which they hold in mind for his future4 ,farm parents will need to keep up an intimate and frank exchange of ideas with their youthful son on the general subjects discussed in this chapter4 ,they may ask him to repeat all he has heard and to relate all he has seen1 good and bad1 they then offering their corrections and admonitions4 ,the especial danger is that the boy may acquire evil forms of speech1 pernicious ideas for his secret thoughts1 and a too low estimate of the worth of humanity4 ,the vile companion is especially inclined to make the youth believe that there is no purity of character among girls and women--a most lamentable state of mind for a boy or a man of any age4 ,the boy in the country is not only very much in danger of having his mind contaminated by the evil speech and the evil misinformation mentioned above1 but there is always the possibility of his being enticed by some older and depraved companion into the company of evil women4 ,strange to say1 there are a few men who seem to plan deliberately this form of downfall for innocent boys and to regard the success of their vile plot in the light of a mere joke4 ,it is perhaps a fault of society that such men are permitted to run at large4 ,and it is especially the fault of fathers if such men keep company with their boys4 ,no matter how excellent the family history1 how well-born the boy may be1 and how carefully he has been admonished1 there is always some danger of his yielding to an evil sex temptation--a situation which the parent should always be watchful about and ready to meet4 #c4 ,secret sex habits4--,it is probable that country boys are more prone to secret perversions of their sex life than are city boys4 ,the enforced solitude of the former and the increased opportunities for such secret evil may be accountable for the difference4 ,in any event1 there is necessity of constant watchfulness1 and that especially until the son has reached comparative maturity of the physical body4 ,the danger is at its height at the beginning of the adolescent period1 fourteen to sixteen years of age4 ,but the preparation for meeting the possible sex perversion should be begun very early and consist in frank talks and admonitions4 ,the small boy's questions about the origin of life must be answered frankly but only to the extent of imparting to him enough information to satisfy his present curiosity4 ,thus to satisfy his childish curiosity will prove a means of counteracting the evil influences of the bad companionships referred to above4 ,then1 the youth needs to be shown some instances of the ruinous effects of sex perversion in boys and men1 together with the inculcation of the idea that any such evil practice will cut off the possibility of his realizing the high standards of moral character set for him4 ,it is well also to remember that prevention of the boy's misuse of his sex life is comparatively easy and that cure is extremely difficult4 #d4 ,the so-called bad habits4--,when we speak of the bad habits among boys and men we are inclined to think of swearing1 smoking1 and the use of intoxicants4 ,without thought of defending the practice of profanity1 we may say that it is often acquired in an innocent fashion and that it ordinarily implies no conscious or intentional evil4 ,that is1 it is usually not so bad in its actual analysis as it sounds to the listener4 ,moreover1 it is a habit which many boys take up and afterwards discontinue when once they have set up for themselves high standards of manliness4 ,with juvenile smoking the case is different4 ,without the thought of offending the adult smoker or defending adult smoking1 we may say with a high degree of certainty that the use of tobacco is extremely hurtful to growing boys4 ,it weakens and deranges the organic processes1 leaves its deleterious effects in the throat1 eyes1 and lungs1 and breaks down the natural constitutional defense so essential in time of such diseases as pneumonia and typhoid fever4 ,on the mental side1 tobacco lessens the boy's ability to study4 ,very wide investigations have shown that the habitual smokers among school boys rank low in scholarship2 that they are prone to fail in their classes and quit the schools2 that almost none of them take high rank as students4 ,the moral effects are even worse4 ,in times of temptation the young boy who smokes is more inclined to yield and to choose the worse form of conduct instead of the better4 ,he lacks especially that fine sense of inner worth so necessary for the one who would succeed in arousing his own moral courage sufficiently to withstand the temptations that naturally beset young life4 ,the rural parents will not of course despair about the boy or turn against him should they discover that he has secretly become confirmed in the use of tobacco4 ,there are still possibilities of his development into a substantial character2 but because of his smoking the problem becomes a much more involved and difficult one4 ,all that has just been said in reference to tobacco may be emphasized many fold in respect to intoxicants4 ,to allow a growing boy to begin the use of intoxicating drink in any form seems to be wholly indefensible4 ,however1 if there are open saloons in the adjoining town or city1 even the best country boys are always somewhat in danger of taking the first false step4 ,rural parents must not be satisfied with the thought that their boy is too good to take up such a thing2 they must be assured that he is not doing so4 ,now1 the only way to obtain such assurance is by means of keeping in intimate touch with the boy and his movements--by knowing when and where he goes1 why he goes there1 and whom he meets in the various places visited on his rounds4 ,thus1 he may be saved from a life of debauch and degradation1 and that by means of providing carefully that he reach his full maturity of mind and body without any knowledge of the taste of intoxicating drinks4 ,a ,,center ,,of ,,community ,,life ,as explained in a number of preceding chapters1 there are being carried out several plans for bringing about a social awakening in the farm districts4 ,some of these are succeeding admirably1 especially the county ,y4,m4,c4,a41 and in a few instances the rural church4 ,but presumably there are many thousands of country districts wherein these helpful agencies will not be found for many years to come4 ,so1 in the following lines there will be an attempt to furnish detailed methods and suggestions to rural parents who are under the necessity of assisting their own children in a social way4 ,the discussion thus far has been of a somewhat destructive order4 ,now1 something of a constructive nature will be offered4 ,the first essential in the awakening of a clean social life for the young is a center of effort4 ,if there be no church or clubhouse of any kind within easy access of all1 then the farm home may be made use of for this service4 ,there are many advantages in the common country home as a social center for the young1 among them being the probable presence of some sympathetic parent to offer guidance and to keep down unbecoming conduct4 ,,invite ,,the ,,young ,,to ,,the ,,house ,so1 if country parents are really in earnest about doing something to develop their own children in a social way1 let them throw open their own homes for the purpose4 ,in a certain ,iowa home this thing was done in an admirable manner4 ,let the father tell the story in his own language3-- ,for years we had a room in the house which we called the 'parlor4' ,it contained some expensive furniture which the members of the family scarcely ever saw1 as the place was usually kept closed up and dark4 ,why we reserved such a dark1 musty room for the 'special company' that came two or three times each year1 ,i do not know4 ,at any rate1 we decided to make the place useful4 ,in remodeling the house we enlarged it to #af by #bj feet in size and added one very large window4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxiii4 ,,fig4 #cj4--;,an agricultural and domestic science club in ,oklahoma4 ,without being so named1 it is also distinctively a social club1 and a splendid socializing and refining agency4 ,here we made a society room for the young people of the neighborhood4 ,extra chairs were obtained1 also a large new stove and fixtures for gaslights4 ,there were also some simple wall decorations and a small library and reading table4 ,that was two years ago4 ,since then our two boys and two girls have given many parties in that room and no one has got more enjoyment out of the affairs than their parents4 ,we feel as if that room was the best investment we ever made4 ,not nearly all anxious parents may be so situated as to follow the excellent plan described above1 but it is certainly worthy of a trial by all who can avail themselves of its benefits4 ,best of all1 the young people in whose behalf this thoughtful endeavor is put forth will most certainly grow to maturity confirmed in the belief that the country life is not lacking in its social enjoyments4 ,,how ,,to ,,conduct ,a ,,social ,,entertainment ,in giving a social entertainment to the young people of the country1 there are a few simple yet common matters to be observed4 ,first of all1 there is the frequent tendency toward reticence or backwardness4 ,it will be remembered1 of course1 that the object of the occasion is not merely passing amusement for the young1 but also that of furnishing some means of character-development4 ,in fact1 the author wishes that every chapter of this book be thought of as contributing something toward the building up of young lives4 ,so1 in case of the home party1 it will be necessary to see that every one present takes some active part4 ,the bashful youth who is merely permitted to sit by and look on will go home secretly displeased1 if not much pained1 at his own backwardness4 ,he may even fail to appear again on such an occasion1 and thus the availability of a most helpful agency be permanently lost to him4 ,it is not therefore so much a question of the dignity and importance of the games played as it is a question of the active engagement of every one present in the amusements4 ,much will depend on leadership4 ,an able leader will have the group organized before the several members realize what is being done4 ,an expert student and director of young people was seen on a certain occasion to take charge of a party of forty boys and girls ranging in age from fifteen to twenty years4 ,these were quickly placed standing in two parallel lines of twenty each4 ,each side was given a dish of unhulled peanuts and asked to engage in a contest of passing the nuts down the line one at a time1 from hand to hand1 the one at the farther end of the line placing the nuts in a receptacle4 ,this simple game broke the ice for the entire evening4 ,after that it was easy to keep the entertainment going4 ,the supervisor of the social affair is advised to discourage all games that tend to an over-amount of silliness and that allow for undue familiarity of the sexes4 ,there is1 however1 a dignified form of fun and merriment quite as enjoyable as the baser sort4 ,and1 too1 the leader of the evening need not be reminded of the many little opportunities for inculcating wholesome lessons in dignified manners4 ,many a green and awkward country youth is started on the way to salvation through the courteous treatment he receives from some older and much respected person4 ,simply to treat him as if he were a dignified young gentleman amounts to inciting him to put forth his greatest effort to make a show of manliness4 ,a close student of young nature will often observe that merely to address such a youth as ,mister ,so-and-,so causes him to straighten up and try to look the part4 ,the hostess and guide at the rural party of young people will err not a little if she feels under the necessity of preparing a banquet or even a heavy luncheon for the occasion4 ,something as simple as a light drink and a wafer or two will be quite enough4 ,the object of the refreshments is not merely to feed the young people to the point of stupefaction1 but rather to give physical tone to support the vivacity of all4 ,,what ,,about ,,the ,,country ,,dance ,unless the country dance can be radically reformed1 it must be very strongly advised against4 ,there is something about this occasion as usually conducted which seems to invite coarse characters and disreputable conduct4 ,the country dance has so often been the scene of vice1 drunkenness1 and other such evils as to have received a permanent stigma of cheapness4 ,the only seeming possibility of making a success of it is by the method of inviting a very exclusive set to attend1 and this thing is so suggestive of aristocracy and snobbishness as to cause not a little ill feeling in the neighborhood4 ,under present conditions the country dance cannot be so managed as to make it contribute to the social and moral uplift of country young people4 ,there are many better forms of entertainment which may be substituted for it4 ,along with the country dance should be rated the cheap professional entertainments that are so often given in the country school houses4 ,many of these are not only degrading but are morally evil in their suggestions1 while they tend to give the young a depraved taste in respect to public shows and theaters4 ,the school trustees may well exclude all such shows from the building4 ,,additional ,,forms ,,of ,,entertainment ,the farm parents most desirous of leading in the young people's entertainments1 and best fitted to do so1 may find it impracticable to invite the young into their home4 ,in such case1 there are several other ways whereby the desired ends may be achieved4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxiv4 ,,fig4 #ca4--;,a rural scene in ,canada1 where the church and the school are situated together4 ,the large barn in the background is significant4 ,much of the daily thought and conversation is centered here4 #a4 ,the social hour at the religious services4--,it is deemed quite advisable that those who plan the religious service in the country have thought of a social hour in connection therewith4 ,the latter may prove fully as helpful in a constructive sense as the former1 and it can in no wise detract from the value of the religious meeting4 ,this combination of events is already being successfully tried in a number of places4 ,for example1 at the mid-week evening service1 there is given first an hour to the prayer meeting or the discussion of the religious topics and the church work4 ,after that1 the scene is changed into one of clean1 wholesome amusement with the special thought of giving the young people social entertainment and training4 ,it has been found that this very method of uniting the religious and social service under a carefully planned program sometimes more than doubles the attendance4 ,of course the first essential for the success of such a meeting is that an able leader be in charge of it4 #b4 ,a country literary society4--,in times gone by the country literary society has played a mighty part indirectly in the building of the nation4 ,many a statesman or leader of the people has received his first aid and inspiration at the little old country literary and debating society4 ,there is no good reason why this same general form of society might not continue to do its effective work4 ,however1 in its best form1 there will be some additions to the old procedure of merely debating the important public questions4 ,the program makers may well have in mind the ideal of bringing out every form of talent latent among the young of the community4 ,it is especially advisable that every young attendant be given an invitation to do the part of which he is most capable1 and that he be urged to do it4 ,it is quite possible to arrange a program upon which only the ablest and most capable young persons of the neighborhood may appear4 ,but such would be a violation of the best purpose of the society2 namely1 not merely to provide a first-class entertainment1 but an entertainment which shall bring out the greatest possible variety of talent and awaken interest and enthusiasm on the part of every member4 ,then1 let the motto of the ideal country literary society be1 ,something worth while for every member to do4 ,the old-fashioned country society1 like the older public school1 was too narrow4 ,it touched life and awakened interests in only a few places4 ,the old school tested a boy in the three ,r's and geography4 ,if he did well in these1 he was smart4 ,if he failed in the traditional subjects1 he was branded as a dullard and crowded out of the school1 although in respect to some other untested activities he may have been a slumbering genius4 ,so with the primitive literary and debating society2 debating and speaking pieces were practically the only numbers on the program and usually only the ablest were allowed to appear4 ,ordinary talent in debating and reciting and all manner of promising talent in other lines was allowed to slumber on in the lives of many of the young people in attendance4 ,now1 it is practically a certainty that every member of the young literary society can perform a part very acceptably1 provided the discerning leader know what that part is4 ,and best of all1 the bringing out of such talent means the awakening of many other splendid interests among the youthful members of the community1 and finally the development of moral courage and other forms of manliness and womanliness4 ,now1 to come to the point of a social result1 the so-called literary entertainment can easily be made up in two parts1 the literary and the social2 and there should be set apart an hour for the latter4 #c4 ,the social side of the economic clubs4--,in many instances1 there will be organized boys' corn-raising or crop-improvement clubs1 and with them country clubs of the girls interested in household economy4 ,these club meetings may be made the occasion of not a little social improvement4 ,the boys and girls may meet at the same hour and place1 and after the business has been disposed of there may be a coming together in a social way4 ,such arrangement is highly advisable for two reasons4 ,first1 it will certainly increase the membership of the clubs2 and1 second1 the social instincts of the young people may be suitably indulged4 ,,some ,,concluding ,,suggestions ,the leader interested in the foregoing plans may again be reminded of the necessity of instituting a social organization of such a nature as to touch all the young lives in the neighborhood4 ,the rules and regulations governing the society should therefore be drawn on broad and liberal lines1 not forgetting the great possibilities of awakening slumbering interests and aptitudes1 and of building up a social community that will draw young people to it4 ,if one will take the time to drive for a hundred miles in a direct line through the farm districts1 as the author has done1 he will be not a little surprised at the striking contrast in the social conditions of the various neighborhoods passed through4 ,in one instance he will be told that there is absolutely nothing present to invite the young--a dull1 dead place with perhaps many run-down farms and farm homes to keep it company4 ,he will learn that the young people of such a community are running off to some neighboring town where many of them find a cheap and degrading class of entertainment4 ,but the next adjoining neighborhood may present a converse situation4 ,one will be told that the young people are happy and contented there1 that they have frequent meetings of their social clubs and other forms of organization2 most probably the appearance of the neighborhood will be likewise much better than that of the other one mentioned4 ,attractive homes1 well-kept roads and hedges1 and other evidences of prosperity will meet one's view4 ,in one district visited1 the author found that this better situation had an interesting history and that it was nearly all traceable to a quarter of a century of public-spiritedness of one man4 ,this resident had settled upon a quarter section of good land4 ,while he was reconstructing his own home and its surroundings into a place of attractiveness1 he was continually engaged in awakening the entire neighborhood in behalf of better things4 ,he had led out in establishing a well-attended ,sunday school in the district1 had been instrumental in instituting regular preaching service there twice each month1 had led the entire neighborhood out on more than one occasion for a day's work in improving and beautifying the school grounds1 had been the organizer and director of the country literary society1 and of more than one club of farmers and their wives4 ,during all this time he was correspondent for one or two county papers and used every occasion for advertising the home community4 ,all together1 it was a most commendable and far-reaching service which this one man performed for his own neighborhood4 ,so1 it may be said that wherever there is one inspired leader in a country community1 there is life4 ,finally1 it may be urged that the biggest thing in the rural community is not the big crop of corn or wheat or the excellent breeds of live stock4 ,important as these things are1 the great concern of the community should be the development of sterling character in the lives of the growing boys and girls and the cleanness and integrity of the personalities of every one within the neighborhood limits4 ,to that end let this social center ideal be actualized1 becoming a place toward which the thoughts of all will go frequently and fondly during the hours of care and toil4 ,let it be made a place the thought of which will forever impart a full measure of good cheer1 of contentment1 and of honest courage to the mind of every member of the society thereabout4 ,let it be a place so ordered and arranged that things sacred and divine may reach down to the things often thought of as very commonplace and mean1 and exalt the latter to their true and proper place4 ,lastly1 let it be earnestly desired and planned for that every heart in the rural district shall be rekindled with a living fire of enthusiasm in behalf of the general improvement--of interest in the things that are high and divine1 and of affection and good will toward all in the community4 ,let some local resident rise up as leader and bring this order of things to pass1 and the social experiences of the young people will naturally become of such a nature as to develop them into men and women of great worth and efficiency4 ,,references ,wider ,use of the ,school ,plant4 ,clarence ,arthur ,perry4 ,chapter ,,ix1 ,social ,centers4 ,charities ,publication ,committee1 ,n4,y4 ,chapters on ,rural ,progress4 ,kenyon ,l4 ,butterfield4 ,chapter ,,xiv1 ,the ,social ,side of the ,farm ,question4 ,university of ,chicago ,press4 ,development and ,education4 ,m4 ,v4 ,o',shea4 ,chapter ,,xiv1 ,problems of ,training4 ,houghton1 ,mifflin ,company4 ,social ,control4 ,edward ,a4 ,ross4 ,ph4,d4 ,chapters ,,vii and ,,viii1 ,the ,need and ,direction of ,social ,control4 ,macmillan4 ,the ,girl ,wanted4 ,nixon ,waterman4 ,forbes ,co41 ,chicago4 ,a wholesome and cheering book for girls4 ,confidences4 ,edith ,b4 ,f4 ,lowry1 ,m4,d4 ,forbes ,co4 ,plain1 helpful talks regarding the sex life of girls4 ,see the excellent editorial article1 ,forces that ,move ,upward1 ,farmer's ,voice1 ,june #ae1 #aiaa4 ,causes of ,delinquency ,among ,girls4 ,falconer4 ,annals ,american ,academy4 ,vol4 #cf1 p4 #gg4 ,democracy and ,education4 ,dr4 ,j4 ,b4 ,storms4 ,annual ,volume ,n4,e4,a41 #aijg1 p4 #fb4 ,the ,efficient ,life4 ,dr4 ,l4 ,h4 ,gulick4 ,chapter ,,iii1 ,life ,that is ,worth ,while4 ,doubleday1 ,page ,company4 ,the ,ideals of a ,country ,boy4 ,a4 ,d4 ,holloway in ,rural ,manhood1 ,may1 #aiaj4 ,why ,not ,education on the ,sex ,question4 ,editorial article4 ,review of ,reviews1 ,january1 #aiaj4 ,report of ,vice ,commission of ,chicago4 ,chapter ,v1 ,child ,protection and ,education4 ,guntorf-,warren ,printing ,co41 ,chicago4 ,the ,spirit of ,democracy4 ,charles ,fletcher ,dole4 ,chapter ,,xxix1 ,the ,education for a ,democracy4 ,crowell ,co4 ,the ,education of the ,boy of ,to-morrow4 ,a4 ,d4 ,dean4 ,world's ,work1 ,april1 #aiaa4 ,prize essay4 ,college and the ,rural ,districts4 ,w4 ,n4 ,stearns4 ,education1 ,april1 #aiaa4 ,the ,boy ,problem4 ,educational pamphlet ,no4 #d4 ,society for ,sanitary and ,moral ,prophylaxis1 ,n4,y4 #aj cents4 ,treats ably the question of social purity4 ,genesis4 ,a ,manual for ,instruction of ,children in ,matters of ,sex4 ,b4 ,s4 ,talmey1 ,m4,d4 ,practitioners' ,publishing ,company1 ,n4,y4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,the ,,farm ,,boy',s ,,interest ,,in ,,the ,,business ,the theory that the boys and girls who grow up in the country must in time become settled in farm homes of their own has neither logic nor psychology nor common sense to support it4 ,it is never a question of whether or not a boy will take up the work of his father1 but whether or not he will find at length the true and only calling for which his nature is best fitted4 ,if the parents of the country boy will keep the latter question clearly in mind1 many a problem in the latter's rearing will be made much easier4 ,in order to break the monotony of the style of expression1 much of this chapter will be addressed somewhat directly to the father of the country boy4 ,,what ,,is ,,in ,,your ,,boy8 ,if a man should come suddenly into possession of a piece of land having a productive soil1 one of his first questions in regard to the soil would be1 ,what will it best grow8 ,farmers blundered and starved along for generations in an attempt to make a first-class farm produce the wrong crops1 or to produce the right crop through the wrong manner of treatment2 and this simply because they used methods of tradition and guess rather than those of science4 ,now apply the foregoing situation to the boy problem1 if you will4 ,so long as we attempt to secure from him the wrong results and deal with him by wrong methods1 we are likely to conclude that there is nothing in him4 ,therefore1 in order to act intelligently and helpfully in the matter of giving the young son a business relation to farm life1 it is first necessary to determine1 as far as may be possible1 the bent of his mind1 remembering that the great artist1 the great writer1 or the great captain of industry is just as likely to be born in the country home as elsewhere4 ,in fact1 we shall learn in time1 much to our advantage1 that there must be a careful sifting process which will result in sending some of the country-bred young men directly to their important places in the city1 and some of the city-bred youths to the rural industries4 ,,much ,,experimentation ,,necessary ,the one who undertakes to develop a boy's interest in business affairs has really before him a problem in experimental psychology4 ,many of the youth's best aptitudes are necessarily still slumbering and unknown to either himself or others4 ,the fundamental steps preparatory for a successful commercial venture on the part of a young man are comparatively few but none of them can safely be omitted4 ,they are as follows3-- #a4 ,willingness to work4--,in this connection1 perhaps something will be recalled from ,chapter ,,ix4 ,we may at least be reminded of the difference in the attitude of mind of the boy who regards labor as a painful necessity and the one who enjoys a willingness to work4 ,so long as the youth feels as if he were driven to his tasks there is little hope of arousing his interest in the business side of it4 ,his mind will continue too much on the problem of avoiding work and on ways and means by which to get something for nothing4 ,there is probably a period of dishonesty in the life of every normal youth4 ,following the dawn of adolescence there is a great wave of new interest and new meaning coming to him out of the business and social world4 ,the world is so full of interesting enticements4 ,everything looks to be good and within easy reach4 ,he is especially prone to accept material things at their advertised value4 ,he spends his dimes for prize boxes thought to contain gold rings and other such finery4 ,his quarters and half dollars frequently go in payment for the valuable things offered free for the price of the transportation1 the purpose of this tempting gift being simply for the sake of introducing the goods4 ,but it is well to see the boy safe through this period of allurement4 ,so long as the world seems to hold out so many highly valued things which may be had for a trifle the youth will see little need of his working to obtain them4 ,so1 attend him in his efforts to get something for nothing4 ,permit him to be stung a few times and thus teach him how and where to look for the sting4 ,finally1 impress him with the thought that every material thing worth while represents the price of somebody's honest labor4 ,at length he will see the reasonableness of industry and settle down with a purpose of making his way through life by means of honest endeavor4 ,you now have the youth so far on his way to successful business undertaking4 #b4 ,ability to save4--,all healthy boys are naturally inclined to be spendthrifts4 ,saving a part of one's means is a fine art acquired only through judicious practice4 ,it is assumed that the young son is being reasonably paid for certain required tasks4 ,so the next duty is to see that he saves a part of his earnings4 ,for the purpose of this training in saving1 a toy bank may be procured2 or he may be directed in depositing a small weekly sum in a penny savings bank4 ,still another way is to teach him to keep a book account of his earnings1 giving him due-bills for the amounts withheld from his wages4 ,there is one small business practice1 the importance of which for the boy is too frequently overlooked2 that is1 the practice of carrying a small amount of change in his pocket4 ,he must learn to use his money thoughtfully and not merely on every occasion of his being allowed to have it4 ,he must acquire the habit of self-restraint in the use of money4 ,to do this is to learn to spend judiciously4 ,to have reached this stage of financial training is a sufficient guarantee that the youth is proceeding well on his way toward success in business enterprise4 ,,start ,,on ,a ,,small ,,scale ,then1 give your growing son as wide a variety of experience in work and in watching business affairs as the situation will permit of4 ,during the process of this mental growth help him to make a small investment in something that will grow and increase under his intelligent care4 ,let us assume that your specialty is a certain strain of corn or a certain breed of cattle4 ,if the boy shows an interest in this matter1 start him in at an early age1 say ten to fourteen1 on his own account4 ,give him in exchange for his work a small plot of ground on which to grow corn1 perhaps with a view to his later entering the boys' contest for a prize4 ,or1 help him to get a small beginning in the cattle business4 ,but in case the lad shows no interest in your business1 do not let the matter seriously trouble you for a moment4 ,simply continue to give him his general education1 including the best school course available and a training in the performance of work as well as the judicious use of the spending money that may come into his hands4 ,careful study of the boy may indicate to you that his aptitude for business runs in the direction of something to which you are giving little or no attention but to which you may in time bring him4 ,there is the case of a successful wheat raiser who discovered his son's fondness for thoroughbred cattle4 ,so the boy was carefully started on a small scale in the business of raising short-horns4 ,to-day that son is known far and wide as an able specialist in this line of stock breeding4 ,now1 if the father in this case had done as thousands of other farmers are still doing2 namely1 if he had attempted to force the boy1 against the latter's natural inclination1 to take up wheat raising or any other undesirable business1 then1 the son would have most probably skipped off for the city and secured a fourth-rate place for the mere wages it would bring4 ,some day this tragic1 oft-repeated story of mismanagement and misdirection of the growing boy will come out in all its distressing details4 ,,give ,,your ,,son ,a ,,square ,,deal ,deal with your young son on business principles from the beginning4 ,do not hastily and unwisely give him a piece of property that will have to be taken from him in the future because of its having grown into a disproportionate value4 ,this old form of mistreatment of the country boy has been the means of thwarting the business integrity of many a promising youth4 ,if the boy's small beginning develops under his care into a business of large proportions1 the only check or hindrance that the ethics of the case will allow is that you treat with him on fair business terms1 just as you would with any good business man4 ,you may cause him to bear all his own personal expenses and all the expense connected with the care and development of his live stock or crop4 ,then the matter of curtailing him must stop4 ,and if the son soon becomes able to buy you out1 it is certainly an affair to be proud of1 not a thing to hinder by unfair means4 ,,keep ,,the ,,boy',s ,,perfect ,,good ,,will ,it is a serious matter to lose the boy's confidence or in any way break faith with him1 even though there be nothing about the place in which you can make him take a business interest4 ,as he grows to maturity his own inner nature must gradually guide him into the way of a calling--and a divine calling at that it may prove to be4 ,it may not seem out of place to quote the words of a religious teacher who says3 ,do you not know that if one's inner nature points out clearly and inspiringly what he should undertake for a life work1 such thing may be regarded as the ,voice of the ,divine ,one speaking faithfully through the instrumentality of one of his own creatures8 ,so it may prove at length that you will have to sell a load of corn in order to set up in the garret of your house a miniature art studio of some kind for your young son4 ,or1 perhaps you may have to establish a small machine shop as an adjunct to the barn or wood shed1 wherein the budding genius may blossom into that beauty of manly power and efficiency which all the world is glad to admire4 ,out of just such a wise indulgence as that last named a certain ,kansas boy finally became enabled to revolutionize the old farm home and the work done there through the installation of an excellent motor power plant4 ,electric light for the house and barn1 power for operating feed grinder1 washing machine1 grindstone1 fanning mill1 and many other such machines--all this has resulted from the rightly directed work of a youth who could have easily been driven to the city into some treadmill of mere wage earning4 ,but1 occasionally the boy will prove himself a versatile character1 succeeding in a measure in every line of small business to which you introduce him1 yet showing a marked success in none4 ,in such case the advisable thing to do is to continue his general education for a longer period than is necessary for the boy who shows an early inclination toward a given line of work4 ,,some ,,will ,,be ,,retained ,,on ,,the ,,farm ,it is admittedly desirable1 all things fairly considered1 that many of the very best boys remain on the farm and help develop rural life into what it should be4 ,hence the necessity of finding a way to interest such boys in some of the many business affairs connected with the farm home4 ,perhaps there is no better way to develop the lad's interest in the affairs of the place than that of allowing him to participate in the practical business transactions as the conditions may allow4 ,let the parents take him to the store1 the bank1 and other such places for the benefit of his experience4 ,send him in with the produce with authority to sell and to invest a part of the proceeds in whatever the family may need4 ,the father should have the boy with him when selecting and buying machinery or live stock at public sales4 ,send him to the bank with checks or drafts to be deposited or collected4 ,give him an opportunity to keep the family accounts1 or at least to keep his own recorded in a book4 ,the ordinary farmer can think of more ways than the foregoing whereby to give his growing son the needed experience in money matters4 ,the best result of such practice is that if there be anything in connection with the affairs of the farm in which the boy will have a native interest this aptitude will be discovered2 and it can then be made the basis of the young man's introduction into a successful participation in some practical business4 ,the boy's permanent calling is seriously involved in this discussion4 ,on page #bgi of this book will be found a description of three methods of vocational training4 ,,the ,,awakening ,,often ,,comes ,,from ,,without ,parents who find it difficult to arouse the farm boy's interest in any part of the home business may sometimes easily secure the desired result by sending the youth away on a trip to the county fair or other such place4 ,as a means of stimulating boys in respect to some kind of productive home industry the ,oklahoma ,agricultural and ,mechanical ,college instituted a school of agriculture for country youths at the state fair4 ,each organized farmers' institute and each county superintendent was asked to send one boy4 ,a large tent was furnished by the college4 ,this served for a lecture and display room during the day and a boys' sleeping room during the night4 ,at the first session #abb boys attended1 coming from #eg counties4 ,the lectures covered such subjects as farm crops1 veterinary science1 track and field athletics4 ,the displays at the fair were used for illustrative matter4 ,so far the results of the school have been reported most favorable4 ,an increasing number of boys throughout the state are making preparation for it4 ,,an ,,awakening ,,in ,,the ,,south ,it is most encouraging to observe the changing ideals of business and industry now in progress throughout the nation4 ,the many vocational-training schools and the increasing attendance at the mechanical and industrial colleges bear witness of this fact4 ,the ,american ,negro1 ever a faithful laborer1 is now being taught in such institutions as ,tuskegee and ,hampton1 not only to perform some honest work well but also to plan and prepare for a business of his own4 ,the son of the southern planter is becoming more and more imbued with the new spirit of efficiency through personal industry4 ,on this matter a member of the faculty of the ,louisiana ,agricultural and ,mechanical ,college says3 ,it is a mistake to think that the best of the country youth of the south are continuing in the old-fashioned ideal of becoming mere gentlemen of culture and leisure4 ,in #aiaj there were nearly #ej1jjj boys living in a dozen of the southern states1 who astonished the entire country with their achievements in corn-raising4 ,they ranged in age from fifteen to eighteen years4 ,at the national exhibit held in ,columbus1 ,ohio1 one hundred of them showed an average yield of #acd bushels of corn to the acre4 ,this corn-growing practice is under the direction of the national government1 and is more than a big1 exciting contest1 it is a splendid course in rural home education4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxv4 ,,fig4 #cb4--;,a group of coming ,kansans4 ,every boy pictured here carried away some sort of prize at a state corn show4 ,we have at this college hundreds of young men from the plantations and they are intensely interested in working out the industrial problems that pertain to their own home affairs4 ,i have been surprised at their eagerness to get into the soil and to do the mechanical work connected with their studies4 ,all over the south there seems to be an awakening among the boys and young men1 of an interest in the industrial and commercial problems of the plantation4 ,the farm papers and the educational magazines in the southern states give much evidence of this same sort of awakening4 ,the farmers' and planters' organizations1 the local improvement and school betterment clubs1 and many other movements1 are giving both incentive and direction to the country youths who are at all inclined to find an interest in the home affairs4 ,the rural parents who desire outside aid in arousing their boys' interest in the home business may well seek such assistance by bringing the latter into closer touch with one of these progressive organizations4 ,,partnership ,,between ,,father ,,and ,,son ,after the farmer's son has fully settled upon his father's business as an ideal one for himself1 there may be brought to the latter a gradual relief from the worry of details1 and that through a partnership management4 ,a4 ,g4 ,hulting1 ,jr41 of ,geneseo1 ,illinois1 thus describes such a plan of cooperation in a letter to ,arthur ,j4 ,bill1 the agricultural writer3-- ,we have #afj acres of land in the farm4 ,my father owns the land4 ,i do the work1 provide all the labor1 horses1 and machinery1 and we have an equal interest in the live stock and we share equally in the net returns4 ,other terms of cooperation have proved successful4 ,in many cases1 the son rents all or a part of the place on terms similar to those allowed the outside renter2 excepting that he is usually given the advantages of free board and the use of the home conveniences4 ,in all such business transactions between father and son it is highly advisable that the contract be carefully drawn in writing4 ,the verbal contract is proverbially a trouble maker1 and that even among relatives4 ,,summary ,,and ,,concluding ,,suggestions #a4 ,not nearly all promising youths can be encouraged to take a vital interest in the father's business4 #b4 ,in case the boy cannot be induced to take a permanent interest in anything on the home farm1 he may at least have much practice in the transaction of the small business connected therewith4 #c4 ,the ability to work willingly1 the ideal that an honest living is to be earned through personal effort1 and the practice of saving a part of the weekly or monthly earnings--these will give any boy an excellent start on the road to success and affluence4 #d4 ,deal with the young son on business principles from the first1 seeing that he shares reasonably in the losses as well as in the gains4 ,although his interest in any chosen line of work may not become vital till he makes some money out of it1 hold him persistently in line during the lean years and thus allow him to learn the excellent lessons of failure4 #e4 ,it may prove unfair to the members of the family to permit one of the sons to secure control of the business of the home farm4 ,some pathetic instances of this kind have really occurred4 ,for the sake of the peace and well-being of all1 such an occurrence must be prevented by careful forethought4 #f4 ,on the other hand1 in case where the boy has started with a scrawny pig or through renting a piece of the home place1 and1 after dealing fair and square with all1 has come into possession of considerable property of his own1 do not wrest it from him or in any way take advantage of his minority4 ,such a youth will in time most probably reflect high credit upon the family4 #g4 ,finally1 the farm parent needs to be warned against the possibility of developing his son into a mere money-maker4 ,such is a poor standard of success4 ,the man whose only aim in life is merely to prosper financially is a poor citizen of any community4 ,teach the boy to succeed in his business ventures1 but at the same time imbue him with the thought that his money wealth must be regarded as so much opportunity to help build up the community1 the state1 and the nation4 ,teach him that financial success is worthy of the name only when it is linked with social efficiency4 ,,references ,again we find the field of literature treating the subject directly an exceedingly scant one4 ,in forming a business partnership with his son the farmer should be guided by well-tried precedent4 ,a letter of specific inquiry to one of the leading agricultural papers will most usually bring a helpful reply4 ,a ,first ,lesson in ,thrift4 ,horace ,ellis4 ,psychological ,clinic1 ,march #ae1 #aiaj4 ,industrial ,education for ,rural ,communities4 ,annual ,volume ,n4,e4,a41 #aijg1 p4 #dab4 ,the ,child's ,sense of the ,value of ,money4 ,dr4 ,william ,e4 ,ashcroft4 ,s4,s4 ,times1 ,july #bd1 #aiji4 ,psychology and ,higher ,life4 ,william ,a4 ,mc,keever4 ,chapter ,,xiv1 ,the ,psychology of ,work4 ,a4 ,flanagan ,company1 ,chicago4 ,industrial ,education4 ,various ,authors4 7,pamphlet1 #be cents47 ,the ,survey1 ,n4,y4 ,industrial ,education4 ,kimball4 ,no4 #a1 ,educational ,monograph ,series1 ,school of ,education1 ,cornell ,university4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,business ,,training ,,for ,,the ,,country ,,girl ,during a two-hour ride on a railway train the author had as a seat companion a sixty-year-old farmer and stock raiser1 whose specialty was that of raising mules for the market4 ,and what of definite information this good husbandman possessed about the long-eared beast of burden would fill a volume of considerable size4 ,he knew just what time of year the mule should be foaled1 when weaned1 when broken to the halter and to work2 how to feed and groom a mule in order to get the best physical growth2 how to train the animal so as to develop all the latent good qualities and repress the bad ones4 ,after the natural life history of the faithful mule had been carefully reviewed by the rural companion the conversation was turned to the subject of girls4 ,had he a daughter8 ,yes1 twenty-two years old4 ,what did she know about money and the common affairs of business8 ,business6 ,mighty little any woman knows about business1 said he4 ,we buy our girl what she needs and have put her through the town high school4 ,i expect her to get married sometime4 ,her mother has taught her how to do housework4 ,further than that the father seemed to know very little about his daughter1 and he showed plainly that he did not consider this second topic of conversation half so interesting as the first one4 ,,is ,,the ,,country ,,girl ,,neglected8 ,inquiry will prove that the foregoing case of parental ignorance and indifference about the daughter is all too common1 especially the ignorance4 ,it seems never to have occurred to many parents who have growing daughters that unless the young woman have a fair amount of knowledge of the value and use of money her future happiness and well-being and that of her family are in danger of becoming seriously jeopardized4 ,it is a singular and yet lamentable fact that so many ,american parents1--parents too who are intensely desirous that their growing children have the best possible moral and religious teaching--that these same good parents fail to understand how one of the very foundation stones of efficient moral and religious life is constituted of a definite body of knowledge of common business affairs4 ,they do not seem to realize that the young man or the young woman who knows from experience just how money is earned1 and how it may be judiciously expended and profitably invested1 is far on the way to a high plane of moral and religious living4 ,however1 there is probably no place of greater opportunities for developing sober judgment in the growing girl than that afforded by the ordinary farm home4 ,for here the business management of the household and of the farm affairs are practically merged4 ,there is the further advantage of a considerable variety of ways whereby the daughter may be remunerated for what she does4 ,but1 how may we best interpret this question8 ,first of all1 what in a practical sense is a satisfactory business training for a young woman1 a farmer's daughter in particular8 ,do we desire that she become a shrewd money-maker and successful a some sort of commercial life8 ,few would take such a position4 ,but in order that the young woman may be fully prepared to fill her heaven-ordained place as the center and source of love and influence in a family1 we must provide that she be given just such instruction in the use of money as will enable her to occupy her high position with the greatest possible success4 ,,why ,,the ,,girl ,,leaves ,,the ,,farm ,under the title above the ,farmer's ,voice prints portions of two letters which help to throw not a little light on this much-neglected subject4 ,miss ,alta ,hooper writes3-- ,the one great cry going out from the people1 and one also much in need of an answer1 is 'how to keep the boy on the farm4' ,it is very seldom that the girl of the farm is alluded to1 although it may be that she is included1 in a general way1 in the great amount of literature concerning her brother4 ,but1 take it from the farmer girl that she is a live one1 and unless money is coming into her pockets1 unless she is comparatively independent and has some interest to keep her awake1 she isn't going to 'stay put1' but will get out where she can earn some money of her very own1 to buy the little things so dear to the hearts of girls2 and she will not be questioned and lectured and scolded over every little expenditure4 ,oh1 the girls on the farm have minds and pride and ambition just as big as their brothers' too2 and in many cases they are not given half a chance to realize one iota of this ambition4 ,it is then that a career off the farm and away from the farm home appeals to them4 ,then the thought comes that even though the salary to be earned may be small1 still it is all one's own1 and there is no fear in planning where and in what it shall be invested4 ,likewise1 ,mrs4 ,f4 ,l4 ,stevens1 writing for ,progressive ,farmer1 says3-- ,how often have we seen young girls leaving comfortable farm homes to go into typewriting1 clerking1 or bookkeeping1 in order to have their own money4 ,an allowance for personal expenses in the beginning would have solved this problem4 ,but the father has not seen it that way4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxvi4 ,,fig4 #cc4--;,at a tender age girls are instinctively fond of doing such work as is displayed here4 ,strange to say1 some mothers deny their little daughters the character-forming benefits of this childish occupation4 ,it is not necessary that the daughter be given a monthly or yearly allowance of so much cash1 but the really better way1 it would seem1 would be to start her in some special branch of work1 say1 poultry-raising4 ,or perhaps she might be given a cow or a horse or a pig1 which would in time bring in sums of money by careful management2 and the business1 a small one perhaps in the beginning1 would easily develop4 ,many young girls like to work in a garden as the produce is always a good source of income and an interesting and educational work4 ,,certain ,,rules ,,to ,,be ,,observed ,if we are to give up the idea that the young woman naturally possesses the necessary business judgment1 and to substitute the better idea that she must be taught how to manage her own affairs2 then1 ,what are the fundamental steps necessary to impart such instruction8 ,it seems to the author that they are these3-- #a4 ,teach the girl to work4--,as was shown in a previous chapter1 the girl must be taught carefully and conscientiously how to work4 ,even though she may be so fortunate--or unfortunate--as not to be compelled to do any of her own housework1 only a first-hand knowledge of how such work goes on will enable her successfully to direct it4 ,the strength of our democracy is much dependent upon the character of our women4 ,the modern tendency toward the development of a leisure class among the women and girls of the wealthier families is quite as much a menace to social solidarity as was the older order of keeping women in ignorance and servitude4 ,the problem of household help is much intensified because of the disfavor with which the so-called better classes of women look upon the vocation of the domestic employee4 ,the necessary inequality of rank of the home mistress and her employees is more a matter of tradition and imagination than of reality4 ,the social inequality which follows and which drives many young women into less advantageous places of employment will disappear just as soon as all growing girls are conducted through a carefully planned course of work and household industry4 ,no farm parents can afford to deny the daughter the excellent disciplinary results of careful training in the performance of every ordinary household duty4 #b4 ,teach her business sense4--,in cases where the growing boy or girl is simply given spending money for the asking--or the begging--there results a perverted idea of the meaning of money4 ,a girl so trained during her youthful years is inclined to take this same attitude toward her husband in the future4 ,that is1 she will probably regard it as necessary to beg for an allowance and deem it right and proper to spend all she can obtain in this way4 ,the seriousness of such relations between man and wife is easily seen4 ,but the growing girl can be taught that money is merely a convenient unit of measurement of values which are produced chiefly by means of work4 ,advanced students of our social life are putting forth much effort to solve the divorce problem4 ,in their efforts to determine causes and to provide cures for divorce1 some of them have gone so far as to advocate a school for matrimony1 one of the ends being that of preventing incompatible persons from entering into the life union4 ,among the causes contributing to the divorce evil have been the radically different ideals of the use of money on the part of the contracting pair4 ,an attorney of long standing experience with divorce cases says3-- ,as a rule the woman who alleges non-support in her petition for divorce reveals the fact1 before the case is ended1 that she is lacking in the proper idea of the use of money1 is often especially weak in knowledge of how the family income should be spent if the family affairs are to go on satisfactorily4 #c4 ,train her to transact personal business4--,then1 begin early in her life to teach the girl to transact business affairs that relate to her personal interests and to the home life of women4 ,do not buy all the little articles necessary for her1 but allow her1 with money reasonably provided1 to make her own minor purchases under your advice and direction4 ,the intelligent farmer knows somewhat definitely what his yearly income and outlay are4 ,why should not his daughter be told how these accounts run1 in the usual year1 and she then be asked to keep an account of all her own personal affairs for a year8 ,such required practice will do more than all the arithmetic lessons in the schools to inculcate an intimate knowledge of the value of money in relation to her own affairs--to say nothing of the good business judgment likely to be acquired4 ,thus the country girl may receive a better business training than her city cousin whose nearness to the attractive stores and shops proves a constant incentive for over-indulgence and wastefulness in the use of money4 #d4 ,make her the family accountant4--,as soon as she becomes old enough1 take the daughter into your confidence as regards the family expense account4 ,make her acquainted with the items of income and expenditure in detail4 ,and also make it appear to her that the business of the home is not being conducted satisfactorily unless some portion of the income be set aside for the emergencies of the future4 ,at this point there is offered an opportunity to give the daughter some much-needed business training4 ,there is much being said of late by way of urging the farmer to keep an accurate book account of all his transactions4 ,out of the experiment stations have come published letters and bulletins urging that such things be done and showing methods4 ,but the evidence goes to show that the majority of farmers do not find time for it4 ,so it will in many cases be found practicable to turn this important task of bookkeeping over to the growing daughter4 ,among the many benefits to be derived will be the excellent business training it will furnish her4 ,as a diversion from the common household duties the accounting will prove most refreshing4 ,and1 then1 the farmer will soon find this service to the farm business so important as to justify him in paying his daughter reasonably for the work4 #e4 ,miserliness to be avoided4--,while the habits of a spendthrift are perhaps above all things else to be avoided1 a close second to this as an evil practice is the habit of expending in a miserly and begrudging manner4 ,so1 teach the girl to give her money willingly for all the ordinary necessities and comforts of life and for such luxuries as the conditions will reasonably warrant4 ,the far-sighted parent and the one really interested in the future of his daughter will readily observe how much enslaved adults finally become in the use of money4 ,there are perhaps as many well-to-do persons who are miserly because they cannot help it as there are improvident persons who are spendthrifts because they cannot longer prevent it4 ,both classes manifest the certain results of training and habit4 ,in his interesting chapter on the psychology of habit ,professor ,james explains so aptly how the man1 long practiced in enforced economy1 but at length having ample means1 goes to the store with the determination of paying liberally for an article2 and how he finally comes away with something cheap4 ,a golden mean is therefore to be sought in training the girl in the use of money4 ,not how to save at all hazards1 but how to spend judiciously1 with conscious thought of the right relation between income and outlay--this is perhaps the more acceptable ideal4 #f4 ,teach her to give4--,while inculcating business ideas into the mind of your growing daughter1 guard against her acquiring a mere passion for money-making and the accumulation of wealth4 ,for example1 one of the best means of achieving this end would be to see that she gives a part of her earnings to some worthy cause or other4 ,explain to her again and again that she must keep up in her life a sort of equipoise of receiving and giving1 if the highest sense of inner satisfaction is always to be her portion4 ,the young must learn sooner or later that there is other than a money profit to be derived from the investment of money4 ,accordingly1 it will not be found difficult for the rural parents to point out to their daughter some place merely where she may invest a small part of her earnings in human welfare4 ,an orphan child living in the neighborhood may be sorely in need of a new dress or school books1 a lonely and aged widow may be cheered by the gift of a wall picture1 a crippled child may be accumulating funds for hospital treatment1 or another person may have lost heavily from flood or fire4 ,these and many more like them may be made the occasion of teaching the girl a beautiful lesson of sympathy and sacrifice4 ,and the sacrifice should come out of what she has accumulated through her own small business enterprise4 #g4 ,teach the meaning of a contract4--,it is often declared that women fail to appreciate the obligations of a contract1 that they will enter into a strict agreement to buy an article or to pay for another and then refuse to carry out such agreement4 ,merchants have been so often called on to deal with this feminine change of mind that they have seen fit to establish a custom of taking back at cost any article not found satisfactory upon trial4 ,this failure of women to adhere strictly to the terms of an agreement has given currency to the opinion that they are naturally dishonest4 ,weininger in his volume ,sex and ,character even offers a line of questionable proof to confirm the correctness of the opinion4 ,but ,dr4 ,g4 ,stanley ,hall in many of his researches shows that falsehood and deception are common and natural practices among ordinary children4 ,all forms of honest and fair moral and business practice are less natural than acquired4 ,they must have actual experience1 and much of it1 as a basis for their becoming a permanent part of character4 ,hence1 the so-called dishonesty of women in relation to the obligations of a business agreement--that is probably nothing more than a matter of sheer ignorance4 ,farm girls are proverbially lacking in business practice and in knowledge of the rights and obligations of a contract4 ,it is obligatory upon their parents to remove such ignorance through business training4 #h4 ,prepare her to deal with grafters4--,the majority of his victims were women1 is the statement so often read in connection with the fraudulent schemes of the exposed money shark4 ,millions of dollars are annually taken from credulous women by the get-rich-quick money trader4 ,this polite form of theft has become so flagrant as to necessitate much vigilance and many prosecutions on the part of the national government4 ,widows and other dependent women are especially the sufferers4 ,the necessity of preparing the innocent young woman to deal with the enticing business fraud is very apparent4 ,two or three matters must especially be attended to in giving the required instruction4 ,first1 take advantage of many occasions to explain to the girl just how a given case is being worked1 so that she may be on guard against such allurements2 second1 it is well to advise the untrained young woman against investing in any scheme of profit sharing that offers above a good current rate of interest4 ,,should ,,there ,,be ,,an ,,actual ,,investment8 ,then1 what if anything should be done in the ordinary farm home by way of providing an investment for the growing daughter so that she may daily have some practice in business affairs1 as well as an income for use in meeting her personal expenses8 ,before attempting to answer this question1 let us be certain that we have the correct point of view of the growing daughter's ideal relation to the practical affairs in the rural home4 ,it seems to the author that there is only one safe rule of procedure here and that is1 whatever the investment1--if there be any at all1--it must be understood that the ideal is one of developing the girl into a beautiful womanhood and not one of making the investment pay in the mere money sense of the term4 ,in other words1 the business of the farm and the farm home must serve directly the highest interests of the members of the household1 even though money accumulations cannot1 as a result1 go on quite so fast4 ,or1 as we have put it several times before3 ,the farm and the live stock and all that pertains thereto must be so managed as to contribute directly to the development of the high aspects of character in the boys and girls1 and not as materials which the growing boys and girls are to help build up and multiply4 ,now1 if it still be insisted upon that the country girl have a definite business relation to the affairs of the home1 there are two or three ways whereby this may be accomplished4 ,one method is to give the girl a fixed and reasonable sum of money for whatever she may do by way of helping in the house4 ,another is that of providing a small investment in something that may be expected to increase reasonably in value and finally bring her a money return4 ,of the two methods of procedure mentioned1 it would seem that the first is the more desirable4 ,if the daughter be given an interest in anything like the live stock or some farm crop1 the thing will not appeal to her directly1 and whatever interest she may have in it will be a purely borrowed one4 ,on the other hand1 if she be given a generous allowance for her services1 and during the younger years be trained in the expenditure of this allowance1 good results may be expected4 ,similarly as with the boy1 the growing girl must be taught to look toward the future4 ,a system of restraints must be placed against her tendency to squander her small income1 and gradually she may be trained to set aside a small portion of what she has with a view to its being applied upon something of her own later in life4 ,it is perhaps too much to ask the girl to save enough money to pay her way through college1 but there are many advantages in training her to save for a certain portion of that expense4 ,perhaps she may be able to buy her own clothes4 ,it is not reasonable to assume that every well-trained country girl will find it advisable to take a college course4 ,so1 instead of saving up for college expenses1 she may be taught to lay by something for the day of her marriage and with the thought of helping equip a home of her own4 ,as a matter of fact1 it is not a question of the specific purpose for which the money may be set apart4 ,the main issue is that of staying by her day after day and week after week1 and guiding and advising her until she finally acquires good sense1 mature judgment1 and self-reliance in regard to the business affairs that may be expected to constitute a part of her life as a keeper of a home of her own4 ,how the southern girls earn money4--,one of the most interesting and significant modern movements in behalf of juvenile industry is that of the ,southern ,girls' ,tomato ,clubs1 originated in #aiaj by ,miss ,marie ,cromer1 a rural school teacher of ,north ,carolina4 ,thousands of young girls are now participants in the new work1 each one tending a small plat of tomatoes and canning the produce for the market4 ,one girl is reported to have cleared #acj from one season's crop raised on one fourth of an acre4 ,the ,general ,education ,board and the ,national ,department of ,agriculture have given liberal support to this tomato-growing work4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,what ,,schooling ,,should ,,the ,,country ,,boy ,,have8 ,it is a well-known fact that rural life conditions have been changing rapidly within the past decade or more4 ,it has taken us a long while to get away from the thought that the farmer is to be anything other than merely a plain1 coarse man1 comparatively uneducated and innocent of the ways of the world4 ,but we are at last seeing the light in respect to this and many another such traditional belief of a menacing nature4 ,we are now looking forward expectantly to the time when the rural community shall contain its proportionate share of people educated or cultured in the full sense of either of these words4 ,,changes ,,in ,,rural ,,school ,,conditions ,many of those now in middle life can easily remember when the farmer boy was sent to school only during the time when his services were not required for the performance of the work about the field and the home4 ,this period was narrowed down to about three months in the year4 ,after the corn was husked in the fall1 he entered school1 usually about ,december first4 ,and at the first sign of spring1 about ,march first1 he was called away to begin preparations for the new season's crop4 ,during these sixty days1 more or less1 the growing lad was supposed to pick up the rudiments of learning and by the time maturity was reached to have worked himself out of the ranks of the illiterate4 ,so he did1 for he learned to read falteringly1 to write a scrawling hand1 and to solve a few arithmetical problems4 ,we observe the new order of things4 ,in practically all the states there have been recently enacted laws requiring every normal child to attend school during the entire term and to continue for a period of seven or eight years4 ,the splendid results of this provision have only begun to be apparent1 but another decade will reveal them in large proportions4 ,back of this new legislation in behalf of the boys and girls is the new ideal of the possibilities and the worth of the ordinary human being4 ,we are just beginning to understand this splendid truth2 namely1 that with very few exceptions all of our new-born young have latent within them all the aptitudes necessary for the development of beautiful and symmetrical character4 ,the modern ideal of public education recognizes two things3 first1 the right of the child to the fullest possible development2 and second1 the duty of society to see that the child receive such training whether the parent may wish to accord it to him or not4 ,the author is especially desirous that the reader appreciate the situation sketched in the foregoing paragraph4 ,what does it mean8 ,it means that our children are at last to have more nearly equal opportunities of development1 that their worthy aptitudes or traits are to be brought out through instruction and made to do service in the construction of a sterling character4 ,it means that we shall have cultured artisans as well as cultured artists2 that the plain man behind the plow or in the workshop shall be capable of thinking the big1 inspiring thoughts as well as the little1 puny ones4 ,it means that there will spring up everywhere among the ranks of those once regarded as low and coarse1 a magnificent society of men and women who1 as individuals1 will feel and realize a secret sense of power and worth1 and who will shine in the light of a new inspiration4 ,,the ,,boy ,a ,,bundle ,,of ,,possibilities ,it has been proved beyond question that the ordinary child contains at birth potentialities of development far greater in amount and variety than any amount of schooling can ever bring into full realization4 ,if you will make a list of one hundred different and highly specialized vocations1 and pause for a moment to contemplate the matter1 you will doubtless agree that any common boy might be so trained as to some degree in any one of the hundred that he might be made to do fairly well in several of them2 and that he might become an expert in at least one of them4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxvii4 ,,fig4 #cd4--,only whittling4 ,but in the case of these country boys it is thought of as not mere idling1 but as a pastime that leads toward the world of industry4 ,so1 there is little need of being worried over the thought that the boy is a natural-born dullard1 without native ability to learn and finally to make his way in the world4 ,it is true that there is occasionally a real blockhead among children1 but such cases are quite as rare as imbecility and physical deformity4 ,indeed1 such cases are nearly always connected with one or both of the defects just named4 ,then1 while in the usual instance the child is to be assumed to possess an ample amount of native talent1 one of the specific problems of his parents and teachers is that of learning in time what his best latent talent is1 so that it may give proper incentive and direction for his vocational life4 ,,classes ,,of ,,native ,,ability ,roughly speaking there are three classes of native ability in the human offspring3 the super-normal1 the normal1 and the sub-normal4 ,the first is constituted of the geniuses--few and far between1 perhaps one in a hundred to five hundred4 ,the second is composed of the great mass of humanity upon which the stability of the race is built and out of which the geniuses--and the majority of the sub-normals--spring through fortuitous variation4 ,the third class is constituted of the feeble-minded1 the imbeciles1 and the exceedingly rare natural-born criminals--altogether1 perhaps one in every two hundred or more of the population4 ,now1 what we are trying to get at here is a fair estimate of what the parent may reasonably look for by way of a stock of native ability in his child4 ,the natural-born genius will be known by one special mark2 namely1 he will be so strongly inclined toward one special line of work or calling as to need no outside stimulus or incentive to make him take it up4 ,indeed1 in the usual case of a pronounced genius it is a very difficult matter to prevent the individual from following out his one over-mastering predisposition4 ,the marks of feeble-mindedness or idiocy are too well known to need description4 ,such cases are also so rare and so special in their manner of treatment as to call for no extended discussion4 ,,the ,,great ,,talented ,,class ,the great masses of humanity are constituted of what we mean here by the talented4 ,that is1 as described above1 at birth they possess a large and abundant stock of potentialities of learning and achievement--much more than can ever become actualized because of the comparatively limited time and means for education and training4 ,of course1 we recognize that among the talented classes there is an endless variety of combinations of abilities4 ,so are there many degrees of ability4 ,but in addition to the foregoing marks of latent ability in the great middle classes we must note a distinctive feature of the development and education of such classes4 ,it is this3 ,the two great conditions necessary for the successful development of the ordinary child are stimulus and opportunity4 ,unless the slumbering talents be awakened by the proper stimuli1 they may slumber on throughout the whole lifetime and no one detect their presence2 and unless opportunities for development be given to satisfy the awakened talent1 it may return permanently to its condition of quiescence4 ,in attempting to furnish the necessary stimuli and opportunities for the development of his boy1 the farmer has--if he will only use it--a great advantage over the city father4 ,the great variety of work-and-play experience afforded by the rural situation1 the fairly good general schooling now coming more and more into reach of all farm homes1 the many conditions contributory to self-reliance and independent thinking in the case of the boy--all these raw materials of stimulus and opportunity lie hidden about the common country home4 ,but the parents must themselves become wider awake to the meanings and purposes of such materials1 or otherwise their value is lost through disuse4 ,and again1 it is urged that parents make the same careful study of their children as they do of farm crops and live stock4 ,see the reference lists following the first five chapters4 ,,round ,,out ,,the ,,boy',s ,,nature ,fortunately1 the new provisions of the schools are furnishing more and more definitely the equipment and the course of training most necessary for the masses of the growing children4 ,fortunately1 too1 the illiterate father is not to be permitted to dictate as to what subjects his boy is to study in the school1 there being not only compulsory attendance1 but strict requirements that every child pursue the prescribed course4 ,the time is fast approaching when the rural parent in any community can feel assured that this course of study has been mapped out by expert authority in just such a way as to serve the highest needs of his boy1 the idea being to teach and awaken every side of the young nature into its highest possible activity4 ,in the usual case it is a waste of time to attempt to predetermine the boy's vocational life before he has gone at least well up through the intermediate grades of the common school2 and even then1 there is usually not much indication of what he is best suited for4 ,so1 one of the great purposes of the common school course is that of sounding the boy on every side and in every depth of his nature1 so to speak1 in order to find what is there1 and to determine what he is by inheritance best suited to do as a life work4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxviii4 ,,fig4 #ce4--;,an illustration of how to keep the boy on the farm4 ,every boy needs to acquire early an intimate knowledge of some great industrial pursuit4 ,the usual inclination of the rural parent is that of looking at his son's education too strictly in terms of dollars and cents and to be impatient at the thought of the boy's taking a broad1 fundamental course of schooling4 ,such school subjects as language and composition are especially thought of as a useless waste of time4 ,but fortunately1 as indicated above1 the choice is no longer left either to the boy or his father4 ,the former must pursue the subjects assigned him and allow time to prove the wisdom of such a procedure1 as it most certainly will4 ,wherefore1 let the rural father attempt to think of his boy1 not merely as a coming money-maker1 but as a coming man2 a man of power and worth and influence in the community in which he is to live1 a man of whom his aged father in future time will be most proud1 and by whom he will be highly honored4 ,,other ,,important ,,matters ,as suggested above1 the evidence is very overwhelming in effect that it is the duty of rural parents to give their children a broad1 general course of training as a foundation for efficient life in any place or position4 ,moreover1 it must not be thought for a moment that the legacy of money or property will in any wise furnish a satisfactory substitute for such a course of training4 ,mean-spiritedness and narrow-mindedness are almost invariably prominent traits of the man who has been prepared to know nothing outside of his business even though that may be a big business4 ,on the other hand1 extensive culture1 including a character well developed in all of its essential elements1 is by far the best equipment that can possibly be furnished the boy for his start in life4 ,now1 while the growing boy's education must not be especially prejudiced in favor of any particular calling1 there is no good reason why the farmer's son should not be given the benefit of every possible intimate and wholesome relation to the father's work and business4 ,that is1 he must not be forced to take up the vocation of farming1 but he must be given every opportunity to know its best meanings and advantages4 ,and if he is finally to leave for some foreign occupation1 he must go with a profound sense of the possible worth and integrity of the calling of his father4 ,then1 in order that there may be maintained most friendly relations between the farm boy and the farm life1 see to it that he has an occasional outing4 ,widen the scope of his home environment by means of sending him outside occasionally4 ,let him go off to the state and county fair and learn what he can there4 ,let him participate in the grain and stock judging contests1 as heretofore recommended4 ,let him attend some of the larger sales of blooded stock and learn there to know more intimately the possibilities of animal husbandry4 ,accompany him on a trip to the big city occasionally--under proper provisions and restrictions--and help him to acquire some valuable lesson which may be taken back to the rural community and used to the advantage of the latter4 ,also1 what about the literature in the home8 ,although a chapter has already been given to the matter1 for the sake of emphasizing its great importance it is again referred to here4 ,why not see to it that there be secured a few enticing volumes of the clean and uplifting sort8 ,a very few dollars will furnish the nucleus of a library of which the boy will soon become proud4 ,ask the school superintendent or teacher to make out a list of ten of the best books for your boy and then secure these at once4 ,bring into the home also one or two of the best standard magazines and keep constantly on the table one or more of the best and cleanest newspapers4 ,then1 see to it that the boy's life be not so nearly dragged out during the day's work that he cannot spend thirty minutes or more of each evening at the reading table4 ,,develop ,,an ,,interest ,,in ,,humanity ,all education is for the sake of human welfare4 ,the thing learned like the material thing possessed is most worth while in proportion as it serves some high human purpose or need4 ,there is abundant opportunity to teach the country boy that education cannot well exist for its own sake or purely for one's own selfish uses4 ,so it is well early to awaken the youth's interest in people4 ,have him compare his own lot with that of others in very different circumstances4 ,take him occasionally to the orphanage1 the industrial 7reform7 school1 the imbecile and insane asylums1 the prisons1 and the sweat-shops in the city4 ,thus through acquainting him with how the other half lives you may cause the boy to reflect seriously on the best meanings and possibilities of his own life1 and to plan in his mind a splendid ideal of integrity for his own coming manhood4 ,the boy's education is not going on rightly if he is not being introduced to the current affairs of the world4 ,the literature suggested above should be made to serve the purpose of bringing his attention to these matters4 ,he should become interested in the political welfare of his community1 his state1 and his nation1 and learn to feel his responsibility in regard to such things4 ,but he will probably not voluntarily acquire these better relations to society at large4 ,it should therefore be regarded as the urgent duty of the parent to give the necessary guidance and instruction4 ,finally1 we must again be reminded of the high ideals of education and culture necessary to1 and consistent with1 substantial country life4 ,the greatest of producing classes--the agronomists--must and can in time rank at the head of all others in moral and intellectual worth4 ,so1 let the rural parent look ahead and formulate in his own mind the splendid vision of his son grown up to full maturity of all his best powers4 ,let him see this future citizen as a man of magnanimity1 of splendid personal force1 and of great constructive ability in the important work of budding up the affairs of the community in which he is to live4 ,,references ,chapters in ,rural ,progress4 ,president ,kenyon ,l4 ,butterfield4 ,chapter ,,vi4 ,education for the ,farmer4 ,university of ,chicago ,press4 ,education for the ,iowa ,farm ,boy4 ,h4 ,c4 ,wallace4 ,pamphlet4 7,free47 ,chamber of ,commerce1 ,des ,moines4 ,value during ,education of a life ,career ,motive4 ,c4 ,w4 ,eliot4 ,annual ,volume ,n4,e4,a41 #aiaj4 ,to keep ,boys on the ,farm4 ,m4 ,e4 ,carr4 ,country ,life4 ,april #a1 #aiaa4 ,education ,best ,suited for ,boys4 ,r4 ,p4 ,halleck4 ,annual ,volume ,n4,e4,a41 #aijf4 p4 #eh4 ,the ,training of ,farmers4 ,dr4 ,l4 ,h4 ,bailey4 ,the ,century ,company4 ,contains a statistical study of why boys leave the farm4 ,the ,best ,thing a ,college does for a ,man4 ,president ,charles ,f4 ,tawing4 ,forum1 ,volume #ah4 p4 #egj4 ,the ,care of ,freshmen4 ,president ,w4 ,o4 ,thompson4 ,annual ,volume ,n4,e4,a41 #aijg4 p4 #gbc4 ,proceedings of ,child ,conference for ,research and ,welfare4 ,page #adb4 ,the ,discipline of ,work4 ,frederick ,p4 ,fish4 ,g4 ,e4 ,stechert ,co41 ,new ,york4 ,the ,young ,man's ,problem4 ,educational ,pamphlet ,no4 #a4 ,society of ,sanitary and ,moral ,prophylaxis4 ,new ,york4 #aj cents4 ,every parent should read this excellent discussion on sex education4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,what ,,schooling ,,should ,,the ,,country ,,girl ,,have8 ,perhaps it need not be urged that the country girl be provided with the same general educational advantages as those outlined for the country boy1 as the plain demands of justice would mean as much4 ,she1 too1 must be thought of as possessing all the beautiful latent possibilities1 and high ideals of personal worth and character should be constantly entertained for her in the minds of her parents4 ,and then1 they must allow no ordinary business concern about the farm home to stand in the way of her unfoldment in the direction of these higher ideals4 ,,special ,,problems ,,relating ,,to ,,the ,,girl ,over and above those provisions which relate to the general development of the country boy there are several special considerations in reference to his sister4 ,for example1 she has a more delicate physical organism which must be shielded1 especially at times1 against the heavy drudgery that will naturally fall upon her willing shoulders4 ,and then1 the standards require of her rather more of refined manners than they do of her brother4 ,moreover1 it may be shown that a refined and attractive personality will become a larger asset in her life than in his4 ,comeliness and habitual cheerfulness and numerous other like qualities must be thought of as necessary and helpful characteristics of the well-reared country girl4 ,it will also be much to her advantage to have some special training in at least one of the so-called fine arts4 ,let her have her musical education or some advanced work in literature or painting4 ,a sum of money invested in something of this sort while the daughter is growing may be considered a far better investment than if the same amount were laid away to invest in a dowry4 ,,protecting ,,the ,,girl ,,at ,,school ,it is not merely obligatory that the farmer send his young girl to the district school regularly1 and thus round out her nature symmetrically through instruction in all the common branches4 ,the delicate nature of the normal girl requires far more protection than is often accorded it4 ,unlike the city walks and pavements1 the country road leading to the schoolhouse is often menaced by muddy sloughs1 tall vegetation1 and deep snow banks4 ,wading through such places1 especially in bad weather1 gives undue exposure1 the feet frequently becoming wet and the body thoroughly chilled4 ,many children sit all day in the schoolroom in this condition4 ,as a result of the lowered vitality the incipient forms of various diseases enter the body1 there perhaps to return intermittently and with more serious effects as the life advances4 ,what may be done as preventive measures1 it is asked4 ,simply this3 ,prepare a better road from the home to the schoolhouse1 by putting in foot crossings over ravines1 by mowing weeds and grass1 by filling and draining low places1 and the like4 ,on stormy days and on occasions when the young adolescent girl is passing through her monthly period of weakness--one especially endangering the health--it will be advisable to provide a conveyance to school and back4 ,country parents also often need to be cautioned in regard to over-working the school girl4 ,some even require her to do practically the same amount of work as she could well endure were there no extra burdens at school4 ,manifestly1 this is both unjust and injurious4 ,observe the conduct of the young school girl for a few days4 ,if there is no song and laughter in her life2 if she is not ruddy in complexion and buoyant of step2 if she mopes and drones about the place2 do not censure her1 but seek a constitutional cause and watch for evidences of an over-requirement of work4 ,the close inspection of the health of school children1 now conducted in many cities1 brings out the somewhat startling fact that many boys and girls come to the class room every morning fatigued and depressed beyond the point of effective study4 ,the old way was to call them dullards1 to punish them1 to shame them out of the school1 to humiliate their parents4 ,the new method of dealing with such children calls for scientific measures4 ,first1 the exact conditions are ascertained by experts2 second1 the parents are urged and helped to provide for the child more sleep1 better food1 more fresh air in the living chambers1 more recreation1 a relief from over-work1 or some special medical care--as the particular case may demand4 ,if one wishes full evidence of the effective gain for studentship that results from the new manner of treatment of the dull and backward pupil1 let him examine the many reports of individual cases as published in the ,psychological ,clinic at the ,university of ,pennsylvania1 especially the issues of #aiji-aiaj4 ,the indifference or the thoughtlessness of country parents may easily allow for the existence of the foregoing bad physical conditions in the case of their own daughter1 and as a result her otherwise promising life may become permanently blighted4 ,,lessons ,,in ,,music ,,and ,,art ,the ordinary farmer needs to learn to take more pride in his daughter and in her accomplishments4 ,the time will come when he will be far more proud of her wealth of character than he will be of her wealth of material goods4 ,a country father of moderate means bought a first-class piano for his two girls and employed a music teacher4 ,you may think that ,i cannot afford such things1 said he4 ,but ,i can4 ,i am running this farm for the good it will do my family4 ,he was a true philosopher1 as well as a successful farmer4 ,it is entirely practicable and most helpful to her development to provide that the country girl be given instruction in music1 or art1 or something special and advanced in the form of needlework4 ,in its best sense this special instruction will not be thought of as vocational training1 but rather as a necessary manner of giving permanent expression to her aesthetic nature4 ,the author believes that the matter should be stated even more emphatically4 ,that is1 not to give the normal girl some such means of indulging her aesthetic tastes is seriously to neglect her education1 if not to do her a permanent wrong4 ,while vocational training and economic advantages are important secondary considerations in connection with the daughter's instruction in the fine arts1 the father who helps her become an amateur in one of these lines thereby renders her a splendid service for life4 ,it is neither very difficult nor very expensive to arrange to have the girl go to the near-by town or to a neighbor's once or twice per week where she may receive competent instruction in music or painting4 ,to make the arrangement most effective there will need to be a musical instrument in her own home1 a conveyance at her ready disposal1 and a regular allowance of time for practice4 ,no just and affectionate parents can deny their young daughter any fewer advantages than these1 if the means for securing them can at all be acquired4 ,,the ,,reward ,,will ,,come ,,in ,,time ,the lessons in painting or fine needlework may be provided for in the same way4 ,if the expense seems heavy1 the far-sighted parents will think of their declining days of the future and imagine the large return the daughter may render them through the skill which they have been instrumental in developing in her4 ,but without waiting for old age to overtake them the father and mother of the girl artist may derive some benefits from her work4 ,she may furnish the table service with hand-painted chinaware or adorn the walls of the home with attractive paintings4 ,and also1 as heretofore indicated1 the daughter may herself in time conduct a class of amateur students of the fine art in which she has made preparation4 ,one word of precaution must be offered in reference to the training here considered4 ,in the usual case the girl is not started young enough4 ,her advancement in the music1 for example1 is likely to be much more rapid and her skill much more marked1 if the age nine to eleven1 rather than five or six years later1 be chosen as the beginning time4 ,the author has witnessed many pathetic instances of adult girls in a desperate attempt to master the mechanical part of the introductory music4 ,the extra amount of desire and effort possible at this more advanced age do not nearly compensate for the better memory and the greater facility of hand and finger movement possible at the earlier age4 ,this same general law of early beginning probably holds good in respect to the other fine arts4 ,in relation to all the foregoing seemingly trivial matters there comes to mind what is perhaps the most serious problem that confronts practically every well-reared young woman2 namely1 that of her successful marriage to a worthy young man--a subject to be discussed at length in another paper4 ,and so it is contended that if her future happiness or well-being be a consideration1 if the realization of her fondest hopes and her instinctive desires be worthy of the thought of her parents2 then1 they must by all means see that some of the foregoing refining qualities become woven into her whole character during the formative period4 ,thus she may be given practically every possible advantage in finding that true life companion4 ,,the ,,mother',s ,,office ,,as ,,teacher ,in his usual familiar and straightforward way ,uncle ,henry ,wallace thus addresses the country mother through the medium of an editorial in ,wallaces' ,farmer3-- ,it is the mother that shapes and molds the character of the girl4 ,if she is sweet spirited1 looks out upon the world hopefully and desirous of seeing the best in men and women1 her daughters will as a rule have the same sort of outlook4 ,if she permits gossip and fault-finding at the table1 her daughters may reasonably be expected to do likewise4 ,if she sharply criticises the preacher's sermon at the ,sabbath dinner1 she need not expect her daughters to become devout4 ,if she is a poor housekeeper1 how can she expect her daughters to excel in that finest of all arts8 ,we know something of the depth and tenderness of a mother's love1 how earnestly she seeks the welfare of her daughter2 but if she has a wrong conception of what is best in life1 even this unspeaking affection may be the source of evil instead of good4 ,one of the first things you should consider about that girl of yours is her health4 ,give her plain food and plenty of it1 sensible clothing1 a well-ventilated and well-lighted room1 and all the exercise that she wants1 even if she does seem to be something of a tomboy2 and1 barring accidents1 she will usually be healthy through early girlhood4 ,when she begins to develop into womanhood is the time for you1 mother1 to do what no one else can4 ,tell her about herself1 about the changes that must come1 and about the care she must take of herself if she is to be a healthy and happy wife and mother4 ,a mistake here through false modesty is often the source of trouble for years to come4 ,,home-,,life ,,education ,this book is based on the assumption that every good young woman is good for something of a practical nature4 ,in considering the make-up of such a character1 it seems reasonable to assert that no other qualities stand out more prominently than the trained ability to carry on successfully the work of the household4 ,the necessary drudgery of the home life seems to be the greatest burden that modern society has placed upon women4 ,proportionately great should be the preparation to bear this burden4 ,the ideal to be realized is1 perhaps1 not that the girl may be enabled to do more of such work1 but that she may be trained to be true mistress of it4 ,woman's work is never done1 and it never will be1 no matter how many worthy women kill themselves in an attempt to finish it4 ,so the greatest thing to be desired in respect to this unending round of toil and drudgery is that of a well-poised1 spiritually-minded character1 such as may enable its possessor to sit down at the end of a working period unusually long and in spite of the confusion and unfinished business restore the composure and keep in touch with the higher implications of life4 ,it is not really a difficult matter to teach the ordinary growing girl to work and perform faithfully all of her assigned duties4 ,it is more of a task to teach her how to quit when she has worked long enough and thereby to preserve her health and prolong her services4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxix4 ,,fig4 #cf4--,these country boys and girls supply the home neighborhood with the produce from the school garden4 ,such work is first-class vocational training4 ,,education ,,for ,,supremacy ,it is unquestionably a splendid aid to successful womanhood for the growing girl to be taught how to cook and sew and take care of a house4 ,but as a guarantee of peace and happiness throughout life she had better be taught many specific lessons in self-mastery4 ,and it seems certain that the farm home offers many more advantages for developing a poised character in the young woman than does the city home4 ,so let it be seen to by country parents that their girls be trained from childhood to meet life's stress and storm with calm composure and sweet serenity4 ,only such training will suffice to tide the latter over the great crushing ordeals that tend at some time to fall to the lot of every good woman4 ,conditions in the well-ordered country home may be made to contribute to another form of self-mastery in the growing girl4 ,that is1 she may be made supreme over the conventionalities of dress and the social customs that touch her life4 ,by this it is not intended to prescribe in respect to such things as the style or appearance of the young woman's clothing4 ,she may be first or last or medium in the list of the well-dressed4 ,but it is here contended that she can be trained to subordinate these matters to a personal charm that is her very own1 and that emanates from a beautiful and well-poised life within4 ,it is quite as destructive to good character for one to be meanly clothed through necessity and at the same time envy and despise those who are better dressed as it is to be among the richly adorned and try to make mere adornment a mark of better and superior rank in society1 or a means of lacerating the feelings of one's associates4 ,the country mother will let pass one of the rarest forms of opportunity for refining and beautifying the character of her daughter if she does not educate the latter rightly in respect to these conventionalities4 ,train her to be neat and attractive in appearance1 but at the same time teach her that no manner of outer adornment can cover up or substitute for sweetness and purity of the inner life4 ,the splendid effects of such an education will reveal themselves to best advantage in the young woman when she has finally entered a home of her own4 ,if she cannot then and there shine in a light that emanates from her own soul1 the sacrificial work of ministering to the needs of her own household will never be well performed4 ,,an ,,outlook ,,for ,,social ,,life ,provision will by all means be made that the growing country girl be introduced to the best social life within reach4 ,she must mingle with those of her own age and learn how others think and act4 ,she must attend parties and the other social gatherings1 especially the literary societies if there be any available4 ,for the sake of her training1 if for no better reason1 she may be brought into close relation to the ,sunday school and the church4 ,it will be good1 indeed1 if she find some congenial work in one or both of these organizations4 ,let it be remembered that the healthy-minded1 well-matured woman is very probably at her best and is most highly satisfied and contented with life only when she has opportunities to perform some kind of worthy social service4 ,farm parents may well bring it about1 therefore1 that their young daughter have some specific deeds of altruism to perform4 ,let her carry a small gift or a word of cheer to the door of the sick or the infirm4 ,let her make with her own hands some simple1 inexpensive present to be carried to the one who needs it most and whose heart will be made glad by it4 ,above all things else1 it must be provided that something more than the mere grasping nature of the young country girl be indulged and developed4 ,some there are who still contend that life for men is1 at its best1 a game of chance and contention4 ,but such an ideal1 if held up to the growing girl1 will tend to check or destroy all that is best and most beautiful in the feminine nature4 ,young women especially must learn through practice that the best and most beautiful character is altogether consistent with the performance of deeds of service and altruism4 ,finally1 educate into the daughter as much habitual cheerfulness as possible1 let her heart be made glad again and again1 not merely because of what she has1 and because of what she receives day by day1 but also and especially on account of what she gives out of the best and sweetest of her own nature in behalf of those whom she may find occasion to help and cheer on their way over the journey of life4 ,all this will help to make her a creature of whom not only the other members of her family1 but also the entire community will be most proud4 ,,references ,my ,escape from ,household ,drudgery4 ,mary ,patterson4 ,success ,magazine1 ,august1 #aiaa4 ,proceedings of ,child ,conference of ,research and ,welfare4 ,beulah ,kennard4 ,page #dg1 ,the ,play ,life of ,girls4 ,g4 ,e4 ,stechert ,co41 ,new ,york4 ,women's ,school of ,agriculture4 ,i4 ,h4 ,harper4 ,independent1 ,june #bi1 #aiaa4 ,the ,girl of ,to-morrow--,her ,education4 ,e4 ,h4 ,baylor4 ,world's ,work1 ,july1 #aiaa4 ,prize essay4 ,education of ,women for ,home ,making4 ,mrs4 ,w4 ,n4 ,hutt4 ,annual ,volume ,n4,e4,a41 #aiaj1 p4 #abb4 ,give the ,girls a ,chance4 ,canfield4 ,collier's1 ,march #ab1 #aiaj4 ,the ,durable ,satisfactions of ,life4 ,charles ,w4 ,eliot4 ,pages #aa-eg1 ,the ,happy ,life4 ,crowell4 ,the ,kind of ,education ,best ,suited for ,girls4 ,anna ,j4 ,hamilton4 ,annual ,volume ,n4,e4,a41 #aijg4 p4 #fe4 ,parasitic ,culture4 ,dr4 ,george ,e4 ,dawson4 ,popular ,science ,monthly1 ,september1 #aiaj4 ,training the ,girl to help in the ,home4 ,william ,a4 ,mc,keever4 ,pamphlet4 #b cents4 ,published by the author4 ,manhattan1 ,kan4 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,,the ,,farm ,,boy',s ,,choice ,,of ,a ,,vocation ,turn which way you will upon the great broad highway of life and there you will always be able to find the wrecks and broken forms of humankind--men and women who have failed in their life purposes4 ,strange to say1 that particular aspect of the science of character-building which has to do with the substantial preparation for vocational life has been very much neglected4 ,by what rule do men succeed in their callings and by what different rule do other men fail8 ,are some foreordained to success and others to failure8 ,is there an inherent strength in some and a native weakness in others8 ,is there a type of education and training which specifically fits and prepares for each of the native callings8 ,none of these questions has been thoroughly gone into with a view to finding out what were best to be done and what best to leave undone4 ,so1 we blunder away1 hit or miss1 in the vocational training of our boys and girls4 ,,should ,,the ,,farmer',s ,,son ,,farm8 ,in attempting to give helpful suggestions to farm parents relative to their boy's vocation1 perhaps this question will first demand an answer4 ,the tentative reply to it is this3 ,the farmer's son1 or any other man's son1 should follow that calling for which he is best suited by nature and in which he will thereby have the greatest amount of native interest2 provided it be practicable to prepare him for such calling4 ,some farm boys are destined by nature for mechanical pursuits1 others for social or clerical work1 others for captains of industry1 and so on4 ,likewise1 the city boys may reveal in their natures a great variety of instinctive tendencies and interests which will be found of great worth in guiding them into a successful life occupation4 ,yes1 the farmer's son should by all means take up his father's business2 provided that at maturity he may have both native and acquired interest in the same and that to a degree predominating any other native or acquired interest4 ,,impatience ,,of ,,parents ,it can be proved that the country boy matures more slowly than the city boy4 ,for example1 at the age of sixteen1 he is behind the latter in height1 weight1 school training1 and sociability4 ,but while the city boy matures more rapidly1 the country boy makes up for the loss by a longer period of development4 ,it is the author's firm belief that this fact of slow growth proves a tremendous advantage to the country youth in that it allows for greater stability of character1 and especially for a greater amount of courage and aggressiveness in form of permanent life habits4 ,but one might well wish that all rural parents could realize the evil consequences of being impatient with the son in respect to his choice of a life work4 ,many a good boy yet in his teens is hounded and driven about by the continuous nagging of his parents1 who ignorantly believe that he should have his future destiny all planned and ready for its realization4 ,as a result1 this same good boy is often driven to desperation and to the point of leaving the home place--of breaking away from the affectionate ties that bind him to parents1 and of seeking the position wherein he might earn a living4 ,as a matter of fact1 few young men have any very clear or reliable vision of their future life at the age of eighteen1 or even twenty4 ,many of the best men in the world are faltering and uncertain even as late as twenty-five4 ,however1 if the relatives and friends would only exercise all due patience1 offering only such helps and suggestions as can be given1 and trusting the future finally to throw upon the problem a light from within the youth himself--then1 we may be assured1 practically every man will finally come to some line of effort that will bring him a comfortable living4 ,,what ,,of ,,predestination8 ,the old-fashioned idea of a boy's being marked by the hand of destiny1 cut out for some particular calling in life1 still has a place in the minds of the masses4 ,the kindred belief that some men are natural-born failures has also wide currency4 ,a third superstition is the very common opinion that others are just naturally lucky4 ,all these traditional opinions are the outgrowth of ignorance of human nature such as may be dispelled by means of a course of instruction1 or a carefully arranged course of home reading1 in modern psychology4 ,none of the foregoing superstitions would be worthy of our attention were it not for the gross injustice which they entail upon children4 ,parents everywhere--in both city and country--are dealing with their children upon the assumption that one and all of these fallacies are true4 ,my oldest boy just naturally has no luck1 said the father of three sons and two daughters4 ,he changes around from one thing to another and fails every time4 ,but what of this particular boy's early training8 ,was it the same as that of the others8 ,did he enjoy equal advantages8 ,did his parents when married really know anything about rearing children8 or1 did they really mistreat their first-born through ignorance and use him as a sort of practice material from which they learned how to do better by the succeeding ones8 ,until the foregoing inquiries about the unlucky son's boyhood life be fully answered1 we cannot reasonably permit ourselves to condemn him4 ,there is nothing more in predestination than this2 namely1 it can be shown that the child is born with not a few latent abilities--aptitudes for doing and learning this and that--and that one of these aptitudes is likely to have correlated with it more than the average amount of nerve development in the corresponding brain center4 ,as a result1 that particular aptitude will require less training than the others and will tend to predominate over them as maturity is approached4 ,the reply of the psychologist to the statement that some men are natural-born failures1 is this3 ,few if any of those possessed of ordinary physical and mental qualities at birth are necessarily so4 ,excepting the feeble-minded and the like1--whose marks of degeneracy are usually apparent to all1--it may be asserted on the highest authority that none are natural-born failures to any greater extent than they are natural-born successes2 but that they have within the inherited nerve mechanisms many possibilities of both success and failure4 ,,three ,,methods ,,of ,,vocational ,,training ,we should be willing to overlook almost any other interest in this discussion for the sake of inducing in the farm father the belief that his young boy is a potential success--the belief that this boy is furnished by nature with the latent ability to shine somewhere in the broad field of human endeavor--provided he be rightly trained and disciplined during his growing years4 ,here1 then1 is probably the greatest of all the human-training problems2 namely1 the vocational one4 ,roughly speaking1 there have been three methods of vocational training4 #a4 ,the apprentice method4--,first1 historically there has been the apprentice method1 the youth being bound out to learn a trade4 ,the chief faults of this traditional way of teaching the boy to be self-supporting were these3 it made no allowance for intellectual development1 and it gave the father too much authority to choose the calling for the boy4 ,a modern offshoot of the old-time apprentice course is the trade school which flourishes in many of the big cities to-day4 ,this new institution has one great advantage over its prototype4 ,it offers such a great variety of forms of training that the youth may exercise much free choice4 ,but it preserves one of the serious defects of apprenticeship in its neglect of the intellect of the learner4 ,the modern trade school can never hope to do more than prepare young men and women to make a good living4 ,it is a get-ready-quick institution1 and can never be expected to give the student breadth of view and depth of insight into the great problems of human life4 #b4 ,the cultural method4--,the second-oldest method of preparing men for a vocation is what has been called the cultural method4 ,it has aimed at high advancement in book learning with the thought of finally enabling the student to enter a professional class comparatively few in numbers and supposed to possess a superior advantage over the great mass of human kind4 ,one fault of this method has been to emphasize learning for its own sake and to defer too long the training of the individual in the material and practical side of his calling4 ,but the chief fault of this cultural method has been its contempt for common labor and ordinary industry1 its theory being that true education prepares one to avoid such practices4 ,if the young man wished to prepare for law or medicine or teaching or the ministry1--one of the learned professions1--then the old classical school was at his service4 ,but if he would become a mere artisan or industrial worker1 there was no advanced course of schooling available4 #c4 ,the developmental method4--,the third and newest method of preparing the young person for his vocational life is in reality a compromise between the first and second4 ,it provides that the learner shall have book instruction and industrial training at the same time1 and that both of these are to be regarded as cultural1 since taken together they prepare for independence of thought and action1 and for the vocation1 as well4 ,this new method of preparing young people for their life work would call nothing mean or low4 ,it aims to serve all impartially in their struggle for self-improvement and vocational success4 ,but its motto is the development of head and hand together4 ,it seeks to produce cultured handicraftsmen as well as cultured artists and professional men4 ,,the ,,farmer ,,fortunate ,our justification for the foregoing somewhat lengthy discussion of the different theories of education is that of wishing to be certain of bespeaking the father's patience and forbearance in the preparation of his son for the vocational life4 ,the farmer is most fortunate in having ready at hand a large amount and variety of industrial practice to supplement the boy's book lessons4 ,in this respect he probably has a superior advantage over all other classes4 ,but in guiding his boy gradually toward the vocational life the farm father can easily mistake what is merely a passing interest on the former's part for a permanent one4 ,the carefully kept records of farm boys show that they take up many different lines of work with great enthusiasm1 and yet soon tire of them and drop them4 ,these serial and transitory interests are usually mere juvenile responses to the awakening of some new nerve centers4 ,they are not much different in nature from the brief passing interest which the child has in his various playthings4 ,now1 the chief function of these transitory interests in special forms of work and learning as shown by the young growing boy is this3 to furnish the occasions for a great variety of activities and practices for trying him out on all the possible sides of his nature4 ,not one of these intense boyish interests is necessarily very directly preparatory to his final choice of a vocation1 while all are indirectly so4 ,therefore1 if the fifteen-year-old son chances to win in a corn-raising contest1 or at a live-stock exhibition1 or if he manifests unusual interest in arithmethic1 declamation1 or nature study1 do not regard any of these as necessarily pointing to his best possible vocational work4 ,presumably1 at such an undeveloped age1 he is still in possession of some latent interests and aptitudes1 one of which may far outweigh any such thing hitherto awakened in his life4 ,give him time to mature and1 if at all practicable1 send him on to college4 ,,what ,,college ,,for ,,the ,,country ,,boy ,it is the opinion of the author that the ,state ,agricultural ,college1 as now situated and organized1 is the ideal institution of higher learning for the country-bred youth4 ,it offers him every reasonable incentive and opportunity for continuing in the calling of his father1 if he be so inclined1 while at the same time it gives instruction in many other departments of learning4 ,whether the state institution be a separate one or merely a college within the organization of the state university matters little4 ,in either case the young man will be brought within reach of a course in scientific farming1 stock raising1 horticulture1 and the like1 either to choose or let alone--and the so-called cultural work will still be there for the taking4 ,,the ,,foundation ,,in ,,work ,many rural parents1 weighted down with the over-work of the farm1 cherish and express a very earnest desire that their sons may find some easier form of earning a living4 ,so they deliberately plan with the boy the easy course to be pursued4 ,said one such farmer3 ,wife and ,i decided that there would not be much in it for ,henry except hard work if he settled down on the home place1 so we decided to send him to college and educate him for something that offered less work and more pay4 ,so they shielded the son from the heavier duties of the farm and encouraged in every way the boy's thought of an easy way to success4 ,but one thing these well-meaning parents failed to foresee4 ,that is1 when the boy entered college1 he began to look for that same sort of royal road to learning4 ,the assigned lessons and tasks soon took the appearance of drudgery and he dodged and avoided them wherever possible4 ,in less than a year the youth had failed at college and was back home4 ,the confinement of the college did not agree with his health4 ,more than three years have passed since1 and the boy has spent the time drifting from one job to another and all the while growing weaker in character and integrity4 ,here we have but another instance of the old1 old story1 with its tragic aspects4 ,yet1 nearly all the faltering1 vacillating men now drifting about the country might have been saved through careful training in the performance of work4 ,the boy who would be insured success in his coming vocation must be required to buckle down to solid work of a kind and amount to suit his years and strength4 ,he must learn through the character-building experience of toil1 not only what it means to stay by an assigned duty till it is performed1 but he must also experience the unfailing joy of work well done4 ,he will thus have the advantage of the spur of successful effort and acquire the beginnings of that splendid self-reliance which is a distinguishing mark of all successful men4 ,,clean ,,up ,,the ,,place ,but there is a sort of drudgery and of ugliness against which the boy's nature instinctively rebels1 and it ought to4 ,by this we mean to refer to the actual conditions of over-work and the accompanying run-down appearance that characterizes so many farm homes to-day4 ,no wonder the boys hasten away to the city to find a job4 ,why not clean up the place by cutting away the underbrush and weeds1 by planting shade trees and repairing fences and out buildings1 by painting and renovating the house and barn8--and all this as an investment in behalf of the children and their possible future interest in the farm home as the best place on earth in which to dwell8 ,all this and more might be urged as means of guiding the thoughts of the farm boy towards the possibilities of his taking up the calling of his father4 ,and while all these material advantages may not serve to overcome the natural tendency of the young man to seek a radically different type of occupation1 they will at least make it more certain that his natural abilities for an agricultural pursuit were not left unawakened4 ,,money ,,value ,,of ,,an ,,agricultural ,,education ,the ,college of ,agriculture in ,cornell ,university some time ago made an inquiry into the educational status of the farmers in a certain county of ,new ,york4 ,it was found that out of #egc farmers1 #cih had not advanced farther than the district school1 #afe had attended high school one or more years1 and #aj had received a college education4 ,the #cih who had attended district school only were receiving yearly for their labor #cah2 the #afe farmers of high school education were receiving annually #fbb2 and the #aj who had attended college one or more years were receiving an average of #hdg income for their services4 ,the foregoing investigation is at least suggestive in its results4 ,it tends to prove that there is an actual earning-capacity value in the higher agricultural education4 ,while the matter has never been extensively studied1 it can doubtless be shown that the graduates of the agricultural course are receiving much larger incomes than any of the classes named above4 ,in addition it can doubtless be shown that these graduates are better equipped1 not only for earning a livelihood1 but for substantial citizenship4 ,of course there are many notable exceptions to this rule1 but the rule is1 nevertheless1 general4 ,now1 if the farm parent wishes to figure his boy's future on the basis of money-earning capacity1 he can easily be shown that the higher schooling in the average case increases such capacity4 ,in addition there is abundant evidence of the fact that the higher schooling gives the young man a much better equipment for serving the society in which he is to live4 ,a ,,successful ,,vocation ,,certain ,finally1 it may be said that the successful vocational life of the ordinary country-bred boy may be guaranteed as practically certain1 provided he have every ordinary advantage of development and training of which he is capable4 ,train him early in lessons of obedience and work2 make his life more wholesome through ample play and recreation2 see that he learns how to earn money and how to save a part of his earnings2 provide that he attend the public school regularly until at least the grammar grades be finished2 give him an opportunity to become personally interested in the business side of the farm life2 allow him opportunities to mingle with the cleanest possible society of his own age2 and then await patiently his own inner promptings as to what line of work he should take up4 ,a college course may prove necessary in order to help him uncover deeper and better levels that lie hidden in his nature4 ,then1 after he has chosen a calling in this careful and reliable way1 with all your might1 mind1 and soul encourage and support him in his efforts6 ,this is practically the only way to make a big1 efficient man and citizen of your boy and to make his calling a divine calling4 ,,references ,vocational ,education4 ,published bi-monthly4 #a4ej per year4 ,the ,manual ,arts ,press1 ,peoria1 ,ill4 ,vocational ,education4 ,john ,m4 ,gillette4 ,chapter ,,vi1 ,importance of the ,economic ,interest in ,society4 ,american ,book ,company4 ,vocational ,guidance of ,youth4 ,meyer ,bloomfield4 ,chapter ,,ii1 ,vocational ,chaos and its ,consequences4 ,houghton1 ,mifflin ,company4 ,the entire volume is most timely and helpful4 ,the ,problem of ,vocational ,education4 ,david ,snedden1 ,ph4,d4 ,houghton1 ,mifflin ,company4 ,new ,type of ,rural ,school ,house4 ,w4 ,h4 ,jenkins4 ,craftsman1 ,may1 #aiaa4 ,vocational ,direction1 or ,the ,boy and his ,job4 ,annals ,american ,academy1 ,march1 #aiaj4 ,education for a ,vocation4 ,president's address before the ,n4,e4,a4 ,annual ,volume1 #aijh1 p4 #ef4 ,vocational ,direction4 ,e4 ,w4 ,lord4 ,annals ,academy of ,political and ,social ,science 7,philadelphia71 ,march1 #aiaj4 ,social ,phase of ,education4 ,samuel ,t4 ,dutten4 ,page #adc1 ,the ,relation of ,education to ,vocation4 ,macmillan4 ,the entire book is sound and sane4 ,income of ,college ,graduates ,ten ,years after ,graduation4 ,h4 ,a4 ,miller4 ,science1 ,feb4 #d1 #aiaj4 ,occupations of ,college ,graduates as ,influenced by the ,undergraduate ,course4 ,f4 ,p4 ,keppel4 ,educational ,review1 ,december1 #aiaj4 ,assisting the ,boy in the ,choice of a ,vocation4 ,pamphlet4 ,wm4 ,a4 ,mc,keever4 ,manhattan1 ,kan4 ,,chapter ,,xix ,,the ,,farm ,,girl',s ,,preparation ,,for ,a ,,vocation ,what1 may we ask1 are rural parents doing in regard to the careful preparation of their growing daughters for the vocational life8 ,the author has frequently asserted that many a farmer is to-day giving vastly more thought to the question of preparing his live stock for the money market than to preparing his girls for their life work4 ,the seriousness1 the well-nigh cruelty1 of this situation becomes apparent only when we inquire into the facts4 ,how long must this carelessness continue8 ,how long will farmers remain indifferent to the tremendous responsibility of giving their children every possible aid in the direction of a high and worthy occupation8 ,their chief concern continues to be centered too exclusively upon the cattle and the hogs and the corn4 ,are the boys and girls to be left to shift for themselves8 ,and are they to continue to have their careers determined by mere chance and incident8 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxx4 ,,fig4 #cg4--;,country school girls learning the rudiments of cooking4 ,in no distant future such work will be required along with the traditional subjects4 ,,what ,,is ,,the ,,outlook ,so1 if the country father having a young family were here before us1 we should ask him3 ,what is the outlook in regard to a happy future for your growing daughter8 ,do you want her to take her place among the men and be forced to do some sort of man's work in order to obtain her bread8 or1 do you earnestly desire that she find some sort of worthy woman's work8 ,and if the latter be your choice1 what helpful agencies are you bringing to bear upon the situation8 ,in the midst of all your consideration of these matters touching your daughter1 we should have you most earnestly and prayerfully consider at least one thing2 namely1 with few possible exceptions1 the healthy1 growing girl looks forward instinctively to the time when she is to become mistress of a household of her own4 ,and in every case1 if the girl fails to become such a mistress1 there is only one reasonable alternative to be thought of and that is to provide that she engage in some sort of work which will give expression in the largest possible measure to that which is best and truest in her feminine nature4 ,ordinarily1 in planning for the future of their daughter1 parents might as well consider the problem as having a two-fold aspect4 ,assuming first of all that the girl instinctively desires to preside over a home of her own1 how can she best be prepared for that place8 ,second1 in case that1 by some miscarriage of plans1 she fails to reach this most worthy ambition1 what may she safely fall back upon as an adequate means of self-support8 ,now1 if this statement of the matter be a correct one1 it seems that the general scope of the problem of preparing a girl for her vocation ought to be fairly clear4 ,still another way of putting the situation is this3 ,the girl must be carefully prepared1 not only for her first choice of an occupation1 but also for her second choice1 because of grave danger of the failure of her first choice to be realized4 ,there is a perplexing aspect of the whole question implied here1 and every parent who has a daughter should become aware of it and also prepared to confront it4 ,that is to say1 almost any ordinary man may go out into the open market and push his quest for a life companion and be able to return in the course of a very short period with one at his side4 ,but with the girl it is radically different4 ,practically her only stock-in-trade consists of her personal charm and her pecuniary advantages4 ,and many a young woman with both of these qualities very strongly in her favor fails1 by some chance or other1 to receive an acceptable offer of marriage4 ,statistics widely gathered will show that age is also a very positive factor in this matter1 and that the ratio of probability of marriage of a single woman begins to fall very rapidly before she reaches thirty4 ,,desirable ,,occupations ,,for ,,women ,while there is abundant evidence to prove that the great majority of normal young women desire instinctively and above all things else a happy marriage1 including a contented home life and children to care for1 some alternatives must be now pointed out in case of failure to realize the highest ambition4 #a4 ,may teach the young4--,school teaching is perhaps the most common1 as well as the most commendable1 occupation for unmarried women4 ,in many a case1 the farmer's daughter will find it greatly to her advantage to engage in this occupation for one or more terms4 ,thousands of the most worthy young women in our land are devoting their lives to this highest of secondary vocations for women4 ,the work of teaching gives exercise to the altruistic feminine nature and approaches in a fair degree the satisfaction which comes to the mother who is sacrificing for children of her own4 ,but school teaching wears heavily on the vitality of nearly all young women who follow it long4 ,diseases peculiar to the sex are said to be very prevalent among such teachers1 probably resulting from an excessive amount of standing4 ,tens of thousands of girls are going from the farm home to the school room1 some of them to remain permanently in the business1 but the majority to earn money of their own and to place themselves in better position for successful marriage4 ,so1 perhaps the first duty of the country parents to the daughter who takes up school teaching is to see that the latter's health be not seriously impaired thereby4 ,after that1 the young woman's proper advancement in the profession may be thought of4 ,the ungraded district school is an excellent trying-out and testing position for the young teacher4 ,but if she continues many terms in the school room1 graded work will prove more advantageous1 especially in the important matter of bringing the young woman into the company of marriageable young men4 #b4 ,may take up stenography4--,a vast army of young women now support themselves with the use of the typewriter4 ,this work pays slightly more the year round than school teaching4 ,it is somewhat more confining2 but1 for various other reasons1 it is less deleterious to the general health4 ,such office business1 however1 subjects the young woman to many temptations4 ,it is the opinion of the author that stenography is not at all a desirable occupation for the farmer's daughter to enter4 ,the continued absence from home1 the constant association with people differing radically in tastes and manners from the rural population1 not to mention again the many temptations to accept lower moral standards--these and other matters will tend to estrange the farm daughter from her parents and to make them feel that something of the former charm of sweet simplicity and home affection has passed permanently out of her life4 ,one thing at least is to be considered before the daughter be permitted to leave the country home for an office position4 ,that is1 the work is not to be considered as permanent1 but rather as a possible means of preparing for marriage and the contented home life that should follow4 #c4 ,may do social work4--,next to the work of teaching1 perhaps the social-service work now being developed and carried on in the cities would make its appeal to the true-hearted young woman4 ,here again we have a sort of task that dips into the affections and sympathies of the worker and furnishes an opportunity for her to give freely out of the best she has in her make-up4 ,among the fortunate considerations of teaching and social work are the opportunities they offer for the sympathetic care and guidance of children--the indulgence of altruism and the mother instinct in the young woman4 ,parents will observe as a rule that their daughter returns from such occupations as these with increased affections for the home family and the home life and a broader and more general interest in people4 ,in recent years there has developed a new and remarkably promising field of social work for both young men and young women4 ,charitable1 philanthropic1 and other social-welfare institutions have been greatly multiplied1 while their work has been put on a scientific basis4 ,the modern method of securing employees in such places is that of calling persons especially trained and fitted to do the work required1 and to pay reasonably for the service4 ,several new1 first-class schools and institutions for training workers in this human field have been recently organized4 ,now1 if country parents become anxious to have their daughter go away to the city and find desirable employment and that at living wages1 the author recommends this new line of social work most highly4 ,for reasons given above1 and for others1 it will prove an excellent stepping-stone to the home life--the work is in the general field of human betterment so inviting to the natural instincts of the well-reared young woman2 the associates are persons likewise interested in human welfare and ranking high in moral and religious character2 the required work is usually of a nature to awaken the deepest sympathies and affections and to make the countenance of the worker shine with a new spiritual light4 #d4 ,may secure clerkships4--,clerking and general store work is much followed by young women to-day1 but such work may be put down in the list of hazardous occupations for women of any age4 ,close economic conditions in the cities force many thousands of girls to leave home and seek clerkships at a wage so low as indirectly to undermine the health and more directly to impair the morals4 ,great armies of these girls are compelled to live in dingy1 cramped quarters1 to subsist on much less than the quantity of wholesome food necessary for good health1 to practice the strictest economy in matters of dress--to say nothing of the constant temptation to sell their virtue as a means of increasing the small income to the living margin4 ,only in extreme cases1 therefore1 will intelligent farm parents consent to their daughter's leaving home to take up a clerkship1 and that when her home life and her social surroundings can be satisfactorily foreseen and arranged for in advance4 ,even then1 the question must be raised3 ,will this new position probably prove helpful as an introduction to a better form of occupation8 ,no other possible occupations for the farmer's daughter will be listed here excepting that of trained nurse--a position in which many young women are doing a splendid service for humanity and at the same time supporting themselves adequately4 ,but of course such a position should not be thought of unless the girl feels an inner call to take it up4 ,practically all other outside lines of work for women are too masculine4 ,parents should by no means allow their daughters to take up a life task that means nothing other than mere money-making4 ,many women1 it is true1 are succeeding to-day in business callings1 but they are doing so as a rule in violation of certain laws of nature4 ,many of these business women are masculine in their dispositions and they become more so as the unnatural calling continues to be pursued4 ,a ,,college ,,course ,,for ,,the ,,girl ,at first thought it would seem that ability to prepare a good meal and to do her own sewing might constitute all the education in household economy necessary for any young woman4 ,but such proves not to be the case4 ,there are hundreds of home-making problems1 great and small1 for which mere knowledge of the two important affairs just named will provide no answer4 ,while the ability to cook and sew well are doubtless essential characteristics of the good housekeeper1 they are not at all a guarantee that their possessor is a good home maker4 ,parents must learn to take the larger and more liberal view of the future of their children4 ,not merely practice in the culinary art1 but also a developed and refined personality2 not merely industrial efficiency1 but also constructive ability of a social nature2 not merely mechanical skill in managing the details of housework1 but a set of well-matured1 effective plans for making the home over which she presides a place of joy and contentment for the other members of the family--these are some of the evidences of character which the wise1 far-seeing parent might well desire for his daughter4 ,now1 it is the thesis of this chapter that the normal woman is at her best only when she has become mistress of her own well-managed household4 ,but such an exalted position can scarcely be reached except through a broad1 general course of preparation4 ,the one-sided1 classical college training has spoiled for life many otherwise good and happy women4 ,such a course tends strongly to draw the mind and the affections of the young woman away from the home and from motherhood and other such matters so fundamental to the well-being of the race4 ,but in seeking for an ideal school for the daughter the farmer will find unsurpassed that institution which offers extensive courses in household art and management1 supplemented fully with work in the so-called culture subjects--language1 literature1 history1 sociology1 psychology1 and economics4 ,this work constitutes what might be called a balanced schedule of instruction for the young woman4 ,if pursued to its conclusion1 such a course of training enriches her personality and multiplies her opportunities for future usefulness many fold4 ,,associations ,,with ,,refined ,,young ,,men ,if the young woman's preparation for her life work be satisfactory to all1 she must have extensive experience in the society of young men such as only the co-educational college can give4 ,as her position in the rural home has been already too much isolated1 an exclusive women's college is least to be desired as a place to educate the country girl4 ,but the domestic science course in a state university or a state agricultural college will be found almost ideal4 ,here the girl may be held to a reasonable performance of her assigned duties1 while at the same time she may mingle freely in the society of both sexes4 ,indeed1 if the thesis of this chapter be a sound and tenable one1--namely1 that normally woman's highest satisfaction is to be sought through helping her attain efficient home life1--then1 there is every reason for agreeing with the late ,professor ,james in his contention that every young woman ought to be taught how to know a good man4 ,it is distinctively the business of the young college woman1 not only to prepare well all her lessons in household economy and the literary subjects1 but also to keep her eye out for a suitable life companion4 ,and her father should be made to realize that her opportunities for marrying a man of high worth and ability are increased many fold through the completion of a course in the ideal form of co-educational college4 ,marriages among college mates are usually most successful1 both in the final establishment of substantial home life and in point of resulting in a reasonable number of well-reared children4 ,statistics gathered widely show that the young woman college graduate marries somewhat later than her non-attending sister1 that she has slightly better health1 that her children are somewhat fewer1 but better reared4 ,illustration3 ,,plate ,,xxxi4 ,,fig4 #ch4--;a girls' class in sewing4 ,no girl of this age needs to wear any better garment than she can make with her own needle if she be rightly trained4 ,such training is a part of real preparation for life4 ,,make ,,the ,,daughter ,,attractive ,it may therefore be urged upon all rural parents1 as a cold business proposition1 as well as a duty1 that they take every reasonable precaution to develop in their growing daughters both an attractive personality and a beauty of the inner character1 whether she be so fortunate as to attend a good college or not4 ,all this must be done with a thought of rendering the daughter as attractive as possible in respect to any worthy young man who may in time seek her heart and hand in marriage4 ,it is time for parents to cease passing this thing by as a mere piece of sentimentalism and to begin to do the fair thing by their girls4 ,why should it longer come to pass in this enlightened age that some parents break down the physical health of their girls with the burden of over-work and thus consign them to a life of moping and bitter disappointment for the future2 that other parents indulge their girls in the giddy1 butterfly type of life and thus blight their prospects of a substantial and satisfactory place in human society8 ,,summary ,,and ,,conclusion ,in summarizing and concluding this chapter we wish to remind the reader of what has been said in the preceding ones4 ,there are a number of distinctive elements that must be carefully wrought into the character of the farmer's daughter with a view to laying a substantial foundation for her future career4 #a4 ,first of all1 the girl's health must be kept in mind4 ,she must not have an over-burden of work heaped upon her delicate shoulders1 nor must she be allowed to expose herself unnecessarily to the inclemencies of the weather so common in the ordinary rural districts4 ,there are many women moping about to-day1 ill and despondent much of the time because of the negligence of parents who permitted them when growing girls to wade about through mud and slush and thus impair permanently their physical well-being4 ,many of the minor ailments of mature life recur habitually1 and that because they were permitted to be acquired when the organism was young and sensitive4 #b4 ,the daughter must be taught how to carry on practically all the necessary details of the housework4 ,the plain cooking and sewing and the general care of the home must be required as duties on the part of every promising girl4 ,it is especially obligatory on the part of rural parents that they train the daughter in such a way as to make her a true mistress of the household over which she may sometime preside4 ,she must learn through specific guidance how to subordinate the heavy home tasks to her spiritual well-being4 #c4 ,it is also essential that the girl learn how to manage the business affairs of the home2 especially1 how to purchase the supplies of the kitchen and the larder in the most economic fashion4 ,she must also learn both how to secure her own personal belongings at a reasonable cost and how to make them serve her real needs without unnecessary expenditure of money4 ,it will be a great achievement in her behalf if the girl approach her marriage day thoroughly imbued with the thought of cooperating with her husband in the general business of maintaining a home4 #d4 ,we would remind the reader again of the necessity of giving attention to the development of an attractive personality in the growing girl4 ,pleasing manners1 refined expressions1 neat and attractive apparel1 kindliness and sympathy1 frankness and straightforwardness--all these should enter into her make-up and be thought of as parts of her permanent character4 ,they will also go far toward winning to her side a suitable life companion4 #e4 ,the young girl on the farm should have much advice in respect to the nature and character of men4 ,this will be achieved partly through her well-ordered social life and partly through specific talks from thoughtful parents4 ,country girls are probably less informed in respect to the natures of men than are city girls4 ,many beautiful and innocent young women are led astray either before or after marriage by evil and designing men2 many of them consummate marriages with men who have an outer appearance of trustworthiness1 but who harbor within some most serious and insurmountable evil and disease4 ,although she may not for a time be conscious of what her parents are doing1 the latter should be for years purposely engaged in preparing their daughter to know at sight a good man4 ,finally1 it may be said that there is no greater charm or thing of more superior beauty in this good world of ours than the character of a woman who has been well-born and well-reared1 and who has been safely guided into the home of her own wherein she reigns as mistress supreme4 ,in this ideal home the love and sympathy and the kindly deeds of the true home-maker will reveal themselves permanently in the lives of her children and her husband and the many others who come into contact with her constructive personality4 ,,references ,women's ,ways of ,earning ,money4 ,cynthia ,westover ,alden4 ,a4 ,s4 ,barnes ,co4 ,the ,home ,builder4 ,dr4 ,lyman ,abbott4 ,houghton1 ,mifflin ,company4 ,sympathetic and cheering4 ,almost a ,woman4 ,mary ,wood ,allen1 ,m4,d4 ,crist1 ,scott ,parshall1 ,coopertown1 ,n4,y4 ,a plain talk to the young woman about her sex nature4 ,the ,problem of ,vocational ,education4 ,david ,snedden1 ,ph4,d4 ,chapter ,,xii1 ,the ,problem of ,women in ,industry4 ,houghton1 ,mifflin ,company4 ,the ,vocational ,guidance of ,youth4 ,meyer ,bloomfield4 ,chapter ,i1 ,the ,choice of ,life ,work and its ,difficulties4 ,houghton1 ,mifflin ,company4 ,parenthood and ,race ,culture4 ,charles ,w4 ,saleeby ,m4,d4 ,chapter ,x1 ,marriage and ,maternalism4 ,moffat1 ,yard ,co41 ,new ,york4 ,should ,women work for their ,living8 ,m4 ,yates4 ,westminster ,review1 ,october1 #aiaj4 ,social ,diseases and ,marriage4 ,educational ,pamphlet1 ,no4 #c4 ,american ,society of ,sanitary and ,moral ,prophylaxis1 ,new ,york4 #aj cents4 ,every parent should read this booklet4 ,vocational ,training for ,girls4 ,isabelle ,mc,glaufin4 ,education1 ,april1 #aiaa4 ,a ,healthy ,race2 ,woman's ,vocation4 ,c4 ,m4 ,hill4 ,westminster ,review1 ,january1 #aiaj4 ,social ,adjustment4 ,s4 ,nearing4 ,pages #abh-adh1 ,dependence of ,women4 ,macmillan4 ,purposes of ,women4 ,f4 ,w4 ,saleeby1 ,m4,d4 ,forum1 ,january1 #aiaa4 ,does the ,college rob the ,cradle8 ,h4 ,boice4 ,delineator1 ,march1 #aiaa4 ,the ,college ,woman as a ,home ,maker4 ,m4 ,e4 ,wooley4 ,ladies' ,home ,journal1 ,oct4 #a1 #aiaj4 ,the ,american ,woman and her ,home4 ,symposium4 ,outlook1 ,april #ag1 #aiaj4 ,teaching the ,girl to ,save4 ,home-,training ,bulletin ,no4 #g4 #b cents4 ,wm4 ,a4 ,mc,keever1 ,manhattan1 ,kan4 ,,chapter ,,xx ,,conclusion1 ,,and ,,future ,,outlook ,in concluding this volume we wish again to remind parents of the necessity of working for specific results in the rearing of their children4 ,modern man1 unlike his ancestor1 who roamed over the earth1 is a creature of complex and highly refined make-up which no primitive or natural environment could possibly produce4 ,the forces that work upon his character development are so radically different from those which formed the life of his remote forbears as possibly to account for the contrasts in the two forms of finished personality4 ,although there is evidence to support the theory that man belongs to the general evolutionary scheme of animal life1 the progress of the race has been so very slow that a thousand years of time can show no very distinct improvement either in physical form or mental quality4 ,while the human young is exceedingly plastic as an individual1--yielding easily from one side of his inherent activities to another1--the race is relatively fixed and stable4 ,,strive ,,for ,,preconceived ,,results ,parents and other instructors of the young must therefore accept their charges as made up of very complex potentialities of learning and achievement--each a bundle of latent characters transmitted to him from the ancestral line4 ,many of these inherited characters are too weak in any given individual ever to show in his life conduct2 many others will come to the surface only in response to proper stimuli and practice2 still others will break out and show a predominance almost in defiance of any training intended to counteract them4 ,but the teacher and trainer of the infant child may accept the theory that the latter1 if taken in time1 can be bent and modified many ways in his character formation2 that such plasticity is1 however1 always subject to the relative strength or weakness of the many inherited aptitudes and activities latent within the individual4 ,there is no good reason1 therefore1 why the parent should not begin early to build up the character of his child in accordance with a preconceived plan2 provided such plan do no violence to any of nature's stubborn and inexorable laws4 ,the parent may also accept this task as a long and tedious undertaking1 and expect to get results in proportion as he works intelligently for them4 ,the farmer does not even think of producing good crop results from his land without hard work and much thought2 then1 why should he expect so delicate a plant as the human young to reach satisfactory maturity without much care and consideration8 ,by far the greatest sin against the child is neglect of his training4 ,,consult ,,expert ,,advice ,we must not be unmindful of the necessity of a balanced schedule of activities for the child4 ,the vegetable plant must have air1 sunlight1 moisture1 nitrogen1 and so on1 to support its growth4 ,if one of these essential elements be lacking1 the result is fatal to the fruitage4 ,so with the child4 ,if the best character results are to be expected1 certain essential elements must be put into use4 ,we have named them as play1 work1 recreation1 and social experience4 ,but as one approaches the individual problem of child training it does not prove so simple and easy as these terms imply4 ,when and how to give each of these necessary exercises1 how much of each to furnish1 the means thereof1 and the like--these and many other such questions begin to arise4 ,when the parent reaches the point of perplexity in dealing with his child1 it is a fairly good indication that his interest is aroused1 at least4 ,but what is to be done8 ,simply the same thing he would do at the point of perplexity in the wheat propagation1 consult an expert4 ,if one of the work mules becomes lame or reveals a bad disposition1 should the owner take it to an electrician for advice8 ,if the family cow becomes locoed or shows an unusual result in her milk product1 should one consult a piano tuner8 ,yet1 strange to say1 parents are often known to do similarly in dealing with the perplexing problems of child-rearing4 ,consult the popular magazines and the book shelves any day and you will find many lengthy dissertations on the boy and the girl1 written not infrequently by persons who have spent a lifetime studying something else4 ,but they are very fond of children and they mistake this fondness for knowledge of an expert kind2 and worst of all1 they offer it as such4 ,the farm parents who wish to receive expert advice in the treatment of their children must learn to consult directly or through literature only those who have made a long and intensive study of child problems4 ,and in the latter case they need not expect to obtain all necessary help from one source alone4 ,usually the child-study expert is a specialist in only one certain part of the field4 ,for example1 at the ,university of ,pennsylvania under ,dr4 ,lightner ,witmer1 there has been made a specialty of the sub-normal child4 ,we should probably obtain from that source more expert help in that one phase of child welfare than from any other source in ,america4 ,if one wishes reliable help on the subject of diseases of children1 he should naturally expect to obtain it from some medical authority1 from one ,who has spent long years practicing in a general hospital for children4 ,one of the very few great sources of information on the general psychology of child development is ,clark ,university1 where many child-welfare problems have been worked out by experts under the able direction of ,dr4 ,g4 ,stanley ,hall4 ,,meet ,,each ,,awakening ,,interest ,a very reliable general rule of guidance for the parent child trainer is to strive to furnish intensive practice for each and every childish and juvenile interest at the time of its awakening4 ,as stated in ,chapter ,,ii the most predominant interests in the young emerge in response to the unfoldment of instincts and the development of organic growths within4 ,perhaps all do so4 ,but the point of importance for the parent is to meet each of these awakenings at the time of its highest activity with intensive training4 ,the instinct to play1 to fight1 to steal1 to run away1 to work 7871 to fall in love1 to engage in some occupation1 to marry and make a home1 to have children--these have been named as especially important by virtue of their awakening successively the individual's interests in matters of great consequence to character development4 ,but instincts are blind4 ,their possessor does not foresee the way they point4 ,they come suddenly and catch the subject unprepared to direct their force in what we call intelligent ways4 ,hence1 the extreme necessity of there being present at the side of the child1 at the time of his instinctive awakening1 some mature and intelligent person who has been through the experiences the former is about to begin1 and who will sympathetically point the right way and insist that it be followed4 ,,work ,,for ,,social ,,democracy ,one can scarcely become deeply interested in the future of his own child without coming intimately into touch with the child welfare problems at large4 ,even country parents1 isolated though they may be1 will discover that serious study of the matter of bringing up a family of good children will require that they study the lives of other human young4 ,moreover1 they will need the use of other children as laboratory material for training their own4 ,all this will gradually lead the way to a fuller social sympathy in such parents and to the inculcation of more wholesome social ideals in the minds of their offspring4 ,finally1 the rural parents who are seeking a full and adequate development of the young members of their own family will most probably see their way clear to assume a helpful leadership of the young people of the neighborhood as advocated in ,chapter ,x of this volume4 ,while many agencies for the betterment of rural youth have been discussed1--such as the ,county ,y4,m4,c4,a41 the ,boy ,scout ,movement1 and the ,social and ,economic ,clubs1--the neighborhood which has at least one of these agencies intensively at work may be considered fortunate4 ,and it may be said that such a neighborhood is well on the way to economic improvement as well as social improvement4 ,,the ,,outlook ,,very ,,promising ,throughout the ,united ,states there is being manifested a general tendency to accept the theory that our human stock is relatively sound4 ,while there are seemingly large numbers of the criminal1 delinquent1 and dependent classes1 they are in reality comparatively few in proportion to the entire population4 ,and when we accept the estimate of the experts that about ninety per cent of the cases included in the classes just named are preventable through wise foresight and training1 the outlook for a better race of human beings becomes most cheering4 ,the proper study of mankind is man1 says the poet4 ,but for many generations we have regarded this statement as mere poetry and not necessarily truth4 ,our policy up to the recent past has been rather this3 ,the proper study of mankind is everything except man1 leaving the all-important problems of child-rearing to the decisions of wise old grand-mothers and debating societies4 ,but a radical change has come1 and that within this present generation4 ,men and women highly trained in the colleges and universities are now applying their scientific methods to the study of man with no less zeal and earnestness than that which has characterized the student of the non-human problems for many generations of time4 ,illustration3 ,,plate4 ,,xxxii4 ,,fig4 #ci4--,sowing the seed1 all by herself4 ,,fig4 #dj4--,thinning the vegetables4 ,new ,york ,scenes4 ,through the able conclusions of the painstaking expert the so-called institutional life has been especially improved4 ,the industrial 7reform7 schools are now practicing a system of balanced activities--of study1 work1 play1 and the like--such as the findings of these investigators have warranted4 ,the method of paroling the delinquent child1 after he has spent a term of preparation1 was proved most helpful through the careful tests of a large number of cases4 ,recently the parole system has been effectively applied to certain classes of penitentiary convicts4 ,a most productive agency for good now in use in many of the prisons and all the industrial schools is that of building up the waste places in the individual life through specific training and instruction4 ,the first question raised in such cases is1 ,what is the particular moral defect of the individual8 second1 ,what are the causes8 third1 ,what will reconstruct his character and give permanent relief8 ,that is1 the expert psychologist and the expert sociologist are being called into service with the expert alienist and physician4 ,the purpose is to save and reconstruct the whole man4 ,compulsory education and trade schooling are now very common in state prisons4 ,in the care and protection of the insane and the feeble-minded our country can boast of but slow progress4 ,many of the members of these classes are permitted to run at large and even to marry and beget their kind4 ,now1 while our human stock is in its mass very sound and sane1 there are constantly being thrown off from it these mentally defective classes4 ,the complete obliteration of all such classes to-day would not result in their complete disappearance from the race4 ,others would be born as variants from normal parentage4 ,but the evil of it all lies in the fact that we are still permitting many of these defectives to multiply1 and that in the face of the fact that a normal child has never been reported among the offspring of two feeble-minded parents4 ,,the ,,modern ,,service ,,training ,of all the institutions contributing to the direct improvement of the race there is perhaps none surpassing in importance the modern training school for social workers4 ,in ,new ,york1 ,chicago1 ,philadelphia1 ,st4 ,louis1 and other large cities such may be found usually affiliated with some university or college4 ,the general purpose is that of training men and women to go into the field of social service and apply the methods and conclusions worked out by the research student4 ,hitherto1 much of the social work has been conducted by persons possessing merely religious zeal and enthusiasm4 ,their efforts were praiseworthy1 but they lacked the training necessary for coping with modern educational and economic problems4 ,the distinctive feature of the new methods is that it is based on scientific and business principles4 ,that is1 the social worker is trained in the same methodical way as the prospective lawyer or school teacher1 and is also paid reasonably for his services4 ,the modern social worker not only proceeds with a well-defined plan1 but he usually makes or requires a survey of his newly-opened field4 ,the social survey--now becoming more common as a means of beginning a campaign of improvement in the cities--has revealed some most interesting1 as well as distressing1 situations in the submerged districts4 ,the housing situation1 sanitary conditions1 wages and incomes of different classes1 sweat-shop employment1 the protection of workmen in shops and factories1 child-labor conditions1 and so on--these are examples of the problems of the investigator1 while his tabulated reports serve to guide the social worker4 ,now1 the duties of the latter are many1 but in general they lie in the direction of improvement of the conditions as found4 ,among the undertakings that often fall to his lot are3 establishing new social centers in congested districts1 providing for new parks and playgrounds1 locating reading and recreation rooms1 organizing self-help and home-improvement clubs among the lower classes1 conducting cooking and sewing schools1 and the like4 ,of special interest to the rural dweller is the fact that the modern methods of first making surveys and then applying remedial agencies is now being extended into the country districts1 giving many marked results already and promising greater ones for the future4 ,,the ,,state ,,doing ,,its ,,part ,that the nation and the state are active participants in these new forms of child-conserving and man-saving endeavor is indicated on every side4 ,the national government has encouraged the states in the enactment of stringent child-labor laws4 ,in the usual instance children under fourteen to sixteen years of age are prohibited from working away from home at gainful occupations4 ,correlated with this is the compulsory-education law in the several states4 ,the national and state governments have also cooperated in the enactment of laws prohibiting the adulteration of foods and foodstuffs and in enforcing better sanitation4 ,as a result of such measures1 state and local1 together with the help of greatly improved hospital practice1 the infant mortality in several of the large cities has been reduced more than fifty per cent in the past decade4 ,inspired by the splendid pioneer work of the ,national ,playground ,association1 the cities and towns have recently made very rapid progress in the establishment of playgrounds and recreative centers for old and young4 ,many millions of dollars have already been expended for such purposes4 ,now the country districts are adopting the same means of social improvement4 ,the primary system of selecting candidates for political office is proving to be a most potent agency for the general uplift4 ,by means of it1 better men are being inducted into office4 ,better still1 the old corrupt practice of the ward politician1 so deleterious to the character of youth1 is losing its once powerful influence on government4 ,the so-called social evil1 so damaging to the health and morals of thousands of our best young men and young women1 is now under fair promise of improvement4 ,the remarkable survey of the ,chicago ,vice ,commission and the work of the other well-planned organizations looking to the solution of the same general problem have proved most effective in revealing the true conditions and of awakening the public conscience4 ,all of these activities in the interest of putting down the sex evils point very clearly one moral to all conscientious parents2 namely1 that the best and most certain method of inculcating lessons of purity in the case of the young is through preventive measures1 and through the practice of purity during the years of growth4 ,open and frank discussion of the sex problems as they arise normally out of the experiences of the child1 admonitions and prohibitions in regard to impure associates1 the insistence upon a single1 and not a double1 standard of purity for the two sexes--these are some of the specific duties of parents4 ,as an instance of what may be achieved by way of helping the weak and depraved to defend themselves against debasing habit1 and especially of what may be done by way of prevention of a character-destroying habit in time of youth1 the ,kansas prohibitory law is cited4 ,the longer this statute remains1 the more effective its work and the more unanimous the public sentiment supporting it4 ,so popular has this measure become that no political party and no faction of any other class has been able to take any effective stand against it4 ,it can be shown to any fair-minded investigator that the great majority of the citizens of ,kansas are total abstainers from the use of intoxicants2 also that the state has brought up a new generation of tens of thousands of men1 now mostly voters1 who have no personal knowledge of the use and abuse of alcoholic drinks and who have become confirmed as total abstainers for life4 ,another unique ,kansas measure--ignored and derided at first only less than was the prohibitory liquor law when new--is the statute forbidding the use of tobacco in any form on the part of minors4 ,the wisdom of this statute is supported by the conclusions of scientific study of the effects of tobacco on the young4 ,the general purpose of the law is to prevent the youth from taking up the tobacco-using habit before reaching full maturity of years and judgment4 ,the general result will be the gradual development of a generation of total abstainers from the use of tobacco4 ,,the ,,new ,,era ,,of ,,religion ,even into the sanctuary of the modern church is the new scientific spirit finding its way4 ,it has become an accepted principle of procedure among ministers and other church workers of late that the best way to save souls is not to depend wholly upon divine grace1 but to assist this subtle power by means of the constructive work of many human agencies4 ,preventive measures that aim at safeguarding the young against evil contaminations1 the institution of social improvement organizations and of literary and economic clubs1 the formation of good-fellowship societies1 of societies for conducting social surveys1 of committees for giving vocational guidance and for the administration of spiritual healing--these and numerous endeavors of the same class give evidence of the great service which the modern church is rendering young humanity4 ,and all this splendid work is being carried forward without doing any violence to the essential doctrines of the great historical institution so long engaged in its serious efforts in behalf of human salvation4 ,,final ,,conclusion ,as a closing remark the author can only express again his belief that no past age ever held out such inspiring hope and such splendid encouragement to the many parents who appreciate the needs of intelligent care and training for their children4 ,and because of the natural advantages of the surroundings1 country parents have the greatest justification of all for being enthusiastic over the outlook4 ,now1 let them go patiently and reverently at the work of bringing up for the service of the world a magnificent race of men and women--men who have brain and brawn and moral courage and religious devotion2 women who have a profound sense of maternal responsibility1 an inspiring superiority over the perplexing duties of the household1 a deep and far-reaching social sympathy1 and such a poise and sublimity of thought as to reveal the divinity inherent in their characters4 ,for lo6 ,in the hidden depths of the natures of the common boys and girls there lie slumbering these splendid possibilities6 ,,references ,the ,meaning of ,social ,science4 ,albion ,w4 ,small4 ,university of ,chicago ,press4 ,an epoch-making book1 restating ably the general problem of social reconstruction4 ,report of ,committee on ,rural ,social ,problems1 ,national ,conference ,charities and ,corrections4 ,address ,porter ,r4 ,lee1 ,sec'y for ,organizing ,charity1 ,philadelphia1 ,pa4 ,annual ,report4 ,association for ,study and ,prevention of ,infant ,mortality1 #abaa ,cathedral ,street1 ,baltimore4 ,government ,report on ,children as ,wage-earners4 ,department of ,commerce and ,labor1 ,washington1 ,d4,c4 ,this department is bringing out nineteen volumes in all1 each covering a particular problem of women and children as wage-earners4 ,the following are especially related to the subject matter of this chapter3-- ,the ,beginnings of ,child ,labor ,legislation in ,certain ,states2 ,a ,comparative ,study4 ,conditions under which ,children leave ,school to go to ,work4 ,juvenile ,delinquency and its ,relation to ,employment4 ,causes of ,death among ,women and ,child ,cotton ,mill ,operatives4 ,family ,budgets of ,typical ,cotton ,mill ,workers4 ,hook ,worm ,disease among ,cotton ,mill ,operatives4 ,employment of ,women and ,children in ,selected ,industries4 ,reports and ,circulars ,national ,christian ,league for ,promotion of ,purity1 #e ,east #abth ,street1 ,new ,york4 ,annual ,report of ,national ,conference of ,charities and ,corrections1 #aiaa4 ,charities ,publication ,committee1 ,new ,york4 ,see this valuable volume for reports of progress in the different lines of child-welfare effort4 ,the ,white ,slave ,traffic4 ,outlook1 ,july #af4 #aiaj4 ,the ,rockefeller ,grand ,jury ,report of ,white ,slave ,traffic4 ,mc,clure1 ,may1 ,august1 #aiaj4 ,moral ,research in ,social and ,economic ,problems4 ,g4 ,connell4 ,westminster ,review1 ,february1 #aiaj4 ,my ,lesson from the ,juvenile ,court4 ,judge ,ben4 ,b ,lindsey4 ,survey1 ,feb4 #e1 #aiaj4 ,,index ,acquired characters1 not transmissible1 #g4 ,agricultural education1 money value of1 #bhf4 ,agriculture1 as a rural school subject1 #abj ff4 ,anger1 a healthful instinct1 #af2 right treatment of1 #ag f4 ,aristocracy1 fostered in the schools1 #ajc1 #ajd4 ,bank account1 necessary for boys1 #bbc4 ,bill1 ,arthur ,j41 #bca4 ,boardman1 ,john ,r41 advocate of rural play1 #aef4 ,books1 for children1 how to choose1 #gd2 a selected list1 #ge ff42 on child-rearing1 #gi1 #hj4 ,boys1 bad companionships for1 #bjb f4 ,boy ,scouts ,movement1 #caa4 ,boy ,scouts1 ,professor ,holton's definition of1 #afe2 how to organize1 #afe f42 in ,kansas1 #aff ff4 ,boys leave the farm1 why1 #fb1 #fc4 ,bread-making clubs1 #aej f4 ,bread-winning1 cultural1 #c4 ,building site1 suited to children1 #fh4 ,business career1 instinct for1 #bd4 ,business1 training for farm boy1 #bbj ff42 finding the boy's interest in1 #bba f42 dealing fair with the boy in1 #bbe4 ,butterfield1 ,president ,kenyon ,l41 #adj1 #afa4 ,character-building1 agencies of1 #bh ff42 must go on with schooling1 #ij f42 requires religious training1 #id4 ,chicago ,vice ,commission1 #cag4 ,child-rearing1 rural1 #ij ff4 ,children's hour1 recommended for evening1 #fg4 ,children's room1 good illustration of1 #fd f4 ,child study1 a necessity1 #cjh ff4 ,cigarettes1 law against1 in ,kansas1 #cah4 ,college education1 for farm boy1 #bhc f4 ,compulsory education1 now general1 #bea4 ,consolidation of rural schools1 illustrated1 #aji1 #abc4 ,cornell ,university1 model rural school #aae ff4 ,cornell ,university1 #bhf4 ,corn-plowing1 may be divine calling1 #ih4 ,corn-raising clubs1 #aej f4 ,corn ,sunday1 in rural church1 #ie4 ,country boy1 the right schooling for1 #bej ff42 his interest in humanity1 #bei2 must know current affairs1 #bfj4 ,country church at ,plainfield1 ,ill41 #hg2 at ,ogden1 ,kan41 #hg1 #ib2 ,commission management of1 #hh2 too narrow1 #ib2 as social center1 #id ff42 at ,danbury1 ,n4 ,h41 #if2 at ,lincoln1 ,vt41 #if2 federated society in1 #if4 ,country dwelling1 its relation to juvenile character1 #ed ff42 plan it for the children1 #ef1 #eg4 ,country girl1 business training for1 #bee ff42 why she leaves home1 #bcf f42 rules for training in business1 #bci2 not to be a money-maker1 #bdg2 earning money in the ,south1 #bdi2 schooling for1 #bfb ff42 to be taught music1 #bfe f42 vocation for1 #bij ff4 ,country ,life ,commission1 #db f41 #adh4 ,country mother1 as teacher1 #bfh2 report of ,country ,life ,commission1 #db2 conservation of her energies1 #dd ff42 conspiring with the children1 #ea f4 ,country school1 to be redirected1 #aeb ff4 ,crying1 good for infants1 #ad4 ,dance1 usually degrading1 #afd2 hard to control1 #baa f4 ,department of ,agriculture1 #adh4 ,dickens1 ,professor ,albert1 #aaj f4 ,disease1 relation to habit1 #c2 avoidance of by care1 #c4 ,domestic economy1 for girls1 #bih f42 in the rural school1 #abb4 ,exhibitions1 by rural ,y4,m4,c4,a41 #aci f4 ,fairchild1 ,supt4 ,e4 ,t41 #ajh f41 #aah4 ,farm barn1 not to be better than the dwelling1 #fb4 ,farmer's ,voice1 #fj1 #gc4 ,farm girls1 danger of over-working1 #ahb f42 working in the field1 #ahh2 sometimes misjudged1 #aij f42 work schedule difficult to make1 #aia2 and self-supremacy1 #aib f42 social companions for1 #bja4 ,fear1 nature and purpose of1 #af1 #ai4 ,federation for country life in ,illinois1 #afa f4 ,good health1 fundamental to development1 #c4 ,good life1 definition1 #b4 ,hall1 ,dr4 ,g4 ,stanley1 #cji4 ,happiness1 a part of the good life1 #f2 how obtained1 #f4 ,high school1 rural provisions for1 #abd f4 ,holton1 ,professor ,e4 ,l4 on ,boy ,scouts1 #afe4 ,home conveniences1 necessity for farm women1 #dg4 ,home life education1 #bgj4 ,home sanitation1 in the rural school1 #acb4 ,homing instinct1 #bc4 ,house help1 training the children for1 #di4 ,human stock1 mostly sound1 #g1 #h2 potentially good1 #i4 ,humble parentage and leadership1 #i4 ,instincts1 of children to be studied1 #caj2 two are fundamental1 #ab2 related to impulse1 #ad2 for home life1 #bc2 for business1 #bd4 ,james1 ,professor ,william1 #cjj4 ,kansas1 ,rural ,boy ,scouts in1 #aff ff42 a boy genius of1 #bbg4 ,kansas ,state ,agricultural ,college1 #afe4 ,kirk1 ,president ,john ,r41 quoted1 #aab f4 ,leadership1 of farmer and wife1 #adf ff42 preparation for1 #adh2 in ,y4,m4,c4,a41 #acc f4 ,library1 for neighborhood in farm home1 #aee4 ,literary ,digest1 #gc4 ,literature1 purpose of in country home1 #fi f42 best adapted to the child1 #ga1 #gb2 types of1 #gb f42 on child-rearing1 #gi4 ,marriage1 planning for the daughter's1 #bia f42 to be studied1 #cjj ff42 training the girl for1 #bj1 #ba4 ,mc,nutt1 ,rev4 ,m4 ,b41 and his work1 #hf1 #hg2 church built by1 #hg4 ,mendel's law1 and human inheritance1 #h4 ,minister1 of city should preach in the country1 #he2 a country type1 #hf ff4 ,moral strength1 an aim in character-building1 #d2 acquired through trial and error1 #d4 ,mothers' club1 organization of1 #afj f4 ,mother's hour1 recommended1 #df4 ,moving to town1 to educate the children1 #cf2 how it affects the farmer1 #cf1 #cg4 ,national ,corn ,exhibit1 #bcj4 ,native ability1 three classes of1 #bea ff42 how stimulus and opportunity assist1 #bec4 ,newspaper1 kind for the farmer1 #gc4 ,occupations for women1 #bic ff4 ,oklahoma ,agricultural ,college1 work at county fair1 #bbi4 ,play1 growing interest in1 #bg1 #bh2 practical uses of1 #bh ff42 an excellent set of materials for1 #cj2 sharply distinguished from work1 #ca2 after ,sunday ,school1 #ig2 neighborhood center for1 #aei4 ,play apparatus1 model in farm home1 #aed4 ,playground1 apparatus for1 #aah ff42 for home and school1 #aed f4 ,playground ,association of ,america1 #aee1 #caf4 ,population1 decrease in country1 #hc4 ,prohibitory law1 in ,kansas1 #cah4 ,psychological clinic1 #bfe4 ,recreation1 meaning of misunderstood1 #cc2 how related to farm work1 #cd ff42 for rural youth1 #aci4 ,religion1 the new era in1 #cai2 interest in a part of life1 #e4 ,review of ,reviews1 #gc4 ,rural manhood1 #adh1 #aef4 ,rural school1 changes in view-point of1 #ajb2 to serve all1 #ajc f42 compulsory attendance upon1 #ajf2 model at ,kirksville1 #aab4 ,rural schoolhouse1 better ones needed1 #ajg2 location of1 #ajh2 in ,kansas1 #aje2 model at ,cornell1 #aae4 ,saloons1 a menace to boys1 #bjf f4 ,school grounds1 size1 and adoption of1 #aji4 ,school playground1 #aag ff4 ,sex evils1 to be studied1 #cag4 ,sex habits1 secret1 #bjd4 ,sex instinct1 as socializing agency1 #aii4 ,sexual love1 instructive and extremely helpful1 #bj2 necessity of careful treatment1 #bj ff4 ,smoking1 bad for boys1 #bje f4 ,social democracy1 fostered by training1 #d4 ,social efficiency1 training for1 #e4 ,social entertainment1 how to conduct1 #bji f42 several forms of1 #baa ff4 ,social renaissance1 in the country1 #aii4 ,social sensitiveness1 a form of fear1 #ah2 great value in training1 #ai1 #bj4 ,social training of farm youths1 #aig ff42 in economic clubs1 #bae2 a working plan for1 #aih ff42 based on sex instinct1 #aii2 menaces to1 #bjj ff42 in ideal country home1 #bjh4 ,social training schools1 #cad4 ,social work1 for girls1 #bie f4 ,solitude1 a means of culture1 #ce4 ,stenography1 for girls1 #bid4 ,teaching1 hard on young women1 #bjc4 ,tuberculosis1 is it inheritable8 #h1 #i4 ,university of ,pennsylvania1 #cji4 ,usefulness1 as ideal of education1 #c4 ,vacations1 based on instincts and desires1 #afc1 #bbf4 ,vacations1 necessity of providing for1 #agf f42 a father's plan for1 #agg f4 ,vocation1 for farm boy1 #bge ff42 should it be farming1 #bge2 go slow in choosing1 #bgf f42 three methods of training for1 #bgi f42 preparation of farm girl for1 #bhi ff4 ,vocational schools1 in the ,south1 #bbi f4 ,wallaces' ,farmer1 #dc1 #dd1 #gc4 ,waters1 ,president ,h4 ,j41 #abg4 ,wealth1 not evidence of substantial country society1 #hd4 ,witmer1 ,dr4 ,lightner1 #cji4 ,women1 occupations for1 #bia ff4 ,work1 as basis of society1 #aga ff42 for the boy's sake1 #agb f42 wrong attitude of workmen toward1 #agd2 a father's method of training boy for1 #age f42 a schedule of hours for1 #agh ff42 how much for the girl1 #ahc ff42 foundation for vocation1 #bhe2 necessary as discipline1 #cj1 #ca2 not liked by natural children1 #ca2 acquired fondness for1 #cb2 a part of the good school course1 #cc2 spiritualized by country church1 #ih4 ,world's ,work1 #gc4 ,y4,m4,c4,a41 rural #abi ff42 purposes of1 #aca2 how to organize1 #acb ff42 leader for1 #acc f42 how to conduct1 #acf2 example of rural in ,kansas1 #adc f4 ,the following pages contain advertisements of a few of the ,macmillan books on kindred subjects4 ,,the ,,rural ,,outlook ,,set ,,by ,,professor ,l4 ,h4 ,,bailey ,director of the ,new ,york ,state ,college of ,agriculture at ,cornell ,university ,four volumes4 ,each1 cloth1 #abmo4 ,uniform binding1 attractively boxed #e4jj net per set2 carriage extra4 ,each volume also sold separately4 ,in this set are included three of ,professor ,bailey's most popular books as well as a hitherto unpublished one1--,the ,country-,life ,movement4 ,the long and persistent demand for a uniform edition of these little classics is answered with the publication of this attractive series4 ,the ,country-,life ,movement ,cloth1 #abmo1 #bbj pages1 #a4be net2 by mail1 #a4cd ,this hitherto unpublished volume deals with the present movement for the redirection of rural civilization1 discussing the real country-life problem as distinguished from the city problem1 known as the back-to-the-land movement4 ,the ,outlook to ,nature 7,new and ,revised ,edition7 ,cloth1 #abmo1 #aie pages1 #a4be net2 by mail1 #a4cd ,in this alive and bracing book1 full of suggestion and encouragement1 ,professor ,bailey argues the importance of contact with nature1 a sympathetic attitude toward which means greater efficiency1 hopefulness1 and repose4 ,the ,state and the ,farmer 7,new ,edition7 ,cloth1 #abmo1 #a4be net2 by mail1 #a4cd ,it is the relation of the farmer to the government that ,professor ,bailey here discusses in its varying aspects4 ,he deals specifically with the change in agricultural methods1 in the shifting or the geographical centers of farming in the ,united ,states1 and in the growth of agricultural institutions4 ,the ,nature ,study ,idea 7,new ,edition7 ,cloth1 #abmo1 #a4be net2 by mail1 #a4cd ,it would be well1 the critic of ,the ,tribune ,farmer once wrote1 if ',the ,nature ,study ,idea' were in the hands of every person who favors nature study in the public schools1 of every one who is opposed to it1 and1 most important1 of every one who teaches it or thinks he does4 ,it has been ,professor ,bailey's purpose to interpret the new school movement to put the young into relation and sympathy with nature1--a purpose which he has admirably accomplished4 ,,new ,,books ,,on ,,agriculture ,how to ,keep ,bees for ,profit ,,by ,d4 ,e4 ,,lyon ,cloth1 #abmo1 illustrated1 #a4ej net ,dr4 ,lyon is an enthusiast on bees4 ,he has devoted many years to the acquisition of knowledge on this subject1 and his book is a practical one4 ,in it he takes up the numerous questions that confront the man who keeps bees1 and deals with them from the standpoint of long experience4 ,how to ,keep ,hens for ,profit ,,by ,c4 ,s4 ,,valentine ,cloth1 #abmo1 illustrated1 #a4ej net ,mr4 ,valentine is a well-known authority upon the subject4 ,his knowledge is extensive and accurate2 the information that he gives will be of service1 not only to the amateur who keeps poultry for his own pleasure1 but to the man who wishes to derive from it a considerable portion of his income4 ,manual of ,gardening ,,by ,l4 ,h4 ,,bailey ,cloth1 #abmo1 illustrated1 #b4jj net ,this new work is a combination and revision of the main parts of two other books by the same author1 ,garden ,making1 and ,practical ,garden-,book1 together with much new material and the results of the experience of ten added years4 ,how to ,grow ,vegetables ,,by ,,allen ,,french ,new edition4 ,decorated cloth1 #abmo1 illustrated1 #a4ge net2 by mail1 #a4hj ,it is what it purports to be1 a practical handbook and planting table for the vegetable garden4 ,its directions for growing in our northern climate are detailed and explicit1 and will be of invaluable assistance to those who follow them intelligently4--,boston ,budget4 ,the instructions are terse1 yet complete1 and cover everything as to method of preparing the ground1 sowing seed1 cultivation1 etc4 ,practicality and clearness of direction are the dominant notes of ,mr4 ,french's book4--,brooklyn ,eagle4 ,a ,self-,supporting ,home ,,by ,,kate ,v4 ,,st4 ,,maur ,cloth1 #abmo1 fully illustrated from photographs1 #a4ge net ,each chapter is the detailed account of all the work necessary for one month--in the vegetable garden1 among the small fruits1 with the fowls1 guineas1 rabbits1 cavies1 and in every branch of husbandry to be met with on the small farm4--,louisville ,courier-,journal4 ,the ,earth's ,bounty ,,by ,,kate ,v4 ,,st4 ,,maur ,cloth1 #abmo1 illustrated1 #a4ge net ,the present volume1 though in no sense dependent on ,a ,self-,supporting ,home1 is in a sense a sequel to it4 ,the feminine owner is still the heroine1 and the new book chronicles the events after success permitted her to acquire more land and put to practical test the ideas gleaned from observation and reading4 ,the ,fat of the ,land3 ,the ,story of an ,american ,farm ,,by ,,john ,,williams ,,streeter ,cloth1 #abmo1 #a4ej net ,the ,fat of the ,land is the sort of book that ought to be epoch-making in its character1 for it tells what can be accomplished through the application of business methods to the farming business4 ,never was the freshness1 the beauty1 the joy1 the freedom of country life put in a more engaging fashion4 ,from cover to cover it is a fascinating book1 practical withal1 and full of common sense4 ,three ,acres and ,liberty ,,by ,,bolton ,,hall ,cloth1 #abmo1 illustrated1 #a4ge net ,possibilities of the small suburban farm1 and practical suggestions to city dwellers how to acquire and make profitable use of them4 ,the ,feeding of ,animals ,by ,,whitman ,,howard ,,jordan ,cloth1 #abmo1 illustrated1 #dej pages1 #a4ej net2 by mail1 #a4fe ,a valuable contribution to agricultural literature4 ,not a statement of rules or details of practice1 but an effort to present the main facts and principles fundamental to the art of feeding animals4--,new ,england ,farmer4 ,rural ,hygiene ,by ,,henry ,n4 ,,ogden1 ,c4,e4 ,professor of ,sanitary ,engineering1 ,college of ,civil ,engineering1 ,cornell ,university1 and ,special ,assistant ,engineer of the ,new ,york ,state ,department of ,health ,illustrated1 decorated cloth1 #abmo1 #a4ej net2 by mail1 #a4fh ,farmers and other dwellers outside of cities will find ,professor ,henry ,n4 ,ogden's ',rural ,hygiene' an invaluable treatise on all matters pertaining to the health of the individual and the community4 ,the author1 a civil engineer in the faculty of ,cornell ,university1 deals with the structural side of public hygiene rather than with the medical side4 ,he tells how houses and barns should be built so as to promote the good health of their occupants2 how to manage ventilation1 drainage1 water supply1 etc42 how waterworks should be built1 what are the best kinds of power1 how to arrange the plumbing1 guard against sewage1 and so on4 4 4 4 ,it is an unusually complete1 practical1 and readable treatise4 --,chicago ,record-,herald4 ,law for the ,american ,farmer ,by ,,john ,d4 ,,green1 of the ,new ,york ,bar4 ,decorated cloth1 #abmo1 #a4ej net2 by mail1 #a4fh ,the book is superior to any of its class4--,law ,review4 ,very comprehensive and valuable4--,kansas ,farmer4 ,written with great thoroughness and accuracy4--,chicago ,inter-,ocean4 ,,the ,,macmillan ,,company ,publishers #fd-ff ,fifth ,avenue ,new ,york 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's note3 ,punctuation has been made consistent without note4 ,archaic or alternate spellings have been retained4 ,plate ,x3 #ast edition has a different caption for this plate3 ,an illustration of ,corn ,sunday1 as instituted by ,superintendent ,george ,w4 ,brown in the rural churches in the vicinity of ,paris1 ,illinois4 ,page #ii1 ,references3 ,colton changed to ,cotton 7,john ,cotton ,dana74 ,page #abg1 ,references3 #ast edition has #aijf1 not #aije1 as publication date for ,the ,most ,practical ,industrial ,education for the ,country ,child4 ,page #adj1 ,one boy may have have caught changed to ,one boy may have caught ,page #cbi3 ,county-,life changed to ,country-,life 7,the ,country-,life ,movement47