The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-02-02
a COMPARISON WITH CITY OPP.
PoRTUNITiES AND CITY
ADVANTAGES.
NATION, STATE GOOD TO FARMER
Difference In Back to the Farm, and
"Stay on the Farm"--The Library
System and What 1t Has Done for
the Schools.
(By Mrs. Greene Williams.)

ject, and includes every phase of
county activity. The whole scheme
of life is centered around the idea
that man is social being, but the
social life of the country bears no re-
semblance to the society life of the
| city. The country woman with her
round of duties, her multitudinous
cares, her few servants, her scanty
store of wealth, has no time for clubs.
She Is accustomed to do not talk. In
i, a discussion she cannot hold her own
but no woman is more ready to listen
i and learn than the country woman.
Many mother longs to find some
way to spare her daughter the tread
mill existence she has known.
The nation and the state have been
good to tn farmer, but until very re-
Gently his wife and his children have
shifted for themselves. The schools
Il were of the poorest, due to young, in
experienced teachers and dilapidated
houses The roads made travel i'm
possible, except in the early summer
land the fall almost impossible. When
the roads were good mother and the
children were too busy to CO. or else
teams could not be spared. In fact
the average country home might as
well be set in the midst of Sahara,
SO far as social intercourse or knowl-
edge is concerned. It is true that the
rural delivery and the telephone are
making few riffs in the black
clouds, but the sunshine is very faint.
The state has already given us our
library system. why cannot it give us
travelling monographs, art exhibits,
moving pictures, lectures, in fact, or
ganize lyceum bureau on the same
plan and let every school have the
opportunity of enjoying taste of out
side life?
The Back to the Farm movement
is taking hold of the people with a
firm grip. but q "Stay on the Farm"
movement would be better. Ellen
Keys laundress was right. Country
people do not envy you your wealth
or your fine hines, they envy your
schools, your lectures, your concerts,
your culture that which the broad
world gives. It is this that country
young people come to the city to find.
You can simplify your problems OF
philanthropy by sending a little of
your culture to us and keeping the
country youth where he naturally be-
longs.
The federation Of clubs has done a
great work and Tennessee stands
nigh in the column of successful
workers, but In great part your work
has been and is now being done for
women who do not need it. We long
for just small taste of what you
have in such abundance. You know
we can live and die without books,
but where is the man who can live
without cooks? To make the children
of today the kind of men and women
that tomorrow will need we must feed
them something beside COW peas,
greasy bacon and sour corn pone. We
need the cooking demonstrations not
to teach us fancy cooking, but variety
of serving and care in choosing. We
need instruction in ventilation and
sanitation In all branches of our work.
The county school is the logical
place to begin. Here no difference Of
creed or politics obtrude. Parents
and scholars are used to coming here.
Seats are always ready and light and
heat easily provided. II the teacher
is working for love of the cause, 1t
will be easy to organize corn and po-
tato clubs for the boys and tomato
and poultry clubs for the girls. Cook
ing, sewing and housekeeping classes
are drawing cards always, and the
blackboard furnished ready means for
teaching many lessons.
Whatever calls all the people Of a
community together will show in In
creased interest in the school house
and grounds and the school imphove-
nent association is the next step. In
4 like manner an attractive school
house shows Its influence in child life
n the home. Let me tell you story
In Lawrence county is little worn
out room II by rs. housing from 80
to 40 children. The windows are un-
eurtalned, floor dirty and untidy,
seats dusty. old coats and hats stuffed
into broken window frames. It IL the |
last cay Of school and an index to |
conditions for SIX months back. The
children are noisy. careless and a.