Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-18

and it was five years before Mr.. Smith
found himself sufficiently prosperous to
claim his bride. Since the marriage MI.
and Mrs. Smith have resided continuous
~ in Atlanta except for the interim IN
which he served in President Clevelands
cabinet. The only son, Marion Smith, is
practicing law, in Atlanta, and the eldest
daughter, formerly Mary Brent Smith il
married to Ronald Ransom, also lawyer
of that city. Miss Lucy Hoke Smith, who
was presented to her mothers friends be-
fore leaving Atlanta, made a formal
debut in Washington at tea given early
in January. She is an exceptionally pref
ty and graceful girl, and is very fond OF
music. The youngest daughter, Miss Cal
lie Hoke Smith, is a student at the
Young Ladies' Seminary, Oldfields Glen
coe, Md. She is permitted to come home
twice monthly, so that she is seeing bit
of Washington society pending her debut
two years hence.
Il inherited from my father" said Mrs.
Smith, "a profound regard for learning.
and my husband imbibed the same rever
ence from his father, who was a deep
student and who taught his children at
home until they were prepared for the
high schools. My father was an advanced
man for his day and for the south, which
has always been very conservative about
the training of women. More than nifty
wears ago he perceived the need of an
institute where girls could be trained in
the best way and along liness hitherto
sacred only to boys. He founded such d
school in Athens and called it in MEM
DRY of his mother, the Lucy Cobb Insti-
tute. 1 received my training there. as
did my sisters and my eldest daughter.
Mrs. Ransom. My younger daughters
studied for time in Atlanta. Lucy grad
uated at private school at Tarrytown
on the Hudson. We decided that a colder
climate than Georgia was beneficial both
for her and her little sister, now In Bal
timore county, Nd.
Nothing has interested me more than
the work now going on in Georgia in be-
half Of rural education. During my hus-
bands two terms as governor this was a
subject very dear to his heart and nat
urally We all became engrossed in it also
The entire state is being honeycombed
with country schools and it seems that
soon education as thorough as the SUBJ
5ect desires will be within reach Of ALL
This Is particularly true in districts in
habited by those people now nationally
known as the mountain whites The pic
turesQue side Of these people has been
exploited in novels and in short stories
and by artists and reviewers, but the
serious part Of the work has not received
the same wide attention. Nearly all of
these people. particularly the young folks
M
bilious and eager to learn. HAVING the
cause of education SO much at hear INV
husband always incuicated a desire TO aid
those needing it in our children and our
friends.
1T was easy to convince our young giris
and boys of Atlanta that to deny them
selves some idle pleasure or indulgence
and to give that sum to the educational
fund would be to help some poor boy or
girl to get the necessary learning. One
instance appealed to me strongly During
a tour through rural Georgia during my
husbands first term as governor we saw
a handsome. well grown girl blowing in
the field. We found that she had never
been in a position to obtain an education
and that the livelihood depended on
working the farm. We told her story to
our children and to their little friends
with the result that none bought candy
that year nor used any money for mere
amusements. In two years We had a
fund sufficient to place the girl at school
and just before We left home, she came
to see US. She had proven worthy and OF
high talent and now she is to be given
school near her home, where she can still
be the mainstay OF her family. but at
more congenial and less laborious work
than plowing. The rural school Is the
hope OF progressive and entirely. pros
porous south III Nay. since it brings