Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-03-16

she only carries old clothes, she ma
overhear, as one woman did, the re
mark that "she thinks any old thin
is good enough to wear for u.s." TIL
solution of the problem lies in the Sc
lection Of neat, attractive, but no
fussy garments, just such as sh
would ordinarily wear on the street o
at home in town.
The sensible woman, whether o.
town. or country, looks beneath thu
surface, and does not jump at con
clusions. The farmers wife need no
hesitate to invite her city cousin fol
a week, just because her house is
plain and her ways old-fashioned. Lei
her make those very attributes an
added attraction. They are the most
restful characteristics in the world
especially to one who is tired of the
daily hustle of the streets. And, in
her turn, the woman from the coun-
try should never refuse an invitation
from a friend in town because dis
trustful of her own wardrobe, or man
ner Nine times out of ten the friend
is actuated by sincere desire to re-
turn the pleasure she herself received
at the farmhouse and a frank accep-
tance of her invitation in the same
spirit it is given is the proper and
most tactful course to pursue.
There is much that could be made
mutually helpful if a freer social in
tercourse were encouraged between
city and country people. They can
not help being dependent upon each
other in business matters, and why
not carry the same spirit into social
affairs? Both farmers and merchants
might learn many things that would
be of great value, in a business way
through freer social intercourse.
Housewives, too, might well profit
from a knowledge of different ways
and means while, for the children,
nothing is more delightful than an oc-
casional visit to surroundings entirely
differing from those at home.
OF course there are exceptions to
every rule, but, for the most part, it
is not true that the city woman looks
down upon the woman from the coun-
try. More often she envies her the
freedom from the petty
that fall to her own lot.
She sees the children on the farm
grow up hearty and healthy amid the
green fields. and with good, fresh food
while her own suffer for
want of these very things. She feels
that she would gladly change her own
quarters for the wide spaces
and grand natural views seen from
-he farmhouse window. But the farm
er's wife, not understanding the real
significance of these things, from
heir familiarity, underestimate the
lignity and the beauty of her own lot
and imagines she is regarded super
because of her lack of arti-
iciality.
1t is time to have done with these
'ooish misunderstanding. Let the
men and women from town and coun-
ry get better acquainted and follow
1 freer system of social communica-
ion. 1t would be far better for both
han to hold themselves aloof because
If such superficial conventionality.
rhe town has much that the country
needs, and the country has rich offer
ngs for the towns. In both are men
md women of true worth and sense,
whose mutual advantage it would be
o better know each other. Remem-
,er, that "kolks is folks, wherever
hey may be" and, on which ever
ide of the social fence you may
tand, do your best to throw it down
md help to make "the whole world
me. katherine Atherton Grimes,
II Successful Farming.