The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-17
TIIE MARTHA BERRY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

We were speaking, you remember, of that country boy in his rough working clothes and of the face you saw under meath the brim of his straw hat, and of how the look in that face made you won- der what life held for him--this boy of whose lot is so commonplace that he is ignored.
 II Somewhere up in the mountains or in some other isolated place is his home, a little frame house that shelters him and the others of his family.
 There Is a sister there. You didn't see her, because she stays at home more than . he does It will be so all her life Mar row and restricted as his outlook and his opportunities are. hers are even less. She will work in her parents home until she goes to home of her own, where she will be a household drudge, or at best simply good housekeeper, without be- ing real home maker and a really happy woman. That life is not open to her Generation after generation she fills her | place as housekeeper only, without the inspiration or the ability, unaided, with l out anything to keep her from it and to give her something better. It doesn't make any difference to the world--it would make. difference if only it were realized what these girls might do. how they | might evolutionize country life and there ] by affect for the better of the outside world. But that isn't realized, and so | the mountain girls and the country girls | take up the heritage that is theirs and | live the colorless. pathetic lives that are staged for them, lives that are so mucl. less than they might be and lives that could be of so much greater value to them, and to the world.
 And because these are real girls and because they are here, here in this state and others near us and because it should make a difference whether they are mere housekeepers or happy women and real home makers. because of these things the work of the woman who is seeing that they are given a chance to learn is as great as the larger work she Is doing for the boys When Miss Berry began the boys school it was her intention to pro- vide for the girls as soon as possible, but naturally the first school had to be es- tabished before the second could be be- gun.
 Girls School Is Opened
 In addition to the boys school, a Sum day school was conducted for the neigh borhood in q little slab covered hut called Sunshine Shanty. This was the nucleus of a school for the girls, and in the fall of 1909 the students of the boys school set to work on a dormitory for the girls school. The work was not as difficult as had been that of building the boys school, for seven years had passed since then and there were good carpenters among the boys, roads had been built, more tools were at hand, and so the boys cut down trees, sawed logs, hauled them to the place selected for the girls school, and built this dormitory.
 It was ready for occupancy th Novem- beri and on Thanksgiving Day. 1902. the Martha Berry school for girls opened.
 Home Idea Predominates
 Tho conditions for entrance are similar to those at the boys school. The girls must be at least IA years old. must live In the country, and must be physically, morally and mentally sound.
 Upon entering, each girl is examined Ja the major grammar school studies, and is placed accordingly. There are six classes and these give the most i'm portant work of the grammar and high |school course. The first, second anc third classes give thorough work in reading, spelling, arithmetic, grammar hygiene and domestic arts. The ad. vanced course is divided into three years, junior, middle and senior, and gives the essentials of the high school course. Mathematics is elective. His tory, geography and English, from be- ginners' language lessons through high school literature, are taught thoroughly. and other subjects of practical every day use are taught with equal em- ,>l,<. <.-te household chemistry, home nursing, booking and sewing.
 In the classes that include the work of the grammar school and in the junior land middle classes. the girls have 25 hours a week in .the class room. In the senior year they have To hours a week, taking English, chemistry, Bible home science and art, and as options, his tory and geometry. In addition to this they have 10 hours in either advanced booking. dressmakinG, agriculture or Teaching. They take their choice of one pf these four subjects and are taught with view to their perfecting them selves in the one for which they have special ability
 Seniors Special Classes
 Those who elect teaching are trained Especially for the country schools of their own state, that they may do real y efficient work as leaders in the com nunities where such leaders are need ed and where conditions are what they understand. At the school they learn how to help make these conditions bet ter, and since they are already in sym pathy with those whose homes are in these isolated places, they go back com betent to be of real service.
 The seniors who take agriculture have practical experience in gardening, poul- " raising, and butter making. From heir experience in the department they awake to realization of what this see the possibilities of transforming heir own doorways from barren spots nto attractive flower gardens and or beautifying their homes, and they are given 8 new interest that is always acinating.
 One of the obect lessons of this class was with Sunshine Shanty. It is a rather large log cabin built out in the bpen whers there are no flowers or rees Under the supervision of their teacher the agriculture class took Fharge of the grounds, and with trel- ises vines, shrubs and flowers they made 1t one of the most picturesque places on the grounds.
 The dressmarking course includes the judy of cutting by patterns. experience n steaming velvet. making plain and apcy cotton dresses, serge dreses. serge kirts. tailored shirt waists, blouses. |i,lS dresses, girdles and bows. The purse gives the girls profession or prepares them to do this work for hafnselveS