The farmer and mechanic., 1915-07-20
(By Mrs. Blanche

bad dream. Everyone who could nave
helped told me if there was anything
they could do to aid me in any way
to call on them; but when | called
they were not at home. One day l
woke up and realized that the work
was going TO be a battle and that L
was going out to fight alone with no
weapon but head. heart and hand.
That was the best lesson I ever had
in the work. l learned to go right on
and see about everything myself.
saE at once 1 had to bring the
work to the notice of the public. l
tried several plans but none of them
seemed to be quite the one L was
! looking for. Our county fair, which
| was then quite young, came on and
| decided to have the girls fix up an
| exhibit. I went to the Fair Association
| and asked them to offer prizes on the
| work. After much persuasion, they
| consented to do so if I would have the
| girls in the parade. I held meetings
| and put the matter before the girls.
| They consented to cOme-Or most OF
| them did. Then Gas is usually the
| case where women are concerned)
| came the problem of what we were
| to wear. We decided that every one
| should wear white. Those who did
rot have them we persuaded to get
| Just plain simple white dresses. l
| then began to remember that some
| of the girls had no hats at all and
some had hats that We thought would
not look we'll in street parade. So
| bought a bolt of pink gingham and
got sunbonnet pattern and cut bon
| nets for all the girls. (We used pink
| sash alsO.) I made one bonnet and
| started them around. 1t was Just one
year before that bonnet got back
home We made a banner of pink
and white and the tomato girls GER
tainly did get noticed that day One
girl carried our great big banner and
another one walked with her and car
ried a basket Of, I think, the largest
tomatoes | ever saw. We had on our
table fifty-two different things made
Of tomatoes and the people certainly
did yell for the tomato girls that day.
The work has never been quite so
hard in our county since. That was
the biggest advertising we have ever
done We have tried to make our
uniforms and to exhibit better every
year
The work in the mountains cannot
advance as rapidly as in the eastern
, counties. If I can get one girl in a
, new place to succeed my success is
| assured in that place. This year
have clubs right back in the heart OF
, the hills. And right up in the noun
tains where they have never been to
town or seen a train / find some of the
) brainiest people I have ever met. One
: man told me last year that the htera-
ture his girl had received had been
, worth $50 to them. Those people
follow instructions very accurately
! Give them a recipe and they will dc
: exactly as it sayS-nO more, no less
/, and in nearly every case they are
E successful. When go into the homes
4 of great many Of my girls let them
: understand I am not company to be
D fixed up for. I often enter the back
e way and find the mother on the back
porch stringing beans. I sit dowr
e and help her and we talk about tht
S hundred and one things that womer
s talk about. I am often able to helI
I her over some hard place and sht
! sometimes helps me or gives me :
a remedy or recipe I am able to use a
some other place.
AS far as reporting our work is con
, cerned, if we do our duty we canno
put down on paper on Saturday nigh
: | all we have done during the week
= but I am sure sometime, somewhere
Q read a book once called "a Weave
OF Dreams" 1t was written on thi
= theme: ''What is mine is mine, an,
# will come to me. It can neither b.
J.. lOSl StOIen, OF taken from me. w ma
! is not mine I do not want" And
q believe that is the way in this work
We will get what we deserve some
" time; and really most of the troub1
/" we apprehend in the work never hap
pens. 1 read somewhere of an oil
man who had text over his mantl
in his room: Il am an old man nov
/ have seen lot Of trouble in my life
Most of it never happened" An
le that is the way we are in this work
most of the troubles we see neve
e happen.
fo| A kind word and a pleasant smil
go far in this work Just smile.
o. does not cost cent Learn to let
smile hide a broken heart MANY an
to many friend has been gained by Jus