South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-08-29
Doing Work Worth
While in Regions
Of Sunny South
BY Arthur III. Reid.

Wealth or fame is not necessarily
the reward Of those who do some
thing worth while. Success is not al
ways measured by such standards.
One may be a hero and yet be un-
aware of the fact. and the world may
be unmindful that the heroic deed
is being performed by those II may
esteem as commonI lace.
The people OF the southern APP
palachians, OF pure English or Scotch
Irish stock, in some sections are
scarcely farther advanced than were
their Eliza bethai ancestors. Buried
in the mountains. theS have stood
still for generations. To help "a few
such a score of years ago the Ken
lucky state federation OF women's
clubs sent u half dozen cultured
young women into one of the most
benighted and feud-ridden sections
Of the state to look over the ground
and see what could be done TO carry
goth century enlightenment TO that
region. They penetrated 40 miles
from a railroad They found the ig-
nOranCe they expected, but they also
found a desire for instruction Two
of the young women. seeing the
need, decided 10 spend their lives
there serving those people in the way
in which they most needed.
From that beginning schools have
been established that have served 10
revolutionize five counties i'm the
heart OF the mountains For a few
hours work a day a boy can obtain
an academic education and receive
instruction in some line OF industry
that tends TO make him an efficient
| u - F~qr.
and cooking in addition 10 their men
tai studies. Nor is training in the So
cial graces neglected for either sex
! Hundreds have had their mental
| horizon widened 10 a state Of intel
! ligence where there was darkness
before. Thus the efforts put forth by
| two "quare fetched on women" have
had remarkable effect in the Ken
| lucky mountains.
Possibly these women are not
aware that they have done anything
| heroic. Doubtless the results have
amply compensated them for the
years OF hard work Yet are there
| many cultured and educated women
| who would bury themselves in the
/ hills amid a people kind and gen
erOus but grossly ignorant and find
| pleasure in doing it? There were nc
| DIlSnL nEnlS OF moves there tl
I tighten the leisure hours. Certainly
no financial reward could be gained
/ from such an effort. But is not the
satisfaction OF having carried tn,
means OF acquiring knowledge Il
| hundreds who otherwise would hav,
! passed their lives in illiteracy com
pensation for lack OF many OF th'
things we who live in more favored
regions consider essential 10 oul
happiness yet could be done with
out?
The individual who canont read
who knows not OF the history o
mankind, who Is unaware that grea
joys ars locked IN books has d hori
ION inconCeivably narrow Thes
women have lifted the veil and open
ed a way 10 the treasure Of tn
. worlds knowledge 10 many VIII,
could not otherwise have had H.
not that kind Of service worth while
Is II not heroic2 Others have don
the same thing IN different ways
perhaps. Our lives are rated by wha
we do, and helping others not s.
favorably situated as ourselves is tn
highest kind OF service. These tw
women may not have had a grea
amount OF that which society &C
counts as the pleasure Of life. bu
they have the record OF accomplish
ment Have they not chosen the bet
ter part?