Rural School Leaflet 7b'9 



LETTER TO BOYS AND GIRLS 

 Dear Girls and Boys: 



HIS letter is the last one that I shall write to you this 



spring. I desire first of all that it shall tell you of the 



joy I have found in my touch with you. How my heart 



1 warms to read the letters that come to me signed, " I am 

 your true friend," or " A girl of the open country," or " A 

 boy who loves the country"! As I read these letters I am 

 more and more sure that you all do love the country and 

 that you realize the opportunity which is yours to live 

 free, wholesome, happy, useful lives. 

 One of the things I wish to ask of you is that you will not be disappointed 

 if I do not personally answer your letters. If it were possible to follow 

 my desires, each one should receive an answer at once. But I cannot 

 do this, for there are so many of you. However, in each Leaflet there 

 will be a letter that will answer all of yours. In these letters I shall try 

 to tell you those things that perhaps may interest you, and to help you 

 to feel how sincerely I wish for your good fortune and how eager I am for 

 your confidence and friendship. Now let us consider some important 

 things to think about and to work out between now and next fall. 



As I write, Farmers' Week here at the college is about to begin. Of 

 course, when you read this letter it will be long past, nevertheless I think 

 you will be interested. You remember that we asked to have some prize 

 com sent to us for an exhibit, and in January we also asked each school 

 superintendent to have some school in his district send us an exhibit 

 of Nature-Study work. The display is a remarkably fine one and I wish 

 all of you might see it, especially those who contributed something. 

 Perhaps you have guessed that the reason why I have told you about all 

 this is that I want you to begin now to think about two exhibitions for 

 next year ^ Corn Day in the schools and Farmers' Week at the college. 

 This is the time to make plans to take part in them. 



We are considering holding Corn Day in November instead of in January, 

 because November is closer to the com harvest time. What do you think 

 of this plan? If you want some com to exhibit, grow it. (See page 243.) 

 If you are going to make a collection of plants or leaves or seeds or flowers 

 or twigs for Farmers' Week^ be constantly on the lookout for the finest 

 specimens. If you are going to keep chickens or cultivate a home garden 

 this summer, such as was suggested in the last letter, decide to keep a 

 neat, accurate, and complete account of all you do and of your results. 

 A record of this kind is as valuable to exhibit as is com or a collection. 



