280 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



swept hills in the country, or whether it is in a crowded 

 building- in the crowded city streets; we know that now. We 

 know that the education of life is tjje only education which it 

 is worth while to talk about any more. It is the turning of our 

 minds towards high ideals, and the coining of ideals into 

 character, and character into great willing large public service. 

 And I, an old teacher of boys and girls in the East and West, 

 and a farmer's daughter, am particularly glad that m these 

 last few years, and especially all of us of the profession, have 

 come to ask ourselves Avith new earnestness, and to try to 

 find an answer, and find it soon, to this question: What are 

 the best means, the most efificient means, the most lasting and 

 sensible means by which this education, which was given to us 

 at the beginning of our lives, may be given to the children 

 who now so soon are to take our places, so that their lives may 

 be full of usefulness and success? We ought not to be willing 

 to rest unmindful of our responsibility. The case demands so 

 much of you and me, so that these boys and girls now in our 

 hands shall be fitted to face successfully the changed con- 

 ditions which are before them. I have been a dozen years 

 now on our State Board of Education across the Hue in Massa- 

 chusetts, and am a great believer in public education. An 

 optimist by faith and training, and I suppose all farmers' 

 daughters are optimists. They beheve all things, hope all 

 things, and endure all things, if they must, like their fathers 

 and mothers before them. And yet, dear friends, as in these 

 dozen years I have gone about among the people and the 

 schools, as it has been my happy fortune to do, I have had 

 many strange questions come to me, which one cannot 

 understand who has never sat behind the teacher's desk ; many 

 things have occurred which have shown me, oh so clearly, the 

 need of our greatest effort in the homes and in the 

 schools, so that our boys and girls may be prepared for the 

 great new future which is opening up before us. And yet, do 

 you know, dear friends, that there are only three states in 

 all our great proud nation, so proud of the contribution it has 

 made to the world's progress in education, — only three to- 

 night that have compulsory education laws covering the whole 

 terms of school. Sixteen have no compulsory education 

 laws at all, sixteen of our great states, and then there are some 

 that provide for only six weeks in the year, some twelve, and 



