Missouri Country Life Conference. 137 



He fell in love with the girl! And that sort of spirit ought to 

 characterize us, too, in our own religion, beloved. It is the love 

 of God that ought to be the fundamental motive in bringing 

 us together in His house for the purpose of public worship, and 

 the lines that distinguish us by name when we get into the house, 

 whether the name be Emberson or Watson or whatsoever, does 

 not count at all, and we remember only that we are children of 

 God. The denominational name does not mean any more. 

 There we belong to Him and we are His, and therefore the 

 importance of the farmer's heart, of his putting in these problems 

 of the country community his heart — the love of his brethren 

 and the love of his God in practical operation, so that he and his 

 neighbors may federate and bring together their religious inter- 

 ests into an organization that will make it worth while and 

 effective and bring to them a preacher that will be really a serv- 

 ant of the community. Hon. Matt Hall said to me not long 

 ago: "What are we country people going to do? We all want 

 good preaching, and it is very difficult for us to have it the way 

 things are organized in our country communities. We have 

 a little group here at Smith's chapel, and have another little 

 group over at Mt. Olive, and have another little group over here 

 and another little group over there, and none of us are able to 

 hold a man for more than one Sunday a month. What are we 

 going to do? Our children are being neglected." Even so. 



Last Sunday I was going along the street in Blue Springs, 

 Mo. Mr. Montgomery said, "We have got too many churches 

 in this town. 1 wish we could eliminate some of the churches 

 and all get together. We are able to support a good preacher 

 in this town and we all want good preaching." 



The farmer's heart must get into action; his brain is being 

 stirred with reference to the problems of his community and the 

 interest of the people around about him and in his own home, 

 and now he needs to have his heart stirred into just as definite 

 and enthusiastic action. 



Well, I want to talk a little about his wife. A few years 

 ago Dr. Jesse started me on an investigation because he had 

 asked me to prepare a paper for a state teachers' association. 1 

 made the investigation, and here is one of the pathetic things 

 that I found: That in proportion to the population there are 

 more farmers' wives in the State institutions for insane than any 

 other class of women. In further investigation of that point I 

 found it was just the monotony and grind of the life of the 



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