668 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



land in which they lived. Then by carefully arranged programs and 

 special days she succeeded in interesting many of the parents, not only 

 in the school, hut in the community at large. When the time seemed 

 ripe she brought up the subject of club organization. A few responded. 

 Enough to start the ball rolling. 



And so it came about that our little friend, who up to this time had 

 been too busy (she thought) to attend any of the school programs, was 

 surprised one day to see one of the leading ladies of the community 

 driving up to her door. 



"O, Mrs. .1 ," called the lady, "I am on my way to our Country 



Club, and I am so anxious to have you go with me. We want you for 

 a member." The spirit of friendliness was already becoming manifest, 

 you see. 



Mrs. J. demurred and plead a lack of time, but Mrs. L. insisted, and 

 in a half-hearted fashion Mrs. J. donned the faded and much worn 

 serge that had done service far too long. 



Coming home, she admitted she enjoyed herself and learned some 

 helpful things about the care and preservation of meats, but when 

 asked to join she emphatically declared she could not spare the time to 

 even attend the meetings, let alone for any program work she might be 

 called upon to do. But when Mrs. L. called for her two weeks later, 

 she went, and she kept on going because she was learning all the while 

 new ways of economizing time and strength, and the interchanging of 

 ideas was so interesting and helpful, she seemed to be taking up her life 

 anew once more. 



A Short Course in Home Economics was planned and Mrs. J. did not 

 miss a session. But the climax came when a talented lecturer gave a 

 talk on The Real Purpose of Home Making. She not only told how to 

 keep house and take care of a family, but emphasized the reason why 

 the work is worth the best effort that can be put upon it. She spoke 

 of how stockmen have found that by care and feeding the worth and 

 productiveness of livestock may be doubled, and plead for the same study 

 and thoughtful care in the feeding and housing of God's masterpieces, 

 human beings. If properly balanced rations are necessary to the highest 

 development of lower animals, how much more essential is it that 

 those who feed men, women and children shall understand the food 

 combinations that make for the development of the highest type of mental 

 and physical strength. 



Mrs. J. listened in wonder. When the speaker had finished, she turned 

 to her seat mate impulsively. "How differently the world looks to me 

 now! I have always looked at marriage as something girls are fool- 

 ishly led into to shut them away from careers, or at least from paying 

 vocations, but how wrongly I have thought! Why, it is the grandest 

 proression the world, isn't it, this feeding a family for efficiency! How 

 glad I am that I have awakened to my opportunity." Her eyes shone 

 and her neighbor looked in wonder at the transformation in her, for she 

 remembered how listless and unresponsive this same little woman had 

 been when she had first attended the club meeting. You see, she had 

 found her work and had adjusted herself to hor environment and these 



