ADDITIONS TO SOCIETY LIBRARY. I93 



POSSIBILITIES OF CLUB WORK IN THE RURAL 

 DISTRICTS. 



MRS. ANNA B. UNDERWOOD, LAKE CITY. 



The last few years have chronicled a change in puhlic sentiment 

 regarding" rural life in general, especially among the cultured classes. 

 Time was when to live in the city or town the year through was 

 necessary for protection and comfort ; now, with the country opened 

 up, towns and villages near, protection assured, postal communica- 

 tion so frequent that the news of the great world is quite as fresh 

 for the country as for the town, with the possibilities of libraries 

 near at hand, there is no longer any need of the derisive remark of 

 "Country born and bred." The country has greater opportunities to 

 produce true gentle-men and gentle-women than is possible to the 

 city. City life is not conducive to wholesome, thoughtful and prac- 

 tical self improvement; it tends too largely to the dissipation of 

 mental, physical and spiritual force. The constant desire for change 

 and excitement can but produce its meed of stunted development 

 along one or all lines of man's nature, for it is a law of nature that 

 a perfect life is only attained by even development of the mind, body 

 and spirit. So it is that thoughtful humanitarians are turning their 

 attention to the solution of the present unfortunate condition of 

 life in the world at large. Why the rich are rich is the result of 

 forehandedness on their part, and the limited numbers are objects 

 of envy. Why the poor are poor and so many very poor, is the 

 result of ignorance. The very rich are no more happy than the 

 very poor, for wealth is accompanied by heavy cares and responsi- 

 bilities. 



To reach a condition of content, people must be satisfied with 

 their surroundings; and the apparently contrary statement is also 

 true, that discontent is the first step towards advancement. If 

 the country home is devoid of all attractions, lacking even in the 

 common decencies of life, and content is present, it shows a low 

 standard of mentality; but with discontent and restlessness as 

 factors, a higher condition may be reached with requisite knowledge 

 —knowledge that will bring about a different order of things ; and 

 it is this knowledge that will open the way to the possibilities that 

 will lead to better conditions. 



There are many channels through which this knowledge may 

 be attained, but it will be necessarily a matter of gradual education, 

 covering a longer or shorter period of time, according to the 

 capacity to assimilate the material necessary for progress. The 

 Agricultural School, the Horticultural Society, the Federation of 



