238 CHAPTERS IN RURAL PROGRESS 



are already under way. For instance, there are 

 scattered all over this country individual pastors 

 who are seeking to make their churches the 

 social and intellectual beacon-lights of the com- 

 munity. There are other individuals who are 

 endeavoring to apply the social-settlement idea 

 to the needs of the country. There are associa- 

 tions which attempt to bring together the 

 teachers and the school patrons for mutual dis- 

 cussion of educational topics. In numerous 

 ^instances the farmers' organizations include in 

 their membership the country pastor, the district 

 school teacher and perhaps the country doctor. 

 In these and doubtless in other ways the idea we 

 are dealing with is being promulgated, and up to 

 a certain point this fact of promiscuous initiative 

 is entirely satisfactory and desirable. So long 

 as the work is done it makes little difference who 

 does it. Every attempt to bring any of these 

 agencies into closer touch with the farm com- 

 munity is to be welcomed most heartily. But 

 beyond a certain limit this promiscuous work 

 must be unsatisfactory. The efforts and in- 

 terests of any one social agency are bound to be 

 partial. Indeed the more effective such an 

 agency is, the more partial it is likely to be. 

 Intensity is gained at the expense of breadth. 



