60 THE CORN LADY 



Wheaton, Iowa, March 2, 1911 



DEAR DADDY: I haven't told you about 

 our literary society, have I? We have been 

 holding meetings every two weeks since the 

 first of December. We meet on Friday even- 

 ings and are organized in the regular, old- 

 fashioned way. I am the secretary and a 

 young farmer, who lives in the next district, 

 is president. We have had some good meet- 

 ings, with speeches, debates, readings and 

 singing. Many of the people of the district, 

 who were very much afflicted with stage- 

 fright at first, are now so that they can hold 

 their own before an audience in a dignified, 

 efficient way. 



We have debated everything from con- 

 solidated schools to parcels post and had 

 talks and essays about "Alfalfa," "Good 

 Roads," "Care and Feeding of Hogs," 

 "How to Get Rid of the House Fly," "The 

 Use of the Gasoline Engine on the Farm" 

 and many, many other things. I am so glad 

 we have had this literary society. It seems 

 to me that country people need leaders; the 

 ability to express themselves better; and 



