90 The Rural Church and the Young People 



foundation for a new and beautiful structure an 

 edifice erected out of the plain materials to be found 

 in any ordinary rural community, and that by means 

 of transforming such things and making them 

 contributive to the high and lofty spirit-purposes 

 for which they are really designed. 



RURAL CHILD-REARING 



We are not half awake as yet to the meaning and 

 possibilities of the rural community as a place 

 for rearing children. The city environment ripens 

 youths too fast and too early and works all the 

 spontaneity and aggressiveness out of the boys 

 and girls before their mature judgments are ready 

 to function. As a result of this city hot-bed, we 

 have as a type the blase sort of young man, and a 

 young woman who is overly smart in respect to the 

 "proper things to do." Either of them has little 

 power of initiative and less power of persistence. 

 One of the greatest virtues of the somewhat isolated 

 rural home is that it matures human character more 

 slowly and keeps the boys and girls fresh and "green" 

 and spontaneous while there is being gradually 

 worked into their characters the habit of industry 

 and the power of doing constructive work. 



If one should desire to obtain a sterling specimen 

 of manhood, he would not take up with the "smart" 

 city youth who at the age of sixteen has had all 

 the experiences known to men. The latter is too 



