208 Social Training for Farm Boys and Girls 



common country home as a social center for the 

 young, among them being the probable presence of 

 some sympathetic parent to offer guidance and to 

 keep down unbecoming conduct. 



INVITE THE YOTJNG TO THE HOUSE 



So, if country parents are really in earnest about 

 doing something to develop their own children in a 

 social way, let them throw open their own homes for 

 the purpose. In a certain Iowa home this thing was 

 done in an admirable manner. Let the father tell 

 the story in his own language : 



"For years we had a room in the house which we 

 called the 'parlor.' It contained some expensive 

 furniture which the members of the family scarcely 

 ever saw, as the place was usually kept closed up and 

 dark. Why we reserved such a dark, musty room 

 for the * special company' that came two or three 

 times each year, I do not know. At any rate, we 

 decided to make the place useful. In remodeling the 

 house we enlarged it to 16 by 20 feet in size and 

 added one very large window. 



"Here we made a society room for the young people 

 of the neighborhood. Extra chairs were obtained, 

 also a large new stove and fixtures for gaslights. 

 There were also some simple wall decorations and 

 a small library and reading table. That was two 

 years ago. Since then our two boys and two girls 

 have given many parties in that room and no one 



