24 City Homes on Country Lanes 



possible education within the limits of his opportunity. 

 It is here we may appropriately begin our considera- 

 tion of the effect of the cityward movement on the 

 mental development of the American people. 



The efficiency of the Little Red Schoolhouse is a leg- 

 end among us ; thence have come most of our statesmen, 

 poets, orators, captains of industry the leaders of our 

 national life. This was certainly true of the day in 

 which a very large proportion of our population was 

 rural, and before the organization of city life arose to 

 the dignity of social science; but the slightest com- 

 parison of educational facilities in country and town, 

 as they exist to-day, will convince the reader that the 

 ancient legend is no longer based upon facts. 



The rural child receives only about 65 per cent as 

 much schooling as the city child. This is due to the 

 slack attendance and shorter school session. The aver- 

 age daily attendance in the country is 67.6 per cent; 

 in the city, 79.3 per cent. The school year in the 

 former is 137.7 days, and in the latter 184.3 days. 

 Conditions vary in different sections, but the rule runs 

 true throughout the United States. City children, of 

 course, usually live near the school building and have 

 abundant means of cheap transportation when it is 

 necessary to go any distance, while country children 

 are widely scattered, and often with no means of trans- 

 portation over poor roads. During long periods of bad 

 weather they can not go at all. These conditions are 

 perfectly obvious on the surface, and militate power- 

 fully against the best education for rural children. Re- 

 sults are reflected in the higher percentage of illiteracy 

 in country districts. 



