154 THE THIRD POWER 



41 per cent, in 1890, and 47 per cent., counting in 

 towns of 1,000 population and over, in 1900. The 

 growth of cities in the United States is one of the 

 most marked features in our American life. That 

 the cities will continue to grow may be taken for 

 granted, but there is no reason why they should grow 

 so largely at the expense of the country and country 

 towns. 



A writer, discussing this question a short time 

 ago, said that the reason the sons of farmers sought 

 the cities was that city life was so much more com- 

 plex than life on the farm, and that the whole tend- 

 ency of our civilization was toward complexity. 

 This may be the philosophy of it, and it is undoubt- 

 edly true that our people demand excitement and 

 variety. Dullness and monotony are to most of us 

 intolerable. So there is a shrinking from the un- 

 eventful farm life, and also a longing for the more 

 stirring life of the large city. But this is not the 

 whole of the question. What the American youth, 

 whether he be country or city bred, wants above 

 everything else is a career — an opportunity. The 

 city offers a thousand chances to one offered by the 

 farm. The chance of failure is greater in the city 

 than on the farm, when a mere living is considered, 

 but so is the chance of success. And Americans were 

 ever drawn by risk. They will play for high stakes, 

 and they do not as a rule grumble if they lose, pro- 

 vided they have had a fair chance to win. 



So the young man wants his career. He considers 



