416 RURAL SOCIOLOGY 



a number of teams ; and if a stranger were to come along almost 

 any Saturday afternoon in the base-ball season, he would find a 

 game in progress near some farm-house. No Sunday base-ball 

 here ! It is no less a delight to see a goodly number of country 

 "fans" in evidence, from both sides of the house. The annual 

 field-day is one of the notable events of the year. Hundreds of 

 people assemble to witness the athletic contests and its ball- 

 games. 



The young men of the church, prompted by a spirit of patriot- 

 ism, have undertaken to rescue the Fourth of July from the 

 shameful and degrading way in which it is so often celebrated. 

 They plan to make it first of all a day of patriotic inspiration. 

 A good local program is provided, supplemented by the best 

 public speaker that can be secured from outside. Then it is 

 made a social event as well as a day of innocent sports and 

 pastimes. Some of the folks who went last Fourth to an adja- 

 cent city, to see a flying-machine that didn't fly, came back in 

 the afternoon to .our celebration, saying that it was "lots bet- 

 ter fun" to watch the country sports. 



Come with me now to one of our young men's meetings the 

 young men's Bible-class. The program for this evening is a mock 

 court-trial. The case in hand is Jones vs. Brown, for assault and 

 battery with intent to do great bodily injury. The judge, very 

 dignified, sits on the bench. Before him are the plaintiff and 

 the defendant, with their favorite attorneys and all the neces- 

 sary court-officers. The jury is carefully selected; the witnesses 

 are examined ; the case is tried in due form ; the jury is charged, 

 and the verdict returned. It is needless to say that there is "a 

 heap of fun" at such a trial. Besides, the boys learn a great 

 deal about practical affairs, for each is required to look up the 

 duties of his office beforehand and explain to his associates. 

 Perhaps a watermelon is devoured at the close; then the fellows 

 visit and sing for a while and go home feeling that they have had 

 "a grand time." 



Next time it is something else an old-fashioned spelling-bee, 

 or a story-night, or what-not. They discuss all sorts of ques- 

 tions and do all sorts of things. There are upward of fifty en- 

 rolled in the class now. It also meets every Sunday morning for 

 Bible-study, and these Sunday sessions are quite as well at- 



