1903 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
683 
The High School Girt and the 
Farm. 
How often we hear the question pro¬ 
pounded: “Is the course of study pur¬ 
sued in a town or village high school 
likely to give a girl a distaste for coun¬ 
try life and an inclination to leave the 
farm?” Though it may often be assert¬ 
ed that this is the case, there would 
seem to me no just reason why the cul¬ 
tivated and thoroughly educated woman 
should not lead a most happy and useful 
life on the farm. Surely, few industries 
require more thorough research into 
science or are more ennobling and de¬ 
serving of commendation than farming. 
The most careless observer cannot fail 
to note and comment on the difference to 
be found in the homes where the edu¬ 
cated and the uneducated wife and 
daughters preside. Never having been 
blest with daughters of my own, perhaps 
what I might vouchsafe to say on the 
subject will only pass as theory. One 
thing is certain; had my family of four 
been girls or had it been more equally 
divided as regards sex, the girls would 
have shared the same privilege my boys 
now enjoy. 
Rather than to be thought theorizing 
I prefer to speak from what I have noted 
by careful observation. I call to mind 
a goodly number of young women from 
this vicinity who were raised on the 
farm and fitted themselves for entering 
high school in the much despised (?) 
“district school,” and who were gradu¬ 
ated with honor, having laid the founda¬ 
tion for a more thorough education 
there, than to my mind would have been 
attained in the more modern and crowd¬ 
ed centralized school. Where are these 
young women to be found to-day? Their 
duties lie in different fields, each doing 
herself credit in the position occupied. 
Some being desirous of a more thorough 
course of study than the high school af¬ 
forded have taken a scientific or busi¬ 
ness course, and are not only caring for 
themselves, but are helping others to 
gain an education. Several I have in 
mind are teachers in our country schools 
and two of our farm-reared girls have 
positions in our centralized school. They 
board at home and drive to and from 
their work. When not employed in their 
school work you will find them busy in 
the kitchen helping to lighten the bur¬ 
dens of a tired mother, or assisting a 
younger sister or brother to unravel 
some knotty problem for the next day’s 
recitation. Several of these happy cap¬ 
able young women have married and 
settled around us, apparently perfectly 
satisfied with their beautiful homes and 
peaceful surroundings, feeling no desire 
to change places with classmates, who 
by circumstance chose a home or em¬ 
ployment in the city. Only a small per 
cent of our high school girls have sought 
employment in the city, and glad enough 
are they when the week’s work is ended 
or their vacation has come, and they can 
leave the dirty, noisy bustling city for 
their quiet country home. 
It was not so ordained that all girls 
should be farmers’ wives, nor that all 
should find occupation in the country. 
At all hazards give the girls a good edu¬ 
cation. When I say a good education I 
mean a thorough practical one. Much 
of the time spent in young ladies’ semi¬ 
naries in studying what are called the 
higher branches, might better be ex¬ 
pended in teaching the pupils something 
by which they would be more likely to 
earn a livelihood. Girls should be taught 
that life is an earnest thing; that it is 
possible, and not improbable, that they 
may some day be called upon to fight 
life’s battles alone. A good education is 
the best recommendation a young wo¬ 
man wishing employment can procure. It 
proves an excellent introduction into the 
business and social world, and affords 
an easy stepping stone to success. In 
conclusion I would say to our high 
school girls: Go where you are sure you 
can do the best, be it in city, town or 
country, but be very sure you will better 
yourselves before you leave a comfort¬ 
able home or position in the country for 
one in the city. The chances are ten to 
one that before a year passes you will 
wish yourself back in your old place. 
Were I to modify the course of study 
pursued in our town high school I would 
suggest that more time be added to the 
course, thus enabling the pupil to ob¬ 
tain a more thorough knowledge of the 
common branches, before entering the 
high school proper. I have known many 
cases where a student who had finished 
his course and received his diploma was 
obliged to try two or three times before 
he could obtain a teacher’s certificate. 
In this respect I favor the district school, 
as the teachers have more time to devote 
to recitations and fewer pupils to in¬ 
struct. In the lower grades of our town 
schools if a pupil passes the required 
test he is promoted to a higher grade, 
whether he has thorough understanding 
of what he has been over or not. To my 
mind when this error is eradicated bet¬ 
ter results and fewer failures will follow. 
MRS. A. R. PHILLIPS. 
The Rural Patterns. 
Coats in three-quarter length make a 
notable feature of Autumn styles, and 
will be greatly worn by young girls. 
This one shown is made in tailor style, 
and is essentially smart. As shown, the 
material is fuchsia colored cheviot 
stitched with silk, and the garment 
makes part of a costume, but the design 
suits the general wrap equally well and 
is appropriate for all suiting and cloak¬ 
ing materials. The loose sleeves are 
peculiarly good, inasmuch as they allow 
of wearing over the blouse without 
fiRAlN'O 
GRAIN COFFEE 
The coffee habit is quickly over¬ 
come by those who let Grain-O 
take its place. If properly made 
it tastes like the best of coffee. N o 
gfrain coffee compares with it in 
flavor or healthfulness. 
TRY IT TO-DAY. 
At grocer* everywhere; 16c. and a6c. per packagw, 
Lacked Just What He Wanted. 
The agent for the ‘‘Inexhaustible Cy¬ 
clopedia, in Twelve Parts,” approached 
Mr, Ransom with a light and springy 
step, says the Youth’s Companion, and 
was greatly cheered when he received 
an invitation to ‘‘draw up an’ show your 
wares,” and the other rocking-chair on 
the shady porch was pushed toward him. 
“You say there’s everything anybody 
wants to know in it,” said Mr. Ransom, 
genially, when the agent’s flow of con¬ 
versation had ceased for a moment and 
he looked hopefully at his host. “Well, 
I guess I shall have to buy it. Lawzee, 
yes, I can see how easy the payments’ll 
be. But now I just want to make sure 
o’ one or two things before I pay ye 
down the fust money. 
“Le’s see, what parts have ye got with 
ye? ‘Vol. One, A to Com;’ that’s all 
right. Now you find me the place where 
it tells about ant-hills, and the best way 
to rid your dooryard of ’em. I’ve tried 
more’n 40 different ways a’ready.” 
Mr. Ransom leaned comfortably back 
in his chair and rocked with a loud creak 
while the agent searched the pages of 
“Vol. One,” with an anxious face. 
“It doesn’t tell about them,” he stam¬ 
mered at last. “You see—” But Mr. 
Ransom raised his hand in protest. 
“It’s too bad,” he said, “but probably 
that slipped their minds. Jest turn over 
to the b’s, and find ‘butter.’ Now see 
how you can make it come when it’s con¬ 
trary, same as it is sometimes when 
you’re in a hurry to get through churn¬ 
ing.” 
Again he regarded the agent’s redden¬ 
ing face with a calm and genial gaze. 
“Not there!” he said, when the result 
of the search was reluctantly admitted. 
“That seems cur’ous, don’t it? But still 
I’ll give ’em another chance. Now you 
turn over the c’s till you come to ‘cats.’ 
There, you’ve got it. Now how do they 
undertake to keep a Malty cat from 
shedding all over visitors’ clothes and 
the furniture, so the whole family won’t 
be picking an’ eating gray hairs the en¬ 
during time?” 
The agent shut the book with a slam 
and rose abruptly, in spite of Mr. Ran¬ 
som’s benevolent smile. 
“You Stan’ there a minute till mother 
fetches ye a glass o’ lemonade; it’s a 
warmish day,” said Mr. Ransom, cor¬ 
dially. “But as to the book you’re ped¬ 
dling, why, mother’s got a ‘Helps to the 
Handy’ that her mother had before her 
that you’d ought to take a look at some 
time. What with that an’ the World’s 
Atlas an’ the dictionary, I guess mother 
an’ I’ll make out to get along without 
any cyclopedy, young man.” 
B.B. CHASE twl 
MEDICATED ® \ 
Crumbs of Comfort 
Ejisiest Shoes on Kartli. 
Positively Cures CORNS, SORES, TENDER FEET. 
Postage paid, $2.00. Send for particulars to 
CSASE’S SBCE HOUSE, Port Jervis, N.v 
STEEL ROOFING. 
Strictly new, perfect, Semi-Hardened 
Steel Sheets, two feet wide, six feet long. 
The best Rooliiig, Siding or Ceiling 
you Clin ii»c. We lurnishnails free and 
paint rooting, two sides. Comes either 
Hat corrugated or“ V”crimped. Deliv¬ 
ered free of all ch.arges to ail points in U. 
S. east of Mi-sissippi River and north of 
1 Ohio River at ijOt.So I’Rlt SQUARE. 
{ I’rlecs to otlierpoIntHoii ni plicutlon. 
A square means 'CO square teet. 
Write lor Kree ('atalogue No. 67 on material bought 
from Slieritfs’ and Iteeelvers’Sales. CHICAGO HOUSE 
WRECKIN' G CO., W. Ruth and Irnn Sts., Chlengu. 
4514 Misses’ English Coat, 
12 to 16 years. 
rumpling. The coat is made with fronts, 
that are cut in two portions and seamed 
to the shoulders, backs, side-backs and 
under-arm gores. The neck is finished 
in regulation coat style and the right 
front laps over the left in double breast¬ 
ed fashion. The sleeves are cut in one 
piece each, and are finished with flare 
cuffs, over hands, at the wrists. The 
quantity of material required for the 
medium size is 31^ yards 44 inches wide 
or 2% yards 54 inches wide. The coat 
pattern No. 4514 is cut in sizes for girls 
of 12, 14 and 16 years of age; price 10 
cents from this office. 
Aprons are regarded as necessities by 
wise and careful mothers and should be 
included in every little girl’s wardrobe. 
The picture gives one pretty and becom¬ 
ing as well as useful, and can be worn 
over the frock or with the guimpe only 
as may be preferred. The apron is made 
with the body portion and the skirt. The 
body is shaped by means of shoulder and 
Stops 
Chills 
"PdinkiUcT 
(PERRY DAVIS’) 
Cures 
Cramps 
ALABASTIHE 
7 he durable 
wall coating 
i 8 1 a r g e 1 y 
used in Churches as we.il nsiiomes. We 
otter tlie free services olour corps oiartlsts 
In helping to work outbeaiuiful euects. Write 
and See. what we can do for yon. 
Alabastine Co., Grand Rapids, Mich, 
and 105 Water Street, New York City. 
INfni'SOUTII'EUT'imT 
‘YOU Wlkk riMD 
Tom 
ABOVE 
AUOTHEtS 
WAT&RPROer 
OlbCP CbOTHINC 
&tLRYW»f&R&. 
The best motcriols. ikilled workmen ond 
sixty-levcnyeorA experience hove mode 
TOWER’5 5lickerj. Coabond flab 
famouj the world over They are made in 
black or yellow for all kinds of wet work, 
and eveiT garment bearingthe 5IGN OP 
JtlE FI5H is ^arantced to give sat¬ 
isfaction. All reliable dealers sell them, 
A.J. TOWER CO..B05I0H.HA55..0.5.A. 
TOWER CANAPIAN CO.,ljrmted,TOROIIIO. (AM. 
TELEPHONES 
For Farmers’ Lines/ 
Organize an exchange In your 
community. Full particulars fur¬ 
nished. Oatalogue free. 
THE NORTH ELECTRIC CO., 
162 St. Clair Street, 
C- N. 301. CLEVELAND, O. 
under-arm seams and is joined to a shal¬ 
low yoke over which falls the square 
bertha. The skirt is simply straight 
and full and is joined to the belt which 
connects it with the waist. The quan¬ 
tity of material required for the medium 
size is three yards 32 inches wide, with 
2% yards of insertion to trim as illus¬ 
trated. The pattern No. 4504 is cut in 
sizes for girls of 4, 6 and 8 years of age; 
price 10 cents from this office. 
THE HESSLER IS THE BEST. 
Pfice, 
$1 E/tCH, 
Discount Dozer 
Lots. 
Simple, Durable, 
Economical. 
Round, Strong, 
Heavy. 
Lowest in pYiCe, 
highest in qnaU- 
ty. A sample best 
evidence. Reap- 
r roved Jan. 25th, 
903. Clrcnlars 
Orders promptly shipped. We sell direct 
ttuiiAi, Mail Box. 
sent free, 
to the farmer. 
H. E. HESSLER CO., Syracuse, N. V. 
No one body possesses everything, and 
almost everybody possesses some one 
thing worthy of imitation.—Lord Ches¬ 
terfield. 
$200. A n^ONTH 
One reliable man or woman in each county 
as manager, to exhibit, take orders and ap¬ 
point agents for Harrison’s Oil-Gas Stoves 
for cooking and heating. Wonderful in¬ 
vention. Automatically gen¬ 
erates fuel gas from kerosene 
,oil. MiniatureGiis Works. Ab¬ 
solutely safe. Enormous de¬ 
mand. Thousands sold weekly. 
Cheapest, cleanest, safest fuel. 
J Customers delighted. Cata- 
/ logue FREE. Write today. 
World Ml'g. Co.. 6oZ6 World Rldg., Cincinnati, U. 
MOTHERS.—Be sure to use“Mrs.Wins¬ 
low’s Soothing Syrup” for your children 
while Teething. It is the Best.— Adv. 
AYNE’S EXPECTORANT 
ORES THE WORSTCOCGlHiiy, 
