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THE ATHENAEUM 119 poorly clad. Hence when the weather is rather severe many are forc ed to remain at home, thus shortening the time of actual attendance to something like 3 months per year. The meager salaries paid teach ers in such districts make it very hard, if not altogether impossible, to get competent teachers. On the other hand the white children in the same communities are given from eight to nine months and are furnished with trucks to take them to and from school. If we had enough efficient leaders who were willing to work, this sort of condi* tion would not exist. The young college man can add much in better ing the educational system in these communities. The social conditions for the training of children and grown up people should be improved. There are no social clubs organized for the amusement of the young people. The young people get together only on Sundays at the different churches. There should be some organizations established in these communities to bring the young people together in other than meetings of a pseudo-religious nature. Most of the parents of these children have to work hard throughout the day, and at night they are too tired to pay very much attention to the children. Therefore the parents of the children are not acqua inted with just what the children have been doing through the day. They should be taught games and a plenty of exercise. Social workers are needed in these districts. The field of ministry is now standing and waiting for the trained college man in the rural districts to bring to them new ideas. In these vicinities we have inefficient men who are not able to lead the people intelligently. The men who are going into the ministry should be thoroughly prepared because ministers in rural districts are regarded as the best prepared men in the vicinity. The young college man can improve the agricultural conditions with his knowledge of science by analysing the soil, finding out what will grow best in this or that particular kind of soil. He knows just what this soil will yield in the greatest abundance, when to plant, and how to cultivate the soil best. Many and varied, loud and persistent are the calls that come from the rural districts for really prepared men. The farms await inten sive and methodical agriculturists. Medical men with health pro grams are needed to drive out the quacks and instre the health of those who constitute the nation s backbone. The pulpit is crying for ministers with a social outlook and an eye single to the welfare of the communicants: the educational needs and problems are so urgent and so apparent as to mock all attempts to set them forth. College men will do well to consider the Rural field because of the possibility of realizing there their highest selves and at the same time rendering invaluable service to our people- Progress in after life depends largely on the habits wo are farm ing in the period of our plasticity. Success is dependent, not simply on working hard, but mainly on the intelligence of effort coupled with the amount.