where; it must be born in the
midst of the needs of some one person or family. It may be merely two
crossed sticks rubbed together, yet this may light the fires for a whole
world. And suppose that the one person who thinks of the one best thing
should be too timid about the value of any idea of hers, should have so
humble a mind about her own mental product that she will name it to no
one and so let the thought fall to the ground and go to nothing! Do not
let this happen: let every happy idea be talked out in a letter to the
Secretary of Agriculture, stating the need and making the suggestion.

The young women all over the country are showing a keen interest in the
outcome of this project. The universities that receive Federal aid, who
are to have charge of using these moneys, are setting apart the share
that is to go to the home economics work; sometimes it is one-half,
sometimes only a fifth; but every State must make some generous
assignment or it cannot live with itself in the future. Women have but
to make their interest known and--talk about it! to gain attention to
their wish. Bret Harte has somewhere made a character say something
about "poor lovely helpless woman." Another speaker answers, "No, she is
armed to the teeth--she has her tongue." This primordial weapon of
woman's--a far better sword than the man's--can be used to good effect
now; and if she does this she may see some of her dreams fulfilled.

For instance, suppose the household adminstrator should look out over
the piles of work to be done before nightfall and should say to herself,
"Oh, deary me! I wish some one would just come along and tell me how to
do this so that I could get it done in shorter time!" She not at all
realizes that she has struck a very great idea. This is the thought that
came into the heads of agricultural committees in several States and
countries. In our land only it remains till now to hear it imperatively
voiced. Perhaps we may understand this better if we recall that American
women, because of the chivalry of our men, the freedom of our
institutions, and the high standard of our domestic morality, have been
more advanced in personal liberty and efficiency than the women of other
countries, have been far more ready and able to cope with the
difficulties of life on the farm, and therefore have not had the
depression and the weakness that have taken the light out of the eyes of
women in the rural parts of other lands. Moreove