what we've had! But if there is more life, and still more life, beyond
this one, and above and under this one, and around and through this one,
we shall be well prepared for that, whatever it may be.

The real advantages of country life have come to be a strong lure to
many people in towns and cities: but no one should attempt to "go back
to the land" with the idea that it is an easy way to escape the real
problems and difficulties of life. The fact is, there is no escape. The
problems and the difficulties must be boldly met whether in city or
country. Farming in these days is not "easy living," but a highly
skilled profession, requiring much knowledge, and actual manual labour
and plenty of it. So many come to the country too light-heartedly, buy
too much land, attempt unfamiliar crops, expect to hire the work
done--and soon find themselves facing discouragement and failure. Any
city man who would venture on this new way of life should try it first
for a year or so before he commits himself--try himself out against the
actual problems. Or, by moving to the country, still within reach of his
accustomed work, he can have a garden or even a small farm to experiment
with. The shorter work-day has made this possible for a multitude of
wage-workers, and I know many instances in which life because of this
opportunity to get to the soil has become a very different and much
finer thing for them.

It is easy also for many men who are engaged in professional work to
live where they can get their hands into the soil for part of the time
at least: and this may be made as real an experience as far as it goes
as though they owned wider acres and devoted their whole time to the
work.

A man who thus faces the problem squarely will soon see whether country