26
world—we cannot help them. Much fatigue is occasioned by their want of method. Their deplorable manners to their children have been noticed. "I'll bray your brains out if you don't do it voluntally"—this was an affectionate mother, about going to school. But then, the heroism of the poor! The lecture is only a foothold for knowing the cottage mothers. And let us remember the town can no more instruct the country than the country the town. The success of this or any work cannot be tested by the number of lectures delivered, or even by the attendance at the lectures, but only by the practical results that have actually appeared from the teaching applied in personal visits. Such results must of course be slow; but slow and sure wins the race. The test of success is the gaining the confidence of the village mothers, and being invited to help them in their own homes. They must feel that the Health Missioner comes not to find fault, but to find friends. And the lectures will indeed be a dismal failure unless the cottage women support the Missioners. "It seems to be of no use talking," said a great Sanitary Commissioner. And it is perfectly vain to try to convert the villagers without themselves. Results shown are the only test.
Conclusion.
The criticism on all this will be: "What an enormous time it will take! You are describing a process that will not take weeks, but months and years. Life is not long enough for this."
Our reply is that, for centuries there have been
