The World's Pace

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 21, 1912

To one who stops to compare present-day conditions with those of a few decades ago it is surprising to see to what extent the old-time rural life of the country is being revolutionized. Many who read these lines can recall the time when a sharp line of demarcation was drawn between the country and the city. The gawky country girl; the awkward, bashful country boy; and the hayseed farmer were objects of curiosity in the town; but the inventions and improvements of the last few years are changing all this. There is a commingling of classes and nationalities to-day as never before. Old class distinctions are being broken down; and new ones, based on wealth and education, are being formed.

In hundreds of country homes to-day are found all the modern conveniences of city life,—telephones, electric lights, improved sewerage systems, furnace heat, and many other accessories which a few years ago were found only in the cities. Motor-cars and trolley-lines bring the advantages of the city, in the way of art, literature, lectures, and pleasures, within the rural touch. This is but one feature of the great evolution that the last hundred years has witnessed. It is only as we take a glance backward that we can see and appreciate the rapid rate at which the world is traveling.