e farm they put
in shape, after two years' work, for just ten times what it had
cost, and they are now starting another one _de novo_. About a year
hence, they'll have something to show. And next winter, when my
house is built down there, I want you to come and see me and see
that country. I'll show you one of the most remarkable farmers'
clubs you ever saw and many other interesting things as well--many,
very many. I'm getting into this farm business in dead earnest.
That's the dickens of it: how can I do my share in our partnership
to run the universe if I give my time to cotton-growing problems?
It's a tangled world.

Well, bless your soul! You and the younger Wallaces (my regards to
every one of them) and Poe[9]--you are all very kind to think of me
for that difficult place--too difficult by far, for me. Besides, it
would have cost me my life. If I were to go into public life, I
should have had to sell my whole interest here. This would have
meant that I could never make another dollar. More than that, I'd
have thrown away a trade that I've learned and gone at another one
that I know little about--a bad change, surely. So, you see, there
never was anything serious in this either in my mind or in the
President's. Arthur hit it off right one day when somebody asked
him:

"Is your father going to take the Secretaryship of Agriculture?"

He replied: "Not seriously."

Besides, the President didn't ask me! He knew too much for that.

[Illustration: Charles D. McIver of Greensboro, North Caroline, a
leader in the cause of Southern Education]

[Illustration: Woodrow Wilson in 1912]

But he did ask me who would be a good man and I said "Houston." You
are not quite fair to him in your editorial. He does know--knows
much and well and is the strongest man in the Cabinet--in promise.
The farmers don't yet know him: that's the only trouble. Give him a
chance.

I've "put it up" to the new President and to the new Secretary to
get on the job immediately of _organizing country life_. I've drawn
up a scheme (a darned good one, too) which they have. I have good
hope that they'll get to it soon and to the thing that we have all
been working toward. I'm very hopeful about this. I told them both
last week to get their minds on this before the