Pages from Marjorie Allen's Notebook . .' . . . 292 THE PLEASANT VALLEY SCHOOL This is a story of the way in which the mothers and fathers, the teacher and pupils, and their friends in the township work together to make the broad valley in which they live truly a Pleasant Valley. The new school stands where the little red schoolhouse was built for those who are now grandmothers and grandfathers, when the town was first settled. The old building had become too small for all the young folk, but everybody loved the place ; and it was not until a fire had de- stroyed it that money was voted for larger and better housing for the school girls and boys. This small book can describe only a part of every- 2 FOOD AND HEALTH thing that is being done in and for the school, and for the home people, too ; for you know that no town can prosper and no country can be great unless the homes are healthful and happy, where all the members of every family work and play together. Do you not want to help, too, in your home and in your home town ? Little red schoolhouse. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY What are some of the important facts about food and sanita- tion that a girl may learn, useful to herself and in her home ? When the cool weather of autumn comes again, Marjorie Allen and her friends are glad to have school days returning, too ; for then there are so many inter- esting things to talk over, to think about, and to do with the other pupils. There are the teacher to be wel- comed and the new schoolbooks with their new sub- jects to be studied. The girls in and about Pleasant Valley have a club for sociability and for work. This is the time of year for them to be making plans for the winter. What time, then, or what i?eason is there for studying such a commonplace matter as food .? "We all know enough about food,'* some school- girl is saying, " and mother does the cooking anyway ; so why bother about it in school ? '' 3 FOOD AND HEALTH Marjorie Allen, however, is a wide-awake girl, who has i:ead in the farm journal at home some interesting articles about food, and has noticed that the Depart- ment of Agriculture at Washington, D. C, and the University in her own state have printed bulletins for the farmer's wife about nutrition, cookery, and housekeeping. There are other pamphlets, too, for girls, explaining can- ning clubs, and bread and sewing contests. These pamphlets and books, also on the same subjects, have helped Marjorie to understand that there must be something to study ; else why are books written and printed ? Moreover, Marjorie is an unselfish girl, ready to help her Mother when she can ; and so she is glad to find among the new books for the year's study one or two about homemaking. What do we know about food ? We cannot answer the question at the beginning of this chapter in full, without studying and thinking and working. Perhaps not until we reach the end of the last chapter can Fig. I. — Marjorie Allen. INTRODUCTORY 5 we tell what are the important, useful facts about food. But it is true that each girl knows something about food, at least enough to be able to decide upon what she likes. Probably she has been told that some foods are more wholesome than others. Even the living creatures about us have some instinct that guides them to foods desirable for them. Have you ever seen a squirrel eating a toadstool that you would not dare to taste ?

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Pages from Marjorie Allen's Notebook . .' . . . 292 THE PLEASANT VALLEY SCHOOL This is a story of the way in which the mothers and fathers, the teacher and pupils, and their friends in the township work together to make the broad valley in which they live truly a Pleasant Valley. The new school stands where the little red schoolhouse was built for those who are now grandmothers and grandfathers, when the town was first settled. The old building had become too small for all the young folk, but everybody loved the place ; and it was not until a fire had destroyed it that money was voted for larger and better housing for the school girls and boys. This small book can describe only a part of eveeverything that is being done in and for the school, and for the home people, too; for you know that no town can prosper and no country can be great unless the homes are healthful and happy, where all the members of every family work and play together. Do you not want to help, too, in your home and in your home town ? Little red schoolhouse. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY What are some of the important facts about food and sanitation that a girl may learn, useful to herself and in her home ? When the cool weather of autumn comes again, Marjorie Allen and her friends are glad to have school days returning, too ; for then there are so many interesting things to talk over, to think about, and to do with the other pupils. There are the teacher to be welcomed and the new schoolbooks with their new subjects to be studied. The girls in and about Pleasant Valley have a club for sociability and for work. This is the time of year for them to be making plans for the winter. What time, then, or what i?eason is there for studying such a commonplace matter as food .? "We all know enough about food,'* some schoolgirl is saying, " and mother does the cooking anyway ; so why bother about it in school ? '' Marjorie Allen, however, is a wide-awake girl, who has i:ead in the farm journal at home some interesting articles about food, and has noticed that the Department of Agriculture at Washington, D. C, and the University in her own state have printed bulletins for the farmer's wife about nutrition, cookery, and housekeeping. There are other pamphlets, too, for girls, explaining canning clubs, and bread and sewing contests. These pamphlets and books, also on the same subjects, have helped Marjorie to understand that there must be something to study ; else why are books written and printed ? Moreover, Marjorie is an unselfish girl, ready to help her Mother when she can ; and so she is glad to find among the new books for the year's study one or two about homemaking. What do we know about food ? We cannot answer the question at the beginning of this chapter in full, without studying and thinking and working. Perhaps not until we reach the end of the last chapter can Fig. I. — Marjorie Allen. INTRODUCTORY 5 we tell what are the important, useful facts about food. But it is true that each girl knows something about food, at least enough to be able to decide upon what she likes. Probably she has been told that some foods are more wholesome than others. Even the living creatures about us have some instinct that guides them to foods desirable for them. Have you ever seen a squirrel eating a toadstool that you would not dare to taste ?

Food and health