In town, light and air cost money; along the rural postal routes it is as much a part of the scheme of things as summer insects or winter snows.  And it may have a very definite bearing on the well being of all members of the family.  Some suffer more than they realize from lack of sunlight.  Frequently it is the children and, with many families, decision to move countryward is on their account.  In fact, there be some, where father and mother, if they consulted their own preferences, would stay in a city apartment convenient to theatres and shops, with friends and acquaintances close at hand.  But their small children lack robustness.  The parents try everything, careful diet, adequate hours of sleep and all the other recommendations of scientific child rearing.  Still the little arms and legs continue to be spindling.  Tonics and cod liver oil fail to get rid of that pinched look, the concomitant of too little sunlight and too many hours indoors.  In desperation such a family betakes itself to the country.  The children weather tan.  They respond to the more placid life and gradually gain the much sought after hardiness.  Nature has been the physician without monthly bills for house or office treatments.

The children are not the only ones who gain.  Healthy adults renew their energy and crave activity.  Here opportunity lies close at hand.  It may be swinging a golf club or going fishing.  It may be such unorganized methods of stretching muscles and increasing breathing as pushing a lawn mower, raking leaves or weeding the delphinium border.  All these sports and homely out-of-door duties and pleasures are nearby, many of them just the other side of the front door.  Those classed as sports may require a country club membership but even this is on a more modest scale.

In fact, all potent are the economies made possible by leaving city or closely built suburb.  House and land, either bought or rented, comes cheaper and is more ample.  Along with this basic saving there are a number of others that help to leave something from the family income at the end of the year.  Clothes last longer in the country and wardrobe requirements are simpler.  Similarly, there is a distinct decrease in the money spent for amusements.  When the nearest moving picture house is five miles away it is easy to stay at home.  Going to the movies is not a matter of just running around the corner and so done automatically once or twice a week.  Then there are such things as doctor’s bills.  While sickness, like taxes, visits every family no matter where it lives, we have found that we actually have less need of medical care living in the sticks than we did in town.  Also the charges for competent care by both doctors and dentists are lower.