At a farmers' institute in Ohio, an enlightened farmer once remarked that the three things that had done most for the amelioration of the lot of the farmer's wife were, rural free delivery, rural telephones and Butterick patterns, and to that trilogy we add rural free delivery of books. How to reach the country children, is, of course, the problem that confronts a county library. The methods of the Washington County free library of Hagerstown, Md., are: First--The children's room of the central library. This is a large, pleasant room, on the second floor, where the usual activities of any children's room are carried on. Two story hours a week are held, Friday nights for the older children, and Saturday mornings for the younger ones; many of our regular Saturday morning visitors are from the outlying districts; there are three little boys who come "four mile," as they express it, nearly every week to hear the stories, they have been known to be led into the extravagance of spending even their return fare on the train--such are the temptations of city life!--and having to walk home. One very small boy who is with us almost every Saturday is the son of a stage driver, his father brings him in, and leaves him with us for the morning, he is known among us as "sonny," because of characteristics similar to those of Ruth McEnery Stuart's hero. Any child in the county, so soon as he can write his name, may "join liberry," regardless of "race, or previous condition of servitude," a phrase not without meaning still, in Maryland. The same privileges are extended to all, town and country children alike, two books at a time, with privilege of renewal. Country books may, of course, be renewed by telephone or mail, and frequent cards come to "Dear teacher," or even "Dear friend." The teachers draw to a practically unlimited extent upon the circulating collection, as well as from the school duplicates, of which more a little later. So much for the work of the main library. Second--Branches throughout the county. These are deposit stations, placed in the country store, the post office, the toll gates or, in some cases, in private houses, the boxes contain about fifty books, and are returned every two or three months for a fresh supply. A custodian is appointed who keeps track of the books by means of an alphabetized blank book, the book slips being kept at the library, filed by the Browne system, under the name of the station, Shady Bower, Black Rock, etc.