Child and Country: A Book of the Younger Generation

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

27793

Title

Child and Country: A Book of the Younger Generation

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Will Levington Comfort's memoir chronicles a family's transition from urban exhaustion to rural renewal, focusing on home-building, gardening, and the education of the younger generation. Blending personal adventure with philosophical reflection, the text advocates for a life rooted in nature, spiritual integrity, and the cultivation of individual gifts over societal conformity.

Summary up to 500 words

In *Child and Country: A Book of the Younger Generation*, Will Levington Comfort chronicles his family's transition from the 'subtle persecution' of metropolitan life to a self-built stone house on a lake shore. This narrative serves as both a practical record of masonry, rose culture, and shore conservation and a profound meditation on the education of the younger generation. Comfort argues that true education is not the 'brain-cramming' or competitive schooling prevalent in America, which he believes damages sensitive children, but rather the encouragement of intrinsic gifts and spiritual connection. He contrasts the 'commonness' of city life with the healing power of nature, asserting that the 'flower of the American entity' must periodically return to the land to avoid spiritual extinction. Through chapters exploring bees, wild geese, and specific children, Comfort illustrates how the material world must reflect a 'one great spiritual Conception.' He critiques the tendency to identify with parts rather than the whole, noting that rivalries and wars stem from this fragmentation. Instead, he proposes a model where children find their own voices and tasks, developing a 'finer and finer' texture of the human spirit. The book culminates in a vision of a 'new social order' where humanity acts as builders for the future, moving beyond the 'wreckers of war' to construct a life of peace and creative expression. Comfort asserts that literature and art are merely incidents to life itself; the ultimate goal is to become masters of life. He emphasizes that the fundamental work is not merely building a house or planting a garden, but establishing a visible order that symbolizes the intenser activity of the natures within, fostering a deep breathing of each mind and a selfless receptivity to the world.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Education
• Country Life