A YOUNG MAN OF THE CHOUMLA DISTRICT
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Poor as were her acquisitions of territory compared with her hopes from the war, Bulgaria at least won a free outlet to the open sea. Her ports on the Black Sea were always felt to be of limited use, because traffic to and from them had to pass through the Dardanelles and was therefore at the mercy of Turkey in case of war. But now Bulgaria has free access to the Aegean Sea, and though without a good port has a possible port there.
Considerations of strategic position and of territorial acquisition are, however, of minor importance in considering Bulgaria's future. It is in the character of the Bulgarian race and the conditions of life encouraging the growth of that sturdy character in which the hopes of that future are bound up. The young Bulgarian is born usually in the country, and usually also as one of a large family. Here is an interesting table—compiled before the war—showing at once the proportion of urban and rural population and the prevalence of large families in Bulgaria:
| Number of Members of Families. | Numbers of such Families. | Number of Members of Families. | Numbers of such Families. | ||
| In Towns. | In the Country. | In Towns. | In the Country. | ||
| 1 | 19,299 | 11,807 | 11 | 737 | 11,506 |
| 2 | 22,311 | 25,035 | 12 | 340 | 7,570 |
| 3 | 28,182 | 45,747 | 13 | 180 | 4,853 |
| 4 | 29,732 | 66,554 | 14 | 79 | 3,446 |
| 5 | 27,884 | 82,771 | 15 | 44 | 2,187 |
| 6 | 21,746 | 83,635 | 16 | 39 | 1,499 |
| 7 | 13,636 | 69,216 | 17 | 16 | 1,069 |
| 8 | 7,619 | 48,218 | 18 | 14 | 786 |
| 9 | 3,646 | 30,756 | 19 | 8 | 528 |
| 10 | 1,757 | 19,005 | 20 | 1 | 368 |
The Bulgarian infant in the beginning of life will have no handicap of artificial feeding. The "feeding bottle" is practically unknown in his country. From the very early age of three this Bulgarian infant may begin to go to school. Primary education is obligatory. The infant schools are for the preparation of the children for the primary schools. Infants between the ages of three and five years are admitted in the lower divisions, and those between five and six in the higher division. They are taught games, songs, drawing, manual work, and simple arithmetic. The teaching in these schools is entrusted exclusively to school mistresses.
The proclaimed object of the primary school is "to give the future citizen a moral education, to develop him physically, and to give him the most indispensable knowledge." The studies last four years. The school year begins on September 1 and lasts, in the towns, until June 25, and in the villages until the beginning of May. Thus the whole summer and part of the autumn is exempt from school duties—a wise exemption in an agricultural community where the children, and perhaps some of the teachers, have to work in the fields. The subjects taught include morals, catechism, Bulgarian and ancient Bulgarian history, civic instruction, geography, arithmetic, natural history, drawing, singing, gymnastics, manual work (for boys), and embroidery (for girls). Every parish or village of more than fifty houses must have at least one primary school. The hamlets and villages of less than fifty houses are considered, for educational purposes, as parishes.
The enactment rendering public instruction obligatory extends to all children between the ages of six and twelve. The only temporary or permanent exception allowed by the law is in favour of children physically or intellectually unfit. Disobedience to the law is punished by fines.