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bright girl thought of having band music in that now popular park. |
And _what_ do you think that stingy Council did? It actually built a |
most fantastic band-stand; got a contract with a first-class band, |
and all without so much as a Councilman fainting away!! So, finally, |
on a hot July Sunday, two solid hours of grand harmony brought joy |
to many a poor Soul who had not for many a day, known that balm of |
comfort which can "air out our brains' dusty corridors," and bring |
such happy thrills, as Music, that charming Fairy, which knows no |
human words, can bring. Around that gaudy band-stand, at two-thirty |
on that first Sunday, sat or stood as happy a throng of old and young |
as any man could wish for; and Gadsby and his "gang" got hand-clasps |
and hand-claps, from all. A good band, you know, not only can stir and |
thrill you; for it can play a soft crooning lullaby, a lilting waltz or |
polka; or, with its wood winds, bring forth old songs of our childhood, |
ballads of courting days, or hymns and carols of Christmas; and can |
suit all sorts of folks, in all sorts of moods; for a Spaniard, |
Dutchman or Russian can find similar joy with a man from Italy, Norway |
or far away Brazil. |
II |
By now, Branton Hills was so proud of not only its "smarting up," but |
also of its startling growth, on that account, that an application was |
put forth for its incorporation as a city; a small city, naturally, |
but full of that condition of Youth, known as "growing pains." So its |
shabby old "Town Hall" sign was thrown away, and a black and gold onyx |
slab, with "CITY HALL" blazing forth in vivid colors, put up, amidst |
band music, flag waving, parading and oratory. In only a month from |
that glorious day, Gadsby found folks "primping up"; girls putting on |
bright ribbons; boys finding that suits could stand a good ironing; |
and rich widows and portly matrons almost out-doing any rainbow in |
brilliancy. An occasional shop along Broadway, which had a rattly door |
or shaky windows was put into first class condition, to fit Branton |
Hills' status as a city. Old Bill Simpkins was strutting around, as |
pompous as a drum-major; for, now, that old Town Council would function |
as a CITY council; HIS council! His own stamping ground! According to |
him, from it, at no far day, "Bill Simpkins, City Councilman," would |
show an anxiously waiting world how to run a city; though probably, I |
think, how _not_ to run it. |
It is truly surprising what a narrow mind, what a blind outlook a man, |
brought up with practically no opposition to his boyhood wants, can |
attain; though brought into contact with indisputably important data |
for improving his city. Our Organization boys thought Bill "a bit off;" |
but Gadsby would only laugh at his blasts against paying out city |
funds; for, you know, all bombs don't burst; you occasionally find a |
"dud." |
But this furor for fixing up rattly doors or shaky windows didn't last; |
for Old Bill's oratory found favor with a bunch of his old tight-wads, |
who actually thought of inaugurating a campaign against Gadsby's |
Organization of Youth. As soon as this was known about town, that |
mythical pot, known as Public Opinion, was boiling furiously. A vast |
majority stood back of Gadsby and his kids; so, old Bill's ranks could |
count only on a small group of rich old Shylocks to whom a bank-book |
was a thing to look into or talk about only annually; that is, on |
bank-balancing days. This small minority got up a slogan:--"Why Spoil |
a Good Old Town?" and actually did, off and on, talk a shopman out of |
fixing up his shop or grounds. This, you know, put additional vigor |
into our Organization; inspiring a boy to bring up a plan for calling |
a month,--say July,--"pick-up, paint-up and wash-up month;" for it was |
a plain fact that, all about town, was many a shabby spot; a lot of |
buildings could stand a good coat of paint, and yards raking up; thus |
showing surrounding towns that not only _could_ Branton Hills "doll |
up," but had a class of inhabitants who gladly would go at such a plan, |
and carry it through. So Gadsby got his "gang" out, to sally forth and |
any man or woman who did not jump, at first, at such a plan by vigorous |
Youth, was always brought around, through noticing how poorly a shabby |
yard did look. So Gadsby put in Branton Hills' "Post" this stirring |
call:-- |
"Raking up your yard or painting your building is simply improving it |
both in worth; artistically and from a utilization standpoint. I know |
that many a city front lawn is small; but, if it is only fairly big, |
a walk, cut curvingly, will add to it, surprisingly. That part of a |
walk which runs to your front door could show rows of small rocks rough |
and natural; and grading from small to big; but _no_ 'hit-or-miss' |
layout. You can so fix up your yard as to form an approach to unity in |
plan with such as adjoin you; though without actual duplication; thus |
providing harmony for all who may pass by. It is, in fact, but a bit |
of City Planning; and anybody who aids in such work is a most worthy |
inhabitant. So, _cut_ your scraggly lawns! _Trim_ your old, shaggy |
shrubs! Bring into artistic form, your grass-grown walks!" |
(Now, naturally, in writing such a story as this, with its conditions |
as laid down in its Introduction, it is not surprising that an |
occasional "rough spot" in composition is found. So I trust that a |
critical public will hold constantly in mind that I am voluntarily |
avoiding words containing that symbol which is, _by far_, of most |
common inclusion in writing our Anglo-Saxon as it is, today. Many of |
our most common words cannot show; so I must adopt synonyms; and so |
twist a thought around as to say what I wish with as much clarity as I |
can.) |
So, now to go on with this odd contraption: |