The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-06-09
" RUNNING A VILLAGE"

a worthy gentleman, who lives out of
town, was amazed the other day by being
suddenly asked, "Who runs your vllagee'
All the pride of suburban citizen, who
hears birds in the morning instead of milk
men, flashed in his eye as he replied, "No
body"
"Ah"' then you don't have Philharmonic
concerts
"No, Sir" was the lofty reply; "and no
other rural community has Philharmonic
concerts"
There's where you're mistaken" was
| the lively answer; land it comes of living
in a village that is not properly run
When the other gentleman asked if run
ming was indispensable to Philharmonic
concerts, he was answered that in every
little community there must be some leader
in every direction of activity or interest, or
nothing would be done. There is certain
amount of running power latent in every
rural neighborhood. This may "run"
away with the neighborhood into all kinds
of follies and abuses, or it may stimulate
and lead it to the most desirable and de-
lightful results. But the running power
must be more or less highly developed in
some few persons, or, good lack! quoth the
earnest gentleman, you'll not only not run,
but you'll stagnate.
ue tdl utSG ScuJlcIldu, WuOSe udule Was
Rusticus, proceeded to say that his neigh
borhood had suffered good deal from some
of the more familiar and unpleasant re-
suits of this spirit of enterprise" as it is
called. 1t was perpetua!y designing boule-
wards and spacious avenues, and bent upon
enhancing the value of everybody's prop
erty by making it a corner lot by an intin-
tie multiplication of streets. 1t was al
ways striving to "attract capital " to the
neighborhood, to "stimuate activity" and
to draw population. 1t planned to dispose
of quagmires and bleak hill-tops under
salvos of champagne corks and the hospi-
tally of free lunches and bands of music.
Mysterious illusions to the charms of that
vicinity, to its ease of access, and to its
freedom from all the heats, mosquitoes,
and chills and fevers that usually infest
suburban communities, appeared from time
to time in the columns of city newspapers.
Meanwhile this form of the drumming"
power ran the neighborhood into debt, and
left it toiling through deep and direful mud
in the spring, and was responsible for such
swearing as had not been heard since the
army was in Flanders. There were jobs
of every kind on all sides, and the public
welfare was maintained only by constant
fight with the spirit that was trying to
"run " the village.
Now, said Rusticus, behold the diverse
of the medal. Behold the advantage of
the same spirit directed to the most delight
full results. 1t is true that in all communi-
ties and enterprises some one must lead the
way. Sam Adams directs the Boston Mo-
hawks to the tea ships. John Adams is
the Colossus of Independence. Columbus
sticks fast to his new route to India, and
reveals a continent. If, now, in your viii
lage, continued Rusticus, addressing his
friend, there were some generous and intel
ligent musical enthusiast, for instance who
had such faith in his own faculty that he
scorned enterprises that edo not pay;"
who saw around him plenty of people will
ing to enjoy if the way could but be opened,
but no one of whom would open it; some
one who had energy, resolution, and organ
izing powerfully, you would have Phil
harmonic concerts in your sleepy old village
and you and your friends would all be on
the committee, and you yourself would be
selling tickets, and turning out in the even
ing in white cravat, and putting on wi lite
gloves, and handing beautiful prime donne
up to the platform, and clapping and encor-
ing vociferously, and pitying the unenter-
prising villages that have no Philharmonic
concerts.
The listener beamed approvingly, as if
the picture pleased his mental eye.
linen, Sir, you would nave the most eX-
quiste chamber music, duets, quartets,
quintets, sestets, septets, octets; you would
have the music of Beethoven, Handel,
Haydn, Bach, Mozart, Weber, Mendelssohn,
Wagner, Schubert, Chopin, Meyerbeer-
the old masters of the orchestra and the
new; virtuosi upon the piano, the violin,
and the violoncello. Instead of making
journey to the city and passing the night,
and putting yourself to such trouble and
expense that the prospect would dismay
and deter you, you would merely take a
. pleasant walk after your domestic dinner,
and with your neighbors and friends hear
the most delightful music, and return quiet
ly to your own fireside.
A man who "runs village" in this way
is public benefactor. He is an invaluable
citizen in his community. For he sees that
all the conditions of success in enjoyment
TCOSTJNUED ON FOURTH PAGE