The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-06-12
Real Village Life

No sentimentalism in this graphic sketch.
We read of country life in prose and poetry.
and see it spread in idle colors upon canvas,
but the following SKI tch pictures the real as
it actually appears TO an inhabitant of New
York state hamlet.
There are a great many things TO make
man happy in life, things too numerous 10
mention; the books dom contain them. To
mention few: 1t is pleasure to put your
hand In your pocket and find silver dollar
there. IL is pleasure TO meet friend Just
as he is in the act of treating another friend.
1t is pleasure to play well on a jewsharp; a
pleasure TO bear cat roll out a tattoo in the
dead of night and let you know the Modocs
are around; pleasure to get a man in tight
place and get a good bargain out
of him; yes it is pleasure
to be granger; pleasure to hear
your nelghbors wife beat the long roll about
IL O'Clock at night, when her husband has
just come in from down street; pleasure TO
put up stove pipe, or saw cord wood, or eat
hunk of candy, or tell stories by moon
light over the front gate to sweet sixteen.
But of all the pleasures that can be emu
merated or thought of, nothing is quite
equal to sitting on the steps of a country
store with your feet on barrel of hams or a
pile of Goldfish, and there the livelong day
discuss the affairs of mankind. No sir, moth
ing quite equals this 1t equaiizes the circu-
lation, quiers the nerves, Gains the mind
like no sedative in the world. And he who
follows it day after day and age after age
Shakespeare mentions seven ages in the life
of many will attain to that equipoise of
temper and judgment that will go far toward
constituting him philosopher.
The pleasure of this noble exercise is my
theme. What opportunity for the study of
man-which Pope says is the proper study
of mankind; what harvests may be reaped
of which other men only SOW the seed. We
N L.
watches every horse that goes by to note his
build, bearing, step, gait gather, how he
holds his tail, and all other nice points
that horseman's eye instinctively seeks
and makes running comments on them
that show at once that his head is level and
properly sighted. This hOrSeman, too, is a
sort OF king in these matters, the store steps
chair his throne. The younger aspirants of
the ribbons all listen to him with Difference
and marked admiration. Although
master, he probably don't own a
horse; and yet it were Just as
we'll as if he possessed the stables of
the sultan for that, for he can talk you blind
and that is all there is of ii. The value Of
the race that lasts but few minutes is it
initiates mems imaginations like a balloon,
by which they are borne aloft on the social
tide, and have talking matter for year.
Our horseman derives his inspiration from
good cigar which the boys provided him,
and he illustrates the fact that wisdom is
stream that flows clear only when mind ana
body are in repose.
The country store steps are likewise the
haven and snug harbor of the retired farmer
and merchant. Here they sit calmly and
watch the young sailor making and clearing
port-commenting on the probabilities Of
storm or fair weather, and the fortune of the
voyage with much of the keen relish that
they once embarked Oh fortunes sea. They
saG tell to yard s.f how much sail
cast his reckoning years beforehand. Their
chief topics will be, as a matter of course
money, bonds and mortgages, interest farms
and farm stock and the like. These subjects
are their daily food, sand xiched with the
gossip, rumors and incidents of its day.
Usually there is one or two whose word is
law on these themes, from whom there
is no appeal - men who have
made a clean thing in life, and got
their pile together without any irritating
failures, or becoming bilious over it. They
have likewise acquired a position and inhu-
ence that rank them as the solid men of
their neIghborhood. The store step is their
court, and here they are sought foT society,
counsel, and quiet little loans-which, expe-
rience has taught them, must be made wise
ly, as there is nothing in the wide world SO
subject to leakage as money.
While the store step has its regular sitters,
as 1 have described, it has also its transient
callers in great variety, who resort there for
gossip and news; young men who may be
termed the hang around guards. These guard
the public welfare by stopping runaway
teams, stoning dogs, laughing at doubtful
Jokes and watching for treat Farmers
boys, who come driving in on the last half
mile as il to astonish the simple villagers and
make the passing belle think they are very
Phaetons and Jehus. NOn-working farmers
who get up early and set their men at work
take another snooZe, then eat Breakfast and
drive to town to hear the news and see how
the telephone gets along. Farmers who broke
down in the field and came in for repairs and
so redeem the time by stocking up with the
newest news on the store steps. Young far
mers who are greatly concerned for their
country, and ambitious to try their cunning
hand at politics, who with wise aud serious
airs discuss the issues of the day; who are on
hand to make up the party slate pending the
caucus and thus show willing hand that
the public must in time come to appreciate.
The steady sitter at this fountain of village
gossip sucks every man dry who stops 10
slake his thirst, thus becomes himself per
ennial fountain of the ligh wines of cor
versation which the masses love TO drinE
He spends his days serenely-regular in all
things-not missing his three square meals
in any weather-but true 10 all his appoint
ments. l can not think of him as truly hap
py that has attained to this quiet, steady,
uDruffied life. where he may watch the
strifes and tolls and conflicts of other men,
observation-disclosures passion.
Honeoye, n. Y. ARIEL.