The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-12-06
The American village.

unurE IS5LEdiHt, Al tACy HSAD SN-J =
to follow their natural impulses ana
conrses, there would be universal prog
ress. The fact, however, is that almost
universally the agencies concerned in.
raising The social needs of community
are, f>r various reasons, held in check,
or ali ge.i,..f pressed. Let rs try 70
paint typ'ot' village Il shall consist,
say, Of thousand people, more or less.
The village has its two or three httlg.
churches, and these have their pastors
men Of iaiS education and fsuItless'
2s5r'sss.. tr- 80, .tise -eiiIas4s bs-z
I oIIe or two -Y'sty-ivis--ssssssi- -ssasswycA la
addition 70 these, there is the post
master, who Is usually man of activity
aud influence; there Is the rich man Of
the village; there are the three or four
men who ale only less rich than he
there are the young, we'll educated fam
lilies Of thIss wento do people; there are
q dozen women who are bright in intel
lect, and who read whatever they can
lay their hands on; there is a fair degree
OF worldly prosperity, and the schools
are well supported. One weuld say that
nothing IS needed to make it q model
village, full of the liveliest and brightest
social life, and possessing sll the means
! and institutions OF intellectual culture
and progress. To repeat Z phrase with
which we began, the social potentialities
Of the village are incalculabIe. All the
| agencies and materials and sppurten-
ances Tor beautiful social life and
growth seem to exist, yet the fact prob,
ably is that the village is socially dead,
II ne look into the condition Of things
we shall fud that little churches are,
through their very littleness and weak
ness, jealous Of each ether; that their
pastors ere poor and are kept upon
starving intellectual diet that the doc.
/ tor snd the lawyer are absorbed in their
/ professions that the rich men are bent
upon their money getting and money
saving, and that all the young people
are bent upon frivolous amusements.
The viliage has no public library, no
! public hail, no public reading room, no
! lyceu1n, 20 reSdiug-clubs, no literary
clubs, and no institutions or instituted
means for fostering aud developing the
intellectual or social lie Of the villagers.
We have seen exactly this condition OF
+ things in a viiisge many times, and we
have seen, under ali these possibilities
/ and the hard facts of indifference or so.
ciai inertia associated with them, uni
versal desire FOR sorIething better. We
/ have seen churches ashamed of their
jealousie- and the meager support so-
corded to their ministers. We have seen
young people dissatisfied with their lie,
and wishing that it could be changed,
and We have seen our dozen OF bright.
reading women ready and longing 10
make sny sacrifice Tor the production Of
q better social atmosphere. Nay, we be
lieve thai the average American village
is ready for Improvement. ready to be
/ led. The best social leading is the one
thing lacking. Sometimes it does not
need even this; only some fitting occa-
sion that shall bring people together, and
reveal the under haTmouies which move
and the sympathies which biud them.
The probabilities are that there IS not a
villsge IN America that needs anything
more than good leading to raise it, wEole
social and intellectual life incalculabiy.
Tire VILLAGE that is most dead and
helpless NEEDS but one harmonizing, IN
! selfish, elevated viii 10 lead and mold i.
to the best lie and the hest issues We
: can not illustrate his power Of leadipa
/ better ;aeo by cisioE the results OF ths
regent moie OF raising church debts
/ Oac ol tne two or three men who hay,
! becoao famous Tor raising church debt
go,s into the pulpit in The morning and
=ts.iis before 4 bankrupt congregation
lie IS tod before he enLers.the building
that every tffjrt has been made TO raise
the debt, bat in vain; that, indeed, the
people have not the money, and coule
not raise The required sum il they would
Yet, in two hours, every dollar Is sub
scribed, and the whole church BITS weep
ing in mute and grateful surprise. NJ
advantage, whatever, has been taken o
them. and they have simply, under com
petent leading, done what they have al
along wanted to do, aud what they hay
knows it was their duty TO dc. An.
man who has ever had ANYTHING TO do il
organizing the social life of a village has
We venture to say, been surprised, ami,
what seemed to be universal stagnation
to find how general was the desire 70
reform. Everybody has been ready. Al
we're waiting for Just the right msn f
SET them going. and he only needed Z
saw the word, or lift and point the finger
, Il IS not necessary to hreak up sn.
; legitimate fsmlly feeling that may exis
, in churches, or to interfere with socis
4 cliques and "sets, o. to break down an.
r walls between classes. We talk now onl.
of the general social and intellectual iii
r which brings people together in comuol
5 high persuits. and gives a village j;
/ character and influence. 1t is only from
3 | this lie that q strong and efficient pub
9 liC SEIIlJ CHI COUts a Nliiogc nunb hci'
d a vigorous general life outside OF sects an
' cliques ard parties before it can max
great progress, and it Is astonishing ho'
. quickly this life may be won by the righ
d leading. We assure them that all tn
g people need ia good leading, end tha
/ there must be one among them who hs
4 the power in some degree of leading, q
a gsnzing and inspiring united and be-
c ter life. It Is not an Office in which pei
5 soual ambition has any legitimate plac
e that of social leadership. ANY ma
r who enters upon it with that moti7
# mistakes his position and hopeiessly d'
d grades his understanding. But whereve
a there Is a sluggish social life, er none s
IL all that is devoted to culture and puI
It and elevating pursuits, somebody--an
e it is probably the one who is reading tn
article, is neglecting duty from whie
he is withheld, most probably, by mos
? esty. We assure him that if he IS real
e fit for his work, he will find an astonisl
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