The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-01-29
TILE AMERICAN VILLAGE.
doN 20 Make Life PIE asant and Profit
ga able. r.. ...-

The social pote1tialiriss OF. the average
american village are quite beyond any
mans calculation, It would be difficult
to tind any village IN the country which
has not the materials and the forces Of
the best civilization aud culture. If these
, &orCes and these materials were not under
restraint IL they were only free to follow
their natural impulses ard courses, there
would be universal progress. Tie fact,
however, is that almost universe " the
agencies concerned in raisinr the social
lite Of 3 commodity are, for various reas-
ons, held ia check; Or altogether re press
ed. Let US try 10 paint a typical village.
1t shall consist, say, OF thousand people,
more or less. Phe village has its two or
three little churches, and these have their
pastors-nlen Of fair education and fault
Hess moraa. till further, the village
&sas one or two physicians and LAWYER.
In addition to these, there is the post,
master. who is usually man of activity.
and influence; there is the rich man Of
the village; there are the three or four
men Who are only less rich than he; there
are. the young, well educated families
OF these Well-todo people; there are a
dozen women who are bright ia intellect,
and who read whatever they can Law their
hands on there is 8 fair degree OF world
ay prosperity, and the schools are well
supported. One would say that nothing
is needed to make it model3village, full
OF the liveliest and brightest social life,
and possessing all the means and ins.itu
lions OF intellectual culture and progress.
20 repeat phase with which We began,
social porentialities Of the village are in
'caiculable. All the agencies and mater
1als and appurtenances for beautiful
social Life and growth seem to exist, vet
'the fact probably is that the village is
socially dead. 49,.
IF we look into the condition Of
things We shall fad that the little church
>es are, through their very litt}eness and
weakness, Jealous of each other; that
their pastors are poor ana are kept upon
a starving intellectual diet; that the doc
tors ana the lawyer are absorbed in their
;pIoiesslo2s; that the rich men are bent
upon their money getting and money-sav-
ang, and that all the young people are
gent On fIiyolaus siAuse:gants. The viii
:. !aas has d; uoGi;i5ssir9, :rf:public hall
'.o::pe9Ei. tea.:iiit, ROOM no 'lyceum, no q
xeaaing; clubs, NO i.terayy: cuts. and no
:atsSns 0! us itused means eos foster:
. ia9 aia .Hege,e ping the intellectual and
social life of the villagers. We have seen
exactly TINS condition q Of things in a vii
tage many times, aDd we have seen, un-
der all these possibilities and tie hard
facts of Indifference or.social in ertia asso-
'ciated With them, a universal desire for
something better. We have en- church
es ashamed of. their jealousies and the
2neager support accorded to their minis
5Sers We have seen young people dissat-
,sncd with their life, and wishing it could
pe changed, and we have seen our dozen
OF bright, reading women ready and long
ing 70 make any sacrifice for the produc- /
uen OF better social atmosphere Nav
we believe that. the average American VIII
iage IS ready for improvement, ready TO
5oe iea. The best social leading is the 4
one thing lacking. Sometimes il does
not need even this; only some fitting oc-
'caslon that shall bring people together.
and reveal the under hafmonies which
move and the sympathies which bind
them The probabilities are that there
lis moi o village in America that needs
anything more than good leading to raise
lis whole social and intellectual Jife q.
ecalcuiably.1o q gF
The village that is most dead and ,,e,n.
less needs but one harmoniziing, 1nsal ok
elevated VIII to lead and mold itfo The |
best lite and the best issues. We cannot
illustrate this po 1er: Of leading better
fhan by citing the results OF the recent I
mode of raising church debts, One ~
she two or three men who have become
81 I 80