The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-05-06
Life in Rural New England

The May number of the Atlantic Month
ly contains two Instructive articles on life
in rural New England and the problems
presented by the rush of the population
to great cities. One of these articles is a
study of a remote village which has not
been reached by modern methods of life.
The native characteristics, which were
not very long ago shared by a large part
of the rural population of New England,
now seem so remote as almost to be re-
garded as curiosities. This sympathetic
its phases. The other study is of farm
ing town which has indeed kept somewhat
apace with modern progress, but still re-
tans the features of the old rural life.
Its accurate and faithful pictures of these
country towns now seems almost like de-
scriptions of another civilization, SO lar
removed are they from the Characteristic
modern hustle of city life. All the i'm
portant problems which have risen in the
recent shifting of population and changes
of industry are illustrated in these sketches
the drifting away from the old religious
faiths, the loss of leadership to certain
extent, the decline of local patriotism from
its old feryor, Yet there are many attrac
tive features of this life-the leisure that
the people Lave, their good nature, the
eompanionship and the old fashioned
neighborly qualities which they retain.
We make the following extracts:
TIVE VILLAGE PHENOMENON.
Samuel Wiggin, says Alvan F. Sanborn
in the May Atlantic, is the versatile phe-
nomenon of the village. Samuel Wiggin S
trade and nominal occupation is watch re-
pairing, but he supplements the rather
slender income the watch repairing of IN
dian Ridge provides by tuning and repair
ing organs and pianos, conducting singing
and dancing classes, giving private lessons
in vocal and instrumental music, water
color painting. the decoration of china, and
in four languages. Samuel is immoderately
fond of small children, and they of him.
They troop after him-much as the chill
dren of a more imaginative race trooped
after the Pied Piper of Hamelin-for the
wonder stories he loves to tell them. Sure
ly this talent for loving and dreaming
should not be reckoned least among the
many he possesses. Small wonder that
Sam Wiggin has the reputation of being
able to talk well upon any subject what
soever.
RELIGION IN NEW ENGLAND LIFE.
If one examines the history of New
England character, says Philip Morgan in
the May Atlantic, he will find it hard to
eAaggerate the part which religion has
played in its development In former
days, even the irreligous had, in the
background of their lives, a severe and
was impossible for them to ignore. Sin
itself was invested with fearful dignity;
and surely no dream of human perfection
ever so exalted the nature of man as did
that stern theology which taught him
that the stars and planets were only lights
to light him at night; that for his benefit
OF for his punishment God might at any
moment interrupt the course of the uni
verse: and finally that he had within him
self the momentous power of choosing
eternal punishment or eternal happiness.
Under that religious belief they grew up
men and women-SOme of the III are still
Iiying-who constituted little reservoirs
OF moral strength upon which the COM
munity, OF even the nation itself could
draw in times of necessity. " hat intlu-
ence will take the place of that old belief?
What moral force will curb the passions,
chasten the lives, stimulate the energy of
the rude people who are bonn in these re-
mote towns? Whence shall they derive
the discipline and the self CONTROL with
out which their primeval strength will be
as useless as the undammed waters of a
mountain torrent? | confess that these
thoughts fill me with apprehension for
the future; and sometimes | am even led
to think that New England character
reached its elimination in the heroic sac
litices OF the Cival War, and entered
thereafter upon a long and gradual course
Of sure decay. All this however. may
be and | trust that 1T is-simply the
pessimism of an old man. Let it suffice
for him that the glory has not yet depart
ed; that the moon shines as brightly now
upon the lake as it did when he was boy;
that he is still permitted to see the sun
rise and set in the most beautiful and-as
1t seems to him the most interesting
corner of New England.
A TYPICAL NEW ENGLAND TOWN.
Indian Ridge, says Alvan F. Sanborn,
speaking of typical New England com
munity in the May Atlantic, has all the
defects of all its qualities, and possibly
some others. 1t is narrowly partisan in
its politics; gossiping and meddling in it's
temper towards matters of purely private
concern; religion, here as elsewhere, in
spite of general wholesomeness, is not
entirely free from hypocrisy, morality
from inhumanity and self complacency,
integrity from cruel hardness nor thrift
and foresight from parsimoniousness and
worry. 1t is very little alive to the finer
issues of country living; most of them
are not SO much as suspected by it. For
all the mutual helpfulness and abound
ing sense Of humor, the life lacks t1exibil-
ity, mellowness, warmth, and emotional
expression. 1t is indisputable triste.
Nevertheless, Indian Ridge exemplifies
the best tendencies of the New England
country. These tendencies, owing to it's
comparative isolation, have been mani
tested in unique and homely ways in some
instances, but the tendencies are none the
less sound and healthy ON that account.
They are present to a considerable if not
an equal degree, not in all, not in the ma
jority, perhaps, but in many of the rural
communities in opa nc +bo N,,,r