The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-14
CITY OR VILLAGE?
President Richmond virginian Co.

CITY OR VILLAGE?
John Temple Graves writes in the New York
American Of the hardness of life in large city.
He tells of meeting accidentally. In a hallway.
the man who occupied the room next to his in
an apartment house, and of learning, several
weeks later that without his knowledge his
neighbor had died and been buried. Mr. Graves
concludes that he hopes to return to a Georgia
village whore his fellow citizens will visit him
while be is ill, put flowers on his grave when
be dies and comfort HIS family
The picture of the friendly, neiehborly, com,
Portable little town in pleasant but there are
two sides
People sometimes flee to large cities for pri-
vacy. In the average village there is friendli-
ness and help In time of trouble, but occasionally
the inumacics become annoying. 1t is not de.
lightfuI always TO know that everybody in town
knows exactly your income what you spend a
year and how much you owe and to whom. A
man has kind of exposed feeling when he walks
to church of a Sunday and knows a number of
people have noted and counted his fam.
lily wash the line and could tell exactly what
ne and his wife daughters and children have
en- underneath and the structure, ornamentatiou
and repairs Of each garment II a family hap,
pens to be Of some prominence its internal affairs
arc discussed freely. including it's courtships.
81 fragments and marriages it's disappointmonts.
illnesses. wedding preparations and the fun
biography of the prospective bride or groom
In The Northern and Western cities these inter
estIng matters concerning the social leaders are
rctod in the newspapers and illustrated: but
re ordinary citizen escapes reporter and camera.
Is life happier whore man lives under the
eyes and tongues Of his neighbors or where he
is q solitary unit in a vast mass Of humanity and
nobody gives him the least attention or cares
whether he is good or bad well or i'll, dead or
alive? Is it nicer to be whale in a tub or a
minnow in a large lake?
/ Unquestionaby, the great city Is the more
dangerous habitation. The larger the com
munity the looscr the life is the rule invariably.
In the smaller towns and the villages people
may be very tired Of being talked about and
watched. The fact that you know as much of
your nelghbors as they know Of you and that
as they gossip of your affairs you may gossip
Of theirs is alternating but not full compensa
ton. 1t is to he remembered too, that nearly
every smaller community has its feuds and
tealouses its chronic social wars its scandal
nongors and a few human insects with talent
for singing When We come to consider how.
ever. all these things are wholesome and for our
souls health. They give It's sense Of response
hjly and teach us to walk eircnmspccuy Mrs
Crundy and the town gossip are unpleasant
sometimes almost intolerable; but they are so
ciety's necessary implements Of punishment The
lashes they give hurt. but they are useful as
warnings and keep many Of us on our good be
havior when no other power could do it,
Probably Mr.. Graves is right. We have nc
tttopiaa in real life. There be bruises, morti
fcauons, troubles fer mind and soul everywhere
There is no desolaton and loneliness like that
~ a large city and nothing is more perilous
than freedom from restraint and criticism With
friends all about ready to answer to need; with
a few tried, intimate and generous; giving good
will and the ncighbors kindness and thereby
earning and receiving them In return; the man
in the shabbiest small town with all its discom
forts. depriyatons, and worries, has reason
to envy the dweller amid the light and Injuries
ond broader life of the cities who may go to his
grave or to perdltion with nobody seeing or
caring