The mirror., 1920-01-01
THAT OLD HOME TOWN
Briggs Writes About Reedsbug Wis,
His Old Town
Selected

that you come from the big city. Neither
do they envy you one bit.
One of our popular paragraphers hit
the nail on the head when he said in his
column that "a man spends about twenty
years of his life trying to make the big city
and after he succeeds he spends the next
twenty years trying to get enough money
saved up so he may spend his declining
years back in the country" The only
trouble is one seldom goes back to the simple
country life once he makes good in the city.
But it is always a sweet anticipation,
just as the country lad anticipates
starting out in life via Wall Street, or
Broadway, or Fifth Avenue.
The only conclusion one may derive
from the whole matter is that it's fifty
fifty proposition. Since we may as well
admit that both the country village and the
metropolis have their distinct advantages,
why not arrange to spend the first twenty
years, say, in the small town and the rest in
the city? To you who have not concluded
the first part of this arrangement, would
suggest that you start right in at once and
get out into the country. To you who
have been so unfortunate with handicap
of being born in the seething city, would
admonish you to begin life at once in the
right way. Pick out some nice little burg
and be born all over again. To be an
average American" you'll have to do it
sooner or later, and the sooner the better.
You'll live longer, too. Perhaps that
phase of the thing may not be an induce
ment to the lugubrious folk, but as gen
eral proposition l find that an average
American is going to fight and holler for
his old "three-score-a And even
then he likes to brag about his health and
that he's just as young as he used to be,
b'gosh!
But I'm telling you right now that
there is precious little hope for you city
born men if you don't hook up to the coun-
try stuff as soon as you can arrange your
affairs TO do so. There may be few octo-
genarians who have never lived out in the
country, but l doubt it. There was never
any city air that had life-giving qualities
that ever heard of. On the contrary, the
fumes have frequently been analyzed and
found to be death-giving
One trouble living in the country is
that one is deprived of viewing the shin,my
dance in its native element. One may be
deprived of the charms of a subway crush
or the clever capers of the food profteers
Somehow the folks up in the village post
office or the general store at the turn of the
road seem to be just as happy and live just
as long, and longer, for not having the
advantages" of the city.
wish I could 90 back. plead guilty
to my own Indictment Like thousands of
other men l am nailed down to position
from which may not, dare not, retreat.
At least it does not seem the logical thing
to do yet. But l look forward to returning
to the country = just as lot OF
slaves do. If | never realize this ambition
of returning, at least l shall always have
the satisfaction of knowing that | started
right, that my life is better rounded for hav-
ing myself born in the proper, and in an
uplifting, atmosphere.
The city is all right and the country
is all right, but taking it by and large, pro
and con, fore and aft, up and down, think
the country is just bit all Fighter. I've
tried them both and know what I'm talking
about. Of course the city has to have some
BODY in it to run the darn thing. And that's
lust the trouble with it. 1t won't run it
self. It's got to have lot of people in it OF
it wont go. It should be nothing in your
life or mine but place to 60 where you car
get out of you the stuff that is in you. You
have a talent and that must be marketed
and the city seems to be the solution. 1t i
something like rushing into burning build
inp to save the child, and after you hav'
performed that heroic deed you are glad t
rush right out again and get the air. Bu
be sure that you come out or both you ant