The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-11-16
IMAM STREET
The Story of Carol Kennicott
ny SINCLAIR LEWIS
Copyright 1899. nareour Brace Howe Inc

ana Wondtf. No w. Must be
bout ten minutes late"
In town. she listened from bed to
the express whistllng In the cut a
mile north. uuuuuuus--faint. ner.
vous. distract. horn of the free night
riders 1ourneying to the tail towns
whore were laughter and banner.
and the sound OF hcus--uuuuui
uuuuu = the world going by --
uuuuuuul-fa fainter, more wistfui,
gone.
Down here there were no trains.
The stiffness was very great. The
prairie eneirclcd the lake. lay round
her. raw. dusty thick only the
train could cut Il. Some dat abe
would take train; and that would
be a great taking
VII
She turned TO the Chautauqua as
she had turned TO tho dramatic as.
ISOLATION, to the library board.
Besides the permanent Mother
Chautauaua. IN New York. there
are. all over these states, CONNER.
ciai ChRutauaua companies which
send out 90 every smallest town
troupes OF lecturers and entertain.
crs" TO give a week ol culture under
canvas. Living In Minneapolis. Car.
ol had never encountered the ambu.
liant Chantauqua. and the announce
mcnt Of It's coming to Gopher Prairie
gave her hope that others might be
doing the vague things which she
had attempted. She pictured a con.
densed university course brought 10
the people. Mornings when she came
IN from the lake with Kennicctt she
s,w piacards In every shop.window.
and strung on cord across Main
Street. a line OF pennants alternately
worded The Boiand Chautauqua
COMfNGr' and "A solid week Of In.
SEPARATION and enjoyment But she
was disappointed when she saw the
program II did not seem to be
tabloid university. Il did not seem
10 be any kind % university. Il
seemed TO be combination 81 vaudr.
vile performance. " NJ G. A. lee
ture. and the graduation exercises Of
an eiocution class
She took her doubt TO Kennicott
lie insisted. "weJ. maybe II won't
be so awful darn intellectual. the
way YOU and might like Il but it's
a whole 10, better than nothing"
Vida Sherwin added. They have
some splendid speakers. N the PEG.
pie don't carry off 50 much actual
Information. they do get a lot OF new
ideas. and that's what counfs"
During the Chautauaua Carol at.
tended three evening meetings. two
afternoon meetings. and one IN the
morning. she was impressed by the
audience. the saiiow women IN skirts
and blouses. eager 20 be made TO
think. the men In vests and shirt.
sleeves. eager TO be allowed 10 laugh.
and the wriggiing children. eager 20
sneak away. She liked the plain
beaches. the portable STAGE under ts
red marque. the great tent over all.
shadowy above strings of lncandns.
cent bulbs NJ night and by day cast
ing an amber radiance on the pa
tient crowd. The scent OF dust and
trampied grass and sun baked wood
gave her an Illusion OF syrian cara.
vans; she forgot the speakers while
she listened to noises outside the
tent: two farmers taking hoarseiy.
a wagon creaking down Main Street,
the crow OF rooster. She was con
tent. But II was the conientm~nt
Of the lost hunter stopping to rest
For from the Chautauaua itself
she got nothing but wind and ehaff
and heavy laughter. the laughter OF
yokeis az old jokes. a mirthiess and
primitive sound like the cries Of
beasts on farm.
These were the several instructors
In the condensed universlty's seven.
day course:
Nine lecturers, four OF them cx.
ministers. and one mn excongrcas.
man. all OF them delivering ~lnspGra.
tionai addresses. The only facts or
opinions which Carol derived from
them were: Lincoln was celebrated
president Of the United States. but
Ia his youth extremely poor. James
J. lfiIl was the best known railroad.
man OF the West and In his youth
extremely poor. Honesty and cour.
tesy In business are preferable 10
boorishuess and exposed trickery. but
this Ia not 20 be taken personally,
since all persons In Gopher proirie
are known 10 be honest and courte-
Gus. London Ia a large city. A dis.
tingulshed statesman once taught
Sunday school.
-Four entertainers" who told