The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-11-03
MAIN STREET
The Story Of Carol Kennicott
By SINCLAIR LEWIS
csryvxhl is.s HArcsurt. Hsvc Inc

she asked lrnpuixvciy. ''You. why
do you stay here"
Il have the Village Virus
1T sounds dangerous"
III Ia. More dangerous than the
cancer that viii certaSiy get me At
fifty unless stop this smoking. The
Village Virus Is the germ which
It's extraordinarily like the hook.
worn-it infects ambitious people
who stay too long In the provinces.
You1i find Il epidemic among law.
ycrs and doctors and ministers and
coilegehred merchants-aii these
people who have had a glimpse Of
the world that thinks and laughs. but
have returned to their swamp. I'm
. perfect example. but l shant pes
ter you with my doiors-
You won't And do sit down. 80
can see you
He dropped into the shriekinx
desk chair. Hc looked suusreiy at
her. she was conscious OF the pupils
OF his eyes: Of tho fact that he was
man. and lonely. They were EN-.
barrassed They elahorateiy glanced
away. and were relieved as he went
on:
The diagnosis Of my Village
Virus Is simple enough. was born
in an Ohio town about the same sine
as Gopher Prairie. and much less
friendly. It'd had more generations
In which 10 form an oiigrachy Of re
speetaoility. Here. n stranger is
taken In II he n correct. II he likes
hunting and motoring and God and
our senator. There. We didn't take IN
even our own uli we had ccntenp
tuousiy got used 10 them. II was n
red brick Ohio town. and the trees
made IL damp. and II smeIicd OF rot.
ten apples The country wasn't like
our lakes and prairie. There were
small ssuffy corp-fieids and brick.
yards and greasy oii-weiis
Il went to q dsnominationai col.
iege and learned that since debating
the Bible. and hiring a perfect race
OF ministers 20 explain II. God has
never done much but creep around
and try TO catch us dlsobeyine n.
Prom college I went 20 New York.
20 the Columbia Law School And
for four years I lived. oh. I won't
rhspsodixe about New York. II was
dirty and noisy and GREATNESS and
CHASTITY expensive. But compared
with the moldy academy In which I
had bccn rmo,hercd--, ] went TO
symphonie. twice week. ! saw rrv-
Ing and Terry and Duse and Bern.
hardt. from the top gallery.
walked in Grammcrcy Park. And
read. oh. everything.
Through a cousin learned that
Julius FIlckerbaush was sick and
needed q partner. came here.
Julius got well. He didn't Ike my
way Of ioafing five hours and then
doing my work treaty. not 80 badly
In one. We parted
when I first came herr I rwore
ia keep up my interests' Very
lofty, read Browning. ana went
20 Minneapolis for the theater~. \
thought ! was keeping up But 7
guess the Village Virus had me al.
ready. ! was reading four copies Of
cheap fiction magazines to one poem.
ia put off the Minneapolis trips till
! simply had to 80 there on a lot Of
-"&R& tt*&%A&A&
"A few years ago I was taikins
20 = patent lawyer from Chicago.
and realized that I'd always
felt 30 superior 10 people Ike Julius
FiickerhauEh. bat I saw that I was
as provincial and behind. the times as
Julius. (Worses julius pidAvs through
the Literary Digest and the Outlook
faithfully. while I'm turning OVER
pages OF a book by Charles Flandrau
that already knew by hearth
Il decided 20 leave here. stern
resolution. Grasp he.worid. Then
found that the Village Virus had
me. absolute. didn't want 70 face
new streets and younger rnen--real
competitors II was too EASY 10 70
on making out conveyances and
arguing dstching cases. so--
That's all Of the biography Of a iiv-
ing dead man. except the diverting
last chapter. the lies about my hav.
ing been n tower Of strength and
legal wisdom which some day
preacher win spin over my lean dry
body
He looked down az his table desk
lingering the starry enameled vase.
She could not comment. She pic,
trrcd hersrf running across the
room to pat his hair. She saw that
his HIPS were firm. under his soft
faded mustache. She sat stili. and
rnaunfercd. Il know. The Village
Virus. Perhaps II win get me. some
day I'm going Oh. no matter.
AZ least. I am making you talk,