The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-11-21
| MAIN STREET
The Story Of Carol Kennicott
SINCLAIR LEWIS
Copyright 1879. Hsrcour. & Howe. Inc

newspapers OF sections three thou.
sand miles apart have the same
"syndlcated features. tho boy In
Arkansas displays Just such a fam
boyant ready made suit US n found
ON Just such a boy In Delaware.
both Of them iteratc the same slang
phrases from tho same aporting.
pages. and n enc OF them n In col
iege and the other ~ a barber. no
one may surmise which Ia which.
II Kennicott were snatehcd from
Gopher Prairie and instantly con.
Veyed Co a town leagues away. he
would not realize u. lie would 20
down apparently the same Main
street almost certainly II would be
called Main street,. in the same drug
store he would see the same young
man serving the same ice-crcam soda
TO the same young woman with the
same magazines and phonosraph rec.
ords under her arm. Not TIL he had
climbed 10 his office and found an.
other sign on the door. another DIR.
kennicott inside. would he under.
stand that something curious had
presumably htNpeneu
Finally. behind ali her comments.
Carol saw the fact that tho prairie
towns no more exist to serve the
farmers who are their reason. OF
existence than do the great csiS1als .
they exist TO fatten on the farmers.
TO provide TOR the townsmen large
motors and social preferment. and.
unlike the capitals. they do not give
to the district IN return for usury a
stately and. permanent center. but
only this ragged camp. II a "a
parasitic Greek civilization''--m
the civilization.
There we are then" said Carol
sThe remedy IL there any Crit
cisfn. perhaps. for the beginning OF
the beginning. oh. there's nothing
that attacks tn. Tribal God Medioc.
rlty that doesn't help little /.
and probably there's nothing
that helps very much. Perhaps
some day the farmers will build and
own their market-towns. Crhink Of
the club they could have1 Hut I'm
afraid haven't any reform pro-
gram Not anx more' The trouble
Is spiritual. and no league or party
can enact a preference for gardens
rather than dumping grounds /.
4. There's my confession. weliT'
I'm other words. all you want Is
perfectioue" said Vida
Yes, Why notg.
How you hate this place, How
i can you expect 10 do anything with
Il II you haven't any sympathy"
But l have, And affection. or
else l wouldn't fumc 30. I've learned
that Gopher Prairie isn't Just an
eruption on the prairie. a. thought
first. bur as large as New York. In
New York wouldn't know more
than fgrty or fifty people. ana
know Mat many here. Go on Say
what you're thinking
well my dear. II did take all
your notions seriously. II would be
pretty diseouraxlng. Imagine how
a person would feet. after working
hard fors years and helping 10 build
up a nice town. 10 have you siriiv
fit in and simply say 'Rottsnr
Think that's fairf~
WHY AtVta ~ tffErt ~ tH-t IL
discouraging for the Gopher Prairie
lie TO see Venice and make com
parsons"
1T would not. I imagine Rnndoias
are kind OF nice to ride in. but
we've got better bathrooms But
Ny dear. you're not the only person
| IN this town who has done some
thinking for herself. although frar.
don my rudeness, I'm afraid you
think 40. III admit We lack soms
things. Maybe our theater isn't az
good an shows in Paris. All right
don't want to see any foreign cub
ture suddenly forced on whether
it's street planning or tabicmanners
or crazy communicate IDEAS
Vida sketched what she termed
practical things that viii make a
happier and prettier town. but that
do belong 10 our life. that actually
are being done" OF the Thanatop~is
club she spoke: OF the restroom. the
fight against mosquitoes. the cam
paign for more gardens and shade
trees and sewsrs--rnatters not fantas.
tic and nebuious and distant. but I'm.
mediate and sure.
Carols answer was fantastic and
nebuious enough:
Yes. Yes, I
know. They're good. But " could
put through all those reforms at
once. I'd still want startling. exotic
things. Life Is comfortable and
clean enough here already. And 90