Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1950-09-28
Pleasures Of Rural Life

Pleasures OF Rural Life
TN DECEMBER of 1910 quit an
- editorial job I had held for so
years in Chicago n d left III e
big city. My desire was to again
live in the peace and quiet of a
rural community. I was fed up with
the roar. the rattle and the screech
of metropolis. I was tired of be-
ing showed around by millions each
time I set foot on city street.
I moved to a rural western town
and have lived there and enjoyed
its many advantages, its open
spaces, its lawns and trees and
flowers, its friendly people, their
CHEEKY greetings for close to 10
years.
Then recently, I developed
yen for the noise and the mObs
of city. / could see, or thought
could, something attractive
in the crowds at State and Madi-
son streets, Chicago. Evidently,
/ wanted to be showed around
again. 1t was not practical to
go back to Chicago. But / could
conveniently go to Los Angeles,
another metropolitan center,
and to Los Angeles went to
again experience the life Of
big city. i proposed to stay for
week, but stuck 1t out for
only four days, and that was
four days too many.
The California metropolis provid-
ed the same roar, rattle and screech
] had known in Chicago for SO
years. Each time 1 stepped onto
the street, I was showed about by
the milling crowds, as had been
in Chicago. I lodged the same
number of trucks, buses, taxi
cabs and private autos I had es-
capped from in Chicago; only in
Los Angeles they are a trifle more
reckless of pedestrian life and
limb.
I did not like being showed
around in Los Angeles any more
than I had liked it in Chicago. The
roar and rattle and screech of Los
Angeles was no more agreeable
than it had been in Chicago.
1 sat for hours in the lobby
Of the spacious BiItmOre Hotel,
and watched thousands of peO-
pie as they paced back and
forth through that lobby, and
among all of those thousands
saw no familiar face nor heard
familiar voice. Every city is
lonesome place. whharnO
friendly greeting, or seldom as
much as a smile. ts
From my hotel window, I looked
down upon beautiful 4sefshing
square, with its many species 3ei
palms, its banana and pepper trees,
its lawns and flowers, but when ]
crossed rne street to visit what
had seemed from my window to be
place of rest and rural quiet,
found it peopled by the lame, the
halt and the blind, interspersed
with all the freaks and fakes OF
Chr;siendom, whose business IS to
prey upon those thousands of I'M
fortunates. 1t was not a pretty sight.
1t gave nothing of the peace and
quiet and contentment of my rural
home town.
At the end Of four days, / had
all 1 could take, and more. and
was homeward bound. I cannot
imagine myself ever again longing
for the so-called glamour of any
large city. I am sure will be
satisfied with the modest pleasure
provided in a rural town.
Now, in my rural home, sit
c0ntentedly on the sun porch,
overlooking the lawns and
flowers, and watch the world
roll by. Remembering the ear
splitting noises Of the city,
do not complain of the hum of
the autos, or the rattle of the
occasional old jaIopy. am
through with the so-called CLAM
our of the metropolitan CEN
tiers. 1t is a myth. 1t does not
exist. either by day or by
night.
No city offers such pleasures as
are found in any rural community.
Blessed are those who can live in
a town or farm home, who have
nothing other than the lowing OF
the cows, the tinllle of the COW
bells or the buzzing of the bees to
disturb them. They can really en-
joy living.
AS for myself I have lest ali
desire for the big city. If l never
go back to Los Angeles again, il
will be too soon. Give me the peace
and quiet Of the rural community.
Congress treated the President UNI
generously. 1t gave him, all and
more Of the economic and military
controls he had asked. To apply
and administer them is his respon
sibility. His friends believed in his
ability to handle the job. His en-
emies, the Republicans and south,
ern Democrats hope he fails.
- -;