February, 19 20
THE LANDSWOMAN
)
The Pelican Gets Rcad.t
(" Dailv Sketf'h," Photo lleui11ald Stl k
Rural Communities
Are there such things i n England?
() \ J.; ut the ruo.-t valuablr hooks pubi1Ahcd for a long time lB
Th• XC1twnul Brwq, by A . .~<;. (~faun.~d &. Co.). It I!> a book
whtdt mnk·~ 11. Kpcclal apprnl to rVNY mcmt"•r of thr A socu\t ton
v.ho U~l~ h~>r bfl\Jn to think nnd rdlrct 1\bollt t he life in \\ h tch
l!h.e Its tak10g a part-the ltfo of the En~IIKh village.
"Wll often hear," ''~~Y" A. E., • the exprc~.,ton • t h{' r u ral
community,' but whrn· do wo find rural conuuumtirll ? There
MP ruml popull\tlon.4, but t hat h alto(tt·lher a tlllfrrf'nt t hing.
lhc word ·community • nup\tt'8 nu a.<;.<~oclatlun of people ht\nng
common lnu•n!!lt~ 1111d ct111lmon pU and
ldt al .••• Our rumlpopulat tOn.i nrc no rnon• ci(~">Cly conn1•ctf'd,
for thP tnOllt part, than thr hlftlng sa:utrforr. T hey IIUffM no
J>l'rrCJ>ltlllro ••t'I•UtJrnir- lo IJv tlu• clrpnrturP n( hnlf·R.·dozcn mf'n
from the tU t uct. .\ tr uti llt •Jnmtmlt :r \\ ould, of cour ... t•, bt•
Atfl'r'!l d l1\' tJ11 !rJ:!ll Of ft llll'lTihPI'K
" .A eooOiiCI the liOCit tr, If lt lu-1' a dozen m!·mht·r><, th11 mllk
of theJr ru\\ , thdr mrlo rl4 l•Jr f•·rtth~r~. llf'< d~ amlfr•rdlnll·t~tutf!l,
rt nee ed(JIJ InJury to 1UI N•»i• rlty .•.• That 1 tht• t•rsou or thnt. They Mk thcno pt•ople t o talk to
thPir fri{'nd'li and tho ripples go out widening and wldt•nl ng for
month.~. J>i'r 1np!! for years. . . . 'tlw r <: Is no I!O('Inl organism
with a crntrolllf<' to 1\t ir."
lie t!ltggc•llt..'l one rt·mNly fos thiK stntf' of thi n g>~, quoting ~~
notable phfnl!e of Wait Whitmnn'ts; -
" Tlw flnnl u rgl nrr.~ of ll1Pn and women nrc townrd'l humanity.
Their clt•'lirrl'l are tor thf' pcrff'ct ing of tlwir own life, nnd, t\'l
\\ hltmnn MY~. whc•re the hNSt m t' n tutd wnmcn nrl' llll'rP t hr grrnt
c1ty 11ttmdq, t hough lt Is only a v JIJngr It if' one of tlw lllu~ion ~
Qf modt•rn mat.crlnll tic thought to RUPIK>:Ic• thnt a'! high·~ q ualit \
of hfoi~ not J)Ofllllblo In a vlllngr~n.<~ in n grf'nt city, nn