OUR VILLAGE 



members of the Council which gave birth to our 

 Village Improvement Society, for., when the 

 matter came up for serious consideration, one 

 Councilman opposed the measure vigorously. 

 In conversation with his friends, outside the 

 Council-room, he had some severe things to 

 say about our lack of public spirit, which he 

 asserted had resulted in the general air of 

 " gone-to-seedness " which characterized the 

 place. 



"Why," said he, "we might have one of the 

 most charming little villages in this part of the 

 country if we had more pride and interest in 

 it. But we don't seem to have any. Every 

 season I hear people from the city remarking 

 about our shiftlessness and neglect of the 



place. 'It might be made delightful, if ' 



And that if of theirs is equal to a volume in 

 its unspoken criticism on our lack of enterprise 

 and improvement. In my opinion, it would be 

 a shame to sell off the park. We may not 

 need it now, but if we ever wake up and do 

 something we'll see the mistake we made, but 

 we'll find it out when it's too late to help mat- 

 ters, for there's no chance to get another 

 piece of land like it. I wish I could stir up 

 some enthusiasm among the people, and get 



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