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Show oo 4- Main Street Monotony 1 (BY DR. WILLIAM E BARTON ) Mr. Lewis hus set the literary critics to discussing his book " Main tr.-i " Those of us who were born, as I was. on Main Street In an Areerl MWMMfe&MUB 1 ri" town. Kmm that WKfcjPwy , .VBB life there Is not quite ' ISl ' 0 ''' 1 ''"'' nnlnvlt- 'J I .'i i l li e 1 1 i, mi dc n -' iiil- l he photom . pM yfjL&m1' '' i oinpp-test boredom in ivander btBet JB9I i ' ' H' 191 ra,1'-ond station. lie HsMbfsH WHI sanu- box-like houses tasWM ,nd two-story shop' . Such s soclctv lunctlons admirably in the large produc uon of cheap automobiles, doiir watchci nod safety razors. But It is not satls-l satls-l fled until the entire world ulso admlti I that the end and Joyous purpose of living I li to ride In flivvers, to make advertising advertis-ing pictures of dollar watches, and in the twilight to sit talking not of love and I courage but of the convenience of safet) j razors . . The more Intelligent young ' people anil the forlunute widows flee , the cities with agility, and. spite of the fictional tradition, resolutely stav there, seldom returning even tor "the holidays The most protesting patriots of the towns leave them. If they can afford It and In old age go to live In California or in the cities. The reason Is not a whiskered lustirltv. It id nothing nn aim sing! It la an uiilningltiutP eh stand ! ardned background. ; .sluggishness o' , ipeecn nit manueis a rigid ruling of the spirit by a desire lo appear repei table It is contentment of the rulet. d sd vUe. are scornful of the Using for their rest i I. js walking. It Is thn prohibition of hap- j I plnesa It Is slavery self sought and self- defended It Is dullness made iod. A siivorless people gulping tasteless foo'J. i and sitting afterward coatleu and thoughtless. !n rocking 'hairs prickly with Insane decorations, listening to me-1 rhanical music saying mechanical things i shout the excellence of automobiles, an viewing themselves ns the greatest rtc In the world. I have selected these sentences from ' I several different pags. In order to give J j the gist of his picture concisely. As II I '. I was born on Main Street, and at its Intersection with another important thoroughfare, directly opposite tho Town l ump nnd I know the kind of town and Its limitations It is not rpilte so deadl monotonous as Mr Lewis represents But can we not make life on Main Sircsl a little more spontaneous, a Little more full of natural and reasonable Jov . a little less dependent on movie and automobiles au-tomobiles for the stuff of life'.' Kor these ure not the things on whtrh men rm live. The kingdom of heuven must be w'thln ' us; and Main Street must be surveed straight through the New lriisslem |