The Chautauquans; a novel

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Chapter I. An Unexpected Start

sir!” said Mr. Broad, owner of the Brinston Foundry, as he waited for his mail in the village store, which was also the post-office, and chatted with his pastor, “ your idea of socially uniting all classes in this village, by interesting them permanently in some single subject, is beautiful, but it won’t do, Mr. Whitton.”

“But why not?” asked the minister, who was a young man and full of enthusiasm.

“ Because people will associate themselves and

The Chautauquans.

separate themselves according to their personal tastes and the sort of gossip they like.”

“ What a dreadful future for the world to contemplate!” murmured the minister. “It is too awful to believe !”

“ No matter how awful it is or seems,” said the manufacturer, “it must be recognized if it is true, as I assure you it is. I am an older man than you — old enough to be your father — almost your grandfather — and I tell you that, as you go along in the course of your work, that what I have said will force itself upon you at all sorts of times and in all sorts of ways. I used to have, like you, a delightful notion that people of all classes might be interested in one and the same thing — that is, in something of importance, something that would lift them once in a while out of the humdrum of the day’s affairs and bring them into sympathy with each other; but the longer I live the more I’ve found that there is no such subject — that is, none that can be depended upon for daily use.”

“ I am sure,” said the minister, “ that all classes unite heartily in the work of the church when a revival is in progress.”

“Oh, yes; but they would do the same if a

An Unexpected Start.

dog-fight was going on, or if some one had committed a highly exciting robbery or murder ; they would do it through curiosity ; but curiosity isn’t interest, much less is it intelligence. Curiosity is the last thing in the world on which to base society, if you expect society to amount to anything.”

Society,” said the minister, thoughtfully, “ is an aggregation of individuals who have been brought together by mutual interests.”

“And who remain together,” added the manufacturer, “ only so long as their mutual interests continue or present new features for consideration. The interests of society generally are selfish; so are people. As soon as their individual interests are cared for, as soon as each carries his or her point, there is nothing left but curiosity to hold them together. You know what that amounts to. It is the cause of all the silly gossip that is continually undermining characters and reputations right here among us as well as everywhere else in the world. The interest of people in one another is so small and mean and selfish that sometimes 1 almost wish that we might have a great war, or a great epidemic, or some other lO

The Chautauquans.

trouble that would compel people to rise above their petty notions and narrow ruts, and take a sincere, intelligent and unselfish interest in their fellow-beings, for a little while at least. 1 don’t imagine they could stand it very long, but human nature really is grand in an emergency.”

“ I am glad to hear you admit something good about it,” the minister remarked, with a sigh of relief.

“ ril cheerfully say everything good about it I can ; Fm an enthusiastic believer in its possibilities. I steal a great deal of time from my business and apply it to thinking and in wondering as to how to improve society in this little village of ours, though I suppose people wouldn’t believe it if I were to say so. I heartily wish every one well, but that does not help any one in the slightest degree to be more wise, more sensible or more sociable. I subscribe to all the lecture courses, buy concert tickets to distribute free among my working-people, and in every other way endeavor to bring people together pleasantly and help them to know and respect one another ; but Fm satisfied that most of my work is love’s labor lost. Most of the people will talk

A 71 Unexpected Start, ii

about a new subject — so long as it is new, but to expect them to take a continuing interest in it and follow it, as I have to follow my business to make it succeed, or as you have to stick to theology and read up, if you are going to be abreast of the times and not have people get tired of hearing you preach — why, it is simply impossible to expect it of them.”

“ What is needed,” said the minister, “ is something of continuous interest ; something in which a number of persons, who are acquainted with each other, may be interested at the same time. To be sure of the interest continuing, the subject should be something which takes people away from their ordinary daily affairs ; of them they are sure to talk enough — and too much. It is very hard to meet any one who is not so full of his own affairs that he will unload part of them upon you unless you have the selfishness and tact to switch him off and interest him in some affair of yours. There should be subjects, and there are subjects, in which people of all classes, that have any intelligence at all, might have a common interest.”

** I’d like to take your word for it, but really

12 2 'he Chautauquans.

I don’t know where or what they are,” was the repl}". “ Politics is the only one I know of upon which everybody will talk — they’ll do that only once in two or four years, and they do it so badly as to make you wish that — ”

“ Mail’s open !” said the merchant-postmaster, giving each of the waiting men some letters. “ ’T would have opened sooner if I hadn’t been confused by hearing you chat. I couldn’t help listening, for I’ve that old subject upon my own mind. Here comes Miss Dawn — her mother has done a great deal for society in this town, and the daughter is just back from the city — perhaps, if you consult her, you may get ideas that will do you good.”

“ I don’t know about that,” muttered Mr. Broad, ungallantly. “ I believe women — young and old alike — are more to blame than men, for the way society is going. It is they who seem to hate everything that isn’t trifling, so that a man who has any respect for himself seldom cares to spend an evening out anywhere, in a mixed company.”

All three men raised their hats, as a young woman, apparently about twenty years of age,

An U^iexpected Start, entered the store and approached the counter. The minister, advancing, said :

“ Miss Dawn, we’ve been discussing a very serious subject, and we think you, with your unusual social advantages, may be able to throw some light upon it. Is there no way in which the people in a town like this may all be brought to take a general, continuous interest in something which will lift them, once in a while, above the humdrum of daily affairs and the weakening influence of the gossip of which each little clique is full ?”

The girl answered the minister’s serious question and more serious expression with a laugh so merry and long that the young man flushed and looked angry.

“ If you had asked me yesterday,” she finally replied, “ I’m afraid I should have had to feel stupid and uncomfortable, and say : ‘ No ;’ but

to-day — really, I feel as if I would like to start out as an apostle of a new dispensation — I believe that is the ministerial way of saying it? Last evening, I received from a cousin in the West, a circular describing a new method of home study, which requires only an hour a day, and

H

The Chautauqtians.

upon which several classes of people out there have united, and have been brought together for conversation quite frequently. Ever since I read this circular my mind has been full of the idea, and I’ve got my mother excited about it, for she thinks the system is exactly what our village people need.”

“ Do tell us what it is ?” eagerly asked the minister.

“ It is the course of home study prepared by the Council of the Chautauqua Scientific and Literary Circle.”

“Chautauqua?” said the manufacturer. “ That’s a camp-meeting, I think.”

“ No,” said the girl ; “ it seems to be an educational association.”

“Umph! Another experiment, I suppose; one that will start with a great flourish of trumpets and end suddenly in sickly silence,” said the manufacturer.

“ But it isn’t an experiment,” the young woman replied. “ It started very modestly a few years ago, it seems, and instead of failing, it has been improving, until now it numbers forty or fifty thousand students each year, and has

An Unexpected Start.

graduated many thousands of people, each of whom has studied a prescribed course for four years, and about one-half of whom have met together once a week or fortnight in what are called local circles, to compare notes and talk over what they have been learning. My cousin is a devout church member — one of the girls who is always trying to do home missionary work ; but she writes that the Chautauqua circle in her town has been of more service to the society there, and to good order, and to right living in general, than all the churches in the town combined.”

“ Why, what on earth do they study to bring about such a result as that?” asked Broad.

“ Merely such books as are studied in the academies and colleges ; such as I studied in the seminary,” said the girl. “ Isn’t it strange ? The result seems to come not so much from what they study as from fixing people’s minds for a little part of every day on something which makes them think, and which they can chat about with people who have been reading the same books. Another delightful thing about it i6 is that parents and their larger children often follow the same studies together.”

“ Mr. Broad,” said the minister, “ this seems to be the sort of thing that we need ; the very thing that we have been longing for while we have been conversing here.”

“ Perhaps so,” was the reply. “ But who is going into it? Of course, those who have already been to school and college understand these subjects already ; others are not going to take them up on your advice dr mine, or even that of our estimable friend. Miss Dawn, and her mother. People don’t take kindly to the efforts of those who go among them with a missionary spirit.”

“ But, Mr. Broad,” said the girl, “ those who you say won’t go into it because they already have followed the same studies, form one class, and do take an active part in it, my cousin writes me. I don’t know how it is with men, but speaking for myself and other girls, I know that we have already successfully forgotten most that we learned in school, and mother admits that she thinks most older women are in the same condition, and father says that what men haven’t

MISS DAWN ENLISTING THE MINISTEK.— >S'ee Page 23 p rv

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An Ufiexpected Start, had to apply in their business or in some other way in their daily life they forget very rapidly, and that they often find their half-grown children looking down on them for their apparent ignorance. At any rate, my cousin writes me that in the circle in her town every class is represented — most of the ministers belong to it, several lawyers, physicians and other college graduates, and people from the best society — for, of course, a western town has its best society as well as ours. They have all of the local base-ball team, too, and some of the Junior Wheelmen’s Club.”

“You don’t mean to say. Miss Dawn, that everybody meets on a common footing in these circles, just as they pretend to do in church ?” asked Mr. Broad.

“ That is exactly what I do mean,” said the girl. “The studies are pursued only at home, in such time as people may be able to give to them ; less than an hour a day is required. The only formal conversations upon them takes place in meetings at stated periods ; but one great benefit of the system seems to be that neighbors and acquaintances chancing to meet each other are likel}^ — sometimes at least — to talk of what they have been reading. You see, there is a subject upon which they can talk which is neither the weather, nor the neighbors, nor their own personal affairs. Mustn’t it be delightful?”

“ Goodness !” exclaimed Mr. Broad, “ let us start a circle right here in Brinston at once. I’ll join it and sit up later at night — I’ll even neglect my business, if necessary, in order to keep up with the others. Dominie, may we count on you ?”

Oh, to be sure,” said the minister. “ I have already about twice as much to do as I have time for, but a single hour a day can’t make my load noticeably heavier. We shall have Miss Dawn’s assistance, of course?”

“ I shall join,” said the girl, “ and bring in my father and mother ; they’ve already promised, and I shall go proselyting around the neighborhood beside. I shall waylay every one I know, for almost any one can afford to take part in this study ; the books cost but a few dollars a year, and a single set may be used by an entire family ; so the expense needn’t stand in the way ; ^yher^

A 71 Unexpected Start.

it does, mother thinks that those who are well-to-do can afford to assist others."

“A capital chance for you to reduce your own surplus, Mr. Broad," suggested the minister. “You might supply all your operatives with books — a set for each family."

“ Not I !" said the manufacturer, emphatically. “ 1 don’t believe people, as a rule, appreciate a thing unless they earn it for themselves."

“ By the way, Miss Dawn, will you allow us to see the description of this wonderful enterprise of which you have been telling us ?"

“ With pleasure ; my cousin was thoughtful enough to send me a number of The Chautauquan and a lot of blank applications for membership."

“ If you’ve no objection," said the merchant, “ I’ll join, too. By . the way, here comes a customer of mine that Miss Dawn might like to try her hand on. It’s Mrs. Purkis ; she has a sickly, lazy husband, a large family and a laborious life, and always looks as if she deserved an early death, a comfortable burial, and an eternity of heaven afterward, for she certainly has had a hard time on earth. Ah, good morning, Mrs.

The Cliautauquans.

Purkis; we’ve just started a society for homereading, and we would like 3^ou to join.”

‘‘What’s it about?” asked the woman, whose appearance bore out the impression which the storekeeper’s remarks had made. “ Is it to read receipts about cookin’ ?”

“ Oh, no,” said Miss Dawn.

“ Or raisin’ children ?”

“ No ; it’s — ”

“ Anythin’ about layiii’ down carpet, or cleanin’ paint? I’m sick to death with that sort of thing. One of my gals was worried into subscribin’ to a little monthl}^ paper called Everythin About the House, and it just makes my head ache to read it or to hear anybody" else read it. If I’ve got to read anythin’, I want it to be somethin’ that don’t have anything at all to do with the house, or any ol the work that I have to do durin’ the day ; I get enough of that sort of thin’ in practice ; I don’t need no theories' about it.’’

“ In our society we’ll give you exactly what you want, Mrs. Purkis,” said Miss Dawn; “give you something to think about each day when you are tired of cooking and mending and house-cleaning and — ”

An Unexpected Start.

“ Then I want it, whatever it is,” said the woman. “ I’ll take your word for it if you can promise that much, for it’ll be somethin’ like the beginnin’ of heaven for me or the takin’ of a nap in the afternoon, which, goodness knows ! I can’t do half as often as I need to — anythin’ to get a chance to stop thinkin’ about the daily grind once in a while. 1 don’t know, though ; I suppose, like ever 3 Thin’ else, this is goin’ to cost money. I ain’t got any to spare.”

“ I’ll see that you are not put to any great expense about it, Mrs. Purkis,” said Miss Dawn, “ if you’ll persuade your girls to begin it with you. They were so bright in school — we were in the same classes, you know, and I was so sorry they weren’t in the high-school with me. Just think how pleasant it will be to have something to chat about in the family, once in a while, during rainy days or long evenings, when none of you have been able to get out and no one has come in with any news. Home does become so doleful for women sometimes.”

“I guess I know it,” said the poor woman, and her face showed that she did. “ Though,” she continued, “ I didn’t s’pose you rich folks ever

The C/iautauquans.

found it so. Well, I haven’t time to talk about it now, for I’m in a hurry to reach home. Two pounds of sugar, if you please, Mr. Brown.”

When the woman had departed with her purchase, the storekeeper said confidentially to the others :

“You may laugh at me, but I’m going to make that woman’s husband go into this thing, too ; as likely as not it may cure him of his drinking.”

“Ha! ha! ha!” roared the manufacturer. “ The idea of that good-for-nothing fellow studying, or of study doing him any good ! Why, I’ve given that man work, and I’ve lent him money, and I’ve given him advice, and I’ve done everything that one man could for another, yet he is as worthless as he was the first day I knew him ; in fact, he’s a great deal worse, for he has been going on in his bad ways several years longer.”

“ Well,” said the merchant, “ as there’s no one left to give him money any more now. I’ll see what effect a little credit will have upon him, provided he takes hold and keeps up with the rest of us.”

“ This certainly will be a very much astonished town if any such thing comes to pass,” said Mr. Broad. “ Miss Dawn, if you’ll allow me. I’ll enlist in this Chautauqua scheme, under your management, and do all I can to get recruits. Of course, the minister will do likewise; proselyting is exactly in his line, and he has had a great deal of practice.”

“ You’ll be far more effective at it than I, Mr. Broad,” said the minister, “ if you bring the matter before all the workmen in your mill. You manufacturers have a hold on people that ministers envy, 1 assure )^ou ; there is no one who has a greater influence in a community than the man who pays a lot of people their wages — absolutely no one.”

“ Except the ladies,” said the storekeeper.

Miss Dawn acknowledged the compliment, and was starting to leave the store when a young man entered. As he spoke to her the three men exchanged significant glances, and the manufacturer exclaimed :

“Enlist him, too, Miss Dawn; you’ll find Joe Warren a slow fellow to promise anything, so you’ll have to keep at him and not let yourself be discouraged.”

“ What is it?” asked the young man.

'‘Anew scheme — splendid thing — Miss Dawn will tell you all about it. She has captured all three of us hard-headed fellows, but you young men aren’t as likely to be interested in anything that means work.”

"Any mail for us, Mr. Brown? Thank you. May I walk a little way with you. Miss Dawn, and learn how far Mr. Broad is in earnest?”

The two young people left the store together, and the manufacturer rubbed his hands gleefully as he said :

" Joe ought to remember me at Christmas, for giving him an excuse for walking home with that girl.”

" Do you think he will join ?”

" Join ? Why, where do you ministers carry your eyes? He’d join anything, even a sewing-circle, to be near Alice Dawn. I hope ’twill end in a match, but it takes two to make a bargain, and the Dawns don’t think any man alive is good enough for their daughter.”

CHAPTER 11.

A SPARRING MATCH.

As Joe Warren walked away with Miss Dawn, he was in a condition of mind to promise anything or attempt anything which the young woman might suggest. He had been born and reared in Brinston ; he knew each and every old family for a generation back : he was very fond of the society of the gentler sex, and he had concluded, after much thought and observation, that the sex had no more admirable member than Miss Dawn. He was a very cautious young man ; he had successfully avoided falling in love on slight excuse, such as a bright smile, or a roguish glance, or an irrepressible curl, or an effective pose of a little hand. There were several girls in Brinston about whom all the young men raved, yet Joe was not especially attracted by any one of them. When Miss Dawn

The Chautauquans.

spoke to him, however, and looked at him in her straightforward way, as if she meant all she said, and meant nothing else, the sensation she produced was so unusual that Joe enjo3’ed it and wished that her glance might fall upon him oftener. Perhaps her bright e}^es and rosy cheeks and fine figure had something to do with it, for Joe certainly admired them.

He thought he knew all about making love ; for hadn't he read novels by the dozen — yes, by the score? Occasionally he had tried to make love to Miss Dawn, but always retired from an attempt with the determination never again to make another until he was a great deal wiser. He would give a half-day to the work of preparing an elaborate compliment for her, yet after he had uttered it, and seen that it had no more effect than any other form of civil speech, he mentally called himself bad names by the dozen. She would chat with him freely and delightfully about the ordinary’ affairs of the day, but the instant he attempted to turn the conversation into a personal vein she eluded it skillfully, and the subject would change back again almost before Joe knew it, in spite of his ablest attempts

A Sparring Match.

to guide it to suit himself. Not even the most brilliant of his efforts had ever been rewarded by a sidelong look, a conscious air, a languishing glance, or any other of the tokens by which most young women let men know that their attentions are being appreciated. The effect of all this was to make Joe sometimes wonder whether he loved the girl as most people love the unattainable — simply because she was unattainable.

“ What were the minister and those two forefathers of the hamlet talking about ?” he asked, when he and Miss Dawn were fairly away from the store.

“We had been talking of the Chautauqua course of home study,” the girl replied. “ They had never heard of it ; neither had I until yesterday. We’ve agreed — Mr. Broad and the minister, the postmaster, old Mrs. Purkis — ”

“ Old Mrs. Purkis!” said Joe, with a laugh.

“ Yes, They, she, my parents and I are to start a reading circle here. 1 do wish you would join and help us.”

“ Ah, Miss Dawn,” said Joe, with a sigh, “ don’t you know what such things always come to in a little village like this? Where’s the use of starting a reading circle when even the club meetings and prayer meetings aren’t well attended ? I’ve heard the minister complain, again and again, that scarcely any people could be got out to week evening services, which are supposed to be means of grace.”

“ Perhaps,” suggested the girl, “ the readings may prove more interesting to some people than the meetings. They have a compensation to offer which some people may prefer, at present, to that which is to reward constant attendance at prayer meetings.”

“ But such an odd set to get together, to say nothing of the scarce grown boys and girls,” remonstrated Joe. “ No one ever knew them to agree to be interested on any one subject for more than two minutes at a time, unless it chanced to be the price of eggs, or the necessity of keeping down the running expenses of the church, or reducing road-taxes. 1 don’t see how it can work.”

“ Perhaps,” suggested the girl, “ you would see the matter more clearly if you knew anything about it.’’

A Sparring Match.

“Ah!” gasped Joe, “quite likely 3’ou are right. Please inform me, won’t you ?”

“With pleasure,” Miss Dawn replied, and explained briefly what she had said to the others regarding the purpose and methods of the reading course.

“ But what possible interest can it have for you ?” he asked. “ You graduated at a seminary of very high grade, and learned everything that this course professes to teach. As for me, although I left college three years ago, I haven’t yet recovered from my weariness over the dreadful routine of lessons — tired of a lot of things which I don’t suppose will ever be of the slightest use to me.”

“ If you really are sure that they never will be of any use to you, why not join us and try to make them of use to some one else? I wouldn’t ask you to do more than I am myself volunteering to do.”

“ Ah,” said Joe, “ that is different.” Then with the hope of succeeding in a compliment, he said: “You should remember that you’re a charming young woman, while I’m merely an ordinary man. People will listen delightedly to

The Cha2itauquans.

you and do a great deal for you, whereas I wouldn’t interest them at all.”

“Oh, Mr. Warren, don’t talk nonsense,” said the girl ; “ people who really desire to learn something, aren’t going to be particular as to whom they learn from. They’ll be willing to accept information and counsel and encouragement even from a young man who has been only three years out of college, and has forgotten a great deal of what he learned while there.”

“ But,” said Joe, rallying, though with some confusion, until he saw that Miss Dawn did not look mischievous, “ the books of which you speak are on the very subjects which I studied at school and college ; why should I read them all over again, as I should be obliged to do if 1 were to join this new class

“ For the same reason which I shall have for reading them, I suppose — for that which you have just explained yourself— because you have forgotten so much. I’ve forgotten most that I learned in the seminary ; my father and mother are intelligent people, but they make a similar confession. Besides, where is the use of our

A Sparrmg Match.

discussing the subject and doubting the usefulness of the course, when professional men and educated women are reading it year after year, again and again, for the sole purpose of keeping in mind what they’ve already studied but forgotten, and keeping abreast of the newer people whom the seminaries and colleges are turning out year by year? The best people need something to think about beside their ordinary daily affairs ; they need something in which they can hide themselves away once in a while, after a day of hard work or worry or triviality or anything else that blunts human sensibilities. Besides, the very young need to have some interests in common with their elders.”

Joe laughed as he replied :

“ You talk like a mature matron. Miss Dawn, instead of a charming young woman. I’ve always imagined that your time was fully occupied with affairs wholly delightful to you. I’m sure that you’re admired by every one and have an enviable family circle, and you always look happy and contented.”