“No,” he says, “they aren’t very nice—yet.”
That made me think of something. “Have you been in many cities and dropped down into many towns?” I ask’ him.
“Several,” says he,—sort of rueful.
“On election day?” I says.
“Sometimes,” he answered.
“Well, then,” I says, “maybe you can tell me what they do on election day in cities. Don’t they ever have exercises?”
“Exercises?” he says over, blank.
“Why, yes,” I says, “though I dunno just how I mean that. But don’t they ever open up the city hall and have singing and speeches—not political speeches, but ones about folks and about living? I should think they must do that somewheres—‘most anybody would of thought of that. And have the young folks there, and have them that’s going to vote sort of—well, commenced, like college. Don’t they do that, places?”
When he shook his head I was worried for fear he’d think I was crazy.
“No,” he says, “I never heard of their doing that anywhere—yet.”