Produced by David Garcia, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE BY ZONA GALE AUTHOR OF "THE LOVES OF PELLEAS AND ETTARRE" NEW YORK THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1908 _All rights reserved_ Copyright, 1908, By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. Set up and electrotyped. Published October, 1908. _Norwood Press J. S. Cushing Co.--Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass., U.S.A._ To EDITH, HARRIET, AND MUSA AND THE TWO FOR WHOM IT COMES TOO LATE GEORGIA AND HELEN THIS BOOK IS LOVINGLY INSCRIBED AUTHOR'S NOTE Friendship Village is not known to me, nor are any of its people, save in the comradeship which I offer here. But I commend for occupancy a sweeter place. For us here the long Caledonia hills, the four rhythmic spans of the bridge, the nearer river, the island where the first birds build--these teach our windows the quiet and the opportunity of the "home town," among the "home people." To those who have such a bond to cherish I commend the little real home towns, their kindly, brooding companionship, their doors to an efficiency as intimate as that of fairy fingers. If there were shrines to these things, we would seek them. The urgency is to recognize shrines. Portage, Wisconsin, September, 1908. Certain of the following chapters have appeared in _The Outlook, The Broadway Magazine, The Delineator, Everybody's, and Harper's Monthly Magazine_. Thanks are due to the editors for their courteous permission to reprint these chapters. CONTENTS I. The Side Door II. The Début III. Nobody Sick, Nobody Poor IV. Covers for Seven V. The Shadow of Good Things to Come VI. Stock VII. The Big Wind VIII. The Grandma Ladies IX. Not as the World Giveth X. Lonesome--I XI. Lonesome--II XII. Of the Sky and Some Rosemary XIII. Top Floor Back XIV. An Epilogue XV. The Tea Party XVI. What is That in thine Hand? XVII. Put on thy Beautiful Garments XVIII. In the Wilderness a Cedar XIX. Herself XX. The Hidings of Power Friendship Village I THE SIDE DOOR It is as if Friendship Village were to say:-- "There is no help for it. A telephone line, antique oak chairs, kitchen cabinets, a new doctor, and the like are upon us. But we shall be mediæval directly--we and our improvements. Really, we are so now, if you know how to look."