Saturday morning in Childress moves at storefront pace, with pickups angled at the curb and the sun already high over the low brick fronts. New4U Thrift Store keeps the grass along those strips and the yards around town cut, trimmed and swept so the whole block reads tidy from the sidewalk. The mow is straightforward and even; the trimmer takes the sign posts, the meter boxes and the gaps beside the steps. Walks are blown down so no one tracks clippings inside. Small towns are held together by exactly this kind of upkeep, done regularly and without fuss.