Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-23
NEITHER WOULD YIELD.
A Domestic Controversy That Inter-
ested the Neighborhood.


Speaking about the inconsequential things
in life and their effect upon it as an en-
tirety, 1 am reminded Of an incident which
occurred in this city not a thousand miles
from the Capitol" said a professor in one
Of the local institutions of learning whe
resides on Capitol Hill, to Star reporter.
Living on the opposite side of my street
was mechanic who owned his own COM
Portable little home. AS these matters get
around In neighborhoods, it was known
that the bone of contention In that particu-
lar household was the window shades in
the front parlor-the husband wanted them
up and the wife wanted them down. The
why's and wherefores we did not know,
but for years the neighbors watched with
amusement the silent (from the outside of
the house, for we didn't know what was
said inside, though it would not be hard to
imagine). daily duel which went on be-
tween the two to the position of the
| front window shades.
when the husband was at home he
raised the shades. and he Invariably did
so In the morning when he went to work.
Before his retreating form had turned the
corner, the curtains would be seen to part,
and the wife's hand would pull the shades
down to their accustomed length When
he would return from work his first act
upon entering the house was to let the
shades roll up again. The neishbors could
tell to a certainty which one of the two
was in the house or not.
For over ten years this mental duel
as to which was right and which was
wrong as to the positions of the front
window shades, was fought out every day
In the year except on Sundays and holi-
days, when the old man was, home. when
the shades stayed up, unless he went off
fishing for the day or afternoon, when they
promptly came down. 1t was one OF the
most remarkable instances Of pertinacity
on the part OF two persons, neither OF whom
would yield to the other, that ever came
! under my observation.
"One day, however. the shades remained
down, and they remained in this position
for several days to the amazement of US
all. until the doctor was seen to be entering
the house daily for about week. Then
the undertaker's wagon appeared one morn
ing, and knot of black crepe was hung
The widow remained in the house for five
years thereafter, before she, too, went
the way for all flesh, but from the day
they first went down. including the day Of
the funeral, when they seemed to be pulled
down tighter and firmer than ever, the
front shades in the parlor of that house
were never raised. -
This little instance struck me as being
one of the most forceful illustrations of the
wasteful squandering of mental and physi-
cal strength over the inconsequential things
In life In which so many otherwise agree
able and sensible persons seem to take
special delight in indulging. Like the sharp
grain of sand in a mans heel, 1t hurts him
more and gives him greater annoyance
than the rocks which lie In his path. Very
often the bitterest feuds between families
the disruption thereof and the dissensions
therein, are produced by the most inconse-
quential causes-causes which could most
easily be avoided but for that strange trait
IN human nature known as combatiVeneSs,
which seems to spring like living spring
OF discord in the breasts of some OF us.
Members Of families who are thus af-
ficted, and 1t Is positive affliction, and
almost curse in some instances. ought
to study this great temperamental weak
ness, and eradicate 1t once and forever
from their dispositions. 1t will not be found
hard to do II sincerely attempted by those
who would make such delightful reforma-
ton"