The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-09-09

Did 1t ever occur to you how much oul
humdrum lives nave to do with holding
our attitude towards the rest of the world
and how much our mode Of living has to dc
with the conventlonalism which forms a
part of ourselves?
We do this thing because the rest of the
world is doing it, or W. refrain from doing
something else cause the rest Of the
world would wonder and gaze open-eyed al
US for departing from the usages set down
by that body known as Society since
time had Its beginning.
For instance. you travel the same streets
from day to day, and meet the same people
at the same hour this morning as you did
at the same time yesterday on your way to
and from business. Perhaps you even lave
dealings with some of the people In a bust
ness way but you seldom get to know
them outside of your business relations.
10 all probability you do not nod to them
on the street or greet them with a pass
ing word. Certainly not. That would not
be the proper thing to do. Conventional
tiles would not permit of such a departure
from the usage set dow for us; we would
be criticised; people would talk about us
yes. people would talk about us. So much
for being obliged to live up to a standard
of department in our large cities.
Comparing our attitude towar our
neighbors with tina of our country
cousins" and people in the suburban dis
triets and their ~neighbors, we cannot help
but note the difference between the spirit
of frlendliness which exists between them
and their neighbors and our n%elghbors and
ourselves.
Did you ever spend a vacation in the
mountains or in the country? If you did
certainly you have noticed how everybody
speaks to everybody else.
And, of course. you know how the habit
of speaking, too, grew on yourself. You
spoke TO everybody you met IL only to
pass the time of day, or comment upon
the weather. And didn't you feel better
for IT.
OF course. you did, for didn't o cheer
a traveller on his way. and were you not
cheered?
And then the next day when you met
the same people at the country postofficc,
or at the station when you went to see the
train come in-everybody goes to see the
train come in-you discovered that they.
too. were "city people" like yourself, and
the hext thing you knew you were asking
If they were having n good time or
were they going to stay long," and they
were asking you the same. or like ques-
tions.
Perhaps some afternoon you piled into a
big country carryall with a crowd of
friends to visit one of the nearby beauty
spots, and there, too, you met your new
found friends again. Perhaps you stopped
for a little chat and commented on the
beauty of the place. and II they discovered
some particularly pretty spot which you
had not seen, did they not tell you of 1t
and 1t to you for a visit?
And how much nearer you felt to your
fellow beings for this friendliness, which
you yourself INDUCED In without fear of
criticising you for speaking with
out the formality of an Introduction
l suppose formalities are The proper
thing, after all, but l will never be able to
explain the joy I found in the greetings L
received from those l met and perhaps
whom l may never meet again.
When I think that 1 may never see one
of them again, I do not regret that 1 de-
parted from the "formalities'' and "con-
venitonalities.r Their greeting cheered
me and made me happier. and 1 hope mine
had the same effect.