The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-02-28

' w lAc OI the SEehI lrlSn ARltaIOE ana M
Author of my Beloved south"
Copyright. 1916, by The Nc
Arnold White was giving me a quick
taurant Quick, because his temper Is
quick and explosive. In spite Of the
shortage of walters. they isaped to hiD
orders.
Did you know said to him, that
7. P.'s Weekly has been quoting you
this week-'Generalizatio is the mark
of sloppy incapable mindr"
so 1t Is" he said sternly. The mind
that accomplishes is definite. You can
rest upon It"
smiled, for there was never a more
definite mind than his. Nor q more
definite friend. Nor q more definite
enemy. He is Bngland's ardent lover.
almost to the exclusion OF strict JUS
tice to every other country. and yet his
Intelligence Is keen and discriminating
enough to place his fingers upon her
plague spots and II the nation would
heed he could give valuable help in
their cure.
Before the war as a brilliant Journal
list. never sloppily given to generaliza-
ton. he was continually prophesying
war between Germany and England
and praying England when the hour
arrived to be found wearing her armor
in readiness. He hammered away at
the navy. building Dreednoughts in
imagination before the appropriate
were even considered in Parliament
He knows as much about the navy as
any admiral in It. and he knows a lot
about other things as well Hortioul-
ture interests him enormously. and he
has a passionate love of trees.
That Agricultural Department of
yours Is going ahead tremendously, i"
he said. Houston is quite a remark
able man. I've read of him
At once I grew eloquent for D. F.
Houston has married a beloved young
cousin from Texas, therefore, feel q
sort of proprietary interest in the de-
partment-
Give me- he said. some inforrna-
scribed an ancient and beautiful oak
tree at the Warm Springs in Virginia
dying by inches until the tree doctor
from the Agricultural Department by
Intelligent treatment induced q quick
recovery.
What did he dor asked Arnold
White.
Like a dentist" I said, he cut out
all OF the decay in the two great holes
and filled them with a comforting c.
ment not pressing upon the exposed
nerves and gradually hardened by con-
tact with the air. Then he polish ed
the outside OF the filing. and IN a week
the branches were filled with sap and
myriads OF leaves lifted tender green
points to tho sun
Wonderful" ne said. ITO save the
life OF tree would be like saving the
life of a friend. And doesn't the de-
partment cover a large area OF In
formationr
Yes" I said. smiling at the memory
OF a little episode. Mrs. Maxse, the
wife OF a popular Judge in Texas, was
in Washington, and Helen Houston
said to her. I wish you would give me
the recipe for your ounce jelly: it's
the best ever tasted With pleasure
said Mrs. Ma1se. and perhaps you will
appreciate It even moro when l tell
you that l got the recipe from the Agri-
cultural Department
'T have no time to look after my
garden now" said Arnold White, with
a sigh. When not writing, I am
speaking all over the country. which
is not yet fully reconciled to the neces-
sity OF conscription-"
"ConscriptionT' asked.
Well. yes" he said, 1T amounts to
that We are getting the shirkers into
line. but It takes time"
TT isn't" I said. FOR the want Of
heroic examples that the slackers hang
back Poor young Hahn. the only son
of Sir Edward Hahn. q happy bride
groom and the heir OF $4,000 pounds a
year, has just been killed. And. then,
there's Sir Schomberg Mcdonnell. who
had such a vivid interest in life. and
surely at 1fty-four he need not have
gone to the front"
How strange" said Arnold White.
that you should have mentioned Pom
Mcdonnell I have an article in my
pocket about him that goes into the
Daily Express on Monday. Our friend
ship began under somewhat unusual
c'rcum stances. Lord Salisbury had ask
ed a number OF men to lunch. When I
came IN the room young Mcdonnell was
laying down the law about a matter
OF which he knew nothing whatever.
kept silence and my temper, standing
in the window apart from the other
men. When he had finished his dis
course Mcdonnell came to me and said
triumphantly, What did you think of
thatr I thought it. said. "a complete
exposition Of the sublime ignorance of
a bureaucratic, cocksure, blatant young
| tackass.' Like a man he took his medi-
cine. saying, Perhaps you won't mind
explaining my ignorance to me- Not
Bit I said. and from the way you've
received my onslaught there is distinct
| hope OF your improvement
These open challenges OF brutal
truth between men always fill me with
envy. There > something robust and
refreshing in calling a human being a
tackass and being able to convince him
that maybe temporarily he is one, and
then both men having enough manli-
| ness to make the rough beginning the
| first link in a long unbroken friend
| ship.
We women are forging ahead, in
many ways, but we are squeamish still.
| It will not be in my time that I shall
| be able to say to a woman-and occa-
sionally I would like to say it-"You
are a cocksure. blatant young Jack
ass, and above all. record the speech
as the beginning Of friendship.
Equally, of course, only exceptional
men can indulge in such tonic frank
ness And 1t Is high compliment to
both. The first man displays courage.
honesty and fearlessness. The second
man reasonableness. superior to van
ity and a keen sense OF humor.
Schomberg Mcdonnell had that I
used to meet him often at Lady st.
Helier's, and he had as keen an appre-
citation OF darby stories as any Virgin