Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-12-16

characteristic. He always IL amusing
them or making something for them.
Every child In the neighborhood
knows and loves him. for he owe
fails TO notice them and to say some
thing Pheasant to them One could
desire no liner commentary upon ones
life than the eloquent smiles which
go flashing across some ssyoungster's
face as Mr.. Davies pauses. to play
with him for = moment.
His activities for the community
haye NOT been confined to tho news
paper Office. He was q member Of tho
park board for several years. serv-
ing AZ its president. AS a member he
took an active part in establishing the
present splendid park system. He
worked actively In the organization Of
the Municipal band, and always has
been Of it's staunchest supporters.
He always has been q great reader
and a deep student OF history. and this
has been reflected in everything he
wrote. Shakespeare. Dickens and BY
ron have had q wonderful influence
upon him. I think Robert Louis Stew
enson has been q force in his life, too.
/ know he has sailed on the H.spani-
ola, for I have heard him tellssof his
Journeys. And that is why his and i
get along 30 we'll together: we both
!likeathe Hispaniola, and we bSth have
gone into the far corners oftthe world
upon its deck. And that is why he
writes SO simply, SO unostentatiously
30 ltolerantly and 70 humanity of the
affairs Of life.
This brings mo to one characteristic
which I always have admired;
through the dignity and poise and ma
furtty of his actions and writings,
there has shone q boyishness thai
grips anyone who comes under its
spell. The years have come and gone.
n they are So. but still he is young.
There is a bit Of the Peter Pan about
him; he is youth. eternal youth. and
he never will grow up. His child
hood is a golden age. and the treasure
house Of his heart IL full Of the mem
cries Of the past. There Is no repent
Ing Of youthful vagaries with him. I
envy him. Just as I envy any man
whose wealth Is counted in his mem
srtes.
1t IL these memories which make
him 30 acceptable to you readers Of his.
You may not know it.. you may not
sense It, but 1t is SO. The lowing and
tender way in which he. returns again
to the memory Of the past" brings a
humanness to all that he writes of tho
present. As I write this. I think Of
Stevenson's remark about another
who wrote of life not with the cold
finger of a stArf7sh." and I go bustling
through my volume Of Stevenson's es-
says. I find there this question:
But what is it when compared t.
the reality Of which it discourses?
where hearts beat high in April, and
denth strikes. and hills totter in the
earthquake, and there is q glamour
over. all the objects Of sight, and a
thrill in all noises for the ear, and
Romance herself a made her dwell
Ing among men?" IN
And as / ponder upon stevenson's
question, I think Of Robert -Cortes
Holidays little ezsay upon newspa-
pers, wherein one Of his fictitious
Echaracters says:
"Everything Is in the paper. every
thing--worId's Of it-plays, skits,
comedies. farces, traEedies,, burles-
l4ues. material for the student. the his
torian, h author, the poet, the NOR
alist, the humor1st; much matter to
be fast ~appLauded for its sltpsi> ;,
good nature, and some bowed with
leaden-eyed despair, some replete with
rosy schemes. some of waxing hopes
and sweet, Improbable pipe dreams,
some Of many monies, births, hatreds,
wisdoms, foilies. crimes, vices. vir-
tues Asroisms, hyprocrisies. arts.
eonalnerctalism. surprises. bacchanals,
hard ~exigencie4, and poor resorts and
petty contrivances. Life-ah! that's
the gboy-life and ali its train Of con.
sequences, ringing in my ears, dancing
before my eyes, crowding on the
eenses, . thfee-ringed circus in full
blast, a roafy, noisy. blcomin' spec
tacle. = mammoth Aggregation Of pro-
dlgious eye-openers and unparalleled
splendors, with gorgeous hippodrome
under perfect subsection, and q Casino
Wonderland Ausee of queer. peculiar,
wild. domestic, i~nstructing, funny,
beautiful. horrible, and revolving cur
los and monstrosities Of land. air. and
sea-"
close my eyes and see tho pageant
go by. n I see Mr.. Davies sitting
calmly at his desk, watching it in all
Its "pomp and circumstance" and
commenting upon it fearlessiy, truth
fully and toierantly. There Is = keen
vision. a deep penetration in the way
he views the pageant, but there is no
biting satire, no iniiIeniO, MS l!:-::@
motive in his comments. There is
only a boyish humanness (the only
humanness worthwhile). only a bit of
friendship, only q word Of cheer and
Of hope, only a prayer that all will be
well.
THE captains and the kings depart"
all right, and Dor 'tthe shouting and
the tumult dies, and there comes a
time for calm and earnest judgment.
and It y then that we who labor with
htmSlook to Mr.. Davies to give life its
proper valuation. He knows that the
children rnear their faces with Gao
sar's ashes,' and that the golden
wheat which iourishes upon our prai-
ries is fostered out Of dung. And be-
cause of this his 10 not q callous view
Of life. ..
That is why the editorial page Of
The Herald has been SO humanity and
30 honestly looked after these many
years. That il why you like our chief,
you readers of The Herald, and that
u why one Of his associates has tried
70 pen an appreciation OF him.
NEW LINE OF