Evening star., 1922-09-24
Heard and Seer,

Almost continuous sessions of Con-
gress during several years have 80
"wonted" Washington to the sight of
the ,haFs. flying over the two wings Of
the Capitol that when they were
dropped with the ssvels Of the presiding
omcers the other day. the big white
building on the hill looked strange.
Yet no difference was appreciable, in the
city otherwise. Congress comes and
goes nowadays with only the Individual
reactions caused by the departure of a
few. score Of people, perhaps a couple
Of thousand in all -.
When the city was smaller in popdla-
ton. q few decades ago. the comings
and Eoings Of Congress meant much. At
the beginning Of session everything
was enlivened: hotels were well filled.
streets were fuller. places Of public
amusemept did better business and the
street cars were more crowded. Just 80
when the houses. adjourned these signs
passed, and. as the. phrase ran, Wash
ineton was empty. -2-
This present adjournment, almost CO.
insidtne with the reopenins of the
q.
For two weeks past families have been
moving back from their summer out
ings. thousands returning to remain
during the coming ten or eleven months.
For every one OF the outgoing Congress
group there have been. twenty or more
Of these home -journeying Washing
tonians.
So the city scarcely shows a sign Of
the hegfra. save for the absence Of the
nass on the Capitol wings.
Human nature is nothing il not
inconsistent. An instance developed
the other day in section of wash
ington where the street car tracks
are more than usually out Of order.
A broken yoke has for some time
past caused a terrific bang whenever
car has moved over. the line at
that pointer rather four bangs for
each car. one for each wheel on that
side. Porch conversation had become
subject to Interruptions as the cars
passed. Nerves had been tangled and
frayed by the bombardment Com
plaint had been made to the proper
authorities" and the neighborhood
waited. The noise continued Patient
acceptance OF the banging succeeded.
The noise became part Of the atmo-
sphere.
One day. recently. a track gang
started to work to repair the broken
drills was brought into service to
break up the concrete. The man on
the porch, who had been Ioudest in
protests against the banging cars in
the beginning became highly in
ITS outrageous" he declared. that
the peoples peace and comfort are
not respected. Listen to that row
out there-enoush. to wake the dead.
I'll complain to the Commissioners
And he actually went out in the
street and asked the boss of the job
to desist because he could not stand
no heed. the machine-gun Ike kent SON on
sputtering. and the next day the care
had ceased to bang as they passed.
The man on the porch is a bit sheep
ish now when any one mentions
noise.
Little pitchers, our grandmothers
used to say, have big ears. Modern
parents are not as careful In their
speech as were. those of the day when
that truth was generally recognized.
A proud father had recent occasion
to appreciate his own failing in this
respect. His daughter, aged five.
dropped her fork at the breakfast
table. Annoyed by her OWE breach Of
conduct, she exclaimed:
,"Helrs bells. there goes my fork"
The family sat in petrifed astonish-
ment . Finally. father found his
voice. 49,
where did you get that express
sion?". he asked. chokingly-
'Why. I heard you say it yourself
the other day, when you burned your
finger. with match" the youngster
replied.
Censorship is now the rule in that
household.