Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-01-08


road. That wind was made in
the north and was one of the
best brands which Mr.. b. o., Reas turns
out for use in Labrador. Baffin land and
along the shores of Hudson bay. 1t
was that kind of wind which makes
a polar bear feel as though he had on
a low-neck chiffon waist. skirt a la
mode and sheer silk hose. 1t was
along the ancient Washington and
Baltimore turnpike that this wind
roared. A foot traveller on this road
on that day could have no reason to
complain that the ventilation was bad
and the air close and stuffy. Any
fresh-air f1end would have had all
that was coming to him.
The old pine trees waved their
branches and moaned and the tall
cedars swayed. The oaks creaked and
the dry grass and weeds bent low as
if TO duck their heads and dodge the
winds cold fury. 1t was one of those
days when Ramblers earn their mon
ey. You may not believe that they
earn it even on a day such as this. but
never mind. We will not stop to ar
que the point now. You are probably
reading this with your feet on a warm
radiator. That is, do not mean to
say that you. are reading this with
your feet, but that you are sitting in
a rocking chair. with your feet on the
radia tor, reading this.
NHTHERE the road passed between
bare fields the wind whistled and
sometimes it blew notes that
screeched. Where the road passed
through woods the sound of the wind
was deeper and its tones more varied.
The Rambler thought Of some lines by
his old friend Harry Longfellow Of
Portland and Cambridge and the rest Of
the world. Here they are:
But still the wild music is abroad,
Pale. desert woods: within your crowd:
And gathering winds. in hoarse accord,
Amid the vocal reeds pipe loud.
Chill airs and wintry winds; my ear
Has grown familiar with your song;
hear it in the opening year
listen, and il cheers me lon:
/ do not quote those lines of Long
fellow in order to show you that l
am more of a poet than he. My real
reason is to show you that l know
some of his lines and to induce you
to believe that i am so saturated with
poetry that the loud and freezing
wind called to my mind verse. II
&c n he I'M cd ha
great and lovable Longfellow. even
through some of his lofty and must
cal verse.
The general reason which Influences
man to quote s.. akesDeare and the
Bible. and to throw in a Latin phrase
or a French phrase, is not because
they materially aid his argument or
story. but because OF the effec; such
things have on the reader He Che
writer) may be an ignoramus. but let
him say: In the language of Cicero,
Il Pluribus Unum ct nux vomica,'"
and every man reader who does not
know the genitive case from the alba
tive or the present indicative mood
from the future perfect will nod his
hea dand say: This writer is learn
ed man. very learned man, indeed.
and his quotations. from, the classics
are quite apt-very apI indeed" Let
d write-' quote some poetry and say:
IN the language of that master of
verse. that child of the muses-ti.at
gifted son of Cailiope-Reginald Per
cival de Aubrey:
/ mash the daisies sweet
With my bUnioned feet,
Aud then they cry with pain,
Please do it not again.
Why. really, you know, if you quote
something like that. ali the lady read
ers VIII shed beautiful tear, breathe
a sigh. crumple the paper with ten
der pressure of the hand. and say:
Amt he perfectly grand writer"
Reader, there is lot of bunk in
this quotation business Just as
there is good deal of bunk in every
thing else. The honest and truly way
in which 1 came to quote the two
verses from Longfellow was this, or
thus: When 1 hit off that line,
Where the road passed through
woods the sound of the wind was
deeper and its tones more varied"
which is really a good line, l thought