Evening star., 1924-08-13
THIS AND THAT
BY c. L. TRACEwELL.

twon section devoted solely to busi-
ness, where the currents of eyerysda
city life contrast strangely with the
relics of home dragged forth on the
pavement to stand mute and inglori-
Gus in the public eye. ry.sss
Lucky the man, in his old age, who
sits in the privacy of his own homcs
Lucky the chair or sofa, when its legs III
get wobbly and it's stuffing packed
down, that still retains it's place oil
honor in a private house. IL
Here, in Old Furniture Row, thsl
passerby sees the fate Of old chairs,
old sofas. old sideboards, ancient
tables, antique whatnots, that hav4I
done their share of service. II
Now thy wait here to be rescued
from the ignominy of the market
place, like old horses that have seen
better days and kick withered legs
on the stones before they are led
away TO be hitched to equally decrept
wagons.
There is something pathetic about
the rows Of old furniture. One feels
st the same time, there is something
brave. too, as these old pieces wait
Tor one more chance to be of service.
Y
A much abused word, Service
Men no longer sell commodities. II
Is Service" The bird who hands
you a perfectly good bag of peanuts
foT perfectly adequate scent piece.
does not regard this transaction as
merely satisfactory exchange
No, he is serving" you. His motto
Is service" You are a tired and
hungry brother. and mere barter and
trade will not hit the spot at all. He
is engaged in Service"
Service" it has been ferreted outl
by the efficiency experts" pays
largely. and satisfies the soul at the
same time. Thus comes about the
most perfect demonstration in mod
ern life of killing two birds with
one stone"
Not that all this Service stuff-' is
pure bunk. Behind all of it is
large grain of truth. Service, not
self" if actually put into operation
when no one is there to make notes
on it, is a great and wonderful thing,
and is SO today equally as much as
it was when the man, who had no
place to lay his head, enunciated the
golden rule.
X 4
1t seems, however, that inanimate
things often exemplify true service
more than most human beings
Service is the sole cause of being
of a chair, for instance.
This old sofa, with its stuffing ooz-
ing out in Old Furniture Row, spells
Service" from end to end. Its bat
faded pattern, mean service to man
kind already rendered. A bit Of re-
newal, and it will be ready for more
service.
These old things speak service in
every line, yet there is no prating
about it. No chair rises on its hind
legs in Old Furniture Row to deliver
an address on Service to Humanity"
Like old mothers, these things
carry their messages in unwritten
words that are so universal the whole
world may read them without trying.
Who buys these things?
This is the question that strikes
the spectator, as he gazes at the
melancholy array of furniture stand
ing on the sidewalks.
Here is scratched ivory table.
Once it graced the two-room apart
ment Of some newly weds. Happy
was the little table, happy was the
bride, happy was the groom, The
former have moved into larger quar-
ters, with the passing of the years.
bur they will never be any happier,
even if they finally inhabit a palace.
AS for the little table here i'll
stands on the street, with none so
poor to do it the reverence of pur
chasing it. Some day, sooner ord
later, some roughneck will buy it, /
and take it home to be stained ma
Logany, when it will become a radio
table, and round out it's life as al
support for applied science.
dresser doing here? 1t seems out OF
place. It's sister may be found sew
eral blocks away, sitting snugly behind I
a glistening plate window.
Perhaps this was a tragedy OF a
home begun and suddenly ended.
This article was not to render the
service given by the little ivory
table. 1t stands without a scratch
CT mar. 1t ought to bring a goody
price.
Who buys?
No one, if the passing spectator
can judge. Yet some one must pur-
chase these chairs, these tables, these
pictures in the faded gilt frames
these lounges Cforerunners of the
davenport), these odds and ends OF
household goods.
Else they would not be displayed
here, grouped in front of the store,
with a lane for pedestrians, thenv
another rank OF them against the1
curb. They are here for sale andI
must be sold.
Perhaps there is a certain reluc-
tance about buying from the curb.
There are no swarms of customers.
This is not like the auction rooms,
where a customer may go and walk
among the pieces, much as in al
store.
Here the customer must proclaim
to the world that he is after some
thing cheap. This is the last resort.
II he cannot get what he wants herej
evidently he will have to go without
X r
Many a good piece, however, canl
be secured in Old Furniture Rowl
by the man or woman who really
knows what he is buying.
Those with a turn for the antiqreI
may pick up real bargains, especially
in old pieces that can be repainted.I
ThlS Ola cneSt OF drawers, Scrapeuj
and refinished, will attract the adj
miration of visitors later.
Curious old pictures, with now and
then a gem Of a print, are to be dis
covered. A man who looked for many
years for a certain print OF the famous
"Three Fates' found an excellent copy
here.
Twice a day these pieces of furni-
ture are moved. once out on the side
walk, once back into the shop, where
1t Is difficult to see where they will be
stuffed, the store already appearing
filled to overfowing.