Evening star., 1924-08-30
THIS AND THAT
BY C. K. TRACEWELL.

friends"
So Ovid OF old summed up. il not
the whole duty of man, at least much
that goes to make true happiness in
this world. The ages have not
changed the basic things.
Most men are rich, but do not real
ize 1t. While they sweat away ac-
cumulating a little pile Of dollars
to leave to somebody else, the rea
gold is lying at their feet
Even the most thoughtless de
gather much of this gold, rubbed Of
by mental osmosis in the mere act
OF living. 1t is sour individual who,
faced with the words of Ovid, will
not admit that he Is somewhat well
of.
In this sense all of US can be said to
be rich men, a pleasant thought in
the face Of giant corporations and the
seeming impossibility Of millions to
garner more than enough to live on
day by day.
May you live unepvfed."
II a fairy godmother were be-
sought to grant a child a wonderful
gift. one that would go far toward
making its progress in this life
smooth. she could be asked for no
greater gift than this.
Envy Is a sickly yellow monster,
sister Of jealousy in her green gown.
Jealsouly has done much harm in the
world, but for day by day trouble
making, envy easily outpoints her.
Envy Is the black feeling that
comes to one simply because he sees
somebody else doing something that
he has not done or cannot do, or pos
sessed of something he does not pos
sess or possibly never can possess.
Everywhere envy sticks up its ugly
face. 1t is rampant in the govern
ment departments. The man on the
Federal pay roll for $4,000 Is the tar
get Of those getting $4,000 per annum.
and the one drawing down 1000 iron
men a year is a mark for the $500
men and women.
The same thing holds true in other
walks Of life. School teachers read
that red-necked bricklayers were
getting SIS a day. Envy cropped up,
in this case perfectly justified.
The trouble with envy, however, Is
that 1t is an emotion which, however
justified. should not be harbored, for
its physical and mental effects are
anything but pleasing.
II one can wipe envy out Of his men
tai life, he has gone a tremendous way
along the bright road of happiness
If. as Ovid wishes. others do not envy
him, his cup Is indeed full
y X r +
And pass many pleasant years un-
known to fame"
Sitting in ones home, under the yel-
low lamp. listening to the aspiring
candidates for national political hon
ors make their addresses of accept.
ance, is as near to fame as the aver
age man ought to want to get
In the quiet of home the radio
brings the average man or woman
into intimate touch with great events,
yet allows them to remain unknown
to fame.
One gum-shoes into the midst of
the ether lanes with almighty forces,
yet never stirs from his fireside
Now 1t Is the fate of most of us
now living. as it was the lot OF most
Of those of past ages, and as it will
be the fate of men and women in
ages yet to come. to remain utterly
unknown to fame. Perhaps that is
the reason all those who get a chance
to step out" do so with gusto. Very
few, If any, have been known to turn
down a nomination for President or
*
There was no doubt in the minds of
millions of radio listeners recently
when Former Representative JEFF
ferris of Nebraska asked Gen. Dawes
IL he would accept the nomination of
the Republican national convention
for Vice President.
No listener turned to another, and.
with bated breath, inquired: Il
wonder If he VIII take it?" No fair
radiac gushed: "Oh. wouldn't it be
simply awful If Mr.. Dawes would
refuse to accept the nomination."
Mr.. Dawes did not refuse.
If there were any such unsophisti-
Gated persons in the United States,
the first sentence Of the musical gen.
eral dispelled their illusions.
Most of US, however, never get
such a chance. We are literally and
figuratively out of it." We may
cut quite swath in our little road,
but it is small road, after all,
leading from a small white house
in the suburbs to a large s-ay buifd-
ing called the Office.
There We PASS the time Of day
with several. and know a few inti-
mately. There are perhaps 20, or
maybe hundred, persons one will
nod to downtown. Even if one
drums up trade along this line by
telling all that he is a hale fellow
well met. in the end his list of ac-
quaintances will loom pitifully small
in comparison with the 100000 per-
sons in Washington.
When the other cities of this land
and Of the world. are drawn into the
picture, the breath Is taken away.
Unknown to fame most of US are
indeed, so let us be glad Of it-and
for 1t.
And also have congenial friends"
Whence comes the paradox, that
although a man knows few, he must
know some.
Congenial friends are a necessity
II a man is to be as happy as he
may. 1t is not enough to live un-
envied, as most of us do, and pass
many pleasant years unknown to
fame. as the great majority must
A few friends to while away the
hours with are necessary adjuncts
to a life lived in conformity with
the true wealth Of human experience.
They are not necessarily to be
found in clubs, although one may be
discovered there, hidden behind an
old magazine. That unpreposSess-
ing chap there playing solitaire by
himself-oh, let the Irish bull stand
may be the very man you have
been seeking.
Nine out of ten men at your place
of business may be good acquaint-
ances, yet fail to come up to the
mark of congenial friends, as you
have been given to see the light One
would not be as the editor of a new
magazine who blandly informs the
world in fair type that there are not
a dozen persons in the world he cares
they can go hang" If his readers
cared a whoop one way or the other
his magazine would go up in smoke.
The gist of it all is that the very
thing that most are forced into, by
necessity and the working out of life,
is the very thing that is eminently
worth while. l doubt that Gen.