Evening star., 1925-02-13
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Careful Washingtonians wore rub
oers Tor considerably more than q
month, as snow succeeded snow and
slush gave way to more slush.
Ever since the first of the year
rubber overshoes have adorned manly
feet. There are many sections of the
National Capital where stretches of
unbuilt ground have made 1t neces.
sary TO wear rubbers just for those
spaces.
We are terribly tired of rubbers
and long to'be red-blooded he-men
OF the great outdoors, who scorn
coverings for shoes. who sneer pal
pably at the idea of catching cold
who rather enjoy wet feet.
But the thing is impossible! We
would stampede F street with our
lumberman's boots and bring down
upon US the wrath Of all the folks
at home when we came tracking in
the mud and slush on our 3-inch
soles.
No. when in Washington we must
90 as the Washtngtonians do. Where
fore. we wear rubbers What a saw
ing of expensive shoe leather they
account for, to give the devil his due,
Rubbers worn in time save many
trips to the shoe repair man, to say
nothing Of the wet feet they prevent,
thus staving off at least one of the
hVe or SIX colds of assorted sizes
which the average city person seems
to find necessary during year.
Maybe the rubbers are responsible
Tor the colds? Not on your life! City
snoes were never made for wading
through water. The idea of water
proofing them. of course has ap-
pealed to countless men, but IL YOU
ever have tried the experiment you
know that rubbers are the lesser evil.
As for me, I loathe the sight of
my rubbers, yet J put them on reIi-
giously every morning II Is a sort OF
rite. l have forgotten how it feels
to go without them. My shoes are a
DUH copr. all the shine having been
worn on them days ago
The outside of a horse may be good
for the inside OF a man. but the in
SIDE OF rubbers Is not good for the
outside Of shoes. No matter how
often you shine your brogans, il you
don rubbers every morning these
articles take the bloom off quicker
than the first frost destroys the roses.
Soon putting on rubbers becomes
q sort of instinct. You feel around
for them just before leaving for the
office. You would feel lost without
them.
Imagine man who has carelessly
gone out without his overshoes sud-
denly becoming aware. right in the
middle of the street, that he has for
gotten something The sense Of loss
sometimes plays tricks on one, of
course.
Sometimes. after you have been
~ a I'M
ing without them at first makes you
feel as IL you had forgotten some
thing. until you remember II was
those packages you had been carry
ing.
1t is an indisputable sense of loss,
however, which assails man who
has forgotten, in an unguarded mo-
ment. to put on his rubbers, after
having worn them for 81 days and
more.
Now, let me see," he muses. to him
self, stopping right in the middle of
the street, at imminent hazard to his
life.
People look at him suspiciousIy. If
you are in any doubt as to your kin
ship to animals. try a little expert
ment OF some sort on a busy street.
An animal. 1t will be remem be red, Is
all eyes and ears. The slightest un-
usual movement on your part at
tracts his attention.
So 1t Is with men-exactly. Walk
along Pennsylvania avenue, sud
denly do just one movement of a
dance step. watch the staid citizens
turn around and look at you, as If
then and there branding you as crazy
as June bug.
Now, let me see-what have
forgotten now?" asks the man who
has omitted the protective coverings