Evening star., 1925-10-03
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWEIL.

, found. too, is proved by the same fact,
for. behind the conditions thinking
men lament, lies-and this Is our
strength silent stream of good.
Still waters run deep" says the old
saying.
1t is true.
The men and women who appreciate te
and love the better things of life
the flowers of the mind" as Alice
Meynell so beautifully phrased it--are
not tha sort who take the mufiler off
life.
Rather. they put 1t on, preferring to
glide along peacefully rather than at
tempt to attract the vulgar attention.
1t is we'll to remember this. when
one becomes pessimistic, as we all
must. at times. Despite all the un-
| favorable conditions around us, the
seeming complete obsession of the peo.
pie In trif1es, there yet are 5000 who
have not bowed the knee to Baal"
l am sure that if II. l.. could look
with me into my letter file. he would
be encouraged, as l. am, at what he
would ind there: Scores of letters,
such as his own, most of them of
such purely personal nature that
can never print them. Each one, l
believe, Is the voice of many.
They show, beyond peradventure,
that the love of good books is alive
and thriving. that papers on poetry
stlll make wide appeal, that cats and
doSS are as much loved as ever that
we are all like our own human nature.
ana appreciate the little things Of life
Yet the general thesis of X. l.. re.
| mains unchanged just as il was in
Wordsworth day. Undoubtedly
there are too many persons who strut
through life, encouraged To think well
OF themselves by the reflected glory
of fine clothes.
One may go into many homes. and
ma books Conspicuous by their alb.
Sence,' in the we'll Worn phrase You
can meet men who earn their living
In the writing game" Yet who have
not a single book in their we'll fur.
nlshed homes, if such Il home can be
said TO be we'll furnished
You will be able TO discover. men
We think nothing at all of Spending
S1o on Il new pipe, who would think
it outrageous to purchase "a beautiful
volume upon pipes for the reasonable.
sum of 3, considering the limited ap-
| peal of such work.
J The investigator Will be able to find
. many men who are perfectly willing
, 10 spend $50 an evening on the the
ater and supper who will regard il
| as gross extravaganza TO buy Il s.
book.
Despite all that the little red
schoolhouse, our high schools.
private institutions. colleges and uni
versities have done to make good
/ writing the friend of all tas il al
ways has been of someb there is IA
vast contempt in some circles for
books and all things booky
Yet. behind all this runs that clear
stream OF literary appreciation. that
I love Of good books. that deep salts
faction and honest pride in owning
them, of which l have spoken. These
people believe in plain living and
| high thinking" as the poet put it:
they regard a good book as Il good
friend. and are not put out of coun-
tenanCe because one OF their aC-
quaintances spends all of his spare
time rolling around the landscape in
his car.
They know that it takes many sorts
to make a world. and that every man.
in his own way, seeks for happiness.
Fortunate, indeed, it seems to me, are
those who have not yet bowed the
knee to all our modern BaalS, but
who have kept firmly in their own
hearts-as many do. let US not for
get 1.-THE love Of good books. good
friends. good deeds.