Evening star., 1925-05-09
This AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Do you remember the birthday
party" of childhood?
Perhaps you yourself We're the vic
tim of such a party-if you were n
boy-or the shy violet-if you We're a
girl--or else a guest at such an affair.
In the memory of most elders at
least one such celebration stands out.
Such a memory was revived in me
recently when pretty Mary. years
'4ld birthday party" on our
block.
Zig directly across the street, 1
was an uninvited guest. / was there,
and yet | was not there at ALL Surely
you understand. | was the non-pres.
ent attendant, as it were.
All the children in the neighborhood
We're invited to Mary's party. 1t was
bright, clear Spring day, Just the
sort that ought to prevail upon such
day of days.
Grass was green for Mary's birthday
party. Blue SIX les held their clearest
blue, touched here and there with
white clouds that held pictures of
many things in their changing shapes
One has to be imaginative, of course
70 be able to see castles and cities in
the clouds. But then. one must he
more or less imaginative to see almost
'hNthlng either in clouds, human be-
ings, animals or good deeds.
GU nave to have some touch of that
magic quality, l may say. to he abIe
TO attend birthday party to which
you are not invited and to be there.
although no one else knows it.
Donning my magic cloak. winged
my way over to Mary'S home and was
among the very first guests to arrive
oft
brought gifts, of course. most of them
carefully wrapped in white paper.
Little Johnny, years old, carried
quite the largest parcel of all one
Which he had to bear stretched out on
both arms, as if it had been some
fragile thing, which it might have
been.
| was so busy bestowing my own
gift that | did not have time to look
at Johnny's. My present" was not
wrapped in paper, nor yet tied with
string. It was all had to bring. ana
was simply a wish
II was just a wish that little Mary
might always be as bright, as hanny
as good as she was on the ninth an
hlFerSary of her birth NV gift wa as
like Shakespeare's crown.
Ny ny crown is IN my heart. not on my head
nor 10 be seen; my crown Is called content
one by one the guests came to the
party. Betty, in bright yellow. and
Margaret, in brighter blue, tripped up
the steps exactly at the stated time
each carrying a gift.
Betty rang the bell
Miss Mary answered il. She wa
arrayed in greenish blue, which har.
moniZed and set off her dark hair and
eyes. What girl but looks beautiful
on her birthday?
Solemnly Mary greeted Betty and
Margaret, who, awed by the unusual
occasion. stared stiffly around them
as they entered the room. There was
hary s mother. smiling sweetly at
them.
Next came Bob and Bill.
Now Robert and William secretly
did not want to come 10 ANY old
party. They felt very much imposed
on. some way or other. to have to at
tend an old girls party" They, too.
arrived in fresh clothes, although not
SO gayly cOlored, and they, too, held
packages in their right hands.
Next came Helen and Alice, the
first in rose, the second in bright
green. All the colors Of the rainbow
We're there, finally.
x
SO the spectrum tripped, walked,
pranced, even ran up the steps of
Mary's house, each color bearing a
universally white paper-wrapped par
eel.