Evening star., 1925-02-02
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES T.. TR4CEWELL.

! Now that everybody from the Presi-
dent down has seen the eclipse of the
sun, might 1t not be a good idea to
turn our attention for time to few
eclipses nearer home?
Most of us do not have to look so
far as the sun; we can observe an
eclipse or two in ourselves almost
any time we choose to gaze intently
that way.
We looked through a smoked glass
at the great orb OF day. devoting a
few minutes to the observation of ce-
lestial phenomena, but commonly we
do not spend even that small time
giving ourselves the once-oveT.
If we do. the glass through which
we make our observations is so ter
ribly smoked up with self-conceit and
satisfaction that ordinarily we do not
see our subject at all. except perhaps
the gross outlines, the outer covering
the material clothes.
Yet there is scarcely a one of us
| who has not suffered several eclipses
In comparison with which the shadow
Ing of the sun pales into insignifi-
canoe. After all, what have we to
do with the sun, or the sun with us?
The sun has been there for millions
of years. and we have been here upon
our edTIn TOT JnOuSdnQS upon tnOu-
sands of years, and in all that time
we have never been able to swerVe
the sun one jot from it's course, nor
has the sun seemed desirous of chang
ing its ways because of us or for us
Our astronomers. working with
precise observations and higher
mathe hematics, have laid down certain
laws which they have derived from
their watchings and their fgurings
laws which govern the suns, the
planets and the stars
But with those laws we have nc
more to do than the ants that walk
under our feet. or the birds that fly
! nver our heads. Solar phenomena are
interesting, but for the average man
Or woman they are not so profitable as
the study of mankind. as exemplified
! in that ancient saying. Know thy
self
What have we allowed to be
eclipsed in ourselves?
This sort OF observation needs an
other sort of glass than that used
to look at the brilliant sun. 1t ne
cessitatates a crystal-clear medium
one free from possible flaws, for us
ually the observer will find enough
\
along.
Nor does this personal sun gaz-
ing need a magnifying glass. either
! That would be just as bad, in much
| the same way, showing up too viv-
| idly our lack. We could not stand
| the glare of the pitiless truth.
No, the observer of this eclipse al
home needs ony an average pair OF
| eys. fortified by an intellectual hon
! esty that is not afraid of the truth
Most of us are so busy telling other
folks their trousers are too big al
| the bottom that we do not observe
our own hang somewhat awry.
What are some of the qualities we
have allowed 10 be eclipSed in ourselves
Let US turn the light full upon tha,
poker-playing soul of ours and see what
has been eciipsed
The first thing we notice is that there
has been a shadowing of our power OF
appreciation. In the old DAYS, when we
were schoolboys together. We commonly
wondered and appreciated in the same
| breath.
1t was Gee" and What do you
know about thati' II was Gosh y" and
'Lookit, Lookit - There wasn't a thine
that happened within the ken of our
eager eyes that did not attract our no.
tice, and, equally, IL there was the
slightest thing of merit about it we ad-
mitted it
Even our mitigation of the deeds OF
our fellows was in essence appreciation
of the deepest water. since strenuous
depreciation meant, in the long. long
thoughts of youth, something tremen.
dousIy worth while to merit such great
objection
Today our power of appreciation
seems to have suffered an eclipse, if not
total. at least partial. We have at
tached ourselves to creeds, schools oi
thought, schools of medicine brands OF