Evening star., 1925-05-20
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

+. H., with laudable desire for
self improvement. wants to know how
he can cure himself of the obnoxious
habit of falling to speak to friends
and acquaintances. He writes:
Your article in The Evening Star
of May appealed to me very much.
Especially this line, Give me the peo-
pie who speak to me all the time or
never My conception of the fellow
who is not consistent in speaking to
me is very much like yours. That is to
say. he makes me tired.
MY main reason for writing YOU is
to md out how one can tell If he is
the type of fellow we are discussing,
and, If so, / want to know the best
method of curing ones self of the
habit. l suppose that | have the right
idea when speak of 1t as habit.
Il would like very much for you to
answer this letter through The Star
as soon as it is convenient for you to
do so. | assure you that the answer
will be appreciated"
This is most unusual correspond
ent. His initials, by the way, stand
for the name of one of the most dis
tinguished persons in the history of
America. What makes him unusual.
however, is his self-confession of a
fault.
Tc" dit tIt HELL ana 1dE between,
who are willing to admit being in the
wrong. Adam started the fashion of
placing the blame somewhere else, and
1t has endured unto this day. If we
are unable to excuse ourselves any
other way, we blame inanimate ma
ture.
At the worst. We are usually able
To marshal reasons galore to show
why we could not help doing as we
did. 1t is poor deed, indeed, we
cannot find rich reasons to support.
The questions before us. for the
editication of r. H., and others, are
two In number, to wit:
!. How can one tell if he is the
type of fellow who does not consist
emily speak to others?
.. What is the best method of cur
ing ones self of the habit?
Ones conscience is the best answer
to the first question. There will be
many, of course, who cannot answer
II, because. forsooth, ii has never oc-
CURED to them, just as there are many
who commit terrible blunders at table
simply because they do not know any
better.
Just to digress here for moment.
there are many worse things in the
world than eating peas with "a knife
or grabbing ones fork in reverse.
holding it as if it were a pronged
dagger.
These are little tricks which come
about through ignorance. They may
hide the best heart in the world, just
as they probably do stand for the best
stomach. We refuse to shy from a
man because he Is not up" on the
niceties of our so-called modern civil
lization
What we are afraid of and shrink
from is the bad manners of the heart.
When the man who makes a noise
over his soup gets away from table,
we may find he loves his wife, adores
his children and is a staunch believer
in all the better things of life, which,
perhaps. he has had but little chance
to personally appreciate.
The man whose heart manners are
bad, however, is worse when he is
away from table than he is at it..
While daintily and most properly I'M
bibing his nourishment he at least
partakeS of the nature of the brutes.
and, TO that extent, shares some of the
virtues OF my friends, the animals.
Thrown on his own resources, how
ever, his hard heart displays itself
in resentment, malice, cruelty and a
score of vices much more to be de-
plored than improper table manners
Save us, o Lord, from the bad man
ners of the heart.
A mans conscience, then. will tell
him If he is the type of chap who is
likely to speak to a friend one day