Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-05-14
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Estey alley Is proud of it's position
in the community. Why should il
not be? Although not yet two years
old, 1t presents all the appearance OF
settlement made and completed a
decade ago. ......
1t has a name. for one thing. Newer
alleys Of the neighborhood are forced
to struggle along under the painful
designation of the alley behind our
description of 'the alley between So
and-So street and So.and.So street"
To have a name In this world lis a
great deal. Even an alley resents
being nameless. Give an alley even a
bad name. 1t will take on a certain
kind OF pride about 1t, knowing full
well. in it's evil heart, that 1t is better
to be known unfayorabIy than not
known at all
Ours is not that kind Of an alley. It's
name is melodious one. a name of
self-suff1cieDcy, a name OF pride, one
in which the very back yards seem to
rejoice when Spring puts on its en-
ssmble dress of green to visit US
again.
If there Is any season when Estey
alley is proud of itself. It Is in the
Springttme, the merry, merry Spring
time, when the little dogs do skip and
each other in the grass.
An, merry, happy Springtfme, when
the small and large dogs do bark and
fight, and the merry babies and older
children do gambol In the grass and
pummel each other over the heads!
Then the dog owners do run out {
every gate, and attempt to separate
the fighting hounds, while the mothers
pour down back steps to rescue little
.Inhnnu from ha 6oto Of I.S a.,
Smith boy who is distinctly no bet.
ter than he ought to be.
Spring in Estey alley is distinctly
better than Spring in less favored
places.
The term "Estey alley" of course,
means more than just the 26-foot alley
itself, running from east to west, with
a gentle slope toward the center, and
another to the 81, draining in won.
derful fashion.
The designati includes, naturally
enough, the tn oughfare, the back
yards, the houses themselves and the
householders and their families, In.
Guiding their, dogs, cats and other
creatures.
1t includes, by inference, the very
fronts OF the houses. AS has been
stated before In this column. the street
is impersonal. There are no divisions
between the lawns.
The street. being a public thorough.
fare, a-down which automobiles and
busses roll, does not belong to us.
Fstey alley does. D.
1t is our own private street, and
If outsiders traverse II to get to their
own less stately places, they do not
iinger, except to cast envious Chances
at our soaring hollyhocks, bushy
peonies. thriving sweet peas, green
grass, etc, etc.
Estey alley belongs to those who
live there. :.
Do we not wash our small cars
there every Sunday morning? Some
OF tho old school. perhaps would call
US a Goddess community. but they
would be in error there.
We believe in a gospel of civic
Righteousness whose cardinal prin.
ciple is that cleanliness IL indeed akin
to Godliness, as John Wesley said.
A second principle with Estey alley
dwelless is the decency of decent labor.
No one is ashamed to work In Estey
alley.
We have arrived at that zenith of
philosophical contemplation which
tells the wise that one never gets half
as much fun and profit out of any
endeavor as when he does II himself.
Tho servant problem Is no problem
Mt all In Estey alley