Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-17
THIS AND THAT
RY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

AS soon as this description of Jen'
kins appears in print, there will be a
rush to identify him. but we warn the
reader here and now that he cannot
do 1t.
jenkins Is type, not ii particular
individual. You know him, and 80 DO
we. Every one does Perhaps we
should say that we take particular
pains not to write about individuals.
There is no personality that ~ not
duplicated over and over again. There
are 10000 Pecksniffs In the world
Everybody knows a Sam Weller.
To place an accusing finger on a
type description. and say, very posi-
lively. This Is So-and-So," Is merely
to judge on circumstantial evidence.
And the whole world knows, or ought
to know by this time, that positively
no reliance whatever can be placed In
such evidence. The wise man would
not convict even a flea on circumstan'
tial evidence. The more convincing IL
seems, the less it Is To lie relied upon.
Solemn young men sometimes inrect
whole establishments. Business Is
real, business is earnest" seems to be
their paraphrase OF Longfellow's clas'
sic line.
The best business men, however
season their solemnity. with smiles, SO
that all is not sad that costs. Inc
joyous frame of mind may be as sue
ceSsfully carried into business as 1t has
been into religion.
A gladder business gospel might
profitably be brought to some places
where solemn young man has spread
the contagion of his looks and man
ner. To go into such places Is posi-
lively painful. so many do not go any
more than they have to. And Is that
business?
Solemnity Is a two-edged sword that
cuts both on the outward and back
ward swing. While right conduct OF
life calls for happiness, and at the
same time sensible froWning upon
levity, it does not. it would seem, de-
mand intensity such as reacts upon
the natural disposition of the person
involved and causes others to be I'M
easy.
COncOmita of this unnatural
solemnity are Indifference to others
lack of normal politeness in the
ordinary social relations of everyday
life and some disposition toward lack
of respect toward sacred things. 1t is
a curious fact that the extremes OF
any disposition seem to result in the
same way Of thinking. Just as places
where unnatural hilarity holds sway
almost invariably show a lack of rev
erence, 50 undue solemnity is sur
prisingly often coupled with the same
sort OF atheism.
Indifference toward others is very
likely to distinguish the very solemn
young man. The fun of life passes
him by. The sense of humor that calls
for forgiveness he knows nothing of
so he Is very likely not to forgive
When he wants something he can be
pleasant enough. but when strictly
himself he has little to do with one
Lack of normal politeness is another
strange trait of the solemn young
man. I'VE came near using another
word of three letters, but luckily our
typewriter did not slip) Only recent
~ one of these solemn young fellows
walked into an office of women and
failed to remove his hat until some
one asked if his head were cold.
Yet the world would be the poorer
for the loss of his type. Many strange
ly great characters have arisen from
his group, and for these the world
properly enough overlOoks the rank
and file, rightly believing that where
there is so much smoke there may be
some fire, after ALL