Evening star., 1927-10-04
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

show a similar credit to the ledger OF
the former, not because they are es-
sentially any different sort of per-
sons. but largely because circum-
stances force them to live nearer to
essential realities.
City life is, in fact, an attempted
escape from much of the hard reality
| of country living. with it's incessant
chores, its lack of modern facilities
for comfort in many cases and its
deep brooding monotony. Inventions
of various sorts have come to invade
these ancient drawbacks of the farm,
but so long as country boys come to
| the large cities tn droves every year
| the invasion cannot yet be said to be
entirely successful.
| II X X y
| A drawback in our city life Is that
| It tends to develop smugneSS of mind,
than which no mental state Is more
stultifying to the average human be-
| ing. Because one reads the American
| Mercury and Is familiar with the
tunes Of George Gershwin does not
necessarily mean that he Is progres.
sive being, although 1t may, of course.
There is in every large community
a certain number of persons who have
developed what might be called city
|
| deep distrust In human beings, a
| large suspicion Of their fellow men.
Country persons are reasonably free
from this annoying disease. In every
| 900 persons. say, in a city there are
| ESQ such sufferers, whereas in 1000
country people only SO will be dis
covered. The close crowding of the
cities has something to DO with it,
there being a quality in the human
spirit which cannot tolerate hugger-
mugger, but a larger reason is the
city atmosphere tending toward lack
OF friendliness. There Is. too. so much
| annual change ~ a city that neigh
bocs do not get to know each other
as co families that live in the same
places to- m2ny JearS, even many
generations.
Eco c"ru.ne coUc3 rcop!o wac
como 10 OF. hacA Goo. W, d tee PROD
L- on tho plane OF human beings
waece ore ..Acc TO be met. VITA 40
feeling OF distrust on either sioe.
The old man with the white beard
talks OF what he knows with no pre-.
tense to anything. He admires the
white rose in bloom, although in the
shade for the past month and half,
as the sun in its path across the
heavens deserted it until next year.
He asks IL 1t Is a tearose, and con-
tinues with "reminiscences of a small
bush Of his own which he was unable
to make grow more than a foot high.
| But last year ne picked all the buds
Off as they formed, SO that during
September 1t glorified itself with 20
full blown blossoms at one time.
This, we agree, with much enthusi.
asm, is quite. a feat for q bush no
higher thap a foot. And to this the
old man replies with other interest.
ing accounts of other of his plants.
All this time the natural transac-
tions of several quarts Of stringed
beans from his measure to our dish
has been in progress, with the result
ing and necessary exchange of several
coins of the realm.
| These contacts not only are pleas.
ing in themselves, but they help one
to keep firmly in mind the sanity of
country people and their everyday
wholeSomeness of character. Where.
fore when we read some one who is
prating about the glory of the "men
of the cities" We turn over the page.