Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-02
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TR4CEW ELL.

| all abroad and going astray in their
search for the path of life, see the con-
test among them of intellect. the ri
valry of birth, the striving night and
| day with surprising effort to strug-
gle up to the summit of power and be
masters of the world.
80 miserable minds of men! o blind
| ed breasts! In what darkness of life
| and in how great dangers is passed
| this term of life whatever it's dura-
| ton! Do you not choose to see that
| Nature Graves for herself no more
than this, that pain hold aloof from
the body, and she in mind enjoy a
feeling of pleasure exempt from care
! and fear? Therefore we see that for
the body's nature few things are
needed at all, such and such only as
| take away pain.
NAY, though more gratefully at
times they can minister to us many
choice delights, Nature for her part
wants them not, when there are no
golden images of youths through the
house, holding in their right hands
flaming lamps for supply of light to
the nightly banquet. when the house
shines not with silver, nor glitters
with gold. nor do the panneled and
gilded roofs re-echo to the harp, what
time, though these things be wanting,
they spread themselves in groups on
tho soft grass beside q stream of
water, under the boughs of a high
tree, and at no great cost pleasantly
refresh their bodies, above all when
the weather smiles and the seasons
of the year besprinkle the green grass
with flowers"
Lest some hurried reader mistake
the passages above, let the ringmas-
ter of this Summer circus Of 1927
point out that the foregoing Is, as he
sees it, nothing but a plea for sim
plicity Of living, moderation in it's
best sense. Few things are needed
for the "body's nature" the less the
better. One does not need fine houses
or costly banquets, but will be far hap.
pier under the boughs Of tree, amid
the grass and flowers. Rightly inter
preted, this Is not "Epicureanism" at
all, as commonly defined today, but
is rather it's exact opposite. an al
most Christian aestheticism.
X X X
To continue: "Nor do hot fevers soon
err quit the body, if you toss about on
pictured tapestry and blushing purple.
than IL you must lie under poor
mans blanket.
Wherefore, since treasures avail
nothing in respect Of our body, nor
birth, nor the glory Of kingly power,
advancing further. you must hold
that they are Of no service to the
mind as well; unless, maybe, when
you see your legions swarm over the
ground Of the campus, waging the
mimicry Of war, strengthened flank
and rear by powerful reserves and
great force Of cavalry, and you mar
.,I.r to- nd mi
mated with one spirit, thereupon you
find that religious scruples, scared by
these things, fly panic-stricken from
the mind; and that then fears of death
leave the breast unembarrassed and
free from care, when you see your
fleet swarm forth and spread itself
far and wide.
"But if we see that these things are
food for laughter and mere mockeries,
and in good truth the fears of men and
logging cares dread not the clash of
arms and cruel weapons, If unabashed
they mix among kings and caesars
and stand not in awe of the glitter
from gold nor the brilliant sheen of
the purple robe, how can you doubt
that this is wholly the prerogative of
reason, when the whole of life withal
is a struggle in the dark?
For even as children are Hurried
and dread all things in the thick dark
ness. thus we in the daylight fear at
times things not whit more to be
dreaded than those which children
shudder at in the dark and fancy
sure to be.
This terror, therefore, and dark
ness Of mind must be dispelled not by
the rays of the sun and glittering
shafts Of day. but by the aspect and
law Of nature"