Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-14
THIS AND THAT
by CHARLES r. TRACEWELL.

Ever since the world began, evidently.
the good, the sincere and the simple
have been subjected to attack by those
who delight in sneering at these quail
ties. Since these are improvements
over the Grass animal state it Is diff
cult to figure out just why they are
maligned.
Is it because mankind better appreci-
ates the animal virtues, or Is 1t jeal-
ously, or Is it because some hypocrites
have brought these fine qualities into
disrepute? Probably.a combination OF
these causes results in the attack.
Today the thing has got so bad that
often men skulk about being good. as
If the theory and practice of virtue were
things to be ashamed of.
X X
Those of the natural disposition Of
which our author speaks, however.
never sneak, because they simply do not
realize that they are any different from
any one else.
Imagine such person saying to him.
self or herself. why, see by this dis
cusslon that ] am Supplemented" Or
another, looking at himself in the
mirror and saying to his image, smile
answering to smile. so this Is what q
sincere man looks like. eh?"
Life isn't that way.
The very point is. as Maupassant
pointed out. that these good. people
almost invariably are ignorant of their
own perfection, and thus perhaps re-
main in extra danger Of not realizing
that others may put one over on them"
If they are not careful.
The simple in heart are not always
deceived, nor are the sincere invariably
mo- Ia nNff nf h. Il
mistreated. but these things have hap
pened enough in the history of the
world to Justify the story-teller's hard
statement.
AS long as there Is unworldliness
there Will be Worldliness to take adj
vantage Of it: as long as the simple
remain in their simplicity there will
be duplicity to take them in: as long
as utterly sincere persons insist on
being sincere there will be plenty Of
insincerity to make game of them.
1t is well, then. that those who have
even tinge of these good qualities
realize the extent of their opposites.
and the crude cheerineSS with which
they are welded, for by doing so they
will save themselves much misery.
Those who have no guile in their
own hearts make the best victims of
those who practice receptions. Those
who live narrowly. as it were. content
with their own lives and those of few
friends. find themselves in danger from
the sharp duplicity of scoundrels. It
is here that the daily newspapers, by
recOuntlng facts, render a real service
10 mankind.
Everywhere one sees the sincere per-
son made sport of by those who seem
10 feel. in some peculiar fashion. that
life IS thing Of jest. not to be taken
seriously. The man with the single
track mind" has so-called fun" poked
at him perpetually. If he will simply
realize that he will meet this. the real
i2aticn will help him to meet it. It is
tnpreparcdness, ignorance. which hurts
him most.
The crown Of the simple. the good
and the sincere Is the very thing that
Maupassant points out. that they arc
so pure-mnded that nothing can open
their eyes" So they go on in this
blind probity and loyalty and honor"
How pitilessly Maupassant told the
truth, Although probably he did not
personally put much stock in such per-
sons, he recognized their worth and
essential happiness.