Evening star., 1928-04-13
N2ens
syAts. y
Rain. rain, 60 away:
Come again some other day"


This old song, examined In the COM
mon sense Of the garden, rings out as
true nonsense rhyme, fit only for
children and unreasoning adults.
Interest in flowers makes one welcome
the steady downpours Of Spring. Con-
Germ for vegetables causes the bridge
party to play second fiddle.
The claim of all growing things in
gardens and along streets Is paramount
at this season of the year. not only with
those who value these things as hobbies
but also with every one who has sense
Of civic fitness.
It would seem that not every one
believes in civic virtue to the extent of
wishing for good lawns, fine trees,
healthy shrubs, beautiful flowers. Nor
does every city dweller seem to grasp
the fact that these elements Of the city
beautiful are no less important than
great buildings, wide streets. formal
parks or public utilities.
These growing things. however. from
grass plants to Towering dogwoods.
from green lawns to stately rows of
trees, are the veritable living frame of
such beauty as city has in itself, of
itself and from itself
The part the individual citizen plays
In creating and maintaining this frame,
this natural adornment, is unique.
Without the interest of every person,
those who do believe in such things
fight losing fight, because thoughtless
hands and ruthless feet can undo
quicker than Nature can build up.
He who loves garden can never
view rain any more with dismay. His
concern, instead of that the rain may
cease is now that it may not last all
day.
Keenly he recalls the time when he
regarded rain only as q nuisance, sent
by an unkind and perplexing fate TO
vex him, to thwart some pleasure plan
OF the day or break up something or
other that mankind had planned.
Burns queer iuxtaposition of mice
and men, whose plans often 60 awry,
struck him then as being particularly
applicable to sudden rains. Whatever
the April rains might do to busy mice,
1t certainly did play havoc with the
playtime of busy boys or their nonethe-
less busy elders.
There are 'grown-ups," OF course, who
play all day long-and almost all night.
too--aS much as their children. Your
average small boy has many moments
OF great seriousness when he is as
likely as not TO graVeiy consider mat
ters of state, the elections or the queer
actions of radio energy as manifest In
Summer static.
Boys of a slightly less age may play
fire engine" with all the gravity in the
world. A group of these busy young
sters are not playing half so easily or
openly as gathering Of their mothers
at the afternoon bridge party.
"
He who has reverence for the beauty
Of growing things Of garden, street or
parkway welcomes the rain. because his
imagination pictures all the good things
that 1t Is doing as it sluices along gut
terS or plunges down head first into
grass plots. roSebeds and borders.
Even more beautiful than the stately
Washington Monument is the rapidly
greening privet hedge; lovelier on the
face of Washington than the Capitol
is the mantle OF grass growing every
where: more delightful to the eye and
heart than the Library of Congress is
the glorious spectacle OF the cherry
trees In full bloom
Each and every plant at this time of