Evening star., 1928-03-20
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

@with q great deal more from a friend
with great deal more money than
they. than they will from a friend whom
they regard as more of an equal.
Through centuries of struggle to
make both ends meet" thousands of
persons have come to possess, in addi-
ton to this general inferiority COM
plex, feeling of inferiority when 1t
comes to spending money.
Especially is this true In America,
where many men and women OF lowly
ancestry have managed to better their
conditions but have not been able to
get away from the mental viewpoints
which they received by constant asso-
citation with their parents.
Although they now may I've we'll able
to afford a luxury, too often they are
held back from purchasing :ome beau
tiful, although perhaps foolish, thing,
simply because they can see no utili-
tartan use for it.
Thus they deny themselves much of
the rare JOY which comes with the ac-
QUESTION of some article which would
feed their soul. or their heart, or their
mind. The sad part of it, in many
cases, is that these are people who
have a real longing for just such
things.
paintings. or for fine music or FOR rare
books, or for rare tobaccos, or for fine
soaps-it makes no difference what the
object may be, the longing is one and
the same.
There Is a very feminine expression
which exactly fits the case. Nice
things" constitute the cream on the top
Of the milk of everyday living.
Every person, whether man or wom-
an, has some real need for nice things
in the daily life. Nor need he or she
deny themselves II a little common
sense is used along with such pur-
chases.
1t is perhaps true that even the poor
est persons might we'll afford some
little luxuries If they once got the idea
into their heads that they might And
certainly those who are in what is
termed comfortable circumstance"
might loosen up far more than many
Of them do.
There Is scarcely a home where
visitor will not see some old piece of
furniture that should have gone to the
Junk heap a long time ago, but which
feel that as long as it is usable 1t should
be used. While there is acute logic in
their belief, from one standpoint it Is
no logic at all from the viewpoint which
we have tried to elucidate here.
Every persons taste is different from
mat OF every other, and he owes IL TO
himself taS much as she owes 1t TO
hersel) to make sensible purchases
now and then OF some article which
ones neighbor might regard as gross
foolishneSS, but which TO the purchaser
seems the quintessence of beauty, or
interest.
One can never satisfy ones friends.
anyway. even in the big purchases, 50
why bother about what they think as
to the trifies? Any one who has asked
the advice of his friends as to the pur-
chase OF q home, or an automobile
will recognize the futility OF such a
course.
BE sure you're right, then go
ahead. is as fine a motto in this mat
ter as in most others. If a fine etch-
ing in a window intrigues your fancy
so that you cannot forget it, by all
means buy 1t, even II you have to go
without dinner to do so.
Read Sir James Barrie's description
OF how he purchased the twin meer-
schaum pipes in MY Lady Nicotine
and be forever free from the spending
inferiority complex. The fault. dear
Brutus, is not in our stars but in our
selves, that We are underlingS."