Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-18
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

with something greater than the whirr
of household motors. The household
appliances have their place, but they
are not all. The great ocean calls with
thunderous voice; at Its shores children
play and on its waves great vessels still
roll with the poetry Of real motion,
White birds fly to meet whittier clouds,
while In the distance the blue skies
seem to come down to the level Of the
waters.
We are interested In this Our inter-
est in IL may mean bread and butter
and 1t may not. but II makes no differ
ence. we are interested just the same.
The interests Of which we speak are not
made by us. but come to us on wings,
If not exactly wings Of song, then on the
keen. beautiful pinions of the very life
itself which the Creator, put into exist
enCe. We have an interest that takes
In growing things of forest and garden.
We have an interest that gladly greets
and cherishes the beautiful view caught
from a building lot. while the salesman
attempts to browbeat us into buying the
land at twice what we believe 1t worth.
We do not buy his lot, but we take
away with us memories, treasures Of in
terest of that rolling hill In the dis
tance. 1t is there that we would buy,
chase. 1t will be from one who does not
talk so much nor so loud.
The very city streets. with their paral-
lei curbs and walks, their trees vainly
struggling to live without water or food.
their hurrying pedestrians and Scurry-
ing motor cars carrying nonchalant
motorists, appeal with varied notes OF
E..@ lie Snf o
ing machine in the crowd. but 1t makes
no difference There is not flying ma
chine either, but we are all just as well
off. Life Is more than bread, sewing
machines or flying machines, more than
lust vacuum cleaners, electric washers
or sets of children's books. II others
earn their bread by virtue OF these, let
them talk in season, and not perpetu-
ally ding dong them into our ears at all
hours. They may be their only inter-
est, but they comprise only bit OF ours.
We sew not neither 90 we fly, yet
manage to appreciate sewing and flying
Tor all that they are worth, although
we could not sew hem or make
landing. Maybe we miss something,
we cannot help that; at least, We do not
bore our friends In season and out OF
season with our own speciality. This
WOTL0 Is SO Lull vi u stuttUEh VI ltAh1o
as the poet said, that we should be
somewhat ashamed OF onrself II we
forced others to listen to us talk shop
whether they wanted to or not.
When one comes to the inner things
of mind and heart, vast depths of in
terest shine forth like pools OF clear
water on a bright day. when the re-
Elections of leaves and human beings
are mirrored forth to perfection. Con-
ceive a foolish fish, swimming about
therein that should insist on sticking
his head above the water. and saying,
LOOK at me-" A few minutes later he
would pop up again, and say, Look at
me-" Later he would come up again
with his old song. Look at me-" At
last we would be hidden by an inner
voice and urge to reply. Well. now that
We have looked at you. what of it?'
No. poor fish, there is too much In the
pool to look perpetually at YOU. You
are but a part of the wondrous whole.
Around you. beneath you, above you,
are other objects of interest, some more.
some less. but each equally thing In
Itself and of itself. with points OF con-
tact with all inquiring minds So in
this greater pool Of life called the uni
verse there are many interests called up
by books, sights, sounds, science, work.
ing with the human heart and mind,
impinging upon the soul of man. He
who can find but one point Of interest
and that often little thing. belongs
to those of whom Jesus spoke when he
said that they have ears but they hear
not, and eyes but they see not.