Evening star., 1928-06-01
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES G. TRACEWE ELL.

at Fourteenth street and New York
avenue, or vicinity.
1t was the era Of "blouses" for small
boys--perhaps they wear them yet. A
blouse was what kid wore before ne
rose to the dignity OF shirt with a
tail to it. It was happily free from
complications. having rubber band at
the waist!ine. 1t had button at the
collar and one for each cuff.
One of the best points of the blouse.
from the viewpoint of the young wear
er himself was that 1t could and did
offer covering for the library book
when caught in the rain.
This might happen any day, owing
TO the long distances covered by the
youthful intellectuals. Liking books.
those boys took care OF them. To be
caught in a doWnpour was rather hard
on any volume. So into the blouse went
the book Of the moment.
Perhaps there is some white haired
woman on Sixteenth street who re-
members being the involuntary hostess
one stormy morning to two small boys,
whose blouses were stained crimson
from the covers OF books.
In such a rain as that, even a blouse
was helpless!
Two other intellectual sports Of those
boys were arguing and BOARD games
particularly chess and checkers.
No doubt boys still indulge In dis
putcs. but mostly In contentious man.
ner. over play. sharing, etc. The boys
we know best, having been one OF them
discussed weighty matters with INFINITE
manners.
Those discussions were In effect small
debates, with first one, now another
putting In his oar. There was plenty
OF rebuttal always followed by re-
stating of the question. or demand
for definitions. Nothing was left TO
chance by those small minds, wE'cn
faithfully and diligendy pursued IDEAS
for the sake o. the chase.
Here we may digress. Because those
bows chased ideas, they also learned 10
nlay with animals In the same way,
hence dogs, cats, rabbits, even pros.
were respected and taken care Of Ii a
boy had a rabbit hutch. he saw 10 u
that his pets had food and water at all
times.
Let no one get the idea that those
boys were paragons They did many
things they should not, OF course; ou.
the point is-and was-that they nae
3NOulT1nK nIIlUSs DCIupiEd Wy AAoA~ sAAs.'
a superficial attention to wheels, balls
and motion.
Their mental appetites had not been
satiated by such everyday wonders as
the movies, automobiling, radio broad
casting, so that they perforce had 10
look more within for things OF interest.
This led them to play at chess May
be small boys play chess today but, II
30. all We can say Ii that We have never
seen them do 1t. There was never
boy then who did not at least try the
game.
1t was and Ia game, OF course. to
stimulate the brain cells Of any one
man, woman or child. II there Is any
one thing that distinguished the boy OF
that era, II was this devotion to chess.
To be able to think three moves
ahead"-ti1at was the ambition Of many
small boy who might be seen out the
very next morning playing base ball for
all he was worth.
Checkers, as befitting, held less ex-
alted rank. Every boy thought that he
might, IL he stuck TO 1t long enough,
learn every possible move in checkers:
but he knew that lifetime devoted TO
chess would leave him no better player
at the end than when he started, II he
did not apply his old "think-tank" for
all 1t was worth.