Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-14
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES 4. TR4CEUELL.

A bag of lunch, which promises such
great things in theory in practical
experience becomes hard thing to
dispose of.
1t might seem an easy matter tC
bring forth ones lunch and devour il
at ones desk but every one who has
ever tried it knows that there are GER
tain inhibitions attending the process
In the first place, one feels like a
fool dragging forth ham sandwich
and hard boiled egg. and a piece OF
cake, or that bane of all lunch boxes,
jelly roll
The nakedness Of a hard boiled egg
almost makes one blush for it. while the
Jelly roll is at once an affront to man
and nature.
Ones associates glare fixedly, unless
they too are in the lunch-bearing class.
Sometimes it seems as if the next
census ought to contain an added
classification, "Lunch-bearing males"
* 4 *
The emancipated employe buys his
own lunch.
1t may cost more, but everything else
being equal (Which. alas too often it
is mott he will get more, and above
all will have a bit Of conversation with
his meals.
Repartee is the true music with
meals.
Music that makes one jig feet and
hands, or tends to call up tender men,
cries. is not such music as we would
have while eating.
We can get along very we'll without
the foXtrot or waltz, but had rather
not eat than do it in solitary Splendor
Conversation Is the one great sauce
that makes even a ham sandwich taste
better
Even the poorest lunchroom is made
toleIable if one has pleasant. sensible,
and -- II possible witty companions.
Events in the news takes on new as
poets as seen from various viewpoints.
Ordinary topics. refined by contact of
mind on mind. become interesting.
Despite these benefits, the man who
eats downtown" has his troubles. The
greatest of these is the Discrimination OF
the average eating place to change the
menu often enough Every restaurant
and lunchroom has its standard list of
foodStufIS, which it never change, as
if on the theory that to do so might
brighten the diners away.
The very reverse is true. Twenty as
sorted dishes, although they comprise a
good variety in themselves, as Dill OF
fare are Singularly unchanging. It must
be remembered that each consumer 0p-
breaches the list as an individual, ard
that each individual may like no more
than four or five things offered him.
Thus for every man only four or i've
dishes are present. and instead of offer
ing him 20. as the management fondly
believes it is doing. III reality 1t is pre-
senting him with the same old thing
day after day. in a very limited variety,
after all
Men are censured for eating only
doughnuts and coffee, when they should
be ptied. as it shows the extreme limit
of desperation to which lunchoneer
may be driven in an average place.
He knows that the coffee is good. and
that the crullers are edible; that is why
he takes them; he is not sure about the
rest, or is only too sure
Where more men fall down than III
any other respect is in taking too short
a time in which to eat their lunch.
Here is where conversation plays an In
portant role. Since to talk and ca: a:
the same time is almost II not quite
impossible, one finds conversation nee
essarily implies slower eating, and a
longer time spent at table.