Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-02

element is the wide use of the automo.
bile. Whole families are able to have
the beneficial results of travel at an out.
lay which Is so srlall that 1t is prac.
tically within the reach of every one
Within the last few years the radio has
come to afford entertainment and in.
struction to great body of our people
Through these instrumentalities the
vision has been extended to embrace
the wide circle of our rich scenery, ano
the hearing has been amplified so that
1t may listen to the eloquence and music
of many distant places. Through the
medium of the motion picture all that
is attractive and instructive in the ART
of acting and the. presentation OF
scenery is to be had at very moderate
cost. All of this has greatly enriched
| the life of those who were recently
looked upon as poor.
Dedicated as Sanctuary.
These grounds which we are dedicat-
Ing today are another extension of this
rapidly developing movement. 1t has
been designated as a sanctuary because
within it people may temporarily escape
from the pressure and affection of the
affairs of life and find that quiet and
repose which comes from closer com
munion with the beauties of nature. We
have not secured the benefits which
have enumerated without being obliged
to pay price. The multiplicity and the
swiftness of the events with which VIC
are surrounded exhaust our nervous
energy. The constant impact upon lis
of great throngs of people of itself pro-
duces deadening fatigue. We have e
special need for sanctuary like this to
l. nIN ,Ak~ f~y NfvHAA fv1y
the daily turmoil and have place to
rest and think under the quieting in
fuence of nature and of natures God.
1T is not only through action, but
through contemplation, that people come
to understand themselves. Man does
not live by bread alone. This thought is
expressed in the motto of the sanctuary
in the worlds of John Burroughs: ]
GENE here to find myself 1t is so easy
to get lost in the world We are 50
thickly crowded with the forest of events
that there is not only danger that we
cannot set the trees, but that we may
lose our sense of direction. Under the
influence of these beautiful surroundings
we can pause unhampered while we find
out where we are and whittier we are
going. Those who come here report the
feeling of peace which they have ex-
perienced. In the expression OF an
ancient writer it is place to which to
invite ones soul, where one may see In
the landscape and foliage not what
man has done. but what God has done.
THE main purpose of this sanctuary
and tower is to preach the gospel Of
beauty. Although they have been made
possible through the generosity of Mr..
Edward w. Box he does not wish them
Il i0l
monument. While it has been his pur-
pose to give some expression here to his
own love of the beautiful, in form, In
color and in sound, he has also sought
to preserve the quiet majesty of the
trees, increase the display of coloring in
the flowers, and combine stone and
marble in the graceful lines of the
tower, all in a setting surrounded by
green foliage and reflected in sparkling
waters over which the song of the night
ingale will mingle with the music of the
bells.
LAS the tourist and the traveller in
search of recreation and a change from
the more rigorous climate of the North
come to this wonderful State Of per-
petual Springtime and Summer. they
can pause and think how much our
country can profit by cultivating an
appreciation and understanding of the
beautiful in nature and in art as they
are here combined The material pros
perity of our Nation will be of little
avail unless it is translated into a
spiritual prosperity. We need a deeper
realization of the value and power of
beauty. While few have the means to
here strike the eye and the ear, 1t is
well to remember that beauty is not
dependent upon large areas or great
heights. Some of the most appealing
and fascinating homes in the world are
small They may represent but little
outlay and be the abode of people of
moderate means. but If there dwells a
fine character within 1t will shine forth
and give to all the surroundings touch
of peace and loneliness which the most
spacious palace cannot surpass.
Inspiration for Better.
wherever communities are formed
there is ample opportunity for this kind
of expression. Those who visit here
cannot escape taking away with them
an inspiration for better things. They
will be filled with noble discomfort
which cannot fail to react in some
degree against all forms Of physical
and spiritual uglineSs. They will go
forth as missionaries Of the beautiful
because of what they have seen and
heard. The streets of distant towns
will be cleaner. Lawns will be better
kept. A larger number of trees will
spread their verdant shade over high
ways and homes Public buildings will
take on more beautiful lines, making
life more graceful and more complete.
Certainly, we need to put more emphasis
on improvements of such a nature.
1.-THE influence of an example like
this is always contagious. The notice
able improvement of architecture in this
country had its inception in the exhibi-
ton of the fine buildings of the Worlds
Fair at Chicago. The five years fol-
lowing the fair at San Francisco
changed the whole face of the State of
California. This combination of in
fluences has resulted in the recent
enactments of Congress to span the
Potomac with a memorial bridge and
adorn the avenues of the Capital City
with stately public. buildings. Already
there is very healthy and beneficial
competition in this field among various
cities Of the United States. Civic CEN
tiers are being laid out with spacious
squares surrounded by public buildings
which will reflect the power and dignity
Of the beautiful In community life.
This sanctuary and tower are not
only endowed with beauty Of their
own, but they are representation of
the beneficent spirit of the giver. They
are another illustration that the men
of wealth of the United States are not
oent on the accumulation of money
merely for its own sake, or that they
may use it in selfish and ostentatious
display. A most cursory examination
of the facts would soon disclose that
our country leads the world in its
charities and endowments. It would
be difficult to recall any line of en-
deavor capable of ministering to human
welfare, not only in our own country
but in many places abroad, which is
not being helped by the generosity Of
our people of wealth. Not only that
but the charities of this Nation stand