Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-17

Jane Austen Is q particularly profit-
able author for noderns to read, since
she shows better than almost any one
how interesting and alive ordinary
everyday living may be II rightly seen.
There can be little question that far
the slant on life which Is essential for
true happiness. They are obsessed
with an Idea, picked up somehow or
other, that only the vivid, the unusual
or the startling is interesting.
Interest Is the keynote Of life, and In
saying this one does not have to rele-
gate more important qualities in the
least The point Is that even morality
is helped If made interesting.
great promoter of life and happiness.
The most unhappy man is he who has
lost interest. Affections Of one sort and
another often are not so harassing ac
mind at war with itself.
Every one has seen some hopeless
cripple, as the phrase has 1t, who was
far from hopeless. His eyes were bright,
his mind active. He was not hopeless
because he was interested in life-not
the flamboyant life of So-called fam
ing youth, but the less exciting life of
everyday living.
To know vivid people Is not the only
happiness salvation.
To see unusual places is not essential
for contentment.
To participate In startling events is
not the only sort Of action.
Vivid people form perhaps 2 per cent
of the total acquaintance OF any one.
Just how much of what one sees may
be termed unusual depends too much
on other factors to be aScertained.
Startling events happen only now and
then.
The great bulk Of persons, places and
events must be termed commonplace
unless one Is able to view them all
with a never-failing interest built
surely on a comprehension OF the fasci-
nation of&ife-in Itself.
Many men and women are born with
this knowledge. They are interested in
everything, from the moon as baby
to birds and birds eggs when grown.
Although they may know nothing about
a subject. they want to know.
They inquire about everything and
find 1t ~expedient to talk with other
people about everything. They ask
questions with the best will in the
world, What If they do not understand
or remember one-half or one-fourth Of
what they hear?
Their unconscious object is not to
make walking encyclopedias of them
selves, but only to build up and keep
alive consuming interest. which is one
Of their precious possessions, although
they may not realize 1t themselves.
But suppose one Is not born with this
inteIest-and thousands are not-what
then? The first step Is to- convince
ones self that the everyday life is
worth looking into, worth becoming in
terested in. 1t may have little vivid
ness, yet still possess beauty all its
own. 1t may show few unusual places,
being mostly composed of well known
routes. buildings, scenes, but still be
able to convince. Life Of the every
day may be far from startling, yet not
therefore without its own kind Of in
Lerest.
One Of the best ways Of convincing
ones self Of these things, we suppose, is
to read the novels OF Jane Austen.
There he will find nothing that is not
in the life Of the average person, yet
nothing that is not Of great interest. II
interesting in book, why not in ones
own life?
We hope that no one will think We
are setting up a straw man merely for
the pleasure OF knocking him over with
many words. The condition Of non