Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-06
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

| to be untrue. but each pretends that he
thinks it correct. in order TO carry
| favor, on the one hand, and run no risk
on the other OF such Shiny stun are
| many human baings, especially a1ter
! they get into middle age and begln 10
| lose the high ideals which they
| once had
Although perhaps no man is utterly
| free from this admixture OF evil, there
are thousands who sincerely attempt 10
run their lives on different basis.
These may be called the kindly people
one meets everywhere. Somehow the
| first force of their minds and hearts is
| given to doing good. Their approach
| to their fellow human beings is one of
| admiration. They try to see the good
| side, and either forget or honestly do
not see the bad one.
The other class of human beings con-
Stitute the essentially unkind group.
| Their first thought Is to hurt, either by
| word or deed. Perhaps this comes
about through an excess of the print
| tive principle of self-protection, or self
! preservation, which is held to be
| Natures first law. Even when they live
| in an urbaniZed civilization where life
| to some extent is made remarkably
! easy and safe for the great majority
| they feel in the very fibers of their in
telligent flesh that something is after
| them.
X X X x
These curious Studies-let us call
such people that-know no escape from
the cruel chains in which their nature
has bound them. Secretly their hand
is against every man. They are the
Gains of the modern world. A brand
is not on their forehead, but is psychic
| logical. being burned into their brains,
so that the ordinarily astute can see
it in what they say and do. And espe-
cially at what they laugh.
The kindly people are their especial
meat. Those of the tribe of Cain would
rather "pick" on kindly person than
eat, for such personally administered
| torture is their food and drink in this
world. If they can "catch" one of them
on some bit of foolishness and have
the laugh of the assembled company
turned on him, they feel immensely
pleased with themselves.
| Short of this, they are satisfied with
! indulging in the perpetual sneer. This
is carried so far that they cannot use
the ordinary Good morning" or Good
afternoon" of right-minded men and
women, but must substitute some wise
| crack" in It's stead, with the hope that
the kindly person will make an ass
the wisecracker's idea of such, of
course-out of himself.
| Inc SAD EdTU Oh IL Is tildJ Tie average
group is perfectly willing to tee-hee
and haw-haw over the shortcomings of
those who are taken in. Its members
are afraid of the tongue of the mean
man or woman. Its component parts
know that the best way to keep that
lash away is to join in with the pack
and run along yelping at the victim.
| \ 4 4 X
Let every such "slick customer" know,
| therefore, that he is as easy to read as
an open book. The comparison is
rather tough on the book.
The chances are decidedly that the
victim permits himself to be "taken in,'
through an excess of kindness on his
part He does not reserve this trait for
his cronies merely, but permits it to
play part in all his contacts with life.
He knows that the wisecrackers,
having nothing in common with him,
would not approach him unless it were
| to attempt to discomfort him.
When he sees them coming, smiling
pleasantly, he knows that they have
something up their sleeves. He recalls
| the ancient proverb, when the Greeks
come bearing gifts, beware!"