Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-29
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

| "Dear Sir: Whether shall run the
risk OF being classed by you as nut,
crank, I shall have to take that
chance by seeking your friendly counsel
in regard to bunch which am unable
/ to eliminate from my system.
Every evening I look forward with
real enjoyment to reading the philoso-
ply in your articles, and while reading
them I have mentally pictured you as
friend who would guide one seeking
enlightenment.
so lay aside any suspicious which
you may have and accept me as the
pupil quizzing the teacher.
From a youngster, writing compost
| tions and letters, on up to manhood I
have been happiest when using the pen,
| trying to express myself in words-
drawing word pictures to give the other
| fellow the vision which was in my own
mind, whether a simple description, a
! sketch or a beautiful setting With the
colors of sunrise and sunset.
THE 'hankering' to write has re-
| manned with me in my working hours
| in the banking business, retail business,
outside selling and in clerking for the
Government. Perhaps IL was in the
blood, because my father a preacher,
expressed himself in word and print
very ably, and fortunate were those
AOlho WIZ LCCSANCu u lCIIcI LIOAA Ahy
mother. She was gifted in letter writ
ing.
I'm college was never more delighted
or more fascinated than when I was
writing, rewriting. boiling down or try
ing to dig out some little sketch. essay
or going on trips with my characters in
story. If my efforts were rewarded with
an appreciative grin or 80 understand
ing facial expression. I got a real kick
out of it. Even though afJcrward the
scent led to nowhere, liked the expert
fnent.
II like to wonder about humans. all
created things, each with his little
allotted scheme of life to work out.
Understand me, I have no illusions
as to the bed Of roses of writing. Like
everything else worth while, it requires
hard work, study and practice, observa-
ton, wide reading of books and man.
kind. coupled with God-given talent
to write. If the would~be writer lacks
this knack or ability of expression or
creativeness, he should just as well be
planting corn or doing that which he
was created for.
Fer every created thing there Is
special job. To find this Job and do it
we'll means success or failure. God help
those who just drift and never find the
allotted work! The round pegs in
square holes! Mr.. Clarence Buddington
Kelland said that he was a round peg
in square hole, failure at everything
until he wrote, and seemed then to
find himself. Heretofore my career has
been the round-peg, square-hole affair.
MY acquaintance are unanimous in
the opinion that ! shall be no different
to the end of my days. ] want to fool
them, spring the big surprise, snap out
Of this old easy rut, hit the reverse Of
the heretofore. This little whisper of
all these years has become roar, but
want to know my direction before I
start running. To get the right direc.
ton I have headed for you to give me
the right direction with your advice.
80, blowing away all the smoke and
relieving you of that why pick-on. me?
feeling, I ask you for man-to-man
opinion, some suggested test some line
of work which should show me whether
this lifelong urge or bunch is snare
and delusion, or whether it should be
given trial
Sincerely yours, E. L. G."
X
With the aid of the gentleman who
wrote the above interesting letter, we
happily were able to give him a few
suggestions which, we hope, put him
in the way of solving his problem.
It was only the other day that this