Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-22
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Nature, in dramatic mood, now CALI
attention to the trees which line the
| streets and dot the parks of the Ma
! tional Capial.
Perhaps no other city in the world i
| so built in a bower as Washington
We who live here are too likely to for
get this.
Almost it seems as If Nature is un-
willing that we should overlook the
pageant of the trees. and so sends
| Autumn to turn the leaves to splendid
colds, browns and reds.
The oaks and the naples and other
majestic varieties, to be seen in splendid
profusion everywhere, give the city an
entire new dress.
The discriminating need no Halloween
to call their attention to the glory OF
Fall, for every stray wind which whirls
around the corner bears on its in
visible bosom fluttering reminders.
'The trees were Gods first temples. u
So said the poet, in an elder day when
life in America had not become such a
thing Of hurry and scurry, such a hustle
OF traffic and going somewhere.
In those days, even the largest cities
were largely overgrown villages, bearing
in their precincts the everyday evidences
OF growth which become wiped out
only when a people become self-con-
SciouS.
The startling thing is to realize that
the mighty trees are almost the only
living things which tie us of today to
the peoples of those times.
There are here. as everywhere, scores
OF lordly monarchS of leaf and bough
which gave shade to men and women
of far past generations.
Though that time is long past, We
Of today, whatever our worth or fault,
may walk beneath those same trees, not
similar ones. but the same, and re-
ceive the like benefits.
X X n y
It is easy enough to become senti-
mental about trees. To many persons
they are more interesting than sky
scrapers. Something of their cathedral
like inspiration still fingers in them for
all such men and women, those who
pin their faith to things hoped for,
and try to Wrest from materials the
secret of life everlasting.
We have known men and women, re-
garding themselves as Grass material
lists. to display affection for trees, or to
regret that they had not earlier in their
lives given some time and thought to
the planting of them.
Recently in a Maryland suburb a man
was attempting to sell his home. He
1OuIlQ IIldC the SAFE was ndmDered by
the lack of trees on his estate, the result
being a baroness which made many
prospects reject bargain, although
most of them could not have put into
words what the trouble was.
The owner however. understood. eff
had planted but two trees five years
ago." he said. And he was right. Two
good trees, giving the house a proper
setting as 1t is called, would have made
all the difference in the world.
1t is a rather sad fact that tree
planting, which should be the first
thing to be done on a property without
them, often is the last task. Too often
it Is put off from year to year, until one
somehow forgets.
No doubt some of this love for trees
comes from the fact that so many
people were brought up in the small
towns of this country. These villages
were hewed out of virgin forests.
Streets are lined with noble forest speci-
mems.
Thus what is unique in many great
cities is commonplace in most of the
villages Of the United States. The in
habitantS took no special pride in re-
tanning trees, as developers" of new
urban communities do, because a tree
to them was a normal part of the land
scape.
When they thought of home they
thought Of trees.