Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-20
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

I to another at another age. so that there
| is no precise point which may be spoken
! Of AS near as We may come, in figures,
| it is about 80 years old.
There is a SOLDERING influence in that
! age which every one has felt when he
| got there. When one was % and 20
years old he thought nothing of it.
He wondered why 50 many elderly per-
sons did not like to be reminded of
their birthdays.
What difference does it make?" he
! thought But that was when he was
! 90! The morning of his thirtieth birth
day somehow seemed sci apart.
! Why, he was getting old!
! And this, too. despite the preach
ments of the busy optimists, who by
mere words would hold back the over
Whelming flood Of tile years.
With years comes wisdom, however;
st least some approach to it, The dcroga-
tory infections sometimes included by
youth in the word domestic" give place
to the sensible definition as applied to
the animals:
Living by habit or special training
in association with man."
Mans greatest task, in the art Of iiv-
ing, is living in association with man.
He can get along with the trees. and
with the winds, and with the rivers, and
even with the beasts Of the field. but
not always can he get along with his
fellow men,
Nations with nations, races with
races, neighbors with neighborS-each
and every one often makes lanentable
failure of associations. Great wars
speak volumes of the inability Of man
to get along with man.
One may readily believe that certain
of the animals, such as dogs and cats,
and even cows, have learned the lesson
better than man himself.
Yet every residence neighborhood in
every city, small town and hamlet gives
hope to those who believe in human
nature.
1t is the domestic life, wherein man
lives amicably with man, by habit or
special training" which enables the
believer in the human species TO point
with pride.
The wild party" may end in fight,
and often does. but home life-and we
speak OF the right sort OF home life,
OF course--is its antithesis.
Love and affection are more to be
desired by the average human being at
maturity than pep"
Decent, sane conversation Is better,
TO those of normal rearing. than any
amount OF flip repartee based on in
civility and lack of respect for others.
The small things of life. which make
up the victorious progress of domes-
ITCHY. are known by their devotees
actually to be better and more worth
while than much Of that which passes
as "snappy" in the so-called bright
lexicon of youth.
The trouble with youths far-famed
lexicon is that it is too bright. 1t re-
serves no place for suffering and sor-
row; If all Is not gay and happy, it
tries to forget, and thus makes others
suffer.
Champions Of the domestic life, such
are the makers of American homes,
such are the great proportion of those
who read This and That.
1t Is at once our pride and distinc-
ton that we have appealed to such
people. We ask no better audience,
and want no other. Such people find
inspiration in the simple things Of
every day.
They find Loves Old Sweet Song"
sweeter melody than I'm Cr-a-azy
for You" They know that the word
domestic" comes from the Latin do
mus" house. and has come to mean
with English-speaking people-home,
the most beautiful word in any
language.