Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-20
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES &. TRAcEWELL.

no one uncertain OF MS pOSltlOn. he
prefers himself to any one else In the
world, and makes no pretense other
wise.
The man who condescends to speak
pleasantly upon occasion, while taking
no particular pains to conceal the fact
that you rather bore him, varies all the
way from q hypocrite, who may or may
not be harmless. to the tnsunerable
snob nobody likes.
It must be admitted that it is not
always easy to tell Just which one Of
these persons the individual specimen
may be, or how blamable he may be
in INJECTING himself upon others.
Just as there are some teachers
pets" who play the game for what there
is in it for them, so there are some
men and women who are polite TO
others with a wary eye out for adj
vantage. and there are some who do 1t
out of kindness Of heart.
Here again 1t is difncult to choose.
Once seen through, the former proves
an interesting acquaintance, whom one
| may study at leisure with all the de-
| light Of the scientist peering through
| the tube of his microscope at q par
ticularly lively bug.
The man who tolerates another out
of kindness Of heart perhaps deserves
more praise, for he does what he does
at the promptings OF human decency,
| despite the fact that the other bores
him considerably. It Is case Of ennui
facing ennui-no doubt each deserves
some praise.
Two sure signs Of the person who
does not really like one but only makes
out that he does are
/. Too much effusion.
2. Too easily distracted.
He is forever clapping you on the
back, and asking, How are you?" as if
your state of health were q question
upon his mind at all hours Of the day
and night. To listen to him 60 on one
might suspect that he wished you might
die, in order to relieve him once and
| forever Of the pressing necessity which
compelled him to inquire about the
health of any one so persistently.
Real friendship does not 90 into such
ecstasies over nothing. 1t Is we'll
known that the more loving man and
wife prove in public, the surer they
are to fight like cats and dogs in pri-
vate. Wives who hold their husbands
hands at the theater and who insist on
calling them love" and "dearie" every
other sentence are putting 1t on
Those who love each other the most
hide 1t under loves mantle of reserve.
So 1t is with these fourfiushers who
cannot like another normally but must
overdo the thing by much clapping on
the back and loud and vehement in
quiries as to ones health.
| The surest sign, however, Is the sec
! ond. This Is the one sure test OF an
| insincere person, and, like all good
| tests. the one he least suspects.
| You can always tell him by the ease
with which he Is distracted from his
conversation with you. No matter how
animated he Is, or pretends TO be. the
moment any one else says anything.
| he will drop his sentence in the middle
to listen, or to chime In.
| What does 1t matter that he comes
back again, in a few moments, with
the loudest apologies? His actions gave
him away. He was forcing himself to
| listen to you. He was so bored that 1t
only required chance sentence to lure
him away. Well, let him 60. The joke
Of 1t is that he will not go; he will be
back again, going through the old
back-slapping stunt.