Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-14

We hope visitors to Washington this
Spring will take advantage Of the oppor-
tunity to sit awhile in some of the citys
smaller parks.
All Sightseers get chance to stretch
their legs in Rock Creek Park, the
grounds of the National Geological Park,
Potomac Park and at Arlington, but
many of them fail to take the time to
investigate the squares and circles which
dot the city with green.
In some respects these smaller parks
are the most interesting of all, at least
they seem so to native Washingtonians
who have grown up with them, and
know their intimate charm through long
contact.
While intimacy Is, indeed, the essence
Of the small park, much of its happy
spell can be gained in a brief sitting.
Perhaps both visitors and residents
are too rushed, that is why a session in
the park, just setting" is good for al
most any one.
Science has a fancy name for ten
sion of the muscular system, but
whether one knows the word or not he
often is in full possession of the fact.
Relaxation Is as necessary, in the av-
erage life, as tension. The spring that
is forever too tightly wound tends to
break at last.
Human mainsprings may be given q
little rest by Springtime loafing in one
or more of the beautiful little parks,
which rest the weary eyes and muscles,
the one with green and the other with
comfortable benches.
II X X X
Washington park benches are par
ticularly comfortable, at all seasons of
the year, and unusually clean. We often
have wondered at the latter, but no
doubt 1t Is because so many people sit
on them. And householders who have
tried to buy similarly easy benches In
the stores for their back yards know
that 1t is a difficult task to get as COM
Portable ones as those which Uncle Sam
provides for park use, whether at the
Zoo or in Lafayette Park, or Franklin
Park or elsewhere.
II loafe and invite my SOUL" wrote
Walt Whitman. "I lean and loafe at
my ease, observing q spear of Summer
grass" When Walt thought those
words, no doubt he was recalling some
delightful hours he spent in Washing
ton parks.
Every resident has the same oppor-
tunity today, only now there are more
small parks, and all Of them are In bet
ter condition than during the sixties.
AS the city has grown outward, moving
the forest primeval ever before it, the
trees and grass left behind have become
ever more dear.
Washingtons squares and circles have
become sanctuaries for pigeons, SOUR
relS and songbirdS, all of which de-
light IN the green trees and grass OF
Spring and Summer and the freedom
from molestation which they there
enjoy.
Visitors will discover that most of the
larger downtown parks are pigeon GEN.
tiers. Many persons seem to have a pc
culiar love for this form Of poultry.
Or is a pigeon poultry?
Well, anyway, pigeon Is large and
handsome bird, making a particular APP
peal to many. If you fancy pigeons, you
can find plenty of them willing to go
through their best antics for a meal of
peanuts, or breadcrumbs. or whatever
it is that this brand of fowl especially
fancies
We will confess that we never par
ticularly liked pigeons or to have flock
Of them fly down near us while sitting
in park, looking Indignantly at us be-
cause We furnished them no peanuts.
Once upon time We disbursed cake
of milk chocolate to a squirrel, thinking
he would consume the Wand upon the
spot-but no, he had so little sense that
he took each separate square over by a
tree and there buried 1t.
You are doing wrong" we advised
him. Your instinct is making a big
mistake. When you go to dig up those
bits of chocolate, you will discover that
they have melted aWay, But he would