Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-05

III old home town. It puts you in your
piace-the very place you occupied
before you went forth into the world
10 make good, bad Indifferent. The people
who knew you as a child see you in perspec-
tive: like racehorse, you are judged by past
performances.
It 10 true that some prodigal sons are met
at the depot by the mayor with brass band.
and others by the sheriff with steel bracelet.
But these are exceptional cases. Most OF us
ystslrn to the scene of cur early trials ana
triumphsy unostentatiously, evoking no more
than q murmur of comment and little extra
spitting from the loafers on the station plat
form.
We find everything smaller than we had
expected including ourselves. The city hail,
which used to bite huge piece out Of the sky
every time we looked at it., now ,nibbles mousily
at the distant horizon; the power house chimney
has shrllnk to lamppost proportions. All the
buildings seem to have been pressed down; even
the people have debated look
Mr. Smaltz the grocer, stin wears his neat
white apron, but its once smooth conVexlty Is
dattened and wrlnkled MIR. Trfplett. the Jew
eIer still sits in his window repairing watches,
but his bland moon face which used to remind
us of one of his own eight-day clocks, Is COM
pressed into an expression of toothless deter
mination. And it is hard to realize that this
bent and shriveled little man hobbling across
the street is our erstwhile hero. speed" Raj
ferty, who used to win all the foot races at the
fremen's tournaments.
The man who returns to his boyhood home
after long absence and finds himself utterly
forgotten is o tragic figure This seldom hap
pens, however, except In sentimental ballads.
He Is much more likely to find himself remem-
bered not wisely but too we'll The provincial
mind IL tenacious. It takes incidents. and BY o
slow process Of mental aSgiomeration transforms
them into events: the leaves Of the calendar are
$urned back, but never torn away.
WHEN Azr. Nevius brought his fiancee back 10
~ Parkersburg to meet his relatives, he had
assorted misgivines. Not that he was ashamed
% his sunts and his cousins, bat 1t had been ct
least 70 years since he had left Parkersburg and
he felt rs IL he were venturing into terra
1Hcognita.
But lGtss Buckley-or Barbara as he had only
EeOently dared to call her-was enthusiastic
hbout the expedition. Before their engagement
Ne had sketched In his background lightly. He
had told her Of his boyhood home the big white
house that his grandfather had built in COM
mAnding position at the end Of Main street.
the barnyard circuses that involved al the
children and most of the live stock in the
neaghborhood, the vacation escapades which he
shared with Snooty Wells and Bud Garvan
the ceaSeless warfare with the gang from the
other side of the tracks the halloween pranks
the picnics and bobsled rides
He spoke of these things casually, without
vs. u
the city, they were fantastic and thrilling And
when the engagement had been announced and
AUNT Ursula had invited them both to visit her
For week in the old home at Parkersburg Miss
Buckley was delighted
no you suppose they still have the pony that
you rode when you played wild west?'" she
inquired eagerly as the train drew into the sta
nieu. And those big white geese that you used
to iasso with the clothes Ine?"
az doubt it," Mr. Nevius replied cautiously.
They've sold on most of their live stock, un-
derstand. You see, it lsnt as much Of farm
ing community rs It was
well hope Bud Garvan - Etiu here. any
how" said Miss Buckley. You've told me 30
much about him that feel as If 0nght to
know him"
GOOD old Bud!" Mr. MENUS sighed. I'VE
mast be sure to look him up" He had often
regaled her with accounts Of Buds dAshing
recklessnesS, his wit, his charm. Bud Garyan
had been the terror of the town, the mssigator
Of all the alarums and excursions IN which Mfr.
MENUS had played . minor role. In the course
of his grammar school "reminiscences he quoted
Bat frequently. but not very successfully. at
wasn't so much what he said rs the way he said
It." Mr. MENUS would explain apoiogetically.
"He's q card, II there ever was one."
THEY did not meet the card until the second
u day Of their stay In Parkersburg. Aunt
Ursula enveloped them In her hospitality immedi-
ately. and they spent the FIRST day prowling
around the homestead an intensive sight
seeing expedition. MIR. Ncviais would point 70
a table and say. That's the old table was tell
ing you about darling" and Miss Buckley would
nod brightly and say oh. yes. dear. remem-
bert" They fonud q big trunk full Of photo
graphs In the attic. and before the afternoon
E,as over Miss Buckley able to distinguish
the Seattle cousins frcia the Boston cousins
without even opening her eyes. 49,,
q Next morning hey set out on q more extern
Sive .our of recognition Ito shake hands with