Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-03
eA THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES z. TRACEWELL.

even Of the dullest minds escape. It
takes real character to avoid 1t.
Yet the truth Is that few ought TO
attempt 1t, since real cleverness Is rare
in the world. There are, of course,
many cheap limitations. Attempts to
be clever spoil more otherwise good
letters than anything else.
Clevernesss ss q separate quality, re-
quires a perfect technique, of a sort
which is Unborn, scarcely ever acquired.
Unless there Is some perfect bond Of
understanding between writer and
reader, q letter writer who INDUCES in
too much cleverness will run the large
risk of finding his words merely silly.
Another danger of the letter is that
Of sentimentality. This is the stumbling
block Of thousands of writer's of all
forms, not only of the letter, as such.
Often he who knows the danger Is I'M
able to avoid it. for two good reasons:
He finds his thoughts taking on senti-
mental tinge, despite himself, and he
cannot be sure that what is not senti-
mental may not strike another as
burdened with it.
The sense for the sentimental is>very
large in many persons. especially those
who are afraid of sentiment. Most
true sentiment and sentimentality. The
former Is good, the latter often bad.
Sentimentality usually comes into be-
ing because a tender heart and kind
mind attempt to force real sentiment
where the factors in the case do not
vet quite measure up to 1t.
Many persons who abhor the senti-
mental 20 too far in that direction.
They even mistake genuine sentiment
for the wrong kind. Thus the letter
writer who knows in advance the dan
n o.
vent another from branding a letter as
sentimental when it by no means de-
serves such a judgment.
"a X 80
Naturalness, Of cours{. must be the
keynote Of the good letter.. II one Is
by nature sentimental. his letters
should be sentimental. If he Cor she)
Is kittenish, in the ordinary meaning
of that word. perhaps it is best that
his letters reflect this quality.
Yet even the crudeSt person nndS
himself restraining his pen, when sit
ting down to write letter, so there
would seem to be no good reason why
every one, in letter writing, should not
attempt to live up to the best in him.
This will account, no doubt, Tor the
artificial strain which runs through the
various collections of the worlds best
letters. A reader can have no doubt,
as he reads, that the writer was on
dress parade when he wrote.
All writing, in sense, Is dress
parade, because there Is an audience,
and he would be a foolish general who
would refuse to avail himself Of the
snap Of white gloves, the swank of Sam
Browne belts. the appeal of polished
swords and glittering rife barrels.
Writing Is dress parade. Who
would willingly appear on parade with
wilted collar, rusty sword, stained
musket? A little thought to the pro-
prieties hurts no writing, although it
may put it in a position which permits
a dullard to call 1t dull.
Better dull, the honest letter writer
may well say, than fiippant, mean,
half witted in a laborious attempt to
be witty, httenish trying to impress
some one. A good letter is much like
any good writing, and must show some
of the qualities Of the gentleman and
the gentlewoman, even at the cost of
the disdain Of the Founders.