Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-24

Seashore memories brought back by
O snowstorm.
Yes, there was something about the
gray day, with the descending white
flakes, the cool, fresh atmosphere,
which combined to call up Summertime
pictures.
Odors are notorious memory button
preSsers; the scent of vio1etS may bring
back d face long forgotten.
So wet air, of the precise degree OF
humidity, may press the button which
releases q whole sequence OF memory
pictures of the seashore.
These motion pictures are more
precious than any ever shown on
screens, because they are made UP half
of dreams and halt of reality.
Dreams are one thing, reality an
other; it Is only when the two combine
that mankind enjoys true felicity. A
q dream; reality, without some aspects
Of dream, is-only fact.
X 4 X 4
There was something pleasing about
looking out Of high Washington win
dow and seeing, not the red bricks OF
oflce buildings toward the Capitol, not
the great dome to the East, barely dis
cernible through the haze and flakes,
but q vision of a Maryland beach,
spread out as far as the eye could see,
backed by the spread OF tossing ocean
to the horizon.
No doubt, the dreamer thought, the
beach Is still there, perhaps expert
encing just such a day as this. If so,
the breakers scarce can be seen for the
snow, hurried along by stronger wind
than that which now whips around the
old towers of the Post Office Depart
ment Building and across the new sur
faces OF the Interior Revenue offices,
project.
It is not Of q wintry ocean, how
ever, OF which one dreams, but Of the
genuine Summer sea, flooded with SUM-
shine, fresh with the tang of salt air,
redolent Of strange fishes, white caps,
expanses Of wateFy prairies where miles
dwindle to feet, and up and down be-
come mere expressions.
On that sandy beach, with fiddler
crabs for companions, children played
all day long, without thought Of sun
TAM" which they nevertheless received
as the reward for their thoughtlessness.
The fresh wind, straight from the
ocean, cooled the infra-red rays from
the sun exactly as the stream of water
does In some varieties Of carbon arc
light.
Thus those children, although they
knew 1t not, received the precise ultra
violet rays, short, rapid, which built up
a healthy coat of tan, now so fashion,
able among womenkind, then frowned
upon by that sex.
X \ 4 \
The dread Of timid city folk, quar-
tered upon the beach for June, July
and August, was the late afternoon
thunderstorm, which arose suddenly
out of the horizon and descended with a
swoop to meet the salt bay to the rear.
The mystery of those beaches, scarce
Q quarter Of q mile wide, and perhaps
as many as 40 miles long, between the
wide sea on the one side and the mar
row bay on the otherl
How were they formed and why were
they not blown away? The latter was
the question uppermost In the minds of
timid city folk as the super-black thun-
der clouds rolled up, split by fearsome
forks Of lightning accompanied by peals
upon peals of thunder.
When the rain came It fell in a del
uge, with 3 sweeping wind which tore in
from the northeast A great bolt,
which made all shudder, Struck the
chimney OF small hotel next door.
There was crash, and bricks tumbled