Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-10
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

The biggest mouthful OF nothing In
the world is the standard remark.
Nov, II there is anything I can do
for you, don't hesitate to let me know"
No one knows how many times this
has been said In the history of the
world. No doubt the ancient Romans,
when they wanted to be particularly
nice to a neighbor, declared, Now II
you want to use my chariot, just let
me know"
But it is sure that his neighbor never
awaited himself of the offer, Since
those days men and women Of all ma
Of halfway offers, which really mean
nothing, and are so accepted.
The question is, then, why are they
made?
The overlap of politeness grated
upon human beings Is responsible for
sentence which has arrived at a
modern point of nothingness.
Perhaps it is better to say it than
not. One is at least going through the
motions of courtesy. The sneaking
part of it is that the one who makes
toned, and declare that he really did
mean 1t.
Words are full of similar abuses.
The history of nations is merely one
long battle over words. At various
times in the centuries single words
have doomed larger than men or ma
tions.
Trick combinations of syllables have
caused whole nations to 60 to war, and
have resulted both in reaching re-
forms as well as abuses.
Yet exactly the same principle is in
volved in the ordinary everyday polite
ness, Nov, if there is anything I can
do for you, let me know"
y 4 4
He who makes the offer knows full
well that there is scarcely chance that
the other will take him up on It, And
the one to whom 1t is made knows the
same. Hence the whole affair, both
offer and acceptance, is mockery, one
of these little comedies of manners In
which civilized mankind delights.
Perhaps each one who offers, and
each one who solemnly accepts, feels
that there may be a chance, after all,
that the one might be able to do soi11e-
thing for him, on the one hand; that
the other might be able and willing
to accept, on the other.
Yet the average human being is 10
constituted that nothing but dire ne
cessity will prevail upon him to 10
out of his way to solicit favor of
another, even though it has been Of
fered to him.
He feels, and rightly, that If the
other really means to do 1t he should
follow up his good intentions with &C.
tions, and not place upon him the
onerous burden of the demand. 1t
takes courage to ask another human
being for a favor, either for the use
of his automobile or of his base ball
pass.
Even when a favor or aid has been
offered by another, and that without
asking, it takes something resembling
courage to remind him of the fact.
One feels instinctively that the burden
of the remembrance Is upon him, be-
cause of his offer. In other words.
when he put himself In the role of
donor, 1t was his duty to go ahead and
make the gift come true.
Short of that, one may feel, he should
have refrained altogether from suk-
gestion. Having made no offer, he
would be under no obligation, but hav-
ing made one, it is up to him to make
1t become reality.
Thus once more one sees the peril of
the gift. To give often is to lose, in
more. senses than one. To give, even
the highest services, Is to risk los
ing the human touch, that intangible
sense which somehow binds the crea-
lures called men together.
He who would make gifts Of any Kind
must be a superior person, not intel