Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-25
THIS. AND THAT
BY CHARLES &. TRAcEWELL.

! its nightly best TO make up for the
absence of the more natural water
| the rain itself.
The rain was to be commended for
| one thing-it came down more or less
straightly, so that householders might
| leave their windows, or at least part of
| them, open to catch such breezes as
accompanied it. This Is an important
matter to human beings. To be forced
| to shut all windows tight while outside
| the rain falls and brings its breeze Is
| to suffer what the mariner did who
spoke those immortal words, Water,
water everywhere, but not a drop to
drink"
The careful householder, too, might
take pride in the condition of his roof
and foundations again, as all within was
snug and dry. Memories of the big
rain of August, 1928, came to mind.
| All, that was rain! II only the pres
ent one could go on as long! Almost
three solid days of downpour, during
which hundreds of roofs throughout the
city developed leaks, during which water
even penetrated brick walls.
That was rain, indeed, and nothing
less would be best now; but the city
and countryside were destined to be
disappointed. About half an inch Of
rain fell--far, far better than nothing,
but still not enough to do crops much
| good.
Still, heggars cannot be choosers. as
the homely old aphorism had 1t. The
city gave thanks for what fell and held
up their plates, as Oliver Twist did of
| yore, with cries for more"
Many q back porch, made dirty by
the feet of icemen, got washed in the
twinkling Of an eye. We have often
| oh Nu,kzx hair Taaf
are so muddy. Some day the ice COM
panies, in the face OF electric competi-
ton, are going to take stock of their
assets, and when they do they are
going to give the electric boxes run
| for their money: for there is much to
be said for q 5O-pound cake of ice in
ones refrigerator, after all. We would
like to suggest clean and neat uniforms
for their employees, the cleaning of the
ice before delivery, the wiping OF feet
before trodding upon porcheS and the
| possibilities of using crushed ice, if
feasible. Ice in this form would en-
able small ice chambers to be filled to
every inch, especially those Of the out
side icer type, where a double set of
doors often forbids the placing in the
box OF as large a cake Of ice as the
| interior measurements call for.
The rain gave many dusty bench a
uOuSlnS, Cleaned MANY pTIFdLe Walk,
and washed clear the garage roofs, as
well as the roofs of houses everywhere.
People speak of the air being "fresher''
after a storm. While some of this is
due no doubt to the effect of the wash
| ing of the air, with subtle changes in
the air itself, part of the effect, we are
convinced, results from the veritable bath
given the streets, walks, houses, trees,
yards. Dust. always musty, is swept
away. The cleansing effect of rain in a
city is much more marked than in the
country, not only above the streets, but
! below them, owing to the vast sewerage
| system which underspreads them.
The long dry spell probably resulted
| in more thought being given to rain, its
effect and necessity, even in city. than
had been bestowed upon 1t by thousands
of persons for a long, long time. It
is to be hoped that, according to the
deyoutness with which it was prayed
! for, thanks were given for its falling
It would seem that man, although the
result of nature itself, nevertheless is
much in debt to Providence for the laws
which work With him in the main and
which help to maintain him in a fairly
comfortable state in this curious, in
/ teresting, beautiful and at times dread
| full universe in which he finds himself.