Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-21
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES Z. TRAcEwELL.


Let us hear the conclusion of the mat
ter, as Mr.. Adcock relates it:
But she disappointed him: he en-
deavored in vain to steel her against
| shrinking from pain and the fear OF
danger. When he dropped melting
sealing wax on her arms she did not
endure 1t heroically: nor when he fired
pistols at her petticoats which she be-
| lieved to be charged with balls could
she help starting aside or suppress her
screams She was not fond of science,
and was unable to keep a secret salts
factorily; so after a years trial Day
sent her away to boarding school, and
proceeded to pay his addresses to a
young lady living in the neighborhood,
who first put him on a period of pro-
baton. and then, after he had made
himself ridiculous in trying to dress and
behave as she wished, rejected him"
Which, no doubt, served him exactly
right.
"Whereupon his thought turned again
to Sabrina, who had a real affection for
him; but her failure to obey him In
certain small details of dress again dis
pleased him. and, finally deciding
against her, he In the long run mar
ried Miss Mines.
His one objection to this lady" Mr..
Adcock tells u.s. was that she pos
sessed q considerable fortune and
would therefore probably refuse to live
the simple life; but when he had cate
gorically put his requirements to her,
and she had consented to dispense with
all Injuries, to cut herself off from So
cial gaieties and reside in the country
with him, restricted in every way to the
bare necessities of existence, working
and spending for the behoof Of the poor
and needy, he ventured to make her
Mrs Day and never had occasion to
regret It, Sabrina eventually married
barrister, but refused to do so until
she had Days consent. Day died
of a fall from an unmanageable horse
which he insisted could be controlled
by kindness, his wife was inconSolable,
and died soon after him Of a broken
heart"
n x X y
Is not this a man worthy of being
better known to the living world OF
1880? Mr. Adcock's estimate OF Day
is interesting:
$50 he must have been a man worth
knowing, and, in spite of his peculiart-
ties and oppressive earnestness, more
likeable than most of us, when you
knew him. Anyhow. he thought for
himself, and had opinions OF his own,
and was not afraid to act upon them.
And such men are SO uncommonly
rare that I think the county council
should put a tablet on the face OF his
birthplace at once, for the encourage
ment of all men who are something
more than cheap copies Of their neigh
bors."
The drawing of Days birthplace at
SO Wellclose Square shows small
two-story house, with dormer attic
windows. The house seems to be no
more than 10 feet wide, and the post
age stamp front yard is surrounded
BY high iron fence. The door Is
wood. stirmounted by a semi-circular
fanlight. Those who build small row
houses In this country might well imi-
tate the Wellclose Square house, as 1t
possesses a dignity and solidity not
equaled here.
Thomas Day lived between the years
I748 and 1889. He wrote ANONYMOUSLY
In favor of the American Revolution
and against slavery, both of which
principles triumphed ultimately Surely
his life should be an encouragement TO
all men who are or who think they are
something more than cheap copies OF
their neigbbors" One has but to
think over the people he knows to real
lie how much of the time, effort and
money of the average man or woman
is given over 70 bHlS oeCepelFe eiluSaNuA,
and how few of us dare to be our
selves, or even to find out what our
selves really are.
The diverting peculiarities Of Thomas
Day should make us all more ready to
be open-minded, as we call 1t, the next
time we meet some man who shows an
Oppressive earnestness" about some
thing or other Let us never forget
that trivial disearnestness about Moth
ing much Is the earmark of mankind,
that both charity and common sense
and, above all, fair play, about which we
talk so much owadays-demand that
we smother the smile and try to under
stand