Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-02
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

city man, as he is coming to be known,
TO certain set lines.
The vast number of persons he meets
every day tends to prevent him from
recognizing few If any, of them If he
should run across theH1 again.
He is, In effect, livh lg in the midst
Of an aSsemblage. of st -angers, yet fell
low human beings, he might like to
know If the opportunity came.
But he has not been Introduced, and
this is the stumbling bio, *. So utilizing
protective device, he falls into the
characteristic attitude ,of pretending
that he is interested in no one.
His mouth becomes set, his feet
firmly planted, his hands immovable
He is sort of Indian, surely.
X X
But Just as our humorous Indians on
Pennsylvania avenue could smile when
they had something to tickle their fancy,
so these street car Indiana, these So
phisticated wooden faces, tn csc typical
city faces, often give themse Ives away.
Those rolling eyeballs give llim away.
He is not as stolid as he APPEARS to be,
nor as Indifferent as his attit ude sug.
gests. Let an exceptionally pc city girl
come down the aisle, he misses nothing,
being in full possession of his faculties
of appreciation, evidently.
See the old fellow with the hobby
gray topcoat and the light gray felt
hat. His face is pink as a baby's, pink
CHI lid is likely to be either white or
tan ned.
II lis gentleman for the world wo uld
not >say good morning to one as he
takes his seat 1t is against the be st
ethics of mass riding. This morning
ride is. indeed solemn affair. Evil
IDENTIFY II requires moderate amount
of real al ility to do so dangerous al
thing, if w may judge from the APP
pearance of = 7ur subject, he takes him
self so serious, y. He is shaved, bathed,
well dressed in the regulation felt hat
and sack suit OF the American business
mantle success full American business
man. If you please
II n y
In his heart he, ia els that there are
certain subtle distinctA 0ns between man
and man, despite luis h'll adherence to
the inherent principles Of the Declsra-
ton of Independe1 lce, especially IN
those portions which, bear upon the
theoretical equalress CT all men In the
sight of their Maker.
He is not willing THAT a stranger,
even when trimming with good will.
induced by pleasant weather and a, so 9Ssa
breakfast, should greet him WiSr the
quaIntance.
Perhaps it would be better if you,
stranger, did not greet him at ALL SO
saving yourself from a slight rebuff VI
manner and him from an unsettlemen t
of habit. How faithful a thing "a habit
is, it makes no difference whether a }
good one or how bad one!
Looking at this solemn, citified gen.
tleman, we can almost see him in war
nai0t and feathers F1nPFa SiOC his |
feet cat present incased in $18 shoes |
gravely smoking pipe Of peace with !
his equals. 1t takes greater stretch of |
imagination to picture him burning a |
victim at the stake, or scalping a fallen |
foe
But look again-yes as we live there
ar tell-tale signs around his mouth, |
and his eyes are set very close together, |
the lips are compressed to mean line |
see, he raises his tomahawk in air, !
gives forth a blood-curdling Shrek, |
Frances forth to glory-and all on a
May morning. In a Washington street !
car, in the year of our Lord 1880!