Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-07

experiences he will put it into his book.
If the rain Is pouring down when he
Is happy, he diSregards the matter en-
tirely. It Is thus with new words which
we happen to see time after time. Per-
haps we had always seen them, without
recognition, but once we know them we
say they are used more often than
usual.
Rains and SHOWS play q large part in
the fairy tales of that sensitive writer,
Hans Christian Andersen. Who can
forget THE Snow Maiden?" In the
plays Of the great Shakespeare the nat
ural forces have their parts to play.
tably THE Tempest" and "A Midsum-
mer Nights Dream" come from Ma
ture.
The English people are noted for their
fondness for rain. Perhaps with them
1t is a case of making the best of It.
Certainly their authors, including Dick
ems and Wordsworth, thought nothing
at all of q 15-mile tramp on a wet day.
Walking through the rain Is given the
credit by some writer's for the perfect
compilations of typical English women.
Rain on the hair and In the face is
not so pleasant to one who is not used
to it, but those who like it say it adds
to the enjoyment of the walk. There
are some persons who naturally take
to outings on rainy days and find moth
ing more to their hearts desire than q
long walk through rain. Other per-
sons still, fond of rain in the abstract,
prefer to be on the inside looking out,
as the old song had it.
y X ~
The enjoyment Of rain may begin
hours beforehand, If one owns a barom-
eter and seeks its counsel with discre-
ton. This is necessary, for it will not
do to expect miracles of so simple an
instrument. A barometer does not
cause rain or snow or clear days, but
merely indicates that the state of the
atmosphere is 0uch that one of these is
likely. A falling barometer indicates
rain, but does not make rain. Only
God can do that.
1t is interesting to know of the like
lihood of rain in advance and to watch
for it, much IS a mariner might look
for land. The sunshine gradually loses
some Of its glitter its ultraviolet be-
comes dim as the result of haze which
settles down over the earth. The sun
still shines, however. Tomorrow-will
it Shine-or will the rain be coming
down?
Tomorrow comes and brings with It
no visible sunrise at all. Yes, it is going
to rain. Being straight American bour-
SOOAo, VIC 4CaCAA AOI OuE uI11pIClh anu
rubbers, in order not to become wet on
the way home. At first we turn from
our desk to look out at the state of the
weather, but gradually forget this inno-
cent pastime until later in the morn
Ing, looking out the window, we happen
to notice it is raining.
Goodl Trees and evergreens and
grass and all growing things, things
resting in the ground for the Winter,
will benefit by this precipitation, no
matter how slight. In dry times such
as these q little water is better than
none at all. And we are thinking, too,
Of this great city, spread out for blocks,
absolutely dependent upon rain and
snow for the maintenance Of the ac-
tivities Of life. We have little sympathy
with the person who eying the drizzle,
complains about 1t because 1t happens
to spoil an outing, as he says. He has
not learned to be one with Nature mem
tally, although physically he cannot re-
treat from the plain relationship. He
needs to consider rain as natural, with
aspects Of beauty as well as interest.
Then he will cease his complaining and
perhaps even learn how to look forward
to rain and snow and wind and sum
shine as parts Of the divine music of
this our Nature,