Evening star., 1931-12-01
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES Z. TRACEWELL.

Intensified Christmas shopping mere
" accents what we all know, that city
men and women get real kick" from
going in and out stores.
Shopping is one Of the remaining
adventures of civilization, in which
primitive instincts of trade and barter
are tempered by all the civilities OF
urban life.
One sets out, at lunch time. or in
the afternoon, to make a few pur-
chases. Ordinarily he does not stop
to realize the genuine pleasure which
he gets from the process.
It has been customary to poke fun
at the woman bargain hunter" as ii
there were some popularity about her
which set her apart.
The fact Is that all human beings
love to shop. The setting out in the
streets, the crowds. the beautifully
decorated windows, the bright lights
the temptations to mind and purse
the satisfaction of genuine wants, the
admiration of beautiful things.
These are a few of the reasons why
every one likes to go shopping, be it for
a book or a dining room suite, a pack
OF cigarettes or an automobile, a fish
bowl or radio.
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OI al
appeal to the right-thinking man or
woman, because their primary function
Is to satisfy humanity's wants.
How multitudinouS those wants are!
There are almost as many wants as
there are people. and astute humanity
eager to live, and to live happily, has
engaged itself, over the centuries, In
catering to these wants, each human
being attempting to supply something
which some one else will want.
Few human beings fortunately for
all human beings, possess the mind Of
the great Diogenes, who, when he
looked into the shops Of Athens, once
upon time, said to those standing
around, How many things there are
which I do not wantl"
Diogenes was philosopher, and few
OF US are that. II we were all phil
osopherS, in the ordinary sense In
which the word Is used, mankind and
its activities would almost come to a
standstill.
1t is precisely because we are not
philosophers, but human beings with
all the likes and dislikes of our kind,
with all our wants and desires, that
we have been able to build up busy,
hustling civilizations
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"A LAG VA 6SO0 OAAAh6S ID oullI SOllQly
on interest, and interest comes in many
ways in this life. One of these ways,
undoubtedly, Is that which Paul pointed
out to the men of Athens.
"Ye men of Athens" he said, "are
forever engaged In seeing or talking
about some new thing"
1t was very human of the men of
Athens at any rate. Any modern can
sympathize A real flip to the imagina-
ton is given by reading about a new
device. The sight of the gadget stirs
longings for ownership.
Shopping stirs appreciation, and there
is nothing more necessary to most OF
us than this quality of the mind and
heart. Creation Is reserved for but
few. The many, however, may ap-
preciate.
Next to being able to create a great
novel, the best thing is being able
to appreciate it at its true worth when
one reads it.
Give us great readers, too," chanted
Walt Whitman. Artists of all sorts
must have proper audiences, although
sometimes they mistakenly deprecate
them.
Appreciation is not easy, although
easier than creation. Many men and
women lack the ability to appreciate
certain classes of creations. One will
not know an architecturally correct
house from poorly designed one, and