Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-23
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES +. TRAcBWELL.

IL we we're asked to select the most
! curious mental trait Of human beings,
/ Ii would be the following
That not one man in thousand
! can hear Of a difference without COM
menting on It,
In other words he sets himself up
as the model in all things, ana IN
wardly resents any variation from It,
Nothing is too large or too small for
him to express surprise about, Just 80
! long as 1t is unlike his own habit IN
/ the same matter.
| II ne arises in the morning, for IN
stance. at z am, then you dare not
get up ct O'Clock, without hearing
an expression OF his Judgment on the
fools who awake before they have TO.
On the other hand, If you happen
TO speak to the fellow who prefers TO
spring out Of bed at 5 am, and you
dare admit you seldom arise before
7.3O, be sure that you will receive o
neat lecture on laziness
y = =
This difference Of opinion Is gen
liine, Of course.
These ninety-nine out OF every hun
dred, these nine hundred and ninety
nine Of every thousand, are so wrapped
up in their own thoughts and their
own cOntempIations Of their own
deeds that they honestly are amazed
that any one could think otherwise or
act differently from themselves.
We do not have to be diplomats 70
carry on conversations" but most OF
us do it with ourselves. These un-
expressed talks occupy large place
in the daily life.
Several attempts have been made,
both In novels and III plays to put
this unspoken dialogue, which one
carries ON with ones self, into tangible
form.
Eugene o'Neill, in his Strange In
terlude" made his characters speak IN
"asides." These thoughts, in the play,
are spoken only to be heard by the
apprehension Of the audience, not by
the ears OF the characters themselves.
Christopher Morley, in his story
/ THUNDER on the Left made use OF q
somewhat similar device, but II did not
get over as well to the reader as did
the "asides" Of O'Neill's play. Per
haps It is significant that the play
wright in his latest--and some believe
his most effective work, Mourning
Becomes Electra" has abandoned the
aside, relying on straight stage bust
ness" and the personal comprehension
OF the audience, to do what many words
were required to achieve IN Strange
1DbeTluQet
Perhaps in no field Of thought do
human beings differ more than Ia
their habits Of going TO bed and get
ting up again.
The truth seems TO be that this mat
ter is largely one Of habit
Or, better, it may be said 20 be one
Of proportionate proportions.
Music Is nothing but proportions 50
long as notes are kept at the same In
tervals and the same values they may
be placed anywhere on the scale and
the performer and listener still have
the same melody.
This Is transposition.
Many students regard transpoSition
as & great mystery. but 1t is nothing
more than a matter OF proportionate
proportions. II is merely saying, In
other words, that music Is mathematics,
and that so long IS the units are the
same. no matter whether arranged with
one beginning or another, the melody
viii be the melody.
A capable musician can transpose any
tune from one key TO another so that
in the end he literally has played the
one melody all over the finger finger
board Of his instrument, if he Is 8
Wolinist, say.
LAfs In 3 melody played or a STAFF Of