Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-04

WlnQONSl
Man spends a great deal OF his time
looking through windows.
From infancy to old age, glass is often
between him and the great outdoors.
Those who are observant will notice
children peering over windoWsillS. Rid
ing around town, the obServant will see
fair heads just clearing the stills, and
will note blue or brown eyes gazing out
so intently.
years to their own childhoods when
they were tiny and had to stand on
/ very tiptoe In order to see out at all.
What do the little ones actually see
as they peer out at the passing world?
One searches in vain his own
memory.
It is reasonably sure, however that
children are interested in moving OBJ
jectS, into which classification fall hu-
man beings, the few horses that are
left. automobiles, buses, etc.
The children OF yeSteryear were per-
hapS better provided with gazing mate
rial for then the street piano man and
the organ grinder were very much III
evidence.
The latter, too. was accompanied by
his faithful monkey. which sometimes
WOulO Child 10 u SEtOllu-SAOlJ NAlANpH
where a small tow-head showed.
Occasionally there was bear led
around the streets by its trainer.
These were some OF the things seen
by the children of the old days as they
stood on tiptoe In front of the home
windows and looked out into the streets
OF Washington.
ha
streets remain. to be looked at through
windows for some eight months of the
year.
It Is only when one does the aston
iShingly natural feat called growing up
that he begins to look through windows
in earnest.
Then he begins to realize their i'm
portance in the scheme of life. He
thinks back over civilization and real
ICES that mans progress almost may be
marked by his windows.
In the earliest days, both of the civil
liza ton OF the race and the progress of
any country, the houses were neces-
Sarily crude affairs, often without any
windows at all.
Even the great castles Of the Middle
Ages had windows few and far between,
in literal as we'll as a figurative sense
Glazing was unknown, except with thin
skins.
The pioneer log cabins OF America
were almost without windows. window
glass had but recently come into use
and it is said that such windows as the
cabins possessed often were fitted with
oiled paper.
In communities where Indian forays
were a matter of almost daily occurrence
it can be realized that few persons
would put their trust in window glass.
%&%
Chased windows then, are a true
mark OF civilization, not only because
they bespeak love for beauty and some
understanding of hygiene. but also be-
cause they mark fair degree OF safety
from laWleSs forces.
There IS nothing more fragile than
glass in a sense. so that its large use
throughout civilization Is a standing
testimony both night and day to the
vast mass of good intentions and normal
deeds which guide the bulk Of the pop
ulation.
The tendency during the last quarter
Of century has been toward more and
more windows, SO that many homes may
be said to have their outer walls COM
posed almost entirely of windows.
This type Of construction is seen not
only in seaside and mountain resorts
but occurs in many city dwellings. The
same obseryant person who, riding along
in private or public vehicle, has the
time (and ability to see the heads Of
1 little children poked over the sils will
/ be interested also in these much-Win-
dowed dwellings.
Especially in the suburbs many homes
Of this character will be discovered
leading the observer to wonder about