Evening star., 1931-12-29
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES Z. TRACEWELL.

really worthwhile thing or man
although spattered with mud. VIII
always be recognized aS such by the
discerning.
1t should be realized, in the inter
ests of simple fairness, that too often
one does not like thing because one
is not in possession of the mind or
heart which will enable him to like it..
Thus works of art, including books
and great music, more often than not
are the judges of those who fondly-
and foolishly-think thas they, mighty
souls, are sitting in judgment on them.
This gets us back to Sir Walter
Scott. Old-faShioned? Not bit of it!
Longfellow Poor stuff? Not some Oh
his best poems. Herman Melville. For
gotten writer? Not by a long shot!
The so-called "intelligents" of America
were the first to do him honor and
have made for his books, particularly
"Moby Dick" "Omoo" and "Typee,
new place in the reading world,
There Is no predicting what fashion
may do to a writer, long gone, his
works apparently forgotten. Stephen
Crane, an obscure young fellow, VINO
wrote novel about the Spanish Amer
lean War, is today regarded as one OF
the major prose writer's America has
produced.
Walt Whitman, who lost his position
in a Government department here be-
cause the head of the establishment
thought that Leaves Of Grass" was a
vulgar book, is today classed by most
European critics as one OF the half
dozen genuinely American authors this
land has produced.
The beginning Of a revival OF the
multitudinous novels of James Feni-
4, - he 5ipaoryaI CT thiz
time. Again one may ask, why not?
He wrote some great stories, although
it must be admitted that they are not
written as Ernest Hemingway would
write them.
The point of all this, we like to think,
is that many a household has these
authors and many others on its
shelves, and has managed to cling to
them as worthy representations of the
writing and reading arts, despite the
fact that the householder himself may
not have been a student, and never
have realized that books have their ups
and downs like elevators and sea waves,
have their days of popularity, their dull
periods and their return to widespread
interest again.
The months Of January and February,
with Christmas activities behind, Spring
grass sowing yet to come, offer the
home loving heart the maximum op-
portunity to enjoy the fine old books,
as we'll as the fine new ones. He will
find many people and organizations
anxious to help his taste" in regard to
the latter; but here, too, he must rest
upon the judgments of his own mind,
rather than upon the word of others,
no matter how largely praised that die
tum may be.
We are thinking, too, of one section
of the modern populaee, which some
how has got the idea into its collec-
tive head that there is something
namby- -pambyish about staying at
home. Will not other people think one
"old-fashioned" and lacking in that
elemental pep" seeming so important
nowadays?
Well, let them!
About 10 years from now there will
be a revival of Longfellow. When all
the poppy" people, who insist on rush.
ing from pillar to post, discover that
there is nothing to be found at the
pillar, and practically nothing at the
post, they will revolt against the sense
less noise and hurly-burly in which they
have lived.
Then they will go back to their
homes, and stay there, and read Long
fellow, who declared, Home loving
hearts are happiest." And they, too,
will find that January and February
are two Of the best months of the very
new year.