Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-06-15
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.
Sometimes it seems As If the less q

Sometimes it seems as II the less 9
person knows about a thing the more
positive he becomes in talking about it
Hence one must always be suspicion.
Of the decisive speaker who makes largt
use of the tone of command" on un.
important matters.
Maybe he Is just trying to cover ur
lack Of real knowledge.
The art of blutfing may be used else
where than in poker game.
Many persons rely on 1t without
exactly understanding that they do.
II they were to be told that they were
bluffing, they would deny it Indignantly
but let us see.
Here Is fair lady who knows moth.
ing at all about architecture, and woult
be the first to admit it. If she was asked
point blank about the subject.
But show her a photograph Of INT
Colonial home, and begin to tell hei
something interesting about the house
instantly she pops up with the fol-
lowing:
"oh, what an usly-lookins house
It's too tall"
Now, as a matter Of simple fact, the
house is very good-looking, If one hap.
pens to know the slightest thing In the
world about the true Colonial and it:
notifications to fit city situations.
This is an old brick, made over under
the supervision Of one of the city's best
architects, a man who by no mean.
would have stirred finger on the
project unless he had been convinced
while, and that he could make 1t q
hatt a
Of his intelligence and somebody else's
money.
The result was all that he and his
client had hoped 1t would be, par
ticularly fine example OF old Colonial
architecture, as found in closely
crowded city
Yet the lady critics one plea was
that the house was too high" AS a
matter of fact. II the home had been
built i'll the center Of large field. OF
park, 1t conceivably might have been
open to some such criticism. Its posi-
ton in a crowded block. however. in
one of the older sections of the city
squarely removed it from being subject
at least fairly. to such remark.
It's apparent height was due, mostly
to the fact that 1t had been placed
sidewise on the lot, the entrance being
OIl OIlc WIdt tiiC puSoSlUy
Of course, was look at it from the side
subject to reproach. There was plenty
OF width there.
Yet the lady in question. without
once stopping to make a real inspec-
ton of the photograph. without know
ing thing in the world about the re-
lation OF houses to their sites, spoke
forth boldly and very positively on
the first theme that came into her
mind.
This. of course, Is a natural proceed
ing; alas, too natural! Due to its wide
spread dissemination many woes are
caused which otherwise would not add
their weight to the already heavy bur-
den which the mind Of mankind car
rieS.
Ordinarily these positive speakers dc
not hold their fire, or wait to see in
which direction the attack OF the enemy
for that. apparently, Is what they take
the remarks of others to be- will be
directed.
All they sense. apparently, is that
something will be expected of them
and this unknown demand is more
than they are willing to face In q
mild form their action is in response
TO the ancient precept. that the wicked
flee when no man pursueth, but the
righteous are bold as a lion"
1t is amazing the number OF appli-
cations this proyerb has, and none
more apt than in this matter OF at
tempting to attack subject inimicably
rather than run the chance of being
involved in a conversation in which one
may plainly expose themselves to the
charge of ignorance.
One does not even receive the bene-
fit OF honest criticism. for the person
making the charge-as in the case OF