Evening star., 1932-06-20
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Those who contemplated the bloom
ing of the glorious Regal lilies in their
gardens recently yet may have Won
dered whether these fine flowers are
exactly worth the price which the late
DR.. Wilson was willing to have paid
for them.
In the expedition during which he
brought quantity of the bulbs from
the mountains of Korea, Chinese
Wilson, as he was known to his as
sociates, suffered a broken leg. which
with subsequent infection which set
in, threatened his life.
Is any flower worth so much?
Some may ask this with perfect sin
cerity, since the Regal, while mighty
fine thing, is scarcely any better than
q number of ether fine varieties of the
great lily family.
One will not decide in the negative
however If he recalls that enthusiasm
Is worth any price at all, even death.
One of the major troubles with the
world today, one may think, is that
great enthusiasms seemingly have gone
out of style
Is it possible to contemplate. for an
instant, the superb enthusiasm of the
Christian martyrs for Wnat they be-
lieved, their inflexibility in the face OF
awful pressure, and then to feel that
like state of mind exists In the world
today?
Enthusiasm is trait which modern
men and women display more readily
in regard to the smaller things and
affairs of life.
Such enthuSiasms are a step in the
right direction; that is what makes
them important.
In a society where even small crazes
could not be worked up the outlook
would be indeed hopeless.
* X x *
1t is necessary to look with more
than polite liberation, therefore, upon
the vast enthusiasm of young people
for certain actors and actresses, certain
writer's, certain well defined move
mcntS
Far more valuable than the work O,
the individual concerned is the under.
lying trait of enthusiasm which the ap.
plauders display
If and when these enthusiasms can bt
turned to the more mature affairs OF
life and especially in the direction OF
that social justice which has been the
undylng dream and inspiration of civil
lied man since the beginning, there i
no telling what might come OF them, al
least indirectly
In the meantime perhaps the best
average men and women can do is tC
make great deal Of such hobbies as
they may possess.
Hobbies, properly regarded, are main
springs of life.
One should never be ashamed Of de-
cent hobbies, no matter how trivial
they may seem to others
The point to remember is, no mat
ter what some one else may think, that
ones proper enthusLsams are very nee
essary and very dear.
Whether it be motor cars, or postage
stamps, or gardening, or aquaria eve
prefer aquariums. as better English). or
politics, or what not, our enthusiasm is
sacred, in a sense.
There was an item published the
other day about a gentleman in the
Midwest who collects books about golf
He has several hundred volumes and
aims at securing as many more.
We know local gentleman who COL
lected books on the ancient game OF
chess, only he never got his name in the
papers about it.
He has today one of the finest chess
Libraries in Washington, If not in the
world.
No, he is not particularly good
player; it takes more than books to
make an expert.
One OF the noble features Of any
whole hearted enthusiasm, even the en-
thusiasm of hobbies to ride is the
spirit Of learning which accompanies it.