Evening star., 1932-05-06
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

changes the point OF contact from the
mind to the body.
Whatever one may think OF the re-
spcctive merits of mind and body. OF
intelligence and matter, as some put H.
there can be little question that GER
tain "stand-offis.lness is helpful and
should never be violated when there Is
no necessity for violation.
In other words, since lack OF physlcal
acquaintanceship is one Of the better
points in the relationship OF writer ana
reader-any writer and any reaoer-ne
is a foolish reader, indeed, who deiio-
erately goes out of his way to meet a
writer
All he gains thereby, if gain 1t may
be called. is the opportunity of disliking
the fellow For what happens is that
the relationship, formerly based on IN
telligence solely, changes Immediately
to a mixed relationship, partly based
on physical matters. such as tone OF
voice personal appearance, even the
crease or lack of crease in trousers.
4 = #
Now what has a crease. or Its lack
in a pair Of trousers, got to DO with
whether some one has studied subject
end knows more about 1t than he can
put on paper?
1t has nothing to do with it. Of course
but unfortunately some people Will let
such things influence them, after they
have seen some one that they ought not
to have seen. but should have kept at
a good distance for their own peace
of mind.
we can recall hearing a lady tell
about going to lecture by a proml-
nent German author. German writers
do not give as MANY lectures in Amer
lea as English writer's. and this one
did not even know the language very
well.
Previously the lady had been one OF
the mans most fervent admirers. She
could scarcely wait from one book to
another. To hear her talk about him
a listener got the impression that he
was a combination of Goethe, Shake
speare and Ernest Hemingway, all
rolled into one.
We saw her several days after the
lecture. We'll, how did you like him?'
We asked.
HE was terrible" she said. with
that peculiar infection on the last
word which is a strictly modern ac-
complishment why, he couldn't even
speak English"
What did he say?"
II couldn't understand word Of it,
and nobody else could, either"
How did he impress you?"
Even worse" she replied, mourn
fully And we could see that another
idol had fallen.
Two other fine points in the rela-
tionship of writer and reader are,
first, the generous idea, on the part of
the latter. that the former actually
knows great deal, and, second, a sin
cere admiration for what he achieves.
This belief in the special knowledge
of the writer is more often correct than
not. 1t comes about, as We attempted
to show at the beginning of this article
in the case Of Mr.. Adams, because a
writer must leave out, in the interest of
good writing. many facts and fancies.
Sometimes he fnds it necessary. as
in the case of M Adams, to write
again on the same subject to tncorpo-
rate what he was forced to leave out
before.
He is specialist and necessarily
knows more on his speciality, or spe-
cialties. than the average person who
has not made his particular investi-
cations or spent the same amount of
time mulling over certain ideas
Admiration is given to writer's by
readers because the human mind, in
the abstract, is generous. 1t wants to
admire. to think highly Of. because such
an attitude is compliment both to
writer and reader.
How do you do it," question often
asked writer, is sincere tribute.
AS long as men write and men read it
will sound pleasant in the writing ear.