Evening star., 1932-11-14
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

the water and sends its icy fingers down
into the little depths of the artificial
fish ponds the inhabitants thereof
need to be fed no oftener than once q
week, or even not at all. There are
scores Of lily pools IN and around Wash
ington in which the fish take care of
themselves, as q matter of fact, the year
around, living on the plants and the
smaller and mostly invisible creatures,
such as daphnia and the like, and the
algae and other minute water plants.
X X
The changing beauties of the home
garden tempt the gardener into the
woods, for the countryside at this time
of the year is nothing more than one
large garden in very interesting stage
of its development.
This is the beginning OF the dormant
season, when living things exposed to
| the full force Of Natures rawneSS find II
expedient to calm down their activi-
ties and make themselves as insensitive
as possible.
1t is interesting to note here a some
what similar procedure on the part OF
many members Of the mighty tribe OF
man. While no human being becomes
dormant in Winter as the trees and
many animals may do, many mar
finds 1t necessary to put on, all year
round, hard shell of indifference to
the arrows of outrageous fortune.
This is sort of dormancy of the
spirit. forced upon many a sensitive per-
son simply by reason of that very sensi-
| tivity. The conclusion is reached, at
what age depending entirely upon the
man or woman involved, that one must
wear ones nerves, no more than ones
! heart, upon ones sleeve.
| Hence many of the most easily
! touched persons find it expedient to
house themselves around with a certain
reserve, in some cases certain austerity,
certain apparent indifference to life
in order that they may not at all times
bleed openly from the many hurts to
mind and heart.
They fool no one who understands.
x
Wandering through the nearby woods
at this time of year, and especially later,
one will find 1t helpful to have along
such book as "Trees in Winter" by
A. F. Blakeslee and C. D. Jarvis The
general appearance of the tree-without
leaves-is given, and helpful hints to
enable the wanderer to name 1t by such
signs as bark. twigs and so on.
The tendency of many sincere nature
lovers is to be interested in trees,
shrubs and flowers only when they are
, in full leaf, when, as matter of fact.
they are quite as interesting and almost
as beautiful at other stages Every one
may not agree as to the beauty Of a
tree denuded, but perhaps every OBJ
server has been struck, at some time or
other, by the twisted, gnarled branches
of some old tree, silhouetted against the
sky.
This is the beginning Of tree wisdom
These great plants, if one may call
them that, are not pathetic, properly
viewed, as they stand bare to the cold
blasts, but simply In their Winter state
Those who know the trees at this
time of the year will never miss them
correctly at other seasons, and there IS
a certain satisfaction in this. The
trees come home, no less than good
books, to the hearths and bosoms of
men: the very chair one sits in by the
fireside Is made of wood, and the fuel
burning so briskly there is from another
monarch.
There are a number Of interesting
field books to take along on an Au-
tumn ramble, but perhaps the best
book" of all is some one who knows
great deal more than you do about
the things to be found in the forests
Such a person will be able to intro
duce a liveliness and personal in
terest into the growing, living things
which are outside the province OF
books, as fine as they may be. There
is no substitute, among human beings
for humanity and the human touch
That is why it is always best to take
these rambles with congenial souls,
who happen to have the same likes and,
if possible, the same dislikes. Is there
not something satisfyingly human,
| after all, in talking the same Ian
guage?"