Evening star., 1933-01-31
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

With the best will in the world. 1t Is
impossible for one who has not had
his secret recollections touched In this
way to find anything interesting or
likeable about some other people. Every
one knows how 1t Is.
What one can do, however, in such
cases, In the interest Of the social
amenities, is to keep his dislike from
breaking out into provocative outward
action Of any sort.
It is q great world, gentlemen. and
none of us stays in it forever; it might
be q good thing to make the stay
Is pleasant as possible in every way
not just in q few ways, or as seems
good to us at the time. Perhaps our
seeing Is not long enough, nor covers
ground and time sufficient to justify
our easy pretentions.
The curious thing about this liking
and not liking business, apparent ev-
erywhere and at all times, is that peO-
pie come in time to justify it by rea-
sons. They find similar tastes, they
say, the same likes and dislikes. or DIS.
| cover certain traits which they do not
like and which, therefore. justify their
dislike of another.
| All these are later discoveries: the
real reason for liking or not liking lies
In the two persons themselves, and
usually q great deal more in one than
in the other
If one searches for fundamental dn-
ferences in human beings the first clas-
sification which occurs to one Is that
into kindly and unkindly persons 1t
will be found that one who properly
may be placed in the unkindly group
seldom II ever instinctively likes one
who rightly goes into the kindly clas-
sification.
There seems to be a differentiati ton
here which no amount OF education. or
! experience or travel, or Whatnot, ever
overcomes. Kindly persons instinctively
| like kindly persons, while the unkindly
secretly despise them. The reverse. Of
course, Is not true; persons by nature
kind preserve their kindness even with
other human beings! A feeling Of un-
easiness, perhaps, in the presence Of
the other type, but never carried to
overt speech or acts.
As to just what kindly person Is,
what makes him that way" there Is
another story. 1t Is impossible to pin
the thing down with definition. or
a mere label, or lump humanity Oh
into strict classes. Often the man who
seems to be mostly q villain will cut
loose with some kindly deed, in . way
which would upset all the classifica-
| tionS.
Kindness to animals Is but one side
Of q varied picture. Perhaps the essen
tial kindness is to be found in relation
to that most varied Of animals, man.
In him reposes the test Of creation, we
are told, and devoutly hope.
Here is q chance for every human
| being alive After all, the opportunity
we have to be decent to brutes, as such,
| Is not very large, but every one meets
/ scores Of human beings every day, and
scarcely an hour passes without the
opportunity given OF being good or bad
TO one of them
If the occasion demands harshness,
all very we'll and good. but when there
is no special reason for it. what Is the
use of calling 1t into action? Yet on
every side one sees the knit brow, the
lip Of scorn, the sneer. all the facial
evidences Of mans inhumanity to man.
/ 1t is here that one may be thankful
/ for those persons, no matter who they
are. who seem to find happiness and
pleasure in the sight Of one. Search
for reason. and f1nd 1t not, 1t makes
no difference; indeed. one had better
accept the tribute OF smile, Of glad
dened eyes, with a minimum Of search
ing, for some of the things Of life that
! come the easiest are the best