Evening star., 1933-03-21
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES Z. TRACENELL.

leaves Of his multitudinous cattails
Surely he would know better than to
plant such . rampant thing In his small
pool again. These old leaves were use
less. but the root stocks In the soil
beneath the water no doubt were - hale
and vigorous as ever, waiting for the
first touch OF warm sun to simmer
them into wakefulness Perhaps q lit
tie As z degrees rise from the Winter
norm would do the trick. Templeton
Jones didn't know, and he didn't
Imagine that any one else did.
II the withered leaves were cut OF,
there would be just that much more
room for cattails. II they were not, the
new leaves would come crowding up
through them Just the same. 30 great
Is the power Of new life At this season.
The gardener imagined that the best
way would be to dig the roots out FROM
the bed Of soil and sand. Even then
he could not be sure that few pieces
would not be left, which, in time, would
replenish the pool with cattails.
Templeton Jones had done other
things besides garden recently. With
the remainder OF the United States, the
approximately l30,000,000 persons in
addition to himself, he had experienced
the relief, even II short. of having no
money during the bank holiday. Surely
there was something pleasing about It,
in q way, pefhaps that was one Of the
real reasons why the country took It 80
happily. 1t was pleasant, for time, TO
find ones self In the position Of Socrates
OF old, who felicitated himself upon all
the things he did not want. Jones and
the rest Of America had got long way
from that Socratic attitude. but 1t could
still be managed, when one had to.
One had been q philosopher, all this
time, and hadn't known 1t!
what cheered Jones the most, how
ever. was the wonderful news which was
brought to him as executive president
OF the Anti-Sneeze Society.
For years our hero, as most readers
here know, has been waging an almost
single-handed fight against the plain
evils of public sneezing.
Splitting had been dignided by car
cards adjuring it, but sneezing still
remained an insignificant practice, as
far as the official mind was concerned:
grouches, evidently, regarded 1t both
as bad manners and worse hygiene.
1t was an uphill fight, to get even q
few interested in the ambitious program
Of the society. which looked to nothing
more than the general recognition OF
the open sneeze as q social of1ense.
Converts were few and far between.
Those who did not seize upon the
propaganda Of the society for purposes
Of ridicule managed to ignore It, as
the work Of q set Of fussy persons In
tent on telling others how to act.
What Smother ones innocent
sneezes in handkerchiefs? The demand
was ridiculous on the face Of it. "A
good healthy Sneeze." as they insisted
sprinkle perfectly inonensive neigh
Dor with few million cold germs.
Victory had come At last, however.
Jones had been told the following
charming anecdote: A woman riding
home on the street car the other day
noticed young man enter by the back
platform. He sat down In the seat in
front Of her, and she thought no more
Of him until he started up with an
anguish0d look on his face.
Rapidly he retraced his steps In the
car, which by this time was under way.
He walked around the conductor, at his
post. and stuck his head out the back
window, which happened to be open.
Vigorously he sneezed into the street,
once. twice, thrice. Then, with . look
Of duty well done, he walked back
through the car and took his seat
Templeton Jones wishes to commend
him for his consideration Of others, and
at the next meeting Of the Anti-Sneeze
Society will propose him, though un-
known, for the society's annual medal.