Evening star., 1933-01-02
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

1t is always well, in reading a new
book, to keep a weather eye open for
good bits outside the main drift Of the
argument or story
These asides are what help make good
writing. The more Of them, in any
given volume, one may think, the bet
ter the book it is likely to be-
Such a passage, in praise of the love
of animals, is to be found in Henri
Barbusse's estimate of Emile Zola, Just
published by Dutton.
M. Barbusse, it will be recalled. is
the author of Under Fire" the war
book which many readers thought su-
perior to "All Quiet on the Western
Front"
1t is not likely that his study of the
great French novelist will take the place
of our own Matthew Josephson's "Zola
and His Time" published several years
ago. To those who are familiar, how
ever, with that excellent biography, and
who, above all, are readers and ad-
mfrers of Zola's work. especially as
contained in 'L'Assommoir' and Ger
minal," this new estimate will make
distinct appeal
evaluates zola and his work in terms
OF social reform are one thing; many
delightful "asides" are decidedly other
things, one Of which is the passage re-
ferred to above
Barbusse declares that one Of the
finest sides of the nany-sided Zola was
the love of animals, especially dogs and
cats. OF his cats, Barbusse says: He
loved to surround himself with those
starry -whiskered characters"
Pointing olt the limit ti0,oc ~ e,,ct,
human admiration, M Barbusse says
that the love of beasts is an important
love, born of the respect and pity fol-
life; in other words, of profound sense
OF life" Respect for life, and pity, he
says are explicit sentiments, composed
above all of comprehension
linen comes the bit which eXcites oui
admiration, as 1t will, we believe, of al
those who realize the universal kinShir
of living things.
These poor simple transparent crea-
lures that move around us, Whose
| destiny is completely in our hands, give
US fragmentary, sketchy but stark
view OF the great essential profundity
Of hfe-the faculty Of suffering and
that of thinking.
This profound life is independent
OF the luxuries OF knowledge and in
the animal world has added to it, and
wherever it is found, it is venerable, al
all nature is.
There is in the animal all there is
in man, in a smaller, more humble
more pure, more innocent, more visible
guise. Among all our sentiments, there
is none more human than the love oi
beasts"
Friends Of animals everywhere salute
you, M. Barbusse, for those beautiful
those bravely spoken words.
There is a ring about them reminis-
cent of Maeterlinck at his best.
They depict the essential relationship
OF the creatures to us, their So-called
masters.
Mr.. Barbusse calls them beasts, with
admiration only intended. Too long
has the word had an unSavory connota
tlon among US
Great dogs with fine eyes, starry
Whtskered cats = these and MANY
another small animal will be the better
OH, in years to come, for the under
standing pen of all their friends.
The world, despite mans own show, :
civilization, is still filled with unthink-
ing cruelty on every hand, as well as
any amount of it intended.
There are two antidotes to it, or
rather, three. The one is a personal
growth nearer to the Christian ideals
The second is the pressure of a better
pubic opinion. The third is the friend