Evening star., 1933-06-20
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES +. TRACWELL.

mitted them to linger as long as they
would have done If dry weather had
prevailed steadily during their time.
These casualties. along with the bull
nosing' of certain blooms on bush
roses, were part Of the penalty which
nature exacts Of her own pecuilar
children.
Whatever the occupation Of the eve
ming hours. the sound Of the rain comes
through them. at least upon occasion.
The nature lover sees to this for his
own pleasure. He would not miss a
note Of this timeless music.
No doubt the savages OF the cave
days listened so, in the long, long ago.
when the slightest unusual sound
caused quicker ears than ours to listen
more intently than ever. -,
Rain Is one of the binders OF civlll-
zotion with savagery. And saVagery Is
y stranger to us, because we still re-
III in our inner beings very large
traces Of it. Those relations OF thou-
sands of years ago could accustom
themselves quicker to this than most OF
us could 20 their caves and conditions.
Rain in the night, peculiarly. Is the
binder of years and times and peoples.
The blanketing effect Of the monotonous
noise OF it helps bring the centuries
together. g..
Now we are no longer stranger to
fectly that such difference as exists Is
one which arises out Of the absurdltles
of mankind. rather than from reallty.
The middle-age towers OF Lonoon,
the first century circuses Of Rome, the
very --latest" funny buildings at the
yery latest worlds fair"-one and all
they arose and arise from the needs OF
mankind, not from its dlsllkes ana
differences.
Rain is one of our needs 1t Is so
necessary to us that we tend to lorget
it. except during years OF drougnt;
when the minds Of the least thought1ul
remember it.
The things that draw up together.
rather than those which part us, the
rain reminds us of them, If it reminds
us of anything.
There Is no necessity, however, Tor
It reminding any one Of anything AT
all 1t is one Of the happieSt prlvl-
leges of a rainy night, when 1t chances
to remind the listener Of strictly MOTH
ing at all a..
sound on roof, its occasional dash
against window panes, builds up
pure symphony, which one listens to as
| from a fine seat of ones own.
This Is the music Of the storm, tuned
down to citified proportions, dressed up
neatly for a city mans entertainment.
Oh, it can rage enough, and has done
50 in its time, with great tall trees
bending like flag stats before the vino:
but tonight Is different. it is calm and
peaceful. with all strictly man-maoe
noises blotted out by the calm, un-
hurried sound Of falling waters.
X
This rain, peaceful though 1t Is, is
the source of Niagara Falls, OF the great
rivers. and of the mighty oceans.
This rain is a sample Of all rains,
of that beneficial precipitation which
was decreed in the beginning, and has
been with mankind ever since, In the
main his friend and benefactor.
| And when one stops to think OF the
powers for destruction in 1t, If it were
to continue on and on and on, day
after day, and night after night, at no
more than this present unhurried pace,
one must wonder at the great barriers
which Nature has set up to keep her
self in check, when all the time she
might, in any year Of the unnumbered
total, have swept us all away as easily
as she hurls q leaf dripping against
the window.