Evening star., 1934-05-30

| At heart, Of course, he specializes
in humanity as 1t is, not as 1t is
played up on the screen, on the stage,
in sports or on the radio. These
things have their places, and their
uses, but our here finds humanity at
large interesting enough for him.
\ X Il
In observing others he finds ma
terial for the novels he never will
write, the plays he never will con-
struct, the pictures he never will
paint. He knows that other and more
gifted men will be able to use this
material to better advantage. To him
belongs merely the power Of seeing
and appreciating the good and bad
points of humanity.
This power demands his complete
attention; that is where his greatest
danger comes in-of being centered so
completely in others, although others
may not realize 1t at all, that he
gives to them too much power over
him. This means that he will have
to take special steps to free himself
from them when this outside pressure
becomes too great. Not much has ever
been written about this pressure, but
that 1t surely exists no one who has
spent much time as an observer will
In the least question.
| All presures are not alike, and this
is curious one, indeed, which has
its coinpensations and its drawbacks.
The danger lies in permitting it to
become too great. One of the best
ways to overcome it is to give up the
role of observer, for a time, and
plunge into some activity which will
require all of ones abilities and con-
centration.
Despite its drawbacks, the observers s
role Is one Of the most interesting Of
all given to human beings to play.
1t is the antithesis Of selfishness, in
very good sense. It permits an
otherwise undistinguished man to join
a very distinguished roll of persons
down the centuries, some of whom dis
tinguished themselves as artists, but
all OF whom first and foremost were
observers, spectators of life.
The consuming merit of all these
persons. including our hero, was and
is that they were able to make some
thing more of life than a mere grab.
an endless effort to get something to
eat and to store away more than
| others. They were able to satisfy
those needs and then go on to a con-
temptation of a ceaseless wonder, life
as it is, and as 1t evidently intends
to keep on being.
They were, and they are, the bring
ers Of mankind to more than animal
viewpoint, for they keep on pointing,
despite the amused scorn of some of
their contemporaries, to the eternal
verities. as they are called amid the
humble things OF heaven and earth.
They point to the great show of
day and night, to the flowers, to the
insects, the beasts Of the fields and
forest, the fishes of oceans and
streams. to the never ending play Of
sunshine and cloud, as things fit for
everyday contemplation by every
man, not just the specialists who
manage to wrest them into means Of
earning livelihood.
| All these persons, observers, spec
tators, whether Of human nature or
nature itself, including all living
things, are lay preachers, standing
firmly without heroism against the
daily scorn of those who do not feel
the same way about life. and who,
| therefore, work along a different plan.
1t is said that it takes all kinds of
men to make a world, and 1t is true.
In the grand total the spectator plays
his part.