Evening star., 1934-05-08
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

and 60 back to the known thing, al
though it may be very little thing in
the eyes of some.
No doubt that accounts for the wide
appeal of farming, and the things of
the farm. the hundred and one activ-
tiles which must depend upon the
formed pattern in nature, which, given
right conditions, will come along ac-
cording to the pattern every time,
without much worry. If the farmer
had to worry, every time he put a
seed into the ground, whether it would
sprout true or false, he would be in a
bad case, indeed.
He has no such worries.
He does his part, the seed does its
part, and, unless hail or frost or some
other natural emergency intervenes,
he gets what he sows.
4 "
More and more people are coming
back to these natural things. Let no
one say that people always value
them; they do, of course, but still
thousands upon thousands are forced,
by the pressure of their contempora-
ries, to pretend that such things are
not the really worthwhile things, that
the only things which count are elab-
GRATED and sophisticated things.
So the world, especially the United
States world. becomes lost in a maze
of artificialties, from which each one
of us may rescue himself by no more
exertion than building flower garden.
ror need that garden be elaborate. or
eXcelling. Competition. while it has
its good points. has been much over
Gone in this country; even the Gov
ernment recognizes it, But the best
recognition is the personal one, espe-
cially in the garden, for there one
needs find no need for competition at
all. To eternally compare is forever
to loose.
Let us feel sorry for these truly
misguided persons who honestly feel
that it is impossible for them to
! garden. even in a modest way, with
out comparing what they produce
with what the neighbors produce. and
rejoicing if they excel and lament
ing if the others excel The best
reward of the home garden is missed
| if one gardens with this straining of
I lIlC eye uIIu VI II ltClS lIldl
because another puts more time on
his yard he should have better re-
suits. and if his results are not sur
passing, he has somehow failed. No.
that is exactly the wrong way TO
lock at it. The reward is happiness
and there is no happiness in this life
in comparisons, let those say who
will. There is more misery caused
by comparisons. by and large, than
any reward in betterment which ever
comes from it.
Excelling. winning, beating some
one or something-how these theme
songs of mortal endeavor beat into
the brains and hearts of humanity
with a few winning and thinking
themselves happy thereby-and mil
lions losing and deeming themselves
most unhappy thereat. when all the
( time the race is not to the swift,
necessarily. but to him who believes
in his heart that he is happy with
what he has, and as he is, and as
he will be- Translated into terms of
the garden, anybody's garden, this
simply means that comparisons are
out, from this time, forward, and that
one will try to garden with enjoy
ment. not to knock some ones eye
out; that one shall read garden
books and magazines, not with the
idea of excelling another, but just to
add enjoyment and happiness and an
intellectual side to the whole thing.
If this aim is achieved largely by
more people than ever before, there
can be no doubt at all that this will
be far better Spring than ever be-
fore. since so long as We are human
beings we must look at the world
with seeing eyes and the best at
tempts we can muster at understand
/ ing hearts and minds.