Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-05-08

Of Nature
For Beauty
Children Need Lesson
in Preservation of
Spring Bounty.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

A BOUT this time every year 1t is
the custom to send out warnings
to the schools asking that the chill
dren be impressed with the need Of
protection for wildfowers, for the
preservation Of the parks in their
Spring beauty, for the cleanliness Of
the vacant lots. The children are to
be told very pointedly that their sins
have found them out, that the scars
on the roadside banks, the Uttered
parks, especially the grounds about
the animal cages in the ZOO. are wit
neses against them. AS good little
citizens they must do their bit.
Very good. The children will be
warned, they will be told the story of
natures loneliness and their respon-
sibility for their share in its protec-
ton and conservation. We want the
next generation to do better than
those who have gone before, in all
these particulars. But after that has
been done, and the children duly i'm
pressed as to the beauty of the dog
wood and the aZleaS, the ugliness of
peanut shells on lawn, the stupidity
of feeding little animal until he is
ill-after they have been enlisted In
the service of conservation and clean
illness. there remains one more group
TO receive instruction, the adults Of
the community.
Who is it that gathers the dog
Nd cTr A1zak
once held drinks unknown to the pal
ates of childhood? Who buys the
peanuts that feed the animals and
litter the lawns with shells? Children
do not do these things. Nor do they
carry about the newspapers that hide
the color of the grass Monday morn
ings. I know about this because I
have taught the children about the
etiquette Of blossom time and I have
seen them put the teaching into prac-
tice before the eyes Of their elders who
have put the very opposite into prac-
tice. That is why this blossom time
I am adding this pointed word to the
usual Springtime cleanup and beau
LITIGATION campaign. Will the grown
up people do their share toward keep
ing what beauty we have? Will they
please look and leave instead of look
ing and snatching?
An old man, close to 90, lives by
himself in a tiny house well out in
the country by the side of a pleasant
road much Travelled by city folk out
for a day in the open. A great apple
tree spreads its arms over the roof,
a peach tree stands by the side of
the door, An ancient cherry tree hold
ing a colony of bees stands by the
south window and great clumps of
lilacS bloom by the path to the old
fashioned well. Under the apple and
cherry trees there are countless flow
erS of Spring-violetS, Johnny jump
ups, star Of Bethlehem, lilies of the
valley, tiny blue hyacinths with the
breath of heavenly perfume-robins
and orioles nest above and the old
man broods over them like fatherly
gardener, a familiar friendly spirit.
Close by the gate, on the roadside
bank. clump of pussy willow grows.
Last March the kittens dressed the
long twigs and old Walt sat by the
window and smoked his pipe and
looked at them with affectionate de-
hight. They come every year certain
as the sun. I always know the Win
ter'S backbone is cracked when l see
the little chaps climbing up the stems"
A shining motor car halted on the
road, the chauffeur got down from
his seat, cut the twigs full of kittens
and was handing them to the lady
in the car when old Walt came out
of the woodshed. He looked at the
car, the lady and the chauffeur. and
his face was study in emotions:
Anger. grief. pity and finally a smile
of understanding grimneSs. well, I
know you couldn't help it. You've
been trained to take whatever you
can get. 1t hasn't ever brought you
much. has it? You're just about as
starved as ever, aren't you? Take
'em, as the woman gestured to re-
turn the twigs-"take EN-. you poor
beauty snatcher 1t must be terrible
to feel as empty as you do at your
age"
(Copyright 1891