Evening star., 1939-07-02
Just
Between
Ourselves
BY PHILIP H. LOVE,
Junior Star Editor.

The - that represents this COM
ing Tuesday on the calendar for
July is printed in red.
OF course, the red ink is intended
to signify that the day is holiday
the anniversary of the signing of
the Declara ton of independence.
But red has another meaning, a
tragic meaning that has become all
too appropriate to the Fourth of
July. Every Independence Day,
thousands of men, women and chill
dren pay in blood and pain and
heartbreak-some of them even with
their very lives-for the pleasure OF
celebrating the holiday.
It's grand holiday. but is its OBJ
servance worth the price that so
many people pay?
Is an automobile trip lover the
Fourth worth paying for by being
killed or manned?
Is swim or a boat ride worth
paying for by drowning?
Is any fireworks display. no mat
ter how spectacular. worth the loss
of your life. your eyesight or even
single finger?
Is brief period of holiday
pleasure worth the heartbreak that
you would experience if any of
those things happened to your
mother, father, sister, brother or
friend?
Certainly not" you answer. MY
life and health and happiness-and
the life. health and happiness OF
my family and friends-are worth
more than any amount of pleasure.
But holidays were set aside to be
celebrated: and auto trips. water
sports and fireworks displays hap
pen to play important parts in the
celebration of this particular holi-
day"
True. But. we hasten to add, you
can reduce the dangers of the holi-
day to minimum by the exercise
of ordinary common sense. Regard
less of how you decide to observe
the Fourth, you can be careful
Make up your mind now that, no
matter where you 60 or what you
do, you will take pains to avoid all
unnecessary risks. If you make such
a resolution and stick to it, you
will contribute not only to your
own safety, but to that of your
family and friends as we'll. In short
you will be doing your part toward
making this Fourth of July the
right kind Of red letter day"-a
day for which the red ink on the
calendar will denote happiness, not
tragedy.
But the Fourth isn't the only i'm
portant date on this weeks calen-
dar. Saturday is another big day
Derby Day.
It's the day of Washington's sec
ond annual Soap Box Derby. This,
as you must know, is the exciting
race in which boys of from 10 to
Is years old compete as the drivers
of motorless automobiles of their
own making. The hill on Massa-
chusetts avenue NV, just beyond
Ward Circle, will be the speedway
and the youthful Barney Oldfields
will start racing down it In their
coasters at ii am.
Last years Derby was a great
success, but this years promises to
surpass it in every way. More than
$50 boys, representing nearby Mary
land and Virginia as we'll as the
District. have registered for the
event-which means that the winner
is going to have to beat out plenty
of competition.
X X
Sophie Epstein, 124 D street Sc,
quit school at the age of 9 because
of her health. She was determined
to get an education, however, 50
she studied at home-by reading
everything she could lay her hands
on. Now 16, she devotes as much
of her time as possible to the writ
ing of verse. We received a note
from Sophie recently, and this is
what it said:
Il would like to tell you a few
things that have happened lately
My book of poems went on exhibi-
ton, and I received letters asking
me to make up certain poems for
those particular people. One letter
came from lady who is 43 years
Of age. She never did know her
real mother, and her stepmother is
dead. I made up a poem for her
no rticular case and she Ii n0ino To