Evening star., 1942-05-08

lOI illS uItle nest
Henry MsLsmsrs. and all of the
things With which he has feathered
it.
For too many years he has taken
for granted all OF the hundred and
one articles which have contributed
so much toward making his house
comfortable. For too long has he
brushed indifferently by the auto
matte can opener, the folding tie
rack, the semi-human Dutch oven
and the faithful toaster without so
much as a thank you"
But those days are over. All
over the country men and women
are scurrying about their homes
taking inventory of household ef-
fects to find out what will last and
what won't last for the duration.
On the day that the list OF No
Mores" was printed, ! started on q
round of my home. Clutching shs
newspaper that contained the ~
I inspected items Just as they vsss
enumerated. The first was BATH
tubs, My tub has been with M
a long time and has served me-
faithfully, but believe that the
morning Of the inventory was tbs
first time We had looked Ut one
another, man to tub.
There was catch in my throat
when I realized how I had ignored
it. The enamel on its sturdy little
lion-like feet was Clipped. It's
stopper was shrunken and wrapped
in bit Of white cloth, but 1t looked
uncomplainingly ut me through it,
hot and cold running eyes.
Standing by, just & uncomplain-
ingly, was the tubs faithful COM
panion, the bathroom scales. I
felt a pang Of remorse when I re-
called how many times had stepped
on its face with soaking wet feet;
how many times I had rebuked 1t
for doing its duty by recording my
weight correctly and refusing to
cheat five or six pounds in my favor.
patted 1t and passed on.
On q window sill, clogged and
dusty, was an old fountain pen aban-
doned months ago in favor Of .
younger pen with new-fangled plas-
tic sides and . three-way point. It
hurt me to remember how many
times had taken that old pen by
the leg and shaken 1t as . nurse
does . thermometer in order to
make its ink run. 1t rests now In
clean. shady bureau drawer and
will soon be put back into service.
1t was not until / reached the
kitchen, however. that realized
how thoughtless and callous had
been toward the articles which had
labored so long and 50 hard to make
my life happier one. There was
the toaster-the best little toAster
In the world and the last one I'll
have for many . year, perhaps
sitting patiently with crumbs all
over its chromium face.
There was the can opener, hang
ing ut an uncomfortable angle on
the wall, all because I had failed to
replace nail that would have made.
1t secure and snug. If the can,
opener had only cussed me and told
me how ungrateful I had been, how
unappreciative of the thousand nm
ger cuts it had saved me, would
have felt better. But, no, along with
the pie pans. the kitchen knives and
the iron skillet which has kept my
eggs sunnyside-up for years, 1t
maintained a damning silence.
r y y \
Before I had completed the In
ventory Of the house, 1 realized how
We Americans had grown to accept
the highest standard Of living in
the world as something that was our
heaven-sent right without ever
stopping to ask any questions lust
why that was. We took care of
nothing. When something broke,
We didn't fix it, We bought another.
When something started to rust, We
threw it away. The devil with saw
ing anything. There was always a
new one where the old one came
from. II the cash wasn't on hand,
there was always one easy down
payment and 20 more to follow.
Now We are faced with looking
after our possessions a bit. Well
have to mend a thing here, patch
thing there. and generally get
along as most of the people in the
world have always had to do. The
chances are, it'll be good for us.
Two chickens in every pot Is too
much for anybody. If you don't
think SO, take a look at the man
who had that for his slogan.
distributed By McNaught Syndicate, Incl