Evening star., 1944-02-25
This and That
BIZ Churles.E, TraceDeH.

Templeton Jones was in low mood.
Maybe 1t was the war, and maybe it
was something else. Modern life is
filled with discord. Since Hitler and
his associates discovered the 'educa-
tional state sometimes called the to-
talitarian state, things seem to have
gone from bad to worse everywhere.
Nowhere is there anything but bicker-
Ing and disputation. When one SAYS
one thing, the next says another, and so
on down the line.
Templeton Jones, highly sensitive to
these currents, inwardly rebelled. But
what could he do? What can any one
do? The individual is helpless. Only
organized groups have any real Say"
And the moment they say 1t, some other
group disputes it..
VANITY of vanities, all is vanity"
quoted Jones, as he made up his mind.
He made up his mind, you see, to stop
talking so much.
Part of this, without doubt, was talk
ing to other people, so he determined
to adopt the policy of many persons
and start snubbing people.
One OF the nasty features of modern
Life, Jones believes, Is this desire to do
the hoity-toity, the elevated nose, the
snobbish attitude.
u Is not confined to real snobs, but is
mostly put on, in an effort to snub
others. 1t seems to be just another
attempt to put on the dog" when sim
plicity and ordinary human decency
would be much better all around.
Jones came to the momentous deci.
sion that he would refrain from being
cordial.
Maybe cordiality didn't work, any
more.
1t laid man open to being misunder-
stood. Jones figured there were enough
ways OF being misunderstood without
that.
From now on, he swore, he would
speak to no one, unless that one wished
to speak to him, and took the trouble
OF making first advances.
No prirna donna could have been
more "uppity" in this resolve. Temple
ton Jones, once he made up his mind to
a thing, usually stuck to it. An era of
speechless Jones was on the way.
In the back of his head there was a.
slight suspicion that things would not
work out
He once before had tried this method
on certain banking institution, now
gone.
Officials there were not as friendly as
Jones thought they should be, so he
made up his mind that he would do a
little freezing-up, himself.
The warm hl1nan -Teron1oto,, Jo~on
with his universal sympathy, looked
every inch the frozen official, when he
stepped into the bank that morning.
Good morning, Mr.. Jones'" smiled
the guard.
Good morning, Mr.. JONES'" called the
vice president.
well, if there isn't our good friend,
Iempleton Jones'" said the president,
rushing out with extended hand.
Why, Mr.. Jones, I am glad to see
you" called the chairman of the board
coming over, and throwing friendly
arm around our hero's shoulder.
Jones hoped this time it would not
be this way.
He was determined, this time, to
speak to no one, to be as unfriendly as
q Jap or a Hun.
When he got on his bus, he refrained
from his usual CHEEKY Good morning"
to the driver. Bus drivers, he long ago
decided. do not care to be greeted in a
friendly way.
Jones dropped his token into the box
with a mighty frown.
Good morning, sir" said the driver
1t was a poor beginning.
Back in the bus Templeton Jones sat
down beside q crusty faced individual
He would do. thought Jones, glaring out
OF the window
I hope am not crowding you, SIR y
said the crusty faced man. isn't this
q beautiful morning? It's good to be
alive
1T sure is," agreed Templeton Jones
In total defeat, and glad Of 1t.