Evening star., 1945-11-05
This and That
Bu Charles Z. Tr1ceDeH.
"ApJJNcTON Va

AftL1N1 1ON, va
Dear Sir:
Il thought you and your readers might
be interested in the following tale OF
the perverse in life, just how things
often turn out wrong, or something
doesn't happen when it should, or you
can't find something you are hunting
for.
IAN old collection of acoustic phono-
graph records has been stacked in our
garage for many years. In their day
they brought me many hours OF pleas
ure, and I have hated to get rid OF
them not only because they have been
replaced by electric recordings. and
therefore are out of date, but also be-
cause no one else would treasure them
in the least.
$50 have inspected them annually.
and taken good care of them, and they
have come along through the years in
very good shape.
Nov it happened recently that I
happened to think of one Of the old
records which had greatly pleased me,
and I thought I would 60 out to find
1t, bring 1t in, and see how 1t would
sound on my electrical machine.
you once stated in an article that
many of these old records have q silky
something or other In their tonal quality
which even the best of modern record
ings does not catch.
II believe this to be true, 80 when
just happened to think Of that old
record, I thought, Well, here Is 4
chance to see how that theory works
out
80 went out to the garage, and
carefully uncovered the records. They
were in prime condition. There was
practically no dust or mildew on them,
although the summer just past made
much mildew in the house
"It was sort of adventure in good,
to go through those old records, some
Of the frst symphony recordings, and
the great voices Of the past, including
the Incompatible Caruso.
II fingered over those discs, rs
maybe lover might over long for
gotten letters. I went down through
the piles, stopping to read the titles
all of which brought back to me precious
musical memories.
Soon. assured myself, would come
across the one record sought. Through
stack after stack I went, and when I
" i
to wonder.
Would that one, after ALL be the
only one I couldn't find? Feverishly I
turned them over. Sure enough, it
wasn't there! Out of some 500 records,
it was the only one 7 wanted-and it
was the only one that wasn't there!
Now will you, out of your philosophi-
cal turn Of mind, tell me why this sort
OF thing so often happens?
Yours, E. l.. r. T."
Edgar Allan Poe, smart man In his
time, called this "the imp of the per-
verse"
Throughout history, men have always
had sort of suspicion, II we may call
it such, that somehow malign infiu-
ence with all-seeing powers fingered
about to do injury in small ways.
Little people," sometimes they were
called
Others thought OF this force as aligned
with evil, and certainly at times the
result Is bad, but in the main the work
done is rather impish than anything
else.
Inconvenience may result, but not
real harm. For the most part, there is
merely an inability to find something
sought, when it should be there Or out
OF dozen beloved dishes, for instance,
the fayorite is the first to be broken.
Templeton Jones once told US q classic
example of this sort of thing. We have
told 1t here before, but It Is always good.
The Jones family had q number OF
tumblers, each one with character
from Snow White" on II. The best Of
the lot, by all odds, was Snow White,
herself. One evening Jones came home,
and met . Aorrowful wife, who an
nounced that she had broken one OF
the pet glasses. Say no more" said
Jones. instantly. 4 know which one It
Is without your telling me"
And. sure enough, he did, and It vas.