Evening star., 1945-06-19
This and That
Bv Charles E. Trdce1cell.
SILVER SPRING, MD

Dear Sir:
I'm one of your recent columns an
swering some bird lover, you stated that
Americans were foremost (or something
of that sort) in being kind to animals,
and being bird lovers.
"You did not use the word foremost,
but that seemed to be the insinuation,
not having your article here at this time.
"All want to say is this, I am not
what you call an American I am a
North American, having been born in
Canada. From the time I was able to
reason. was taught kindness to animals
and when a girl, had four canaries in a
large cage.
MY uncle who raised me was the
founder and president for As years Of
the SPCA in the place where I lived, in
Newfoundland, and furthermore he had
a bill passed in the legislature that any
one found ill-using their animals would
be fined $100, or go to Jail
LAS to your Americans being so kind
to birds, have been called everything
by neighbors in my street, because love
the birds, and especially care for them
In the winter.
II also place food in summer for the
little mother bird sparrows, who find it
hard to get enough for their babies,
being great lover of the English SPAR
row. or any other bird, too.
For my interest and kindness in this
country, in my neighborhood, as say,
have been openly abused and maligned.
Very truly, K. M"
"Our America" of course, is North
America, too.
There are good people and bad people
everywhere, even in Our America"
One is unfortunate who runs into
those who resent bird feeding.
That this attitude is rather rare is
indicated, we believe, by the few letters
on the subject which have come to this
column over the years.
Most people, one may feel certain, ap-
preciate the good which feeding the
birds does, even if they do not indulge
in the sport themselves.
This is a matter of education. It is
impossible for all persons to think alike.
1t is even possible for humane man,
in the cause of science, to be cruel at
times. Those who do not feed the birds
now may do so in time, as they come
to see the pleasure those who do get
out of it.
Enthusiasts in living believe that the
more things one does and Is interested
in the greater pleasure he legitimately
gets out of life and the better for man
kind, because there is no telling when
he will run into an endeavor which
suddenly becomes for him the one-and-
only.
Perhaps there is some person who is
now mildly amused at his neighbor feed
ing the birds, but who, years later, will
take it up in desultory way, only to
find that this is the great thing in his
life.
The former scorner then may turn
an unused section of his mind on the
subject and make discoveries which will
put the whole world in his debt.
Who knows? Stranger things have
happened. A man sees flower by the
road and thinks of God; out of some
slight incident mighty things arise
There Is no knowing when a spark will
be kindled.
The thing to do, surely, is to have the
open mind and to try to see good. II
is not easy, at any time, and especiall,
IN such times as these.
1t may happen that out of the twenty
and one scorners the one will be the
only one who counts.
The Talmud tells us that God keep
the world going for As persons only
The rest of us are dross, in His sight.
Ill will in any form is bad. The worle
has seen enough of it in the past 81,
years to last the rest of eternity. L
there is ever to be any end to it we mus
begin individually and not let hate ge
us. Let us all be North Americanl
together and work, fight, give, to make
| democracy Live" as Mr.. Pearson puts II