Evening star., 1946-02-06
This and That
By Charles E. TraceDeu.
"THIRTY-FIFTH STREET


THE letter in your column recently
from M. M. on Forty-fourth street in
spires me to write to you the news that
recently heard the unmistakable spring
song of the cardinal.
Each time the welcome melody came
from large tree little distance from
my garden when was putting out seed
for the birds about 10 o'clock In the
morning.
Each morning was chilly and the
song bit hesitant and not very loud.
but when I tried to initiate him in
whistling, he answered several times.
Naturally was delighted to hear this
first of all spring songs.
"A few days ago I noticed a song
sparrow raking the leaves under an
eVergreen-a merry sight-and TODAY
mockingbird was splashing in my bird
bath.
To-day I also saw that some of nv
daf1odils are an inch out of the ground
I truly hope that the birds and flower
buds are harbingers of an early spring.
May I take this opportunity to tell
you how much enjoy your most inter-
esting and informative articles? I have
often wanted to tell you this and to
express my thanks for the pleasure your
writings have brought me.
Sincerely yours, g. j. c."
\
A simple thing, bird song, yet one
which can send thousands of persons
flying to their typewriters.
The atomic bomb may hover over our
consciousness, but ever in the back
ground some bird sings
This is the hope of the world, that
everyday and commonplace things, still
SO wonderful and magnificent, can yet
save us from foolish and unnecessary
fate.
Let us be glad that the birds and the
beasts have no knowledge of our own
mental foolishness.
Even though the atom destroys them
with us, they will never know what
fools we have been, to throw aside our
birthright for a mess of worse than
pottage.
This is some consolation, perhaps.
We would be unhappy to know that
the beautiful cardinal realized full we'll
mankind's latest-and some think worst
folly.
Gather ye bird songs, then, while We
may, for old Time goes a-f1ying, and so
will the bombs, despite the best en-
deavors of mice and men.
There seems to be little that the
little people, a somewhat silly but
none the less beautiful phrase, can do
about it.
Perhaps it will be just as we'll to 20
on reading our books, and listening to
our music, and watching the birds, or
doing whatever else suggests itself.
Perhaps the sage who long ago sug-
gested, EAT, drink and be merry, for
tomorrow we die" knew what he was
talking about, after ALL
Connotations of sin. attached to that
saying later, may never have entered
the head of its originator. (Was it Epi-
curus?)
He simply made statement, which
he thought true, but others loaded 1t
down with ulterior meaning.
The simple delights of life, the getting
up, the bathing, the eating, the laugh
ing over good joke, the honest toll,
the loyalty to a person or cause, a
good night kiss, and good nights
sleep
These are some of the things that no
thoughts of destruction shall take away
from us. They are among the many
good things of life known to most per-
sons, no matter what their take home
pay" is or isn't
We are all in danger of forgetting
them, in the welter of charge and
counter charge. the hurting of the lie
from one nation to nation, the under
cover fear which somehow attaches
itself to mans inventions.
We are better of in a garden than in
fox hole, better of listening for the
spring song of the. cardinal than to the
discourteouS banter of the radio. better
on reading good book than arguing
about something we all know Is pure
hokum.