Evening star., 1946-04-23
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TrdceUeH.
CONNECTICUT AVE

=.
Dear Sir:
I'D like to raise one small voice in
protest against the indiscriminate sale
of baby chicks, ducklings and rabbits
as Easter presents for children.
Naturally there can be no objection
to such sales if the people who do
the buying have proper places in which
to keep these small living things and
if they make intelligent effort to care
for them.
mo, I'm not sentimental about chick
ems and ducks. 1 don't blame the pet
shops. Most of the people who run
such shops like animals or they wouldn't
be in the business. l realize they can't
ask every purchaser II he has the
proper quarters.
Nor do I expect people raised in
cities to know these things as we
country boys do I do think if they
only realized what they're doing they
wouldn't do it-especially at Easter
time.
Il seem to remember that I was
taught that even sparrow is impor-
tant to God and I am of the opinion
that He makes no distinction between
sparrows and baby chicks and duck
lings and small rabbits.
Sincerely, G. w. NJ"
X X
Many persons will sympathize with
the point of view of this correspondent,
and be willing to add to his list such
creatures as painted turtles, goldfish,
sand even dogs and cats, perhaps.
Small tortoises painted with roses on
their shells are silly, anyway. They are
much prettier in their natural green
state.
The waterproof paint applied tends
to restrict the growth of the shell, or
carapace.
Children are attracted by small liv-
ing things, and cannot be expected to
understand that much mauling and
handling and wooling around is bad
for the poor creature.
The feeding for pet animals is a
department of living all by itself. There
is right way and a wrong way to
feed the smallest of aquarium inmates.
Not every one has enough of the
spirit of the investigator to determine
the right way, and how 1t differs from
the wrong way.
Certainly children cannot be expected
to do it.
That is why our correspondent, and
many others, think such defenseless
creatures should not be sold so indis-
criminately.
Here we run straight up against the
problem of education.
There is formal education, and then
there is the education of living. In the
latter there are so many departments,
with so many courses, that it is seldom
that one meets a really educated per-
son, in this sense.
The country or small town boy has
a better opportunity, in most cases, to
secure the special education which has
to do with the handling and upbringing
of small animals, birds, etc.
He learns as child, the best way
Many city-bred man or woman
realizes, often with start, that he
has neglected this branch of life, when
he moves to the suburbs and buys
himself dog, or takes on a cat.
Where there is life, there is sick
ness and death.
Those who take pets, must prepare
themselves from the beginning for
sadness.
Often hearts are torn as much by the
suffering and death of a pet dog or
cat as by that of a human.
This is part Of the education in living
and dying which we must all receive.
We do not need the wholesale in
structions which war days give us.
Mankind is wholly wrong in such un-
fortunate teaching.
What the world needs is lessons In
good will, good deeds and kindness.
These are the only lessons which
will stand us in good stead on that
critical day which comes to all Of US
ut last.