Evening star., 1948-09-28
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TrGce1Deu

Never give away anything-you may neeo
IT, s1rT
This ancient wisdom comes home now and
then to the person who Is feeding the birds.
He may find out that an old broken bridge
lamp standard was something to regret.
But how could he have known 1t when he
gave it away? =,
The inclination of the moment is to get rid
of many things. The tyranny OF things, some
one has said is the worst tyranny OF all Every
one knows how it is. The attic Is full OF oroken-
down furniture. The basement has its quota
of objects no longer in uSe but too good 10
throw away Even the garage has corners
and shelves laden down with many things.
Those who believe in keeping everything
(and these include some very famous people,
usually love paper boxes and old oottles.
Nothing goes more against their grain than
to destroy or throw away neat caronoaro
box or priced bottle. Jars in which FOOD has
been packed are serious temptations to them.
So rows and rows of these accumulate, each
one a treasure or nuisance according to the
point of view.
Every household has its own list Of discarded
furniture Other people may have bright ideas
as to what the owner should do with them.
But such q wise one should look first In his
own attic.
Who would imagine that an old bridge lamp
would be worth keeping for 10 years?
The owner did not, so he gave 1t away.
1t was after this that he took up the pleasant
sport of bird watching and feeding.
He bought several feeding stations and put
them around the yard. He bought seed and
suet He began to read about the birds. Car
dinals began to be topics Of conversation.
Il *
One of the stations he hung in tree, but
for some reason the birds did not take to 1t
there.
The owner decided to move it, and wondered
what he would hang 1t from, since 1t was
suspended by wire.
Immediately to his mind came the idea
of something upright with an arm swung out.
That old bridge lamp Standard It would be
just the thing.
1t would have been just the thing, sure
enough, but it wasn't there.
The whole household looked for it, some in
the attic, some in the garage, some in the
basement
There was no lamp, and for good reason
the bird watcher suddenly remembered what
he had done with it. It was the old perversity
of inanimate things. For 10 years nobody
wanted it, and nobody had given 1t q thought,
and it was there.
When some one wanted it, and thought of
it, it was gone
How nice it is to be able to place the blame
on an inanimate thing, They are such pests.
thing can kick around house for years,
always in the way, but just let 1t be put into
the trash, use Immediately arises for it.
II the old lamp standard had been on duty.
the feeding station would have been used in
a few minutes. Its sprawly feet would have
sunk into the ground firmly and its arms would
have received the feeder with "birdylike pre-
cision," as the song says.
That old lamp standard would have taken
on q new lease of life once more serving good
purpose.
This particular householder there and then
decided that the best thing to do is to keep
everything one ever gets, whether there seems
to be a present use for 1t or not. The point
Is that no one can tell. The lamp was pur-
chased and used and discarded When it
stood around the house for years, there was
no one there then interested in feeding wild
birds. At that time they may even have
thought birds nuisances.
It would take an analytical mind to foresee
all possible uses for anything. This lamp in
stance shows the impossibility OF 1t. mind
would have to be more than human II under
such circumstances it said to Itself, Lamp
Standardized me see, what can be done with It
some day? Yes, I can foresee neat little
birdhouse, or feeding station suspended by
. wire from the center of its roof hanging to
this very arm"
It Eannot be done that way, and, since 1t
cannot the only thing TO do is to keep every
thing. In the hope and belief 1t VIII come In
handy some day.