Evening star., 1949-03-03
This and That
Bv Charles E, Trace1rell

Templeton Jones is a melancholy man
with bright strain Of humor, II you know
what we mean.
All his life he has wanted to play q mouth
organ, or harmonica, as some call 1t.
Never once, until recently had he sue
cumbed.
Old man tradition had him Not rockin
chair, but custom.
1t is not seemly for a grown male to play
the harmonica. except In certain sections
Of the country.
Jones has never lived in those sections.
To see this dapper individual, every detail
of dress just so. every hair In place. his
keen intellectual face displaying severity
tempered with love Of fun, you would
think yourself looking at the complete ex-
ecutive.
And you would be right. This man knows
his way around the charts and graphs. But
at the back of his mind or the bottom of his
soul, reposes a small boy with all OF brat'S
insouciance.
The brat in Templeton Jones does not
escape very often. but when 1t does 1t always
causes raised eyebrows.
Jones recalls a fine old friend, man high
in financial circles.
This old friend has wanted an electric
train.
A lifetime Of repression had not dulled the
e inner desire for train, with track complete
1t was q high spot, Jones recalled, in the
life Of that friend. when the Office force
caught up with him one day, and presented
him with the latest electric outfit, putting
smoke stack and all
The tracks were laid in the main business
room
Even hard listed men, used to keeping
their emotions under control laughed bit,
as they watched the old man. hands gnarled
face wrinkled, hair thin and gray, playing
with his first (and lasD train outfit.
1t was just a gesture, in the face Of time
and dissolution.
A fine gesture, bidding mundane affairs
stand back, for moment, while the boy
in him bowed his brief moment on the stage
Well, it has been that way with Jones
and harmOnlca.
He had never played one.
Occasionally, pretending that he wanted
it for child, he had looked at mouth
organ in music store.
The store man displayed large harmonicas,
little harmonicas, harmonicas with bells on
'em; he showed instruments able to handle
symphonies, small ones just for folk tunes
of a few notes.
Jones would linger, look, even listen-but
never bought.
The mental picture of himself with
harmonica at his lip was sufficient to scare
the brat in him back into his lair for ever.
Well not quite forever
For the other day, Templeton Jones came
home with very small packet in his hand.
1t was so small, indeed, that no one would
have guessed it held musical instrument.
But it did, or an harmonica of just four
openings, total of eight notes, one octave
This tiny thing was meant, evidently, to
be worn on a chain around the neck.
Jones thought his pocket would do.
At times when no one else was in the
house, he brought out his harmonica, and
played his one tune.
1t is hillbilly number that one may Won
der how he ever heard.
1t is Birmingham JAIL no less, melan-
choly ditty, whose words run:
Send me letter,
Send it by mall
Send it in care of
The Birmingham jail"
II you hear those sad strains, sometime,
blown Justify in the night, you will know
that 1t is just that Jones boy, sneaking along
in the dark happy with his first (and last)
~