The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-04-24
Just Among Ourselves
Psssing Comment considsred or Incensider ate

| - O"oA 4AhAohE ouA SOlfSS
| Passing Comment considsrsd or Inconsidersie
Tennyson once said he could not stand the ter
rlbe excitement of the spring Perhaps it is sea
son which, more than others, strs poet to get "his
eye IN fine frenzy rolling" The crop of spring
poetry however is not in shape to crowd the presses
until June comes along with a really handy rhyme
And in the spring by Tennysonian proclamation
young mans fancy lightly turns to thoughts of
love. In an earlier time the cartoonst's qup about
young man in stylish new attire. had meaning:
the cartoon bore the inscriptions In the spring a
young mans fancy,-we'll say he isl" But in this
atomic age some young men don't even blossom (or
squeeze) into fresh pair OF those horrible Lewis
As for light turning to thoughts of love. and the
lovelier iris shining upon the FURNISHED dove we
have no information Judging by TV, the first of
these items does not wait upon any season AS for
the second pigeons really nuisance
Spring is indeed season of resurgence even If
It be also season of aspirin and nose-drops II is
notably the time for running the peach crop. Year
after year, the killing frost descends when least
expected and the peaches k0pm. One wonders
wher' peaches come from. for later in the year
there seems no dearth of them. Yet, spring after
spring, they are ruined.
Spring is a time of exharating surprises The
balminess of an afternoon may prove pranksome
trick of nature to lure people out in light attire and
send them shiverino home between flurres of snow.
The mooscca OF the umpire under cloudless skies
may be the prelude TO showers that leave the fans
sodden and disconsolate
Spring spreads out beauties To delight the senses
but IT is skittish and uncertain. II refuses
to conform to schedules. Arrange your lawn party,
and you'll likely crowd indoors. Plan your trip to see
the cherry blossoms in Washington, and you'll find
them only recent memory when you get there
After all, what should cherTyblossoms be doing
in Washington? II is place for sterner stuff
People talk Of spring fever without paying trb-
ute to the joker who coined the phrase fever has
some stir and go in it, What people imagine they
suffer from in this time is no fever, but lazy
laneuor Mostly il is superstition II is traditional
excuse for slothfulness In spring a natural born
loafer can get away with conduct lasstudinous by
blaming it on the weather.
The author of the following lines is unknown.
but the jingle deserves quoting in this place:
'Tis spring, It's spring,
The bird is on the wingl
Absurd absurd
The wing is on the bird!
Now the amateur gardener cons the seed cata-
logues, and the florculturst reves in art gallery
OF pnlOA, ana pOftuacd ana rnOuOuendfon. 1nefe is
tremendous output of armchair agriculture. The
critic saws that time of active production follows
time of study and contemplation. With sigh the
hopeful gardener spades up his back lot Later. he
sends Junior down TO the corner drugstore for
bottle of liniment and porous plaster
out comes the family Iawn-mower II needs ad-
iustng, and oiling, and sharpening. After father
has attended to these matters, the mower is sent
TO a man who knows how TO put il into shape for
cckey summer session. The lawn itself shows some
OF its owners seasonal resolution and sprouts sud
den irregular crop of lush grass. But the ground is
lumpy and dssipaed, the lawn presents the ap-
pearance of an unshayen tramp after twoweek's
binge. II needs rolling.
Sweet spring! You go out to borrow roller One
of your neighbors has tubular tank which you
can bring home easily, but somehow you never get
ii filled properly, and a roller that sloSheS is dis
heartening implement Another neghbor has roll
CT he will gladly lend you He made il himself out
of section of seWer-ppe and ton or of Port
land cement II weighs uncountGble number of
pounds and bringing il home Is back-breaking
and heart breaknq task exceeded in difficulty only
by Herculean labor of taking II back again OF
course you make public spectacle of yourself on
both trips, and you bitterly disappoint your family
who think you should be able to handle the thing
with ease and one and
you fOll. Inc eafln oDll3lngN SettleS down unuef
your painting manipuatons. but ii refuses TO settle
on single plane II gives you small roercoaser
track. But the swoopS are smooth except for the
deep gasheS where you made your too sudden turns.
And the grass looks discouraged like the hair OF q
youth who has plastered down his locks with the
currently popular equivalent of bears grease.
The weeks and the showers and the sudden
changes of temperature pass away. One fine day
you inspect your garden In addition TO a choice
selection of very promising and hardy looking
weeds the green onions are pointing verdanty
at the sky. All, charming young things! Who would
suspect that vegetables delicate and innocent IN
appearance could carry wallop that will knock
your hat OFF, In some places they eGll these vounl
onions "scaons" The word, says our own eNi
cographer is shortened form of 'rapscalons.
Your lettuce bed looks promising. You will enjoy
the first cutting from it, Later crops will give yol
the healthful bitterness of dose of qunine. Tht
cabbage plants appear and the eut.worm Is OF
the prowl. The beans yet unbeetled and per
haps you'll have your own new potatoes by th
Fourth