The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1955-02-18
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or Ineonsidsrsts

mans mlSeres is that he cannot easily IND COM
panion able to partake with him of the past"
Thus wrote Doctor Samuel Johnson. on Febru-
airy g. 1778, in letter to his friend Saunders
Welch. Esq, who travelling in Italy with his
daughter Anne DR.. Johnson felt that the travellers
would have much satisfaction in reminding each
other later of incidents of the trip. He wrote, "You
(Mr. Welch) have travelled with this felicity
that your companion is not to part from you at your
journeys end but you to live together, to help
each others recoections and to supply each
others omissions"
All very true no doubt And yet it is to be
considered that the great pleasure in store for the
travelling father and daughter during subsequent
years is likely enough to be anything but pleas
ure to their kinsfoik and acquaintance. Can't you
easily imagine a neighbor remarkng,-after the
Welches have come home and have had year or
two in which to ripen and enrich their memories,
They fine people,-if only they would give
that everlasting rehash of their continental
trip" Can't you hear this, ITS got so that feel
like running every time catch sight of old Saun-
ders Welch. If I've got to listen to his description
Of Hadrian's tomb once more, I'll scream
As for supplying omissions and helping each
others recollectons, it is an established fact in
human experience Tor suppose the current
jargon and say "n social relations'9 that such
supplying and helping comes to mere pickering and
disagreement Welch, Sr will say,-beamng upon
the stricken company,-"Anne, you recall that red
headed hackman We had the argument with in
Milan?" And daughter will answer THAT wasn't in
Milan, father; it was in Verona. remember because
it the day after you discovered that you had been
taken in by that Veronese art dealer and you
we're in the mood to argue with everyone; ii wasn't
really the hackman's fault" Nonsense" cries
Welch pere Il bought that chrome in Florence
full month later, and it's not just Of you to say
that / was taken in | had my doubts about the
picture from the first" you had doubts! Is that
why you talked about that CHASTITY daub though
you had made the discovery of the century, and
would only have to take ii to the Louvre to trade,
all even, for the Mona Lisa?"
Thus will go on the Supplying Of each others
omissions and the helping Of each others reeolec
lions" And the unhappy auditory will never learn
the thing OF interest that the discussion, or
wranee, seemed TO promise. They will never know
what the red-headed hackman said
Dr. Johnson correctly said that too friends enjoy
recalling things they have experience d
together. He said nothing whatever about the
friends of the two friends Whittier thought
few dear and early friends" would enjoy his wntry
recollections, and would sit with him at the house
hold hearth
And stretch the hands of memory forth
To warm them at the woodfires blaze.
But printed recalls are without fault no one needs
attend them unless he choose.
But travellers are really the least irksome of
those who insist upon telling and telling and telling
again the incidents factnal or fabricated, Of their
experience The true masters in this type of social
torture are old college chums-persons who have
been al boarding,school together in time past Put
pair of these lads into company which knows
nothing of their early days. and watch the two
take over They will remind each other of endless
things that never happened and will dress up
few actual occurrences in Smotherng SwathS OF
pnahr Meanwhile w
have something TO say must Sit silent, pondering
perhaps the Johnsonian dctum. "The world has
few greater pleasures than that which two friends
enjoy in tracing back, at some distant time, those
transactions and events which they have passed
together"
Remember old Fuzzy, the math teacher" "Tll
say do what guy But Fuzzy didn't teach math,
he was in economies" "Oh, yeah, that's right
economics and history" mo he never taught his
tory" "Yes he did, too, | had history course
under him-Egyptian, | think 1t was or maybe
modern Engand,-yes, think il modern Eng
land; recall something about King Arthur" well
anyway Fuzzy was quite character qaste char
acer Fuzzy was, recall the day that Fats Brewer
gave him the nice cigar, and Fuzzy hadn't taken six
pufs before the thing blew up in his face. I'll never
forget Fuzzy's expression of utter bewderment
And you know, il was just that just bewlderment,
just establishment; not trace in il of indgna
tion resentment"
You're loco bud Old Fuzzy had the temper
of wild cat. meaneSt old bird on the campus
Besides. that Fats Brewer incident is twisted some
how. Old Fuzzy never smoked in his life, And don't
believe Fats Brewer ever gave cigar or anything
else, TO anyone at any tlme,-even trick cigar
Fats Brewer the worlds tightest citizen" "Wel,
anyhow, do you remember the time Fuzzy sick?
Solemnity and gloom all over the place. SawduSt
on the pavement in front of Faculty House, hourly
reports from the bedside. And, after we had spent
L.4.J Lt.4fNL s~
it turned out that what allied Old Fuzzy was
medsiesi Boy. what joke that was"
You all know by dire experience that this imag-
mary chatter Of old college chums is true fact and
unexaggerated And you know too what such chatter
do 10 an otherwise pleased and pleasant COM
pany. In ten minutes. every ncn-chum is ready TO
Old Fuzzy and every measle him.
All this is just by way of saying that there ought
TO be rider" that sententious saying of John.
son about the pleasure of reeollected experience