CHRISTMAS CARDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 302, 21 December 1932, Page 10

CHRISTMAS CARDS.

GOODWILL MEDIUM.

PLEA FOR BETTER SENTIMENT BA3TAIJTY OF VERSES. (By R.M.C.) With the Christmas season drawing nigh one's thoughts turn with wellwishes towards one's fellows, and this -rood will has, from time immemorial been given practical effect by sifts of divers sorts, cards of greeting, letters, post cards. Probably the ordinary fellow does not give much thought to the meaning of Christmas, until it is almoet upon him or he is reminded by the receipt of some sincere greeting from an old fritind. But whether or not the deeper meaning of Christmas comes home to him or not. does not matter, ( since good will, with the mere suggestion of nearing Christmas festivities, and, m our country, the summer season, diffuses through the air like germs that seldom fail to inoculate. But they are good germs, mind-healing germs that do much to Danish from the soul the clocked ills of the year. They prepare S commence the New Year more optimistically, and renew your good reS On" noticed that much of the sentiment was maudlin, often a little old-fashioned for this non-illusioned age, uninspiring, lacked novelty and was banal. mat criticism may be regarded by many as too trenchant, but it is correct and long overdue. The best greetings cannot be conveyed with banality. There was a conspicuous absence of originality, wit, beauty and novelty. The Christmas card hard is emphatically not a poet. He is a minnesinger of trite and sentimental reflections, which are quite foreign to the authentic muse. As a versifier he is not, sometimes, even on a par with Ella Wheeler Wilcox. I have felt that I really could not send out Christmas cards of this tvpe I get consolation from being cntirely'in accord with certain humorous observations by J. C. Squire, who said: "I do not receive many Christmas cards. Thia is not surprising, as I never remember to send many out. The most I have ever done, when feeling most strenuous, was. to scramble out a few New Year cards to people who had sent me Christmas cards." Later on in his article on "Christmas Cards," he states that he had just received a few in perfectly good taete from certain fiends, who, recognising the hanality of the Treat majority of verses on Christmas cards, had theire specially made, designed and caligraphed with appropriate sentiment, v I found that many of the samples through which I browsed, not -without ennui, lacked originality, novelty and emotionalism of the right kind. I struck one which you might grudgingly say was novel, hut we think it is a little too realistic for Christmas sentiment, and savours too much as if eating on this particular day -was' the only reason for holding Christmas. No doubt there are hundreds who will agree with Beatrice Cleland, hut -we don't say it on Christmas cards. The piece ran:

Mornlngi delightful; Gifts, all I could wish: Dinnet, delicious; My favourite dish; Afternoon, peaceful; Most welcome the tea;Evenings, ai gay Ai company could be. Wβ can gueea -why Beatrice favoured a peaceful afternoon. The Christmas pudding-taken too heartily -would probably necessitate it. Anyway, the whole verse is egotistical, and does not convey well-wiehes to another. Although ■there is a sort of catchy airiness about It, it is, nevertheless, banal withal. Then one etruck another with this: "Sent with greetings as warm as toast"—most realistic, but unpoetic. Now here is an excellent example of how not to write Christmas greetings: This Is the time for sweet remembrance, I'or thoughts of friends both old and new; The words will not express the wishes Sent within this card for you. It appears to me, for one, to be totally without inspiration and originality, and, in the last two lines, is almost maudlin. I would be prepared to call it typical old woman's sentiment, and something to be avoided at all costs. It lacks spark to make it sincere. And here is another in good old sing-song fashion, representing to me merely something said, but not really meant. Old-time memories recall Your name to me to-day; And I am wishing for you all , These old-time words can say. There are many pieces which are difficult to make much_ comment upon other than to remark that they are dull and uninteresting. Stuff that, having glanced through ifc (if you even do that), you will have no inclination to peruse again. Such a3 ' "Remembrance of < yesterday, bright hopes for to-morrow," has been said for the last 200 or 300 years at, tho very least. It is entirely colourless, and it hasn't even got a verb to let you know definitely what js meant. You can guess at that. . So • much • for the greetings, such as they are., The: pictures and photographs on many of-the cards are," on the other hand, excellent. They have lost inueh of the over-sentimentality of the Victorian age, when flower-chains, baskets of flowers and bouquets were the fashion. The pictures and photographs are varied, and reveal beautiful bushland or forest scenes or those of country life, prints of historic ships, castles and portraits and paintings by •world-famous artists. The more expensive of them have oldworld scenes, and are embossed with gilt. The cards which most-appealed to me ■were those of one sheet, on which there ■would be a better type of Christmas greeting, generally a brief prose message, •with some attractive artistry on the top loft-hand, side. These were of uniform colours, witß envelopes to match. But, returning to the subject of sentiment on Christmas cards, ifc is a pity, a great pity, that manufacturers are not more discriminate in this matter, and that purchasers also don't exercise more discrimination. The Christmas season is one of sentiment, not sentimentality, and many people don't take the trouble to see the difference. This is partly due to some people sending out Christinas cards as almost a duty, and to the fact that so little good poetry is read nowadays. Head some of the fine, healthy •sentiment of the modern poets, and you will turn with disgust from the insincere sentimentality of the Christmas card bard, who turns it out because he is paid to, and because he doesn't know any better. I challenge anyone to read Thomas Hardy's "Christmas Eve," and not feel that it has not been worth hie while. In this short poem even cattle «r* pictured as falling down on to their ■ knees as" if in prayer. One does not have ■*?.■,-%•_ religious to appreciate tho inner "■. -.of Chrlstmastide. . '. ■