ON LOVING THE DEVIL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18150, 13 August 1924, Page 11

ON LOVING THE DEVIL.

• "10 ..TH3S ;.EJjITOB' v OF 'THE PES'" 1 ," i Sir—lf lam long in replying to the remarks, made- about me'in your Houeo of Representatives' by, tlio, member' for the hottest part of your noble city—iho' part .nearest tho equator of Your world —you will kindly put the blame upon circumstance. It is : cba'racterißtiCi. of this ft'olcanic Christian - that . bis . ideals arc. antipathetic to. those mine.; His spasmodic outguahiiigs have always a keen interest for the light-hearted, and for students of the humorous, and my "don'' contains tho elite of * these who.have forsaken your. world, for a better. I have made a noto" of the fact that- with the exception of a private Bill, which lie introUuoed in your sublime Mouse this year—a Bill. to, provide for, tho intjtr,uctio:a of . the. rising generation • m the of circumventing or avoiding iriej he has spent" most of his. time in explaining'himself and his actions,, and why he is supporting, the. party that' I like best in- New Zealand politics. • When, his antipathetic centres, are rubbed this member,' quiescent for the most pfirt; : becomes ■ truly sulphurous. In. his latest eruption, , the material of which was meant to cover with confusion the labour Party—for whom, by the way, I'have.'no gireat liking ,:becaiise of their Esinine sincerity, ■ he tries to Inake a joke at that party's expense',by quoting from a ■ child s magazane.- One of the "streams" in that outpouring, supposed by' "K' to he huniorotis/" was'about a-woman s who was said to have confessed that * she loved "both God and the Devil." Now, I- have been, a student pf pities for over 'six hundred years," and I have always, had a majority of the; politicians who" loved mo sincerely. Npt ; alone .politicians, but poets even have expressed admiration for ine, and space would not suffice to tell of all the lesser; breeds who have worshipped me. Your great poet Milton g&ve a splendid description of mo-in a famous work of his—a. description' that I could not improve upon myself, and I fail to understand (to use a trito expression) how any ono could forbear to love me after reading that description. But, among writers, niv greatest admirer wa,3 the pdet Burns" (the frivolous will say there is something in a namfe). He , wrote/a i splendid poem addressed to'me. The! great. Thomas Carlylo said. of Bunts: "The very Devil he- cannot hate with right orthodoxy." I - need not ' quote Burns' poem. And if'you care to read "Tristram Shandy" you will find' Uncle Toby had rather a kindly feeling towards me. In that famous book "Dr.' Slop said: "He (the Devil) is the father of curses and. lies and is cursed anVi-damned already." "I am ferry •foi: it," .quoth.my Uncle Toby. I feGl sure that Dr. Slop and the honourable member possess more than one idea. Jn common, and that .Uncle Toby and. the famous woman-lover of mine ; have the better, taste.. . . Carlyle also says: "No selfish furv of heart -existing there as-a. primary feeling and'"without its opposite eyer produced much poetry." I am afraid -.'tlie honourable member has a vacuo'ps poetical bump.' Ife hates" the Labour Party for- their ideals, and . because he 'thinks they lore me. ; 1 . If the following of my advice were not likely co< prove'fatal,.-I'stouid advise the honourable, member. to stucfy Burns and Carlyle. He lacks eyinoathy, and. "Burns, lives .in sympathy his eoiil (rushes forth into all realms iojf being: nothing that -has ei>stehoa can be indifferent'to him." He . will fed in Burnk an 1 antidote for all splenetic afflictions.; > • i - '•

The truth, .of.j the, matter is that honourable'; meaner lacks vision. ' He belongs to 'the age'of *Qu*en< Anne; or fco the tame f>eriod of .Victoria, which'periods -I ideteet. • A mas who ttiits-'tbe' Labour' Party bec&u"se «,ifc lores the Devil* belongs to an age £hat could,not, appreciate, tjue .hupi<jur—:an age -fhat hunted "humour "m'tO. a corner and, laughed .at,;it.'- .Truly sfiould study ■ the ~roaiaistic poets- 2 The "*'let-

bour Party that bo. detests is ahead ot him by at least two centuries —in r~ preciation of humour (humour is not alwavs to be laughed at), in - intellectual outlook and in capaeitv for envisaging the world. If he. follows my adrice he mav yet catch up —Yours, etc., NICKIE BEN. August 12th, 1924.