BY THE WAY

Evening Star, Issue 18399, 6 October 1923, Page 2

BY THE WAY

[By Q.T.]

“The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things.” Tho Right Hon. W, F. Ma-ssev seems to have put up a record. His Homeward lush occupied only thirty days. A midVictorian philosopher laid down that there is no surer- sign of vulgarity than being always in a hurry. But he was one of the happy ones who had no need to be so. His living was assured, and the public seemed quite indifferent whether he pub. lished a book in one year or in twenty years, or, indeed, whether he published at all. But even in mid-Victorian days, which tho youth of these times seem to regard as Arcaclisn, the great majority of people, who would have bee/ quite content to stroll through life at the gait prompted by good manners, bad to “step lively ” or starve. Time has brought in its revenge. Now tho once leisured or partly leisured classes rush through the day at top speed, and grudge the jfejw hours! sleep necessary to enable them to sprint through to-morrow; while the workera approach their tasks with a composure of mind and body unexampled in the host Victorian traditions. Anyone who did otherwise would soon find himself unpopular amongst his fellow-slaves, whatever his employer might think of him. Do you blame him? Economists and employer's do, but I confess to a vast sympathy with him. I see him, perhaps on the roof of a house, haply piloting a dray, or excavating a drain, smoking meditatively, or discussing politics with his peers, even at great moments assisting the revenue by the consumption of beer, all with the serene detachment of a Buddha, and think sadly, “ There, but tor the luck of Old Nick, goes Q.V."

Papyrus, who is no relation to Tutankhamen, but a British steed of long lineage and wide renown, has ousted the Prince of Wales and other popular favorites from first -place in the Publicity Stakes, The animal has crossed tho Western Ocean to meet an ns yet unknown champion of the United States. Tho Americans are a warm-hearted people—outside business hours —so ho was not detained at Ellis Island. Mere Ambassadors and suchlike small deer go to and fro upon the earth and over the seas unparagraphed; but a racehorse is in another class. We have been toldHiow Papyrus walked on board—blindfolded, alas!—-the nature of his accommodation, and how he recognised a companion, sent with him apparently in case ho should feel lonely. It seams that he misses the springy English turf, but the cable man hopes that he will become reconciled to the hard claytrack he is at present condemned to tread. Racing is a serious business, and if Papyrus overcomes his natural modesty sufficiently to pass the post ahead of his rival there will be' little chance of tho United States joining tho League of Nations, this century.

Probably with the idca_ihat nothing is so original as a commonplace when it is generally believed, the promoters of Health "Week have issued a varied and attractive programme to enforce what should bo the obvious on us who, in some hygienic matters, *are an all too reluctant community. When each of our organs is discharging its functions wo congratulate ourselves pii not being as other men are; but when pain or inconvenience rudely directs the attention- to health, which heretofore has been considered a gift rather than a trust, then and not till then arc we convinced that it is to be numbered among those blessings that “brighten as they take their flight." Probably on the principle that -all men think all men mortal but themselves, people arc prone to suspect the cleanliness of others, as it has been said that those in one grade of society consider the use of the handkerchief an objectionable practice; others have concluded that the necessity for a daily bath must have been very urgent, else the diurnal dip would not have become habitual (has it?); while others, again, attribute the open windows to the desire of the inmates to facilitate the egress of noxious emanations. These anti many other mistaken ideas will be dissipated by the commendable institution of Health Week, for a sensitive hygienic conscience is as desirable in the classes as in the masses, who have long heard that cleanliness is next to godliness, but who may not bo any worse for the reminder that “ Heaven is not reached by a single bound.” It is not only through misstatement that wrong nations are engendered; understatement in connection with personal cleanliness some years ago caused a. rather particular gentleman to'be shunned at an accommodation-house in Central Otago, when, in response to tho inquiry of an English tourist as to tho location of the

bathroom, mine host vehemently exclaimed: “Bathroom? There ain’t none! See that jintlernan (who was moving awav). He’s bin cornin’ here for years an' years, an’ has niver axed for a bath. What’s good enough for him is good enough for the likes ev yezl” The gentleman felt this the only occasion that jimmy (peace to his n-shes!) bad not done him justice by omitting to state that he took his morning dip in the crept nearby. But it resulted in his spending tho evening alone, meditating on “evil being wrought by want of thought” as well as by want of baths. I

(Miss Jane Mandcr wrote a novel (what was its name? There are so many novels) —‘A New Zealand-River ’ or something like that, in which (Tie heroine, almost crushed beneath tho crudities of this new land, is upheld by the friendship of an English lady who maintained English standards in tho darksome depths of tho i bush up Kaipara way. Eventually she, | tho heroine to wit, marries a courteous but formerly drinky Briton, her nativeborn hubby obligingly getting himself killed in a trolley accident at tho proper moment. The deceased seemed a fairly decent chap, too, and Mias Mandcr does not accuse him of anything worse than occasionally drinking his tea out of a i saucer, or something of the sort. The, general message or burden of the book i seemed to bo that wo, tho native born, j are a coarse, uncultured crowd, devoid i of tho finer feelings; and incapable of art, I literature, or keeping a proper crease in our trousers. Now comes Mr Julian Grande, who asserts roundly that we aro moral, intelligent, industrious, enterprising. with healthy minds and healthy bodies, and that among us are scientists, literary men, and patriots of a very liigh , order. There scorns to be a discrepancy j somewhere. Perhaps if we took, say, 25 i per cent, oft' Mr Grande’s estimate and ] added 25 ncr cent, to Miss Mander’s wo j would not be far from the truth. /

A Dunodin gentleman has given up choir singing after fifty-five years of it, and in a Presbyterian Church at that. Well, we all have our little weaknesses, though usually we give them up or they give us up in a much shorter time. Mr Arnold Bennett, who has taken to giving good advice to young people, refers to this mutter of choir singing. He save that to be a chorister for over twenty-five years is a crime against the humanity in oneself. I quote from memory, and memory is deceptive; but that is the sense of his remarks. Mr Bennett is all against habit. But is he right? There is something very restful and soothing in habit. After, say, twenty-five years you take your scat in the choir (the accustomed seat with the cushion) automatically. You cease to be annoyed by the bird of Paradise in the hat of the lady in front. Hymns, Ancient and .Modern, are known by heart long ago. Even the sermons have sometimes a familiar ring. Peace, peace seems a)!. Saint. Praxed’s ever was the church for peace. Tho young men and maidens—you remember whoa they were christened—meet tie-

corously by accident at the door after service. Air, well, let them. You cast . a benevolent eye on them, and stroll home. | But what a wrench to give it all up' Let us hope the chorister has plenty of philosophy. » * » « NURSERY RHYMES UP TO HATE. THE EXHIBITION. Build an exhibition, ’Tis Dunedin’s pride, Build it at the Gardens Or the waterside, Build it on the Oval If you think you can. Prithee, settle quickly, Exhibition man. People were delighted When the scheme was new j Every class united, Quick the project grew. Sites were all inspected And selection made. Someone has defected, ■ Tell us who’s afraid! City Council’s funking Making the new road, Harbor Board says plainly It won’t bear the load. Hurry up, directors, Sure as you’re alive You’ll have to postpone it Till 1 9 3 5.