YOUR CLUB AND MINE

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 34, 3 May 1927, Page 5

YOUR CLUB AND MINE

AN * OPEN PAGE

Each Tuesday afternoon a corner will be reserved for original contributions of general interest to womenfolk. The subject matter is for you to choose —whatever topic interests you may also be of interest or amusement to others, whether it be about your hobbies, experiences, or merely amusing musings about the ordinary round of the day. A book prize is offered weekly for the best effort, which should be brief, plainly written, and sent to “Your Club and Mine,” THE SUN, Auckland. The prize this week has been awarded to Miss Frances Marie St. Clair, of Rotorua, for the following article: BEAUTY . . OF MIND AND BODY By MARIE ST. CLAIR. I fancy I can hear a voice say, “Beauty is only skin deep.” But, stay, sweet voice—that does not apply to beauty of mind . . . far from it. Who could do anything but admire a lovely mind, a mind that puts forth

sentiments noble, just and true . . . that thrill our very souls and stir us up to thoughts and actions more pure and noble? Beauty is a beautiful thing, something to be envied and admired. . . . none are insensible to its charm, young and old, reckless and stern would all gladly share its gifts. Think how many more kindnesses fall to the lot of a lovely child than to the ugly one, who can only expect to receive such favours from the overflowing tenderness and love of its parents, for of course all children are beautiful in the eyes of their mothers and fathers. Not only in children but in old people do we see this influence. Let an old lady show some traces of beauty in her grey dignity of age, and she at once stirs the respectful tenderness of our regard. Even men are sometimes sought after for their good looks, although some very rugged and plain men need only converse for a brief time in order to captivate the most beautiful of women, for theirs is the beauty of mind and conversational powers. To define personal beauty is quite as difficult as to say what constitutes life. According to some philosophers, beauty consists in elegance, grace, ease of attitude, while others say harmony, symmetry, colour, expression and other qualities which, though often found with beauty enhancing its excellence, do not compose it, for it does and can exist without them. Beauty is the assemblage of properties in a person, which not only please the senses but delight the mind. But there are certain qualities which beauty cannot dispense with, viz., health, form and colour. Beauty belongs exclusively to no people or type. It may be found in the fair . English girl or the dark Spanish beauty, in our own Australians or the brown Maori. Intellect, sentiment and passion have great power in modifying the beauty of expression of the human countenance, and a face decidedly plain, when illuminated by the emotions of the soul, may become far more attractive than a face of perfectly regular features. The spiritual expression, the gentle voice and the cheerful disposition go a long way further' to make a happy home than all the charms of a Venus. Much money and time is being devoted to attempting to add new charms and personal appearance by the aid of cosmetics, but it nearly always ends in sad regrets, for they spoil the skin, which they can never renew. I quite believe in making one’s self as nice as one can at all times, especially the beautiful, for I believe in caring for and cherishing Nature’s gifts and not abusing them. Every woman should dress as far as possible in becoming raiment, and in colours which blend with and compliment her charms, and are suitable to her age. If beauty of person is to be admired, how much more so should beauty of mind be held in admiration and sought after. The one is only temporary, the other may last through life. It will outweigh all our other imperfections, will cheer and light us on our march through life. The physically lovely woman should so cultivate her mind that when she has long departed from her loved ones here and all her personal beauties have faded from their memories, it may be said, when they remember all her beautiful sentiments —"She was a charming woman.”

All shades of blue may be prevented from fading by soaking for two hours in a solution of one ounce of sugar of lead to a pail of water. The material should be allowed to dry before being washed and ironed. When your roller blind will not work, it may mean that the metal fixtures on one end have become rusty through steam or dampness. Do not drop oil on the metal, .as it will clog, but dust with talcum, powdered French chalk, or powdered blacklead.