Mundane Musings

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 102, 21 July 1927, Page 5

Mundane Musings

The Inconstant Nymph! Her name is Chloe, and someone .called Jeff, whose middle name certainly ought to be “Mutt,” once told her, in a rash moment, that her chief charm was that she had “such a fluid mind.” Since that evil day, Chloe’s mind has been getting fluider and fluider, till it’s now a mixture of quicksilver and thrice-filtered water. A weathercock is a stable and dependable creature compared with her, and her left hand most certainly doesn’t know what her right hand is going to do. On Monday Chloe is pure Greek, in sandals and draperies, determined to go hatless and meatless for the rest of her life. On Thursday, when she comes to lunch, having provided lentil cutlets and orange salad, both of which you simply loathe, you discover that in the interval she has met Rawlinson, the “eat more meat” advocate, and that you might just as well have had cutlets after all. One afternoon she will sit and agree with you that Irma Potter, a quite loathesome woman, is a blot on the universe, and the next evening you will discover her with her arm round “darling Irma,” in earnest converse, which you shrewdly suspect contains not a few references to your general un worth iness. It is impossible to give her a present, for you never know whether, in literature, she is at the Kipling, Tchekov, or Ethel M. Dell cycle, and as for the blue Bristol vase which you thought would look so jolly in her bedroom, you go round and find that under the influence of that frightfully clever young man Arnold Binet she has “tired of old furniture” and has filled the whole place with what look like crudely painted Russian toys. Chloe’s conversation is apt to be a revelation to those who are not used to it, for one moment she is assuring you that “The Constant Nympth” is “the most marvellous show” she has ever seen, and the next this most inconstant nymph is heard agreeing with the Smiths that “the play bored me stiff —full of silly emotionalism.” She has evidently modelled her conduct on that of her namesake in the poem: " Chloe’s a nymph in flowery groves, A Nereid in the streams : Saint-like she in the temple moves, A woman in my dreams .■ Now, it’s all very well to take a pride in being “adaptable,” and “keeping an open mind,” but Chloe is all these things run mad. She is an ardent Christian Scientist on Monday, a staunch member of the Church of England on Tuesday, Violet’s greatest admirer on Wednesday, and her most scornful detractor on Thursday; on Friday she will attend a meeting for the “Promotion of Morris Dancing in the Parks,” and on Saturday for its suppression. If you accuse her of a certain—er—lack of fidelity in her opinions, she will retort, airily: “You see, dear, I can always see both sides of a question. Somebody once told me 1 —” You do not wait to hear about her “fluid mind”—somehow, you feel you can’t bear it, for while she is pitying you for a lack of elasticity, a certain rigidity of mind, she is oblivious of the fact that however tolerant or open to new suggestions you may be there are some loyalties, to which everyone must, in decency, cling. GOLF CLUB SOCIAL AT WAIUKU The Waiuku Golf Club held a very enjoyable and successful dance in the Oddfellows’ Hall on Monday night. The hall was very artistically decorated with coloured streamers, Chinese lanterns, greenery, and flowers, and reflected great credit on those who had this matter in hand. The music supplied by Miss Pullman’s orchestra was all that could be desired, and the floor, being in good order, the dancers were well catered for. At about 10.30 p.m. a very dainty supper, which had been supplied by the ladies. was handed around, and was much appreciated by those present. The club funds will benefit to the extent of several pounds from the proceeds of the evenIf the oven-lining of the gas-cooker has become blackened by neglect, brush it all over with ordinary whiting (as you would a fireplace). Leave for 12 hours, then wash, and the discoloration will come off with the whiting

When making a baked-fruit pudding with a suet crust, grease the basin in the usual way, then shake coarse brown sugar over the bottom and sides This makes a toffee-like crust which is delicious. If iodine is spilt, immediately hold the stained article under cold running water for several minutes. On no account use soap until the stains fade to a bluey colour- then dry in the open air without boiling. Later, the article can be boiled, and all traces of the iodine will disappear.