TOUR OF THE YEAR

Taranaki Daily News, 8 September 1934, Page 22 (Supplement)

TOUR OF THE YEAR

A GENEVA SUCCESS. * ?■• . ' > ~r: THE WAY TO BE HAPPY. We have been on a trip through the seasons at Geneva (says the Children’s Newspaper), a lovely trip. The idea grew and blossomed in the mind and heart of that great lover of children and music and song M. JaquesDalcroze until we had the joy and privilege of watching the wonderful journey through the year on the stage of the Grand Theatre at Geneva. Three hundred happy folk took part, of whom 130 were ■ children from the primary schools, trained in their rhythmic classes to. use their minds and bodies freely in response to music. And what a medley of joys the seasons brought to the boys and girls who set out to find in them the beauty of change, the delight of passing from one to the other, ready to let one go in order to enjoy the next! They chose to begin with the summer and found themselves extremely hot. But what matter ? They visited the mountains with the climbers, the lake with the bathers, the hay fields with the haymakers, dancing and singing from one to the other until, out from an enormous caterpillar emerged a radiant 'butterfly to flit daintily among the gorgeous human flowers. Then came the evening, the night of August 1, Switzerland’s birthday, with a bonfire lighted on a mountain-top, and in the dusk, swaying, back and forth, the dim figures of the children, each with a lighted lantern swinging. A With autumn school.began again, but that was a. happy thing after the long holidays. ’ In the' woods the.; leaves fell and human rabbits skipped about and took their revenge on those who turned their guns bn them; catching them and spanking them hard. Loveliest of all the autumn happenings was the departure of . the swallows, dancers w’ith outstretched ; arms for pointed wings, shining black, white-breasted, darting and fluttering, collecting for breath and setting off on their long flight. Who but Dalcroze could accomplish this ? Or who but he could make joyous song and dance out of rain and umbrellas?

Winter followed, and what a riot of sports, all on the stage at the same time: ski-ing, skating, snowballing, a huge snowman, and dozens of snow children. But other things happen too in the winter. Out of the pages .of ah immense picture-book came, all alive and kicking, Puss-in-Boots, Mickey Mouse, Charlie Chaplin, and a special Swiss favourite who rode away on a live donkey. Father Christmas followed with his gifts, but most original of all the winter joys was the waking of the' orchestra after its summer sleep. Human instruments, cello and violin, drum, cymbals, and flute, all came to life again to play their lively part in making the dull days pass. Finally came spring, and in that lay all the hope of the pageant: Keep your faces bright, children. What matter if things seem dark tor . „ day ? Seek the good, the true, the ”S beautiful; know that it exists, live in it, V and bring all those you love into it with you, just by loving them and wanting them to be happy with you. That was Dalcroze’s message, to all the world as well' as to the children. Geneva may fail at some things, but gloriously she succeeds at others.

NEW ALLY FOR PEACE. On the edge of the Cluny Gardens, opposite the entrance of the Sorbonne, Paris has placed a new statue by the sculptor Landowski. It is of Montaigne. So the greatest French scholar takes his place in the centre of learning, a place which is his by right. And those who look up at him there will, we hope, call to mind the great stand he made for peace in those difficult days of the 16th century when religious wars were turning France into a battlefield. . Wa have already told the story of how, when an armed force broke in on the solitude of the castle where he was working, the captain of the troop could hardly believe that his only servitor was the old man at the' gate. “Where is your guard ?”"he demanded, fearing a sudden sally of armed retainers; but Montaigne smiled and pointed to the old man.

“What party do you belong to ?” questioned the officer. “Dp you kill in the name of the Pope or of Calvin ?” ■ “In the name of neither,” replied Montaigne, “for I do not kill. In my opinion it is madness for men to tear each other to pieces in the name of a God of charity and mercy.” The cause of peace has gained another ally in this new Paris statue. HE SAVED HIS MASTER. Not long ago a Shropshire fanner went out with his terrier to tend some of his sheep grazing on a hill. He picked up a dead lamb and was returning with it, carrying a gun over his shoulder. He stumbled and fell, and the gun was accidentally discharged. In the recoil he was struck on the head and received a severe wound, which rendered him unconscious. ' ' On recovering consciousness some time later he found the dog licking his wound and frantically endeavouring to move him. He managed to struggle home, and eventually recovered, to be told by the doctor that his life was. only saved by the dog licking the wound.