THE COLOUR-SCHEMED LIFE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16797, 28 July 1922, Page 10

THE COLOUR-SCHEMED LIFE.

BY EDGAR ROWAN. Aly neighbour and I stood- at the garden fence, discussing colour schemes foi the beds in which we were about to sow our annuals. I .said that in front of the window at which I sometimes sat and made a pretence of working 1 Ranted colours at once restful and inspiring—something that would make ‘me want to work, and yet would not unsettle me for gardening and golf, and the Esther really important things of life. For instance. Aly neighbour interrupted with .- “ Beware of complicating anil confusing life with schemes that it neither appreciates nor understands. I have come to believe that if our moods ana impulses were meant to depend on the colours around us the onlv happy people would be the colour-blind, They, a»> least, would be able to go ahead without conflict and distraction. Aly wife once became very enthusiastic about the idea. If you wanted to be bright and cheerful you surrounded yourself with yellow paint and paper if. in the midst of your cheerfulness, ft

became necessary to be stern or energetic, you moved into another room and sat there until your jaw stuck out that extra half inch that makes for success. If you were in a naughty temper and didn't love your enemy you sat in the blue—or was it the green? —room till only wild horses could hold you back from rushing out and kissing the first income tax man who passed iu his Rolls-Royce. “ It seemed to be agreed, in the family circle, that this sort of treatment was just the thing I wanted. it was pointed out that by moving me judiciously from room to room such improvements might be wrought in my ton© and temper that I should be unrecognisable. “ So the house vras redecorated on scientific lines, and mv life was ordered accordingly. If I were told, when called in from the garden, that lunch was in the yellow room, I knew that they wanted me to be in a cheerful and generous mood. In time I became so knowing that I would put ray cheque-book and loose change in the room that was coloured for caution before I ventured into the yellow room. “ I would become so happy and generous under the combined influence of lunch and the yellow room, that when my wife mentioned bargains at th sales or John said that a fellow at hrschool had a new bicycle, T would leave the table and go to look for that cheque-book. But to get it T had to ginto the room which was pervaded Ip an atmosphere of caution—-speakin from memory I think it must have been hung with Scottish tartan-—an J would decide against foolish generos ity after “The trouble was that I genera V got into the wrong room. I would, wak up simply brimming with work—thro snort stories, two articles and an ido : for «. novel all buzzing round my brain at once- Then I would unguardedly si to read my morning paper in the sooth ing room, coloured to take the fret and fever and unrest out of life, and i’ half an hour I’d say . ‘ Well, if any fool feels like work to-day, he’s no friend of mine.’ “ To see the family conspiring to gel. me out of the reel room into the green

room before Alley broke the news that John had thrown a stone through the greenhouse was a lesson in low cunning. I got so knowing that if they appeared to want me out of the red room 1 would refuse te move, and 1 got a bad cold through insisting on having my tea alone there, without a fire, on a cold day. , j ‘ The idea worked so badrv that at Inst I got a colour-blind house-decor-ator to repaint the house throughout, and now 1 can work or get angry in any room 1 like. Life lias become simple and pleasant once more.”