Aunt Hilda's Christmas better

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18946, 17 December 1929, Page 10 (Supplement)

Aunt Hilda's Christmas better

THE SPIRIT 07 CHRISTMAS : My song I troll out £or Christmas stout, The hearty, the true and the bold; A bumper I drain, and with might and main Give three cheers for this Christmas old! —Dickens, Pickwick Papers. JJEAR GIRLS AND BOYS,— Bravo, to you all for your splendid response to the call of the competitions! Entries came in a trifle slowly at first, but towards the closing time, there was a phenomenal deluge of drawings, poems and stories. The very best section was the short story, but the tinies under ten gave a wonderful account of themselves, and it was this section that afiorded the judges the very keenest delight. The descriptions of “My Happiest Day This Year” were so varied, ranging from birthday parties, days on the beaches, rambles on the hills, down to the happy day a baby sister was bom, and when one boy became the proud and happy owner of a calf! The winner in the juvenile section expresses himself very well for a laddie of nine years. The increased merit of this section over last year, gives me great hope for the future literary competitions which we shall, from time to time, conduct. I hope these little people will not lose all their originality as the years roll over their heads. The short story under eighteen was heavily contested; but there was a curious similarity of ideas in the bulk of the entries. By far the greater per cent described a Christmas in London, a snowy night, a drunken father, a half-starved mother and a helpless cripple child! Why go to London for inspiration, when Poverty Street can be found here in our own city quite easily? Young writers should always choose a topic they know, preferably from personal experience or observation. You have then a far greater chance of making your story ring true. However, the winning entries were both very good, showing a knowledge of human nature and how it reacts quite well. In other words, they were true to life. And they were vivid. Sometimes, you lose your picture by the use of too much description, and dialogue is always most realistic. These three stories were well told, and I congratulate the prize-winners on really good attempts. The poetry section was well contested, but alas! The majority of the entrants forgot that the conditions were “ topical and humorous.” The humour was more apparent than the topicality. The first essential is to adhere to the conditions. Several of the best humour submitted were not topical, and had to be ignored in a Christmas page. This was notably so in the entry of B. O’Ryan, of Greymouth, his humour being very good. The drawing section was again a large improvement on last year, and looking at the pictures you will agree they were fairly difficult to judge. In a set subject, there are always two factors to be considered, the drawing itself and the conception of the subject. This was notably so in the first prize-winner, it being considered the best conception coupled with good drawing. But I am very proud of all the drawings, and would have liked you to have seen every entry. The drawing was the hardest section of the lot to judge. So. I think we may all congratulate ourselves and be congratulated on a really excellent Christmas competition, and we will turn our thoughts earnestly towards still further progress for next year. In conclusion, I wish all my little readers, members and friends the very best that the Yuletide season can yield. “Don't forget all those grown-up people, Aunt Hilda. Many of them read and enjoy the Children’s Page as much as the children," reminds John Joke-Box. “ Very well, John,” I reply. So here is a special greeting of goodwill to all my grown-up readers, and I even venture to hope that Father Christmas will remember every one of them still! As for Mr Joke-Box, I sincerely hope he is not given any more rich foods to eat, for I’m sure he will not be able to get much fatter without a calamity! All the little travellrs on the Toy Trail are shouting in chorus, “ Merry Christmas, Starlets,” and Peter Pan is piping a tuneful lay to you all. Now, please accept all these loving greetings .and let us think of 1929 as a most successful year. Happiest greetings and tons of good things to each one of you— Ever yours, in friendship and goodwill,— Aunt Hilda. P.S.—Prizes will be posted to all winners later.—A.H.