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Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17612, 17 January 1929, Page 6

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IN THE DRIFT OF llFtf (By “ Seeker.* 3 '}’ A SALVATIONIST’S DREAD. , A London cablegram states: woman officer of the Salvation Army stationed in the East End of London complains that the rank and file of the Army are forced to bear the ignominy of the present dispute over J the chief command. They are dreading ‘self-denial week,’ which is to commence on February 23, when they must appeal to the public. They dare not express their views because they would be suspended and lose their means of livelihood.” ■ • • * j Aunt Selina read the cablegram and i remarked: “There, William, I told you so! I knew a lot of these dear Army workers would be in agonies over the antics of their overlords and Poo- j bahs." , . “That wasn’t what you said, Daa retorted. “You said the good lassies would go on with their work and take no notice of the silly squabble." j

“It’s the same thing.” “Well, I’ll be —1 So agonising the same thing as taking no notice." “Of course. When you take no notice of a child’s jtantrums, that’s just when you’re agonising most.” “Ha! Ha!- Child’s tantrums is right, auntie,” chuckled the irreverent Jack, who had come in from tennis and bath, and was enjoying a salad while Aunt and Dad discussed the paper. “You’re a bit hard, aren’t you, Selina, on all those Generals and Commissioners and high Mukamuks,” Dad pleaded, soothed into geniaLity by the first whiffs of his pipe and the pleasant repletion of the inner man. “Perhaps I shouldn’t say such things,” Aunt admitted. “But these big people—the dictators and boss politicians, and princes of religion—rail strike me that way—just children playing at kings and queens and squabbling over who’s to be boss. Oh, but it’s sad to see the Salvationists going the same way—but only those few. The really grown-up ones go on with their work. They’re more concerned with the salvation part than the army part, and they’ll go on just mothering the waifs, young and old, and going round like nameless beggars in selfdenial week. And I suppose some people will chaff them over all this business that makes such a splash in the papers. And now, Jack, you can come and help with the washing-up and, William, do think of something we can deny ourselves to give the Army people more than half-a-crown this time.”

OPEN-AIR SCHOOLS. If anyone remains uhoonvinced of the blessings of open-air schools, I imagine a glance at the pictures in the booklet just issued by the Open-air Schools League (P.O. bGX 1177, Christchurch) would settle the matter. These photos show classrooms in which, in fine weather, the children have almost as much air and light as they would beneath the* shade of a large tree. Yet tiiere is ample protection in bad weather. Bach cla’ssroom stands by itself in the grounds, so that there is no interruption from other parts of the school. At intervals between lessons, in line weather, when the sliding doors on one side of the room are all kept open, the whole class empties out into the grounds in a few seconds, and afte* brief recreation the youngsters return refreshed. * Christchurch people—pupils, parents and teachers; —are enthusiastic over the experiment and they have put forward the slogan “Every school an open-air school.” Doubts have been expressed as to whether the plan would succeed equally well here in the north, where we have so- much boisterous wet weather. But the pictures showing how the open side can be closed against wind and rain, whilst the ventilation from other sides of the rooms Is still ample, should quell all doubts, and it is in a climate like ours, with much moist, hot weather, that the open-air and the intervals of laxation are most needed. Would that some enthusiast would buy a thousand of these booklets and distribute them among Hamilton parents to show the kind of school we ought to have in place of such monstrosities as we see now. The books, with 11 excellent full-page photos, cost a shilling each. * .• • • I WORKING AND SINGING. "The Drummer” read in a Christ-* mas book this quotation from Thomas Carlyle: “Give us, oh give us, the man who sings at his work! Be his occupation what it may, he is equal to any of those who follow the same pursuit, in silent sullenness. He docs more in the same time —he will do it better —he will persevere longer.” “I’d have liked to put Tom Carlyle to work in our office," said the Drummer, “and see how he would have enjoyed trying to concentrate on figures while our McCaruso warbles at his elbow 'The Toreador’ or ‘Leonora, Farewell!’ with the latest comics thrown in. Oh, yes, It’s very delightful when you’re not in the middle of a bit of reckoning and flying to catch the mail. But, lord, I could take a meat-axe to him sometimes. Now, soft music in the next street is enough. The -gramophones grinding out the same old tune across the street don't worry me a bit. But when McCaruso O’Cormack bursts forth right at your ear—well, I’d just have liked to hear what peppery old Carlyle would have said about people who sing at their work—and at other people's workl I don’t remember to have heard that Tom himself sang much.” “You horrid thing,'' said Calypso, who works in the' next room, “it’s lovely to hear him.” The “Seeker" said nothing, being painfully conscious of the days and nights when he used to attempt to sing and to whistle at his work. Whsif patience those fellow-workers mu.£ have had! 'For the “Seeker” has ns,; the tunefulness of McCaruso O’Cormack. At last someone was kind enough to be cruel and told the "Seeker” some good home truths about his musical capabilities. But McCaruso O’Cormack warbleth still, and the Drummer gnasheth his teeth.