THE HOPE OF TO-MORROW

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 3, Issue 5, 1 November 1924, Page 5

THE HOPE OF TO-MORROW

BIBLICAL RECREATIONS Now that summer is with us again 1 suppose we shall soon hear again from the worthy kill-joys who discover all sorts of harm in people innocently enjoying themselves on Sundays; who would have us all moping behind shut doors and drawn blinds as a form of religious devotion. It is rather curious, however, to find a padre offering one hundred pounds to anyone who can “find a text in the Bible prohibiting Sunday games, ” but the Vicar of Huttoft in England has just done so. He is probably quite safe in his offer, for the Jews seem to have known little of what we call recreation. Neither the wore! game nor “pastime” appears in the Bible, and many of the records of merriment are complicated by allusions to grapes and their product. Dancing seems to have been the favourite outlet for high spirits — common ground of the timbrel and the saxophone. In the way of pure athletics, the tribes required no more than was necessary to the stoning of the prophets and the slaughter of the heathen. And neither of these, 1 imagine, would have been discountenanced as a Sabbath recreation. THE “UNCONVINCING” ALL BLACKS The All Blacks proceed from triumph to triumph, and twice weekly we are gratitied to learn that the expected has happened. The slight feeling of apprehension that their moderate scores in the first few games gave rise to is now lost in a feeling of perfect confidence, which, though the stiffest part of their tour is before them, is probably well justified. The English critics, however, are . somewhat curious, for no matter how many points the New Zealanders amass, they are reported as having been unconvincing with the greatest consistency. It is a bit difficult to please everyone, but the Home football wiseacres might remember that it is a very poor compliment to their own teams to attempt to depreciate the abilities of a side that can beat them by an average of about MO points.

HEIGHTENING OUR LIVES 1 have a great grouse against Nature —I was born many years too soon! Do not think that I am complaining because the hoars of many winters besprinkle my raven locks, for, indeed, I have not yet reached the stage where it is necessary to decide which will be the more economical — course of monkey gland or a well-padded bath chair. No, what annoys me is that the children of to-day seem to have such wonderful times compared to those we had when we were small, and, like Shakespeare’s schoolboy, crawled like snails unwillingly to school. I should think the modern child simply dashes to school as to a bun-fight, and looks upon the numerous

and lengthy holidays as times of boredom, when there are no free entertainments. Cinemas and conjurers and other itinerant entertainers are apparently regular features of the curriculum. Oh! to be a child again, and my work continually enlivened with what were the rare and eagerly anticipated treats of my boyhood’s holidays. The only objection to making school too attractive seems to be the awful jar when school days are over and a workaday world has to be faced where no cinemas or conjurors are permitted to ameliorate the weary round: where even our morning tea and gossip are subject to harsh criticism and threatened with abolishment.

This is obviously no reason for limiting our infants’ pleasures— let us soften the blow by making office life more attractive. Why shouldn’t we have amusement hours for typists? The conjuror might be replaced by mannequin parades, while one has only to go to any “picture palace” to learn that educational films are considered a, weariness to the flesh, so something more sprightly or heartrending would he substituted. The monotony of our wharf-workers ’ lives might bo varied by natatorial sports, and' if “uplift” is desired, illustrated lectures on the lands that produce the goods they handle might be arrangedaccompanied by suitable refreshments. Some suitable form of amusement might even be arranged for journalists, though this appears unnecessary, so full are thenlives already with change and variety!

HIGH SPEED LABOUR Nails, I read, are so cheap that it is more economical for a carpenter to take a fresh nail than to waste time picking up one that he has dropped. I must strongly protest against statements of this sort being circulatedthey are liable to cause such a slump in the millionaire market, for we have always been told that the one certain way of Decoming a modern Croesus was never to disregard the pin on the floorand pins are even less costly than nails. However, as carpenters time appears to be so valuable, perhaps the modern road to fortune is by way of the plane and saw. Certainly the carpenter who recently work in my bedroom was a student of industrial economy —and he must have practised it to some considerable extent, as I discovered, when I incautiously ventured to cross the floor with bare feet. I, on the other hand, had to was t e considerable time in picking up — and picking out — nails. So, perhaps, on the whole, the purposes of industrialism were hardly served thereby though, of course, I drew no over ti m e for my labour. Even in the troublesome times that India is experiencing, a glimpse of the humorous is occasionally ea uga t. Recently there died a Mohammedan saint, so holy that work was anathema to him, who had gained a highly satisfactory livelihood by haunting the European bazaar; where he had lived, there must he be buried, and one of Ids coreligionists on the Corporation readilv sanctioned his interment within the bazaar — regardless of the feelings of the lli n d shopkeepers and the European c o m unit y whose hard-won rupees keep the bazaar flourishing, who might possibly object to their foodmarket being! converted into a cemetery, even for one as holy as the unwashed disciple of the Prophet. Buried he was with pomp, and to his shop-surrounded tomb flocked pilgrims from all over Bengal, to pay honour to so distinguished a member of their faith and hoping to gain spiritual credit for their piety. Unfortunately it has since been ascertained that the holy one, though undoubtedly devout, was a pious Roman Catholic! What has happened to the zealous Mohammedan official on the Corporation history docs not relate. Nor do we know whether the saintly one will be allowed to rest in the peaceand plentyof a well-stocked and well organised market, or whether he will be dug up and deposited in some more suitable and Christian burying place. OUR COVER The beautiful child study that appears on our cover this month is by Mr. Comyns, of the Broadway Children's Studio, opposite the Municipal Buildings, Newmarket, Auckland.