In the Mirror

Ladies' Mirror, Volume V, Issue 6, 1 December 1926, Page 2

In the Mirror

Day passed quietly last month, and will doubtless in the course of a few years be a forgotten anniversary to the great majority of people. There has been just a little canting and insincerity written on the observance of this culminating day of the Great War. The ugliest thing about war is the hate that it engenders, not so much m those who do the fighting as in those who do the talking and writing. Common hatred is not natural to man. Surely it is obvious that the keynote of our celebration of Armistice Day ought to be the ending of the war. A day of democratic rejoicing that the hate, which is not natural, has passed and that the world may live in neighbourly love. Yet this note has rarely been struck It is a comfort, on the other hand, that no one wishes to make it a day of hectoring triumph in victory; no one surely feels that way in regard to peace. The war lasted so long that we never felt the fierce joy of victory, for the victors had quite as many wounds as the defeated. It is also quite inappropriate to make the day one of mourning for the gallant dead. If they could speak they would doubtless be the first to cry shame on those who canonise, them merely to point a disagreeable contrast with many who still live. Joy should be the dominant note of Armistice Day. There is a time to mourn and a time to make merry. We owe a duty of remembrance jgid of mourning over those who died that we might enjoy a securer life. But the anniversary of mourning ought rather to be the day the war broke out, not the day on which it ended. It seems straining at a gnat to insist on a note of solemnity and sorrow in our celebrations of peace which brings all the wickedness of war to an end, when we have allowed the anniversary of the day which began it all to go by without any rebuke of the sin or any tears over the failure of reason and charity. We are now approaching the festive season when much will be heard of “Peace on earth and good will towards all,” and it is to be hoped these sentiments will tend to temper the hate generated by the Great War, and to bring about a better understanding in the future. Bv the Locarno Pact the statesmen of Europe paved the way to a brighter era. Let us follow the

noble precepts of that great culminating event in anti-war statescraft and forgive our enemies. q City has become the proud possessor of a Royal Academy art masterpiece (reproduced on the opposite page). “The Spirit of the Summit” has been presented as a token of gratitude to the citizens of the Queen City by Mr. Moss Davis, one of its early pioneers and successful business magnates, now a resident of London. 'Phis celebrated picture was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1894 by Lord Leighton, then president of the Academy. “The Spirit of the Summit” later, in 1897, was again at the Royal Academy at a memorial exhibition of Lord Leighton’s selected paintings. Since then the picture has been in private possession. A few months ago the collection of Mr. Robert English was sold at Christie’s, and this masterpiece was secured by Mr. Moss Davis. “Makers’ of British Art,” reviewing the picture, now a valued acquisition to Auckland’s Art Collection, said : “The most striking picture of the set was undoubtedly ‘The Spirit of the Summit.’ Leighton appears to have aimed at a pictorial rendering of his idea! so as to unite things heavenly and things earthly in one superlative creation. Inspiration and invention could hardly join in the realisation of a transcendental theme more idyllic. This may be held to be Leighton’s truest expression of all that was best in his Art. The superb figure of a fair-haired girl, with blonde complexion and features, and head eclectic in their beauty, sits like a queen upon a snowy peak, gazing with upturned face to the starlit sky. She is in thick pure white draperies, which reflect the silvery illumination of the night.” M. de la Sizeranne, in writing of the picture, said that Leighton might have called it “The Spirit of My Painting.” The finely etched reproduction of this masterpiece of British Art was done by the Auckland Photo Engravers. from a photograph supplied by Mr. Ernest Davis, of Auckland, son of the donor of the picture. q ’W/hen last The Mirror had a few words to sav about the socalled “Beauty Competition,” the Editor received a literary chastisement from several very terse correspondents. who variously described him as “a catty thing.” “a mean killjov.” “a wet blanket,” and other refreshingly frank names.

Tlx a fait tc ho it nu' tc vcmtjinmvic hi a Iter it tow hat cut May joy and peace descend upon you all)

Now that Flapper has been exploited to the limit for the artificial boosting of newspaper circulations, and as a catch-penny stunt for a vaudeville venture, excitement has waned and the "beauties” themselves have resumed their usual dull vocations in factories, shops and offices, our irate correspondents may admit that after all there may have been some wisdom in our criticism. The gullible public swallowed the medicine prescribed by the enterprising quacks, and they arc feeling rather sore at being so cleverly "commercialised." The “beauties,” or, rather, the "finalists," certainly had their hour of triumph, and were treated as spoiled youngsters. They were acclaimed from the stage-doors to the curb-stones by the lads of the villages, and gained much cheap notoriety—which may possibly enhance their chances in the marriage market ; but otherwise the experience is more likely to leave them as disillusioned moths who have been scorched in the flame of publicity. They will probably not take too kindly returning to the modest work-a-day existence from which their vain ambitions tore them for temporary adulation. The chosen few doubtless elljoyed the glamour of the footlights and the plaudits of the public, but the aftermath of such experiences does not make for contentment. Our attitude on this subject has been prompted more out of sympathy for the deluded ones than from any desire to belittle the contestants in the competitions or depreciate their physical charms. Hence we publish an article; “Quest for Beauty” (page 7), by a correspondent who, but for her inherent modesty and retiring disposition, might have vied with “Miss Enzed” for her honours!

Tt is a commonplace that we usually fail to see things as they actually are. If we buy New Zealand-made goods, or at least British, we are at once assured they carry the hallmark of quality, besides which, by "Buying Within the Empire” we show practical patriotism and business shrewdness in supporting our own people. Indeed, we would be wise to regard it as a proof of good citizenship, if not actually as a duty we owe to our country to “Buy British Goods." Furthermore, if we could seedlings more clearly we would make every endeavour to keep the money from our labour and the profits from our products, and so enhance the welfare of our country. Money we send to foreign countries to buy their goods is money often lost, because in most cases foreigners will not buy our products in exchange, and if the process of buying outside the Empire continues we will surely exhaust our own financial resources and impoverish our industries. As we approach the Festive Season it certainly behoves us to prove our national pride and “Buy British Goods,” because at no season of the year is New Zealand so swamped with foreign-made toys, nicknacks, trinkets, and other more or less trumpery trifles, to say nothing of so-called “luxury gifts,” that are “dumped” in the Dominion to absorb a large proportion of the ready money which circulates so freely at

Chrismas-lide, when one's pursestrings loosen to interchange gifts and spread the spirit of happiness. It may be argued that foreign goods are usually so much cheaper, and one must make one’s money go as far as possible in buying presents. That may he, but cheapness does not represent value, Indeed, the two terms are as far asunder as the poles. More often than not cheap goods are usually of poor quality and fail to give Satisfaction, i hey are merely "made to sell" and are not lasting, besides which the money spent on cheap goods mostly goes to loreigners, and is lost to us altogether. On the other hand, goods manufactured within the Cmpire by our own kith and kin can he bought and accepted with genuine pride by all Britishers worthy of the name. Therefore, let us one and all resolve during the next few weeks to act up to the slogan: “Buy Within the Empire,” and give preference to our own people and kinsmen overseas. q r J 1 jin Mirror, with this issue, completes its most successful year. It is now firmly established as “The Home Journal of New Zealand.” We are proud of our achievement, which is best evidenced by the everincreasing number of permanent subscribers that are added monthly to our lists, while news agents’ sales have also shown how eagerly The Mirror is looked forward to each month by casual readers.

This is a very gratifying indication of public good-will; a fact fully appreciated by advertisers. Tin-; Mirror today carries the highest class of national and overseas publicity because it affords the highest standard of quality and gives a broad, lasting background to the advertisements which is an outstanding feature of modern picinrial publicity. With the New Year we intend introducing further new features to brighten our pages, and we have no reason to doubt but that our hosts of readers will continue to increase, and thus enable us to give them still belter value. We oiler the suggestion that now would be an opportune time for our readers and well-wishers to make a suitable present to some of their friends, which would be highly appreciated. Fill in the name of a friend on the subscription form 01 page til, and we will send Tut: Mirror each month lor a year to the address indicated, together with an appropriate card in your name. •I <ur f'iie Jovs of Christmas," the title given to our cover design, reflects the spirit of gladness that is one of the supreme joys of early childhood on Christmas morning, when the gifts of Santa Claus are retrieved from capacious stockings and pillowslips that hang from the mantlepiccc or bed-rail. This charming study is from a photograph taken by the Belwood Studios, Auckland, where a specialty is made of child studies. Indeed. some of the finest examples of the photographic art depicting happy children have come from Belwood’s. Illustrations, Limited, are responsible for the blockmaking introducing the colours.