CARNIVAL-AND AFTER

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2209, 23 July 1914, Page 8

CARNIVAL-AND AFTER

A "QUEEN'S" REVERIES IS IT WORTH THE STRAIN? , (By A.G.SO ' Palmerston North, ,t.v 22; Tho "morning-after" refie, .'" -, of Miss Ellen''Millar, Palmerston-s Carnival Queen, may come as wholesonio medicine to the maidens of other towns who may be envying her brief 6weot taste of majesty. Acoording to- her statement to The Dominion correspondent, tho sweetness is very much of the bitter-sweet kind. ;• "My advice," said she, "to the girls of other towns where queen'of carnival competitions may be contemplated may be summed up in 'Punch's' famous warning—'Don't.' I would not go through tho experience again on any consideration." Is that the verdict of you all? • ."I believe none of the other candidates would ever consent to stand if another carnival were hold." [ : Where are the drawbacks? .. "When. I came out first I did not realise all that I should have to do. I soon found myself in a perpetual round of 'socials' and dances, and other' functions. On two nights I had; to attend two of such affairs' at opposite sides of the town. Then I had- to at- ■ tend to my ordinary work each day afterwards. ' In this respect some of' .tho other candidates must have felt the . strain even more than I did." '■■' Then ; t proved to be not glory, but , graft? "Glory 1" exclaimed th 6 chosen of Palmerston. "Why, it' became quite obvious that those who stood to gain ' allthe profits did not caro a bit for tho welfare of the candidates. To me it seemed that they did not care how wo. raised the money for them, or how tired ; ,We grew, so long as they got it. Once the ballot-boxes "were 1 closed .they did not seem to care if the Queen died or . lived. One seemed to become the centre - of jealousies and rivalries. A candidate —especially one well'known in the town —had to put up with a lot that was disagreeable, ancl-to be* the subject'- of criticism that could hardly escape doiugher harm. People will say- things. Then one had to be at everybody' 6 disposal; and you cannot please all.' If you dance with one man you have to dance with them all: You'have to be perpetually making yourself agreoablt to people you don't know.". 'But the lady's prerogative? "Oh, it seemed that a Queen candidate had to quite lose the lady's prerogative' of choosing whom- she would acknowledge. In the street and out of it, one had to know nearly everybody or. offend them." ■■ ' ' ' At the Dances. "At the dances and 'sooials'," she said, "I longed for a spell of, rest, but my only, way of getting it was to make . myself ■ scarce by going to the supperroom to wash dishes. But then it was : quickly) discoVered that you were missing, and a cry was raised. Some of the other candidates, less accustomed than I had been to sooial outings, confessed to me that often they felt half dead, and,l.myself several times could! hardly drag .myself along." _ But the brief joy of feeling, that . crown on your head? ; "It was indeed brief. I don't know, that there was any joy in it after, all.. What could yoiivfeel except: that you , woro up for exhibition—for the' public !to gaze at. That is what I did'nt like." But you enjoyed the Carnival it■self ? "We had no chaiice to.. For all the hard work .wo. did as. candidates we had no pleasure in return. They should, .have crowned,,the.Queen at, the,beginning of.Carnival Wjsek,! as they .did at Napier, .and set lis free to enjoy our-. selves. But here'they crowned us at-y" the last .moment,, jpuniight,'say,; ivhen .... they had ho more us'e'fo'r"u6.'.The' money.' 'we brought them was all. they bothered about. I was' Queen for only' half ,an ihouf. It was not fair to us girls to do all that work and have no fun out of -it;" .- ' ■-•'■ Finally Miss Millar pronounced what must bo'the_death knell of queenly aspirations in these words: ''Tho .- jealousy that grew around one was bitterly painful. Honestly speaking, when a girl stands for Queen of .Carnival,' everything she may have done or may ■not havo done is raked up before the public. In fact, the girl's character becomes at stake. She is there to lose her, My advice to girls in other towns when a carnival is started is—iseep out of it.' It is worse than standing for Parliament." ,