AT THE COMPETITIONS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 43, 14 November 1919, Page 10

AT THE COMPETITIONS

NERVES AND NEUTRALITY

(By "Sylvius.")

Dotho many people irlio nttenil tlio Coinpctitipiw realise the pangs and nervous tribulation that are endured by 50 per cent of tin-■competitors? -'The ollior l>nlf may be "hardy annuals at the Competitions, »nd, knowing Hie jjnme, do not worry, much so Ion? us they ore word perfect. ' Indeed, there are these who ■helicve'tlmt they are only a step or two Mow the plane of h Mnrßaret Aniflm-or an Emelie I'nlini, n Jlell'ii or" a 'J>ttrnz-ziiii.-aiul it is impolitic 16 suggest nnythin" that reflects an opinion adverse to their obsession. But to the timid beginner the first, time out in public, 1 the experience is more'or less of an or--1 deal aceordinsf to' temperament. Somo of thcm-likely singpi's, too-become piilo unci trembly, others Mush un scarlet, and have to swallow a. lump before they cim i;ire utterance to the first note.. Of course it is idle t<l -siißßest to such' tlie utter uselessnesfl of "nerves." that Ihc-nmliwico are as kindly disposed as the judges, nrnl that the critics are not all rotroiis. No, they have to <ro through the experience '—tiiroush the fiery ordeal—so to .a stale of pktform Tepose. Until that is attained in some measure at least, no competitor <-a.n be expected to do himself or herself justice. Th(it..m»st lie a couiid consolation lo many an honest competitor, and it is a legitimate one. For many aro really so "stiisre frightened ttvit' they, find it impossible to put into practice'what'they have clone in the studio, or the home, or perhaps before the ful 1-1 ?ngth» mirror in the best bedroom. But it i? not the competitor merely that (ills the eve of the everyday habitue of the Town.. Hall in these days. There. i<l another factor, which count.-i a. good deal with the competitor—and themselves. That is the mother' of the juvenile competitor, a person only a first prize- can appease. As a rule she —I'lere are exceptions, of course—can only see virtue in her own (which is Iva'utifully maternal) and cannot imagine why the good and tois" j«'lw cannot see with her eyes. There was ono who-on learning t!:::t a child from t-.ho Konth hid wen a fiocti(m in which lie.r own girlio wos eng-aip-d v:t* heard to say "Well, I don't flunk its ?»ir—l think that 'WeHinu'toiv competitions should be- for Wellington children. Argument in such a case would mily lead to a cceni'. . Many a snmul ludcte has learned the utter' futility of nTfiiim,' wilh the mother o-f iv competing ehild. Oil the Other hand there are molhei-s-1 oer cent, of the tntnl-w'io con see clear, lv and jmk'e fnirly-and tl-we not only are adorable women, lint are "pearl-, of wjsifc wice" behind the f-l.ise. Jt wni chcerinsr tn hror such a one fay to-the winning child fwho had lipntn> her -<wn): "MV dear, von iver» dehghhal, ,nv| von thoroughly "de=erved to win !' Thai, is the Miirit to Ik>-comiviendci , |>ml it ei.tremlrT* fie Hmely thon?''t that it is. U oiilv the young ones who liove «nmerhin" to leiwn from the but "the mothers, sisters aunt* and teachers, who ore interested Mionsn in the children to follow ti<em to the curJ"in" M-hif-h --re rc-u-ded 1." SO many sia Hie "door- of fii-te." To the inai"- tf" ~-,. fl.e official nm.m.M.mst. Mr Harold Whittle l>o a treasure Ris aefoinpwiimenb nro nof o'llv vastly >e! .- fill 'ind -iilwavs Fj-imintliPtic lint it m h<. Vl.o fell- (lieni'ffl'orc to slanrt so as to wt the lv>st help he c-m giro hem. ni<<l"--hfriiUl ih" memory nl'iy any Incks ho i-. extremely reatly with the wii'-ds. '['ho Wi'l'initton , fV.im.-titions t-fl.nety liiis done nol-hin.' belt--- (Van to eiißiifte the services of Mr. Whittle.