POSTSCRIPTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 21, 26 January 1938, Page 10

POSTSCRIPTS

Chronicle and Comment

BY PERCY FLAGE

Strictly meteorological note: Those who save ir.p against a rainy day would soon go bankrupt on the West Coast. Referring to Dean Noe: it is understood that the best professional fasters learned their trade by lunching in teashops. * » ■» Talking of Burns's mausoleum: W» know a Scot who never fails to pay the highest tribute to the name and fame of that great poet. * «• • ' A returned visitor says that Ge> many has a remarkable appearance of prosperity. Out here we also have something which appears to be prosperity. Anent Hitler's apotheosis: It was the wise old Samuel Johnson who said that "he that claims, either in himself or for another, the honours of perfection will surely injure the reputation he designs to assist." £• * * DECLINED WITH THANKS. (Sent in by "Regular Reader.") A correspondent, something new Transmitting, signed himself "X.Q."; The editor his letter read, And begged he might be X.Q.Z. » » « SWEETNESS OF LIFE. "This is very old," writes "An Admirer." "but well worth reviving in Col. 8." Standing by a friend when other* are going away from him. The unexpected kindness. The small courtesy to the passing stranger. The certainty that you have one friend who will not fail you when you require her friendship. The consciousness of duty performed —no matter how hard the performance or how unsatisfactory the results. The little word of love and comradeship spoken at the right time. The hand-clasp of unchanged affection after years of separation. The frank comradeship of a manirrespective of his love. The perfect understanding that ask» for no explanation, but "keeps believing" in spite of circumstances. * * '. '• HORSE PHRASES. Herewith my first "flutter" at contributing to your entertaining column: A well-shod car. Reins of Government. Kicking over the traces. Team work. Flogging a dead horse. Cricket team of colts. Yours till the numbers go up, SANDON C. NEED. From "Wild Chase":— Drive a coach and six through. As strong as a horse. Shut the stable door. Looking a gift horse in the mouth. Putting the cart before the horse. "My withers are unwrung." X— What of the verbal "horseplay" by punters who were up against a "dark horse" or two at Trentham on Saturday? * «• ♦ . '■/■:■'. BED. ."Seeing:red".is one thing, going Red is' another (■ but 'wearing it is a horse (?) of another colour. For example— red flannel, the bane of our youth and the consolation (next the skin) of many of our rheumatiky elders. Our ancestors saw much virtue in red. A Saxon apothecary ordered for a headache the herb crosswort, put on a red fillet (of steak?), and bound round the head. A red thread seems to have been considered efficacious in a variety of ways, and red was certainly the colour for charms. A skein of scarlet silk tied round the neck stopped bleeding (or did it?). In pre-Soviet Russia nine skeins of wool round a child's throat kept away scarlatina (no joke intended), and one skein round his arms and legs would protect him from ague and fever. The Highland women kept away witches by tying red silk round their fingers.. A Chinese baby wears a similar charm round his wrist; and mothers in Estonia would not consider their precious infant safe' from evil spirits if the cradles lacked a scrap of the all-powerful red thread. «'c * . HI, HITLER! The warriors of Valhalla— Than this there's nothing surer— Were roughnecks to the collar , Compared with Ad the Fuhrer. Hard knocks to them were toothsoma; They were most gorgeous scrappers, And had an eye for youthsome ■ Wild Amazonian flappers. They ravished and they raided, All out, and helMor-leather-; The awful things that they dfd Would make Gen. Goering blether. Before and after killing They found it appetising To spend their time in swilling And fiercely gourmandising. And none of them was Aryan Like Adolph, or a rabbitLilce vestal vegetarian— Theirs was the red meat hawt. To such brutes the aesthetic Was just a dark enigma;. They hated that pathetic Moustache—the toothbrush stigma. None was so queer and odd-like, Or spiritually so flighty. To think that he was god-like Or even the Almighty. And now—this smashing stricture You paladins of plunder: You couldn't paint a picture ... Ain't ,'ltler jest a wonder! POSTED . . . MISSING. "Studies in C's."—Trifle too forced. "Memo" (Willis Street). — Your "Lucretia departs for the wars" had us all tiejl up. And what's the matter with your old typewriter? J.G. (or something like that).—Do wo remember the time you chased us on to the mat over Massey's grave? We don't. Tell us about it. "Carlos."—Tearing Franco to bits in hostile impossible verse gets nobody nowhere, as the McClancy once put it. "Uppa Tree."—And you w t ant us to bring you a financial stepladder? Ask us another. Jerry M—Nice of you to say such tilings, but honestly, we don't deser.ve them. Yes; I can recall those old days on that ill-fated journal. "Belladonna."—Thanks for good words and the clippings. "On The Road."—Your "Hikers Song" has spirit, but your technical skill leaves something to be desired. T.M.S.—Not for us, thanks all the same. "Blotto Bill" (Johnsonviue).—«..an. you guarantee the authenticity of that par? It reads well. "Mornington."—Why not look it up for yourself in the Public Library? "Belle."—We have been unable to trace that reference. Are you certain about the citation? "Road Hoggett."—Thanks, but th3t. matter was dealt with in Column 8 late last year. May do something with the other note. "Brownie" (Marton).—May be able to help you. Look us up when-yau.com* to Wellington.