THE LUMBER ROOM

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 37, 6 November 1937, Page 9

THE LUMBER ROOM

"PAUL ■ ■MiRiiai

PRY."

[a]

Democracy Needs To-day. One thing that our democracy needs to-day above all others is the energy of intelligent, aggressive, and welltrained young men and young women in practical efEorts for the public welfare. Eor their own full and- vigorous development as much as for that of the country, I have no hesitation in saying to those who can stand a eold plunge , a . Come on in . . , the water is aplendid. — W. Cross. Our Daughters, A few weeks ago we were invitcd to a dinner party. One of the guests was a girl who impressed me more than any stranger has. She was lovely to look at, beautifully poised, her voice was charming, she had the "grand manner," and yet was de>lightfully gracious. I kept thinking, "Surely this girl has hafl many advantages! " But when I inquired, I found that her education had been confined to high sehool and a short business course. This experience reminded cne that the word "educate" means rto lead forth," and if my daughters have in themselves something worthwhile, it is possible that they will become true gentlewomen.— Mary.

Swing Music. Swing is that pleasantly disturbing rhythmic element in inodern dance music which consists of a conflict between the accompaniment section of the'- instrumental ensemble, keeping striet time, and the melodiq section employing a free. rubato . , . the one section peremptorily guiding the feet of the dancer whilst the other seductively intrigues his ear.— Dr. Percy Scholes. That Adjacent Man. There are no safe tame lions, tigers, leopards or bears. The big cats are fashioned for lcilling by stealth and with speed. Fangs, claws, musclos and sinews are to the cat what thc cortex of the brain is to the thinlter . , . something that goes on working in spite of temperament. Take a young lion or tiger some six months old and lceep "handling" him. He wiU grow up with a 'human" association which becomes part of his nature, But that nature is nine-tenths a killing nature, and man to him is no more than a treo is to the jungle relatlve. Some day he will want to sharpen his claws on that adjacent man, not because he is vicious, but because he is ignorant of man's vulnerability. — John S. Clarke. Three From One Match. It may be true that the old wartime superstitions are gradually dying out, but in some places it is still considered unlucky to light throe petrol lighters from one mateh.— The Humorist. Life of the Paxty. Police found a man gagged and bound in a suburban garden recently, No action was taken by the understanding officers when enquiries at the house elicited the fact that he had been the life and soul of the party.— London Opinion.

The ArchbiBhop Plays. At an evening' party at his homo Archbishop Trench asked if some oue would piay chess with him, and a lady volunteered, The Archbishop, no longer young, had a presentiment that he would oue day have a paralytic stroke. After playiug some some time he becaoie agitated and deadljy pale; his partner asked if he felt ill- He replied: "Your move," and fell back in his chair. The other guests came round in some anxiety, and he simply said: "It has come at last; my right side is paralysed." ^ "Impossiblet" they .said. "It is so," he replied. 'ti have been pinching my leg and there is no feeling. Then his partner blushingly said: "Your Grace, it was my leg you were pinching. Lord Rathcreedan. Aa Epigram. An epigram is a half truth so stated as to irritate the person who b'elieves the other half.— -Shailer Mathews, The Fixed. Xdea. The fixed idea which has outrun more constables than any other form of human disorder, has neyer more speed and stamina than when it takes the avid guise of love To hedges and ditches, and doors, to humans without ideas fixed or otherwise, to peranibulators andi the cqntents sucking- their fixed ideas, even to the other sufferors from this fast malady— the fixed idea of love plays no attention. It runs with eyes turned inward to ita own light, oblivious oi all. other stars. Those with the fixed ideas that human happiness, depends on their arfc, on vivisecting dogs, on hatiug foreigners, on paying super tas, on remaining Ministers, on making wheels go roujad, on preventing their neighbours from being divorced, on conscientious objec* tion, Greek roots, Ohureh dogma, paradox and superiority to everybody else, with other forms of ego mania — all are unstable compared with him or her whose fixed idea xs the posgession of some her or him,— "To Let," John Galsworthy.