FROM WENDY’S ARMCHAIR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 20 July 1929, Page 10

FROM WENDY’S ARMCHAIR

CLOUD PICTURES

My Dear Children, Our beloved “seventy-seven” has written again apd said enough wise and humorous things to keep us amused ior weeks! "Seventy-seven,” you know, is a dear lady who is really and truly seventy-seven years old; yet she is as young in spirit as the tiniest of our Tillies, and she is one of the Hut folk’s most loyal friends! In a letter she wrote specially to the Billikins (somehow the Goldin always gets special things for himself!) “(Seventy-seven” remarked: “Hints are gorgeous things, funny things, horrid things, loving things!” Aren’t they? A hint is perfectly gorgeous when offered by a true friend who wants to help; it is very funny indeed from someone who lias “got hold of the wrong end of the stick”; it is, horrid when offered spitefully to remind you of some fault or failing; ancl it is the most loving tiling in the world when it comes from someone who wishes you well! Be careful of how you give hints and offer advice, won’t you? Botli are dangerous, unless you really want to help and not hinder. Funny, isn’t it, how ’most everyone likes to give a hint or offer advice, yet hardly anyone likes to receive either? You just ask mother if this isn’t true! If I were asked to give one big hint for the happiness of our land, I would say: “Let everyone try his hardest to make other folks happy first!” Because you simply can’t go wrong if you adopt our Billikins’ war-cry, “I want to be happy, but T can’t behappy, till 1 make you happy too!” If a hint is going to help someone to be happy, give it! If it is going to make someone miserable, for goodness sake keej) it back! Easy? No, it isn’t! We’re all made a “bit queer” in some ways, and occasionally even the nicest of us are rather glad if we can get in a pin-prick of 'spite towards someone who doesn’t quite please us! Ask mother if that isn’t true as well!

This sounds awfully like a lecture, children—but it isn’t really! It’s only a hint on making life easy! Bcstest love from Wenilv.

WENDY’S LITTLE DRESSMAKERS

A Wendy lady is going to make a little muslin frock for lier baby sister, and she has written to ask for a rather specially pretty pattern. So we' have been very busy planning one that will please' her. We made one just like this for the Wendy baby, who looks more adorable than ever in it, and we think you’ll like it too!

You’ll need'll yard of spot muslin —or any material you fancy—for the wee frock, the muslin need not be more than 24 inches wide. Fold it in half, so that you have it 24 inches wide and 18 inches deep; then slope a little away each side at the top, for baby’s shoulders. (See diagram A for this). Now cut through the rest of tlie top fold, and make a wide shallow curve, as shown in the diagram. Sew up the two little shoulder seams; also the side seams, stopping 4 inches from tlie top for the arm holes. Turn up a narrow hem all round the little dress, and it 1 will look pretty if you work over the line of the hem with pink or blue silk stein-stitching. •

I expect you’re wondering wlmt you are to do with the very wide neckopening, aren’t you? Run a gathering thread all round, and pull it up until the dress will just slip over baby’s head; take it off when you arc quite sure that it tits, and-stitch the gathered edge into a folded piece of pink ribbon, or bias binding, as shown in diagram B. You can go over the stitches With matching silk afterwards, if you like. Be ever so careful to get the gatherings evenly distributed, won’t you? Xow bind the armholes with similar ribbon or bias binding, and the dress is finished. You can get a card of binding. in any colour you want, for sixpence;; and it is simpler to manage than ribbon because it is cut on the cross and so curves round more easily. If you care to embroider a tiny posy of coloured silk flowers on the .front of the dress, do so! The diagram shows you bow to do it, and baby sister is sure to love tlie flowers.— Wendy’s Dressmaker. THE BILLY BOYS’ TRICK CORNER TIIE RUBBER BAND TRICK With flic aid of an ordinary rubber band, if is possible to perform several amusing (licks. Here is one: Show the audience that the baud is not specially prepared in any way; then slip it Over the first and Second fingers, as shown in sketch No. 1, and explain that you will instantly transfer it In the third and fourth fingers, without taking it o(l' the hand,

adding some “patter” of your own to emphasise the ditliculty of the trick. Be careful to practise hard' and get your trick perfect before you give a public performance; because everything depends upon speed and dexterity. To transfer the 1 blind from the first pair of lingers to the second, pull it us shown in the second sketch; then double over' the lingers so that the third and fourth slip down into the

loop, which ds at that moment released and thus encircles all four fingers. At the slime moment, the third and fourth lingers are 'extended rapidly while the first and second fingers 'remain- bent over (diagram 3). The effect‘bf‘this ds to pull the band off the doubled pair so that it snaps round- the ‘other pair. The trick takes longer - to‘'describe than to perforin and, once the knack has been acquired,' the ■ band can be changed from orte pair of fingers to the other in less than one second.

It's fun to look into the sky, -' And watch the clouds go sailing by Across-the dazzling-blue; r A palace fair, of pearly white, Stands towered high—a lovely sight! And then it quickly changes, quite Into another view.

The cloud-shapes sometimes pile themselves

Like merry troops of dancing elves, A jolly company.

They twist and twirl on nimble feet,

Then poof! They’re now a fairy fleet Of magic schooners, trim and neat — Tt’s very strange to see. .We often jliiuk, young John and I, We'd love to jump into the sky, And join the white clouds’ play. Above the meadows green we’d' go, And people down on earth below. Would laugh to see us flying so, Through all the happy day! A FAIRY LEGEND OF THE RHINE THE MUSICIANS OF BREMAN In Germany, the children often say: ‘‘Let us pretend we are thfe 'Musicians of Bremaii.” Then they will Vall staVt playing different • instruments, and march round the town making the most hideous noises possible. Now I will tell you the story of the first Musicians of Bfcman. >■ ' V-*» There was once a cruel old man who had a donkey. As the poor beast grew old and feeble, Its wicked : master treated it more and more ; unkindly. At last, tlie donkey could bear it no longer and decided to run away, saying to himself: “I Will get a job at Breman as town musician!” As he went on his way, he met an aged ’ greyhound in the same plight as' himself. “Come with me, friend,” said the ass, “you shall be a town' musician-lft- Breman, too. While I play the lute, you shall beat upon the kettle-drum!” •Journeying along tlie road together, the two friends met a sorrowful pussycat. ’- - ■] r '“-' ■'■ ■ -,; - “What ails you, old Lickpaws?” enquired the ass." When they learnt that pussy’s trouble was much, the- same '-as their own, they very quickly persuaded her to join The party. “Your voice, madam,” they assured her, “is so perfectly charming that there will be lio need for you to play auv instrument at'all.” A little further on, they were joined bv an ancient Chanticleer. * They sheltered for'tlie niglit in the house of a famous band of robbers. At midnight the rightful owners of the house returned. And, as the leader fumbled bis 'way ’in thfbugb the darlU ,uesH. the cat flfcw at his face; the dog bit his leg, the ass dealt him a stout kick, and the cock made such a to-do that tlie robbers fled, 'never to return again. Thus tlie four Musicians or Breman bad comfortable quarters for the .vest of their lives! 'Pink's Crossword Puzzle will be found on the next page.