FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 364, 26 May 1928, Page 8

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By “THE LOOK-OUT MAN.” THE SPENDTHRIFTS Those spendthrift Australians are a thriftless lot. Out of a population of 6,250,000, only 4,500,000 have savings bank accounts, with, but £206,000,000 between them. It may he doubted whether the carefu’ folk of Dunedin have more per head in the savings bank than the reckless spenders of the Commonwealth. THE REASON OF IT All this talk of the shortage of lemons being due to the recent spell of unusually dry weather is wrong. It is due to the unusually dry throats of people who have caught cold owing to the present unusually wet weather, and who take an unusual amount of lemon juice in the beverages they usually consume unlemoned. SIR HARRY’S BOOTS An Aucklander tells us he was told this in London: One of the guests at a great hotel was walking along a corridor, when he saw the “boots,”, bending down outside a bedroom, polishing away at a shoe close up to the door. “What the dooce do you mean by cleaning shoes in the corridor?” inquired the guest. “’Ush!” said “boots” —“These are ’Arry Lauder’s. ’E’s inside ’oldin’ on to the laces!” SMOKING IN THEATRES It is said that no great enthusiasm is being shown over the jiroposal of a Sydney theatrical management to permit smoking in its theatres. The atmosphere of some of these places when crowded is quite uncomfortable enough, without being further thickened by smoke. If the Innovation is made in Sydney, let it be hoped it will not be Introduced to Auckland. The smoker who cannot go without his weed for a couple of hours while witnessing an entertainment should confine his patronage to smoke concerts. There is sufficient example of the selfishness of some smokers in Auckland restaurants and tea rooms, where, having finished their own meals, they puff into the faces of those who are still eating. Sometimes they, smoke and eat at the same time. * * * VERY TID Y Having perused a New Zealand Land and Survey report, which stated that seaside dwellers at the Sounds had greatly improved the land by planting native bush, the New York “Sun” says: “New Zealand is more fortunate than we. Apparently picnickers there meticulously abstain from littering the ground with greasy papers, empty pickle bottles, and evacuated sardine tins.” The New York “Sun” ought to send a representative to Narrow Neck in the season. He would not find a single pickle bottle on the sand —they are all bottles of another denomination, and flasks. The Devonport Council made such a fuss over this a few months back that we thought it had penetrated even to New York. :i-:9!e!e!eie!e!e?e}e!e!S!eisie!e}Bieisie:e?e:ei^iefe

QUEEN VICTORIA AND MATHEMATICS Queen Victoria, the anniversary of whose birthday was celebrated this week in association with Empire Day, had no mind for figures. Nevertheless, she once purchased a number of books on mathematics. It was unintentional, however. The Queen was very fond of “Alice In Wonderland,” and, learning that the author of the fascinating story was the Rev. C. R. Dodgson (“Lewis Carroll”), she ordered “the whole of his works,” only to be amazed (and doubtless angry) at receiving a large parcel of mathematical text books, compiled under the author’s real name In his capacity as a distinguished tutor of mathematics at Oxford. “Lewis Carroll” wrote “Alice In Wonderland” to amuse the three small children of his old friend; Dr. Riddell, Dean of Christ Church. The other day the original manuscript of the tale was sold for £15,400. Though a bachelor all his days (he died at the age of 65) “Lewis Carroll understood the child mind. “Alice” is still alive an old, old woman —she is Mrs. Alicye Hargreaves, of England—but to those who have not seen her she will remain the “Alice” of Lewis Carroll’s delightful dedicatory verses introductory to “Alice Through the Looking Glass”: Child of the pure unclouded brow And dreaming eyes of wonder ! Thou time he fleet and I and thou Are half a life asunder , Thy loving smile will surely hail The love gift of a fairy tale.