The Letters Of Annabel Lee

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 29, 3 February 1928, Page 14

The Letters Of Annabel Lee

My Dear Elisabeth, One hears ‘that beauty is out, and chic is the thing to beg. borrow or achieve at any cost. Yet we go worshipping at the old shrine, its call is as strong as ever it was. The brilliant author of "Jew Suss’" has written a romance exemplifying the hayoe wrought through the lack of it in the life of "The Ugly Duchess," a masterly and terrible presentment of Court life in Germany in the Fourteenth Century, in which are piled horror upon horror anda wealth of realism that makes the flesh creep. Lion Feuchtwanger, the terrifying name of the author of this bewildering and enthralling novel, is being entertained in England by the socially Good and Great, all the mon--daines who count for anything hastening to do him honour. Talking of smart entertainments, at the moment the cult is revived of the astrologer, the soothsayer, who, tucked away in some alcove of mystery, persuades willing credulity that he can "rede in the starres, clearer than in a glasse" the ups and downs of destiny. Those clever and exasperating members of the English intelligentsia, the Sitwells, have written a play and act in it themselves, their joint effort producing an entirely different effect from that contenrplated by the lofty authors, and aptly epitomised by a well-known critic: There were two bright brothers called Sitzell, Of whom it was said tha? they writ well ; They concocted a play which mad us ery, "Nay! They don’t seem to do this a dit well! It is pleasant to hear of an exhibition of the historie art of embroidery given by Clever Miss Constable in London. Her work, one is told, is of exquisite harmony and charm, with an acute perception of colour effect and a brilliant manipulation of her restricted materials. The genius that consists of an infinite capacity for taking pains is hers in a high degree, and the magic of her art has aroused tremendous interest and created a vogue for this most feminine of pastimes. In New Zealand I know one girleen of sixteen or so, gifted with great artistie ability and that concentration essential for the work, who has achieved some quite delighful pictures of her own embroidering on a silken surface, with a splash here and i=. &) a«, & Yasue bP, OP eee ee

there of faint-toned ‘water-colour, choosing for her subjects those quaint and beguiling cottages, with gardens of hollyhocks and sweetwilliams, that one associates with Dorsetshire. After long slighting, hearts are again the fashion and very much to the fore. In fact, we wear them on our sleeves. I do not speak of the emotional organ that disappeared with Edward and Alexandra, but of heart-shaped signs and tokens of various sorts and sizes, sewn on an unexpected corner of a gown or decorously decking a dancing shoe. The good old chignon, too, is back again for the coiffure of evening. It is used to bridge the gap between the severe Eton crop (too tragically severe in some cases, causing one to ponder why the display of her ears should give some excellent women a suggestion of the criminal) and the Vietorian tresses in which once we took a simple pride. What a delightful word, by the way, is chignon; as satisfying as Mesopotamia, and not so hard to spell. Elsie, who has seen much of men and manners in England and abroad, and whose decided opinions are surprisingly at variance with her flowerlike face and gentle contours, dues not think us hospitable! The vaunted New Zealand open-hearted generosity to strangers and pilgrims is to her a myth; or, it it ever existed, is now as extinct as the moa. So shsays and thinks. Kind, kind and gentle are we to all and sundry, so we plume ourselves, as I explained to her carefully. It would seem, however, that a reputation, once made, is not always lived up to; and Elsie has been struck by the absence of those warm hearts and open doors, of which she has heard so often; finding much of the entertaining of a quite perfunctory nature, with a searching eye on’the main chance---one good dinner deserves another, so to speak! The thought has sometimes suggested itself, one must admit, that the tale that is told of the rollicking hospitality of New Zealand people is a litile exaggerated, like the story of Mark Twain's decease; especially when one hears of such spontaneous and unquestioning hospitality in many stately homes of England extended to wanderers from our faraway islands, some of them students with shallow purses and by no means shining stars in ,the social constellation, So we must look to our laurels. }% _ Seeweee, 24 geeweem, 64 see ok eee le ee ies

Proxy for a mother of five, recently I explored in jungle-land, and greatly intrigued was I by bunnies in their lairs, lifelike steeds that pranced and cavorted, slimy snakes, birds and beasts and fishes so clever that almost I expected them to talk. Indeed one large and lovely Teddy Bear did growl at me, and, patrolling before me, lurched himself into my heart. How I got away unaccompanied by that attractive animal I know not; but as I think the blueeyed twins would respond to his fascination, I will purchase him quite soon and send him along for their birthday festivities. I am all admiration for the charm and rhythm so well understood by the Maori in music and the dance. Delightful and unusual next week will be the Pageant from 2YA, also to be rebroadcast from other stations. In the days when Alfred Domett put into beautiful and melodious verse the story of the love of a Maori man and maid, we had much to learn of the qualities of this gentle and dignified race, its poetic imagination and gift of romantic expression. With voices almost invariably of great charm, very seductive are the Maori maidens, gentle their courtesy, graceful their ways; and on many memorable occasions stately chiefs and warriors have spoken with a passionate oratory, a wealth of illustrative allusion, that held their listeners spel?lbound. On the evenings of February 6 and 7 it should be a unique and exhilarating experience to listen to the swaying melody of the poi dance and the rhythm, beat and swing of the haka-~so widely different in character, but both so eminently belonging to our own country. Addresses on the lore of These Charming People will be given, one from a very learned Person indeed, who possesses a rare and deep knowledge and understanding of the history, language, mysterious beliefs and customs of the Maori race. Poesy, oratory, fire and imagination may thus be looked for in concerts that should prove epochmuking in entertainment over the air; music, we are assured by an artist of note, being not merely an expedient to make life possible, but an absolute necessity, and a powerful nourishment of mind and spirit, which in a sane and healthy community require sustenance as much as the body. Your,

ANNABEL

LEE