TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 30, 10 February 1928, Page 6

TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW

Thomas Hardy’s Rationalism, In the course of an able and interestinfy addregs on the late ‘Thomas Hardy, delivered at All Saints’ Church, Dunedin, Archdeacon Whitehead said :-~ In the greater part of the novels and poems of this prince of modern literature we seem to see a fairly coherent philosophy, which in many cases resembles the doctrines of the notorious German pessimist Schopenhauer. Hardy represents the odds as always against virtue, innocence and unselfishness, Virtuous, well-meaning, pitiful souls are the sport of merciless forces, and under just the same doom as snared rabbits, stuck pigs, pelted dogs, ‘wounded pheasants. This novelist looked forward with complacency, if not with delight, to a time when all conscious beings will have ceased to exist, and unbroken silence will fall upon the universe. But towards the end of his life he gave expression in poetry to what may be called the uitimate belief, and we see him trusting the larger Hope more than faintly. His argument is this: In a scheme so vast as that of the universe there is always room for hope; we cannot build a doctrine of despair on what we do not know; a world which is a rational system must in the end be the scene of triumphant justice; so for every wound there is a healing; however harsh the means the result will justify them; every one of the pale, panting multitudes of earth shall find their joy in the great Well-wisher, the kindly Might, in whom all i#ving liye, and in whom all dying die. Woinan’s Hour at LO A new session at 8L0, the woman’s hour, will begin at 11 a.m. Items ot special interest to women will be dealt with during this period, which is being eagerly awaited. ‘The busy housewife may complain that she has no time during the day to read those interesting books on household and cooking hints. It would take up too much time to read, she says, and the work would be at a standstill, But to listen is no hindrance. From February 13 she can go about her cook. ing, sweeping, and bed-making, while she listens to a sound, neighbourly talk on some household subject in which ‘she is vitally interested, All she will have to do is tune in 8L0 on the wireless, and go on with her work. From 11 to 12 every morning authorities on every household. problem and question imaginable will give interesting, practical advice. No attempt will be made to entertain. The talker will just give -his or her facts in the most concise, plainest, and most interesting terms possible.

TOSI OL PL Gd "Bring Your Own Servants,’’ So great is the shortage of domestic servants in England, particularly in _ country districts, that many hostesses who were entertaining for Christmas invited their guests to bring their own servants with them. This idea is one that is likely to become more and more popular with the increasing difficulty to cbhtain domestic service for the country. A Song Unheard. The superiority of modern radio apparatus to the human efr, considered as a listening device, was demonstrated recently in England during an attempt to broadcast the song of that seldomheard bird, the nightingale. A feathered songster far off in the distance burst into song while the experiment was going on. ‘The engineers at the microphone heard nothing, but the song was picked up by the especially sensitive microphone that was being used and was broadcast, without the knowledge of the engineers. The Compleat Conversationalist, An incident is related of the boyhood of Lord Carberry, or Mr. John Carberry, as he prefers to call himself, whose name is associated with a reeent flight from England to Cape Town. He succeeded to the peerage at a tender age, and was told that whien visitors came to the house it was his duty to pay them some attention. Shortly afterwards a Mrs, Daniell called and the small head of the house shook hands with her politely and exclaimed in his beat drawing-room manner, ‘How fio you do, Mrs, Daniel? I’ve just oeen reading about your husband in the den of lions."

Schoolgix} Howlers. , That schoolgirls are close rivals of schoolboys in the matter of "howlers" is revealed by the following from 2 well-known English Secondary School for Girls :- Joan of Arc’s father was a pheasant. Aaron was a good man, who helped Moses with his conjuring tricks. At the Battle of Crecy the soldiers found a Ford moter-van, by which they crossed the river, and so were saved. (The mistress neglected to explain the meaning of the word ford.) the stn never sets on the British Empire because the British Empire is im the East and the sun sets in the West. _ Rhinoceros is called tind because of its skin, and nocerous because of its nose, In order to give David a sign whether Saul was angry with him, Jonathan sent him out to play golf, and sent the balf a long way off. Plumbing Made Easy. If a jump of plasticene (obtainable at stationers in 1d. bars) is thumbed into the burst of a pipe, then tied with a linen bandage, it will last almost indefinitely, as it is impervious to water. Think of the saving of damage and the proverbial plumber's time! ee