WHAT WE WOMEN THINK

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 50, 27 June 1930, Page 36

WHAT WE WOMEN THINK

SCENE: Sitting-room of small ‘lat. Closed door on right, Girl sitting by open widow reading. | Time: A Saturday afternoon in summer. . A knock at the outside door. Girl gets up and admits young man. He: Hello, young woman! How’s life? . ; She: Not so bad, thanks, Bill. Just got back from Auckland? *. He: Yes, this morning. Thought I’d breeze along and see if you would care for a spin up the Akatarawa? ' She: Sorry, Bill, but I’m going. out for a walk with Mike. He: Mike? And who the dickens is Mike? A new friend? She (demurely): Yes, and a very dear friend, too. He: And a very speedy worker, too! Here have I been away less than a week, and I come back to find you entirely under the spell of a bird ealled Mike, The inconstancy of women! What's he like, anyhow? , She (rapturously) : Oh, he’s wonderful, Bill! And so clever, too. When he ‘looks at me With those eyes of his I simply can’t help adoring him. He (viciously): Irish, I suppose? She: Of course, idiot-Mike. He: Rhymes with tyke. She: Don’t be poetical, Bill. It doesn’t suit you. He (intensely) : Do I know this fascinating male? She: Not yet, but I’m just going to introduce you. He (startled): What! Where is he? She (pointing to door on right): In there! He (horrified) : In your bedroom? She (calmly): Yes. I don’t hear a . 6ound, though. He must have fallen asleep. ° He (spluttering with wrath) : Asleep? In your bed? She: I’m afraid so. The floor’s a bit hard, you know. He (looking round for his hat): Well, of all the I mean to say--oh, hang it all . The girl goes to the bedroom door, opens it, and calls softly : Mike, darling, come and be introduced. Bill, who has now reached the sittingroom door, stands petrified as a small fat Irish terrier puppy comes rollicking into the room, yelping excitedly.-Curtain.-L.S. Ld * * iE FOR one, am glad to see the protest from Mrs. Snowden, the able wife of Britain’s Chancellor of the Bxchequer. She complains of the pessimistic view Britishers. always adopt in speaking of their country. But *twas ever thus. It is characteristic, but they forget that abroad they are oft taken at their word. Is it not the experience of all of us that the coun- | try Has always been "going to the dogs?" Is it not equally our experi-. ence that, when emergency arises, the | Old. Country arises to the emergency, ‘and just how well? We quote Mrs. Snowden’s words: | "Those people who enjoy _ being : miserable are particularly happy just | now! They say our industry is going | to pieces, our trade is declining, the unemployed increase daily; we are | decadent, we are idle, we are losing | our nerve; our old people are senile, — our young people are impossible; the | country is done for and we might as well all be dead.. ZI feel rather ashamed to hear-this feeble whining in the ears of the whole world. We have our sorrows and. our difficulties, of ‘ course, but we can face them and con- |

quer them. We have brains and energy and will, if we care-to use them. Why give the impression that we have none of these things? They lie who say we are decadent and done for: . There is no freer nation’on the face of the earth. There is no nation, where than can be found man for man, a larger measure of goodwill to all. There is no nation which possesses a greater gift of friendship or. a more generous attitude to a fallen foe. There is no braver nation, nor one with more sturdiness of character, nor one. with a more highly developed social conscience.t Then away with depression and foolish fears. We are "up against it" now, but we have-been up against it before. We have triumphed over our difficulties. in the past. We shall. do so again. But do let us go into the struggle with smiles on our faces and shouts on our lips, leading the van, not slinking to the rear; for that which we believe, we can do. And we may believe that Britain can and will be saved." — Great words, these, for any country to take to heart, so away with false modesty, and the "pride that apes hunility."-"Bthel." gum, po au, 4 em a ee eeeeeesSesesesSsSs

ee [7 was an exciting day when all the wiring in the house was finished, the appliances installed, and the power turned on. We were, indeed, electrified: No more lamps to trim, no more scattering of dust with a straw broom, no aching back on washing day, and best of all; no scraping out of ashes and soot from the stove in the early hours. Surely there must be some drawback to all this modern convenience. No, there seemed no drawback to the delightful fact that life was going to be easier and more comfortable for every: one in the house-everyone? What about that important member of the family, Rebecca, the big black cat? She was a great; hunter, and always took.

her rest from hunting curled up. in the kitchen fender, getting so warm that her black fur would feel like the cover ‘of a hot water bag. On the day the electricity was installed Rebecca stalked in, waving her tail, and made for her usual bed. She looked at the stove suspiciously for a time, then rubbed her back against its legs and curled up underneath it. Alas! she found this cold comfort, and soon she was roaming round the kitchen mewing loudly. A special warm cushion was made for her, but nothing would induce her to try another "place in the sun." She grew thinner and more miserable every day, and would sit for hours by the new. stove muttering piteous, almost soundless mews. There seemed only one. thing to do, and that was to find her. an old-fashioned home, but before that could be done Fate settled the question. One morning when the kitchen door was opened, there, under the stove, lay poor Rebecca, dead-a victim to modern convenience."Vane." . s Ld bd ° SAVOIR FAIRE’S problems concerning A, B, and © remind me of a

mmm NS AN memenetl EN een Pecan. IE \anmmnnl BF \gnennentl Banana chapter in Stephen Leacock’s book, "Literary Lapses," in which he speaks of the A, B, and. C we.used in our sums at school as if they are real persons. He says’ A is always the lucky man in running, rowing, and "cistern" sunis. He can always run the hardest, row the fastest, and do the most work, and earn the most money, while poor C is always miles behind, and is always the leaky tap in the cistern, and D is only dragged into the race or contract when they can’t do without him. Another entertaining chapter is called "Boardinghouse Geometry," and contains some amusing definitions and problems. For instance, "A landlady is.an angular figure equal to almost :

at anything." One problem runs some: thing like this: "If two boarders stay at the same boardinghouse for the same length of time, and the amount of ‘side’ of one is equal to the amount of ‘side’ of the other, prove that their bills will be equal.": The proof is: "If they are not equal, then one bill will bs smaller than it might have been, which is absurd!’ Another. book by ' the same author that will cause an hour or two’s laughter is "Nonsense Novels." -"‘Becky." . se . * s (AN science provide a substitute for ? tradition, and religion? Philip Gibbs delves deeply into this problem in "The Age of Reason," and shows the drastic results of this new "cult" on people typical of our time. The a a arguments for materialism are ed through a’ professor of biology ‘and the family he’ has brought up under this doctrine. For a second wife he wins the devotion of the daughter of a canon, himself an ardent follower of the new "painless" religion. And here the trouble’ starts-conscience versus rational thought. As the novel progresses all types of our society are brought in and contrasted ‘with the simple faith (now badly shaken) of the wife and the philosophy of the professor. The insincerity underlying the professions of each tohis "cult" is revealed, and when everything is in a maze of contradiction~ the story is swiftly brought to a conclusion. Science fails. We are left with thankfulness that the age of reason is not yet with us-G,A.G. * * ad +E ) ARIS pavements are to have ous advertisements, over which the people will walk. Thick’ panes of glass are let into the pavement with electric lamps and mirrors .underneath them. Coloured advertisements are thrown up on to the glass. The new advertising signs will also be visible in the daylight, for the sun’s rays will shine through the glass on to the mirror, and the mirror will reflect the sign up again on to the glass. The swing of the pendulum! Former economists were strong 'on the point ofi keeping advertising down.-‘Economist." * * a OW that flowers are dear and scarce, it is a good plan ‘to bring home from the country any sprays of berries or hips and haws that are'to be gathered. Brush them over with a little gum, and they will not shrivel.