Apropos of these hard courses, which s much flatter the golf of all of us, I see it suggested that the prolonged drought may be due to the Gestruction of trees in England dur-Ing the war, and the further felling of timber enforced upon owners of big estates by the penal death duties. This argument would carry more weight i€ it were not that most of our rain comes to us ready-made from the middle of the Atlantic or in depressions from Iceland, and England is such a little bit of land that it cannot affect the behaviour of barometrical visitants either way very much. Moreover, the recent drought seems to have extended. practically unbroken from western America to Purity of Tongue Apropos, Lord Londonderry, In giving away the prizes on Friday at the City of London School, entreated the boys to pay attention to the English tongue, both in speech and writing—to avoid both "the latest patter from the talking pictures of Hollywood" and "that abominable compound known, heaven alone Knows why, as business English'. "Tt certainly la not English," he added, "and it has no business aptitude that Teould ever discover." Lord Londonderry also protested against abbreviations like "O.K." and "Q" on the telephone and others even more objectionable and begged his audience to study the Collects in our Prayer Book, as models of concise: expression.
To expect school children to write Uke the compilers of the Prayer Book is asking a good deal. I remember a really eminent Canon tel-Ing me how he laboured for weeks; to compose some prayers suitable for some special service and at the 1 comparing them with the Prayer Book, he felt like tearing up all his own efforts and hanging himself. Yet, in various examination papers I have seen, in recent years, T have been struck' by the good simple Eng-Tish of the writers, Contrariwis when they begin to speak, the diction is awful. The explanation is simple. To speak connectedly and articulate clearly is just one of the things that aren't done. I fear Lord London-deray's appeal is seed east upon stony Servant Problem A friend of mine, being left without servants, and even temporary help from outside being difficult and irre~ gular, has given me his experience of the household work in which he had to lend a hand. He emphasizes! that it has thrown a new light on the passage in the Acts which records that, at a very early stage in the lifo of the Christian community, the Apostles fatly declined to serve tables. He admires their firmness Having volunteered to dust his own study, my friend has discovered with amazement how innumerable are the surfaces on which dust accumulates. In addition to the obvious places like mantelpiece. window sill and writing-table, together with the varied articles thereon—how many In the matter of washing up he was not trusted at the sink itself (lor which, watching the awful greasiness fof the process, he was thankful) but was told off to dry and polish glasses, Spoons and forks, His main difficulty here was that he seemed to require at east three times as_many cloths fas he was allowed. The moisture they accumulated was as astonishing as the accretions of dust on his study. Now how can you polish with '2 wet cloth. However, the experience had one humanizing effect. Being sent to buy a silver sweet dish for wedding present, he thought of the bride's future servants, and chose the plainest, flattest design he could find As the maid-less days have passed, he has gained passing acquaintance with the many other aspects of house running—beds to be stripped, made and "turned back," curtaing' to be @rawn and undrawn, stoves to be raked out and filled uj you, which seem to ha instinct for the amateur tively to delight in going out, cushions to be shaken up, carpets to be swept, saucepans to be bolled out, spoons to be denuded of the' inevit table stain broken victuals to be of rid of, tea-leaves, jam pots, cardboard boxes, dead flowers, waste Ibaper, remnants of cutting out, wastage innumerable far beyond the capacity of the average refuse-bin or destructor, From acquiring respect for the Apostles. my friend has cone to look upon the daughters of Martha with absolute awe. "How women stand it, he says, he cannot conceive. Their job is never finished.
He refers me to a recent account of an experiment started some two years ago at the suggestion of the police court missionary at Bromley in Kent. Once a week a day is reserved for "domestic" cases. Hus bands and wives on the edge of a permanent breach are persuaded to bring their troubles to the magistrate and missionary and discuss them quietly and entirety privately, Marked Sticeess has followed, many home has been saved from breaking up. But what the Court missionary most remarks ig the amazing forbear ance of the wives and their readiness to forgive, "It must be amazing" says my friend. "Wouldn't you have thought they would jump at the chance of getting all the housekeep-Ing off their hand:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.