Picture Show (Nov 1919-Apr 1920)

18 When It's No Use Pretending. THE PRACTICAL WOMAN AND THE DESERT ISLAND. THE gayest of us have our moments of hollow depression. Sooner or later we all have to give up pretending, even to ourselves, and relapse into unhappy candour. At no time, if one is a woman, does one feel more acutely miserable than when one faces one's mirror in a clear cold light and marks the first signs of the " going off " of one's charms. I know a very charming and sophisticated woman whose nightmare is that she may one day find herself in the situation beloved by novelists — that is, alone or nearly alone on a desert island. " Just fancy," she wails, " having no comb or looking-glass or hairpins and, worst of all, no tammalite. Because, do von realise, that I should actually be grey ? " To see her soft brown hair one would suspect her of perverting the truth. But she frankly assures her friends that her hair would bo nothing without an occasional timely application of a tonic made of bay rum and pure tammalite. " It brings back all the colour," she affirms, " besides making one's hair beautifully healthy. Why, I was in despair a year or two ago, because my hair was growing grey in streaks. But since I discovered tammalite I haven't the slightest difficulty in keeping mohair its normal shade." And what a difference beautiful hair makes to any woman. It excuses plainness, it enhances beauty. What man pictures the woman of his dreams with anything but soft, abundant hair 1 From Rapunzel to Melissande, there is something romantic about lovely locks. It is deplorable nowadays to see naturally beautiful hair ruined by neglect, curling irons, harmful ehampoos and the like. Many girls, otherwise careful of their good looks, think nothing of going to ♦bed. without brushing their hair. Without constant brushing the hair can never attain to that glossy " sheeny " look that is so delightful. A good brushing for fifteen minutes night and morning should be included in the discipline of every woman, plain and pretty. A stiffish brush should be used, and it should be always scrupulously clean. It is not good enough to use just any shampoo when washing the hair. Care should be taken to find the very best one, and then to keep to it. A really excellent idea is to use only stallax granules which are obtainable at all good chemists. A teaspoonful of stallax is sufficient for each shampoo, so a J lb. package will last for a long time. This very simple shampoo gives splendid results. The delicious foaming lather it makes not only cleanses the hair thoroughly but brings out every atom of its latent colour and brightness. The hair dries quickly, and though beautifully soft, it is quite manageable. When the scalp is inclined to be dry, and the hair brittle, it is a good plan to massage it with olive oil before giving it a stallax shampoo. There are few things which increase one's self-respect so much as the possession of lovely hair. It is a perpetual joy to oneself and others, and with a little care, one can defy hairpinscattering winds and even trying, if romantic, situations on an uninhabited island. rATiKF.R BELMONT'S CT.YXOL BERRIES FOR OBESITY. [APVT.] More Adventures Among the Cannibals. ON THE BORDERS OF CIVILISATION. THE MAGNIFICENT WORK OF MISSIONARIES. By MARTIN JOHNSON, World's Famous Explorer and Photographer. ONE of the most vivid impressions that remain to me of my visit to the South Sea Islands is the magnificent work that has been done and is still being done by the missionaries. The sacrifices these men make in order that, the truths of Christianity and the benefits of civilisation shall be brought within reach of the savage cannibal can only be dimly understood by those who have not seen the work. There is a tendency in some quarters to decry missionary work on the ground that the savage has every right to his own religion, and that he is much better off than many white people who eke out an existence in the slums of civilised countries. But leaving religion out of the question, the missionary improves the physical well-being of those he converts. It is the missionary who teaches the savago the benefits of cleanliness and the value of medioal science. Left to themselves these people are no better than animals, under the influence of tho missions they become human beings. Surely it is good that these men and women should be raised from the brute stage of life to the human plane. Take the case of the women of these islands, for instance. They aro used as beasts of burden, and have no rights or privileges. The only function of women they, are allowed to fulfil is the bearing of children. They do all the work, and are only allowed to reap as the fruits of their labour just sufficient food to enable them to live and keep on working. The Slavery of the Women. I REMEMBER an incident that occurred near the island of Yao. Mrs. Johnson and I were on the beach watching the return of the natives from tho mainland where the natives plant their crop3, for Yao is so small that there is only just room for the tribe to live on it. One old chief arrived in a large canoe with his five wives, who came ashore loaded down with yams, bananas, etc. The chief pimply sat on the shore and yelled to the women to pull up .the heavy canoe out of reach of the tide. He never attempted to give a hand. Suddenly he caught sight of Mrs. Johnson, and he ehouted to her to go and help his wives. Mrs. Johnson came close to me, and in her best native mixed with English told the chief that white women did not do that sort of work, and that in her country the men worked for the women. The old chief did not reply, but he gave my wife a look which told her plainly that it was lucky for her that she did not belong to him. One result of missionary work is that the women who are converted will never again tolerate the slavery and humiliation of their former days. When they marry they give their husband to understand definitely that he will have to work, and that she shall have equal rights in the house the same as the white woman. At the Mercy of the Natives. AMONG the missionaries I met was the Rev. Mason, who conducts an episcopal mission near the island of Auki. When wo arrived he told us that he had not seen a white THE CHIEF NAGAPATE. man for months, and Mrs. Johnson was the first white woman he had seen for years. That gives you an idea of the lonely life led by these missionaries, and incidentally the remote spots visited by us in search of our pictures. Mr. Mason is still a young man who has voluntarily given up all that civilisation has to offer to reclaim savages. The great thing that struck me about Mr. Mason was the sublime faith he had in his work and tho patience at the results At Bunana we found another mission conductor! by the Rev. Mr. Wilson and his sister, the latter a charming lady. Apart from the natives the) are alone on an island at the mercy of the natives they are trying to convert. Others, who ore devoting much of their time to this work of civilising savages, are the pioneer traders. These men take their lives in their hands when they open up in bush, for the old chiefs are very bitter against all -who try to introduce now customs. We saw the ruins of many plantations and missions that had been wiped out by the natives, and one could only shudder as one thought what must have been the fate cf these men. So bitter are the chiefs on this question, that many natives who are suspected of having joined the missions aro secretly murdered. There is a perpetual and secret warfare between those natives who have joined the missions, and those who still adhere to the savage cus. toms, and in many places the converts cannot leave their villages to labour without leaving a strong body of men to guard their homes, i was very much struck by one outstanding fen turo of the missions. These brave men anrl women have no \ise for sectarian bitterness. It docs not matter to them to what church t» man or woman belongs so long as he or she is carrying out the broad spirit of Christianity. Would that we had more of that spirit in the churches of civilisation. (More about Martin Johnson's adventures with the Cannibals next week.) 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