Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1941-11-20, Page 6TOl'RSP.W, NOV. gOtb, l»lt THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE SHYNESS Life in England During War Time « M>* The other day, I heard a group of young folks discussing a mutual acquaintance. He was a quiet chap who seemed a bit aloof, perhaps, and I noticed that by common consent he was dubbed superior, “snooty” I think was the word. But one of the boys disagreed. He said “No, Bill is not snooty, he’s shy.”It is true that a deep, inborn shyness can do strange things to us. It can make one so retiring that contact with others is sheer misery. On the other hand, a subconscious effort to subdue it, may make one too assertive or too stubborn in one’s -opinions. A king, our own king, per­ haps, may be as much a victim of this form of self-consciousness as his lowliest subject, though his public duties may force him into greater effort to overcome the handicap.In connection with the problem, for it is a very real problem to the sufferer, I think of a man who was one of the.foremost educationalists of our time. He was a tall, lanky man, with hands and feet which seemed always to be in his way; one of the shyest men I have ever known. In introducing a guest to his class, he would flush a painful red, and his words would come awkwardly. I believe he never faced a roomful of Students without embarrassment, and would begin his subject with evident hesitation. But once under way he warmed to his theme, and being a born teacher, soon completely lost himself in a clear-cut exposition of his subject, with no slightest trace of self-consciousness. It would appear that about the only cure for shyness is to find some other subject more absorbingly interesting than one’s self. •The Missus THE BURDEN OF THE HOUR KIDDY KORNER Here is another of those inimitable letters from Margaret Butcher, English novelist, which tells of the way in which ordinary, every day folks of the British Islands are accommodating thewelves to the exigencies of war time. This letter was written specially for the Midland Free Press and the Exeter-Times Advocate wife and whispered back. She’s had an been knocked down God broke our years to hours and days, That hour by hour and day by day, Just going on a little way, We might be able all along To keep quite strong. Should all the weight of life c Be laid across our shoulders And the future rife With woe and struggle meet face to face At just one place, We (H US Children who live in towns such as ours, are so accustomed to plen­ ty of good meals that they can hardly realize that in some parts of Canada and in the countries of Europe, there are millions of child­ ren who have never once had enough to eat. This is more than ever true now when, in the conquered countries, what little food there is, has been taken to feed the German people and army. So when we eat And could not go; o,ur feet would I our tasty meals we must remember stop; so, God lays a little on us every day, never, I believe, on all the way,And Will burdens bear so deep Or pathways lie so steep But we can go, if by God’s power We only bear the burden by the hour. —George Klinge * * * | YOU AND YOUR CHILD i to thank God who has so far kept us from such miseries and left us at peace in a quiet land. Here is a little prayer to be used as grace before eating. It was used by the children of England more than a hundred years ago, and is express­ ed in strange old-fashioned words: Grace Before Meat Here a little child I stand, Heaving up my either hand; Col'd as paddocks though they Here I lift them up to Thee, ■For a benison to fall On our meat and on us all. —Herrick u. be, One of last week’s papers car­ ried the story of an amusing inci­ dent. An Ontario town school was out for recess when suddenly an airplane came zooming down to a forced landing in a neighboring field. As would be expected, the children lost no time in transfer- ing themselves in a body to the ’old dishes, served the same old way, scene of the accident and in their excitement passed up such minor ■details as the ringing of the school bell. The record goes on to state that for this misdemeanor the child­ ren were required to put in a week’s detention. At that, no doubt they considered the game well worth the candle. What do you think about that? No doubt discipline must be main­ tained, but it seems as if something might be conceded to intense .in­ terest. Or, since the airplane is about the most important thing in the world just now, the aviators’ i mishap might have been used as an educational project. The children could have made a direct study of the situation, while curiosity was so keen. Of course we do not know the particular circumstances that bear on this individual case-, but common sense suggests that the mission of the school' might occasionally lie beyond the confines .of the building that houses it. * * .It * i|t KETTLE AND PAN Some families flatly refuse to sample unfamiliar food. The same * MISS ISABEL GRAHAM We -note with regret the recent passing of Miss Isabel Graham, of Seaforth. .She was widely known as an authoress and poetess and was an active member of the Canadian Authors’ Association and the Can­ adian Women’s Press Club. Since she was a citizen of a neighboring town, we all like to share the hon­ or that came to this part of the country through her efforts. She came to Seaforth when quite young, her father having been a Presby­ terian minister at Egmondville. She received her schooling at Sea­ forth collegiate and her long life in to in ly, the result of an accident, and leaves Her own community and Canadian womanhood at large, be­ reft of a wise councillor and a sing­ er of sweet songs.* * * KNOB ON POT LID that place was full of interest herself and others, and fruitful good deeds. Death came sudden- CORK substitute for the knob lid that has oome loose Rut the A good of a pot is a screw and a cork, screw through the Hole in the lid with the head on the inside of the lid, and screw a cork on the sharp end of the screw, most convenient knob since i cork does not get hot and can replaced when it gets soiled. * This makes a the l be ■# # & * * 41 # ifr * * * * * KITCHEN KINKS If you are Ute with your dessert and. waht to coo! It quickly, set the dish contain­ ing it U a part of cold salted water. 4(- nt 4 4 » 4 ♦ * * #, ♦ 4 ■» .* * 4. $ ::x < £>$$ $ :$ armies dangers, :<n $ I ?■: Svs Sw units did their of com- x^v: I £ b: Less Neurasthenia We get our amusement when telephone traffic was one- fifth of what it is today, the “Bell Mechanized Division” was in an early stage of develop­ ment. A fleet of Model “T” trucks guarded long distance lines, built new ones, went into action in emergencies. Then, as now, mobile, well-equipped Bell Telephone l._ bit in the vital field munications. in 1941 When mechanized menace us with new mechanized services on th© Home Front help to meet them. The number of units of the Bell Telephone today is as large as those used by a substantial army. These units are placed in1 strategic spots throughout- Ontario and Quebec, and like their predecessors in 1914, they “guard long distance lines, build new ones, go into action in emergencies”. G. W. LAWSON Manager * * * READING, Eng..-—Yesterday I met a very charming old lady— though the manner of our meeting was not as fortunate as it might have been. In fact, her arrival at her niece’s home caused us quite a bit of consternation. There .was I, walking round hte garden with my host, admiring the kale, com­ miserating about the onions when out came his “Auntie’s come accident. She’s by a bicycle.” It is ludicrous that, with so much happening, people can still be knocked down by bicycles. It seems to be the fate of poor old ladies. We hurried into the lounge—I was expecting I hardly know what; a battered and slightly hysterical vic­ tim, I think. But not a bit of it. There she sat in the most comfort­ able chair: a very frail old lady, pale and sweet, her black frock newly brushed, her thin hands quiet­ ly folded in her lap. “Don’t worry, please,” she said. “It hasn’t given me goncussioni or anything. All the same, there was a grim-looking bruise on her temple, and I couldn’t help feeling that, in her place, I should have been bawling about it quite consid­ erably. I left my host agitatedly dialling for a doctor, and when I called lat­ er, Auntie was tucked up in bee), despite her protests. Climbed Down Ladder “She’s brave, isn’t she?” I marked; and then "they told something else. Quite a lot of agreeable things have happened to that old lady just lately. She has come from London, where, on a certain dreadful night, she sat up listening to the sounds of the worst of blitzes. And then, when it seemed to be over.......a direct hit, right on the block of - flats where she lived. She had to climb down a ladder from the burning building, and just got away with her life. “The next day,” said my host­ ess, “we looked out of the window and saw her walking up the path here, carrying a little handbag. It was all she had left in the world. She’d hung onto that bag all through, with her bankbook and a few papers in it. And she’s been with Us ever since. Several times lately I have seen her passing, pushing the baby in its, perambulator, and looking as if nothing in the least alarming had ever happened to her. We had a little chat one afternoon, but it was all about the baby, I remember. There wasn’t one single word about’ blitzes. So today, as a gesture of friendship, I ran round with my butter ration. It was very hard work to make her take it, but I won. Isn’t it odd? There was a time when one would have popped in with a bunch of flowers, perhaps, or a ■appear on the table the year round, which may be easy or hard ton the •cook, according to .what sort of woman she happens to food can be something venture; even a change ing will pep up old foods, to remember that strong ■must be used sparingly. for instance, must be hardly more than a suggestion. Sage is a much more potent herb than savory or marjoram, cloves will quite 'smoth­ er the aroma of milder spices. Per­ haps you might enjoy the following combinations: Add caraway seeds to applesauce—prepared to French dressing—mace hot spinach—paprika to corn-—-nutmeg to potato ■cinnamon stick to your cup of hot tea—curry to hard egtgs—a whole onion studded with cloves to bean soup—ginger to any baked pudding —chili powder to stewed tomatoes -—celery seed to your next cole i magazine, but this coupon business slaw. End-of-the-Year Pickles ‘ Beet Pickle: Two quarts of beets Cooked and chopped, 1 raw cabbage finely shredded, 1 cup grated horse­ radish, 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 cups vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, U teaspoon pepper. Mix all together, put into jars and seal. Red Cabbage Pickle: Remove out­ side leaves and stalk, cut across in very thin slices. Spread on a flat dish, sprinkle with salt, let stand ■24 hours. Turn into a colander and drain thoroughly. Place in jars or a crock and pour the following mix­ ture over it while very hot: One whole Whole Cover using. be. But of an ad- of season- It is well seasonings Garlic, I body that’s word or in and from that moment it’s plain sailing. At about the third meet­ ing, possibly, one remembers ask the person’s name, not important/; Frankly, me, and it’s beginning to a lot of folk who,, till no idea what fun it is. us have no spare cash, days, for amusements that must be bought. out of a talk and a cup of, tea; we chucker ods with I like the look of well, good enough. TJ is a or two over a garden fence, the local store, or in the bus, to but it's that suits suit quite now, had Most of in these all right in time,” they say. There is none of that old-fashioned wail­ ing that ‘I never closed my eyes all night’—and usually after one has heard the heartiest of snor.es percolating through the wall for ■hours on end. mustard to your canned soup—a i I had made all the difference. Now a ration of butter ranks as a hand­ some gift; and you can’t tell me that it doesn’t simplify life quite a lot! Broken Biscuits are- still a wee bit fussy of course. Personally, I quart vinegar, 2 tablespoons black pepper, 2 tablespoons crushed ginger, 2 cups sugar, and let stand a week before SpiceS may be varied. —o- 1 1 Cream, of Peanut Soup quart milk bay leaf % cup peanut buttei’ 3 tablespoons flour % teaspoon celery salt % teaspoon 'onion salt Dash of white pepper Put milk, bay leaf and peanut butter in top Of double boiler, heat and stir solved, to hot slightly minutes serve with crisp saltine sk * 4 CLOTHES PINS AID IN1 until peanut butter is dis- flour, add; stir until cook five seasoning, Crackers. Make a paste of milk mixture, thickened and longer; add COOKING Spring clothes pins make conven­ ient gadgets for removing hot pot lids, fruit jar lids from, boiling water, or for shitting hot pots around the oven. <■ It is a good Idea to keep a sup­ ply of the clothes pins near the kit­ chen stove. at go at to- I all There of “broken There was one regarded them We times, on turning up my foolish nose beef, parsnips, and herrings in mato sauce; yet who knows? may* be smacking my lips over of it before we’re through, is the little matter biscuits”, for example, a time When as something the juveniles bought with that twopence; now we say to each other, in confidence: “My dear, I know where one can buy broken biscuits,” and off we rush, hot-foot. And what’s the matter with broken biscuits, anyway? At least they are perfectly fresh, and they’d be broken, anyway, as soon as one set teeth to them. ’Yes, We’re shedding a quite a lot of non­ sense where food is concerned. (Incidentally, where do the un­ broken biscuits go? You can search mb.) During our affinity with At his office, men with big gardens Kinds of things to spare, any morning somebody may say:— “Could you do with a few carrots, old man.?” “So,” explained mV host, “I said, ‘Don’t bother to ask me, old chap, As long as it isn’t patsnips, btiftg it along’.” Only this morning,' for instance, I traded half a. marrow fot a little pot of home-made jam. And so We rub along, comfortably enough. This new frOe-and-easy business Is working wonderfully, Vou don’t hate to be introduced any more: I don’t anyhow. If I see seme- chat I discovered an my host and hostess, it appears, there are and all Almost over our makeshift meth­ clothes, our adventures on our allotments, the quaintness of landladies. We have even learned how to take bad news, knowing—by now—that it must come sometimes. , A Sketching Party On my free day last week four of us tripped off in a little sketch­ ing party. The Newspaper Man came, taking a well-earned rest from his hectic work in London, and he got so thoroughly tangled up ’ in the matter of perspective that all such things as blitzes were forgotten. We had a grand time, ■though the Gardening Partner, running true to form, was inclined to pessimism. His own drawing of an elm tree caused him to anticipate arrest as an enemy agent taking notes of strategic importance. “.I don’t gee why,” I objected. “Oh, I don’t know!” he said. “I can see one of the Home Guard coming over, taking a look at it and saying, ‘That’s nowhere pear here.’ I should be suspected at once.” We dropped in for a cup of tea at a place where the waitress knows me, and we chatted' a while. Some­ body else, it transpired, who has ‘been through it’ and had a miracu­ lous escape. Who Would think it to look at her? A quiet, auburn-haired woman, with smiling eyes, knows these people for a long before one hears any details, one of the lucky ones,” she “We had two direct hits, but we got away—with a bit of scrambling.” And then she hurried along to at­ tend to somebody trouble, It takes them to “You get out it in London,” she said, ter a time you almost forget how to sleep.” Yet you don’t hear any of the ordinary peace-time moan­ ing about Wakefulness. “It’ll ,be One time else. Their chief is broken sleep. Spell to restore sleeping hours. I think, a long normal so used to going with- “Af i An American commentator told ■us, on the radio,. that a doctor friend over here had informed him that there is actually less neur­ asthenia in this country than before the war—and .1 believe him. There are no imaginary dangers and wor­ ries now, I suppose: ? they are real ones and, as' such, they can be brought into the open. The ordin­ ary citizen hasn’t time to fret about unhappy relationships or fancied illnesses. He is on his. toes; his to­ morrows — if there are any ■— must take care of themselves. Of course, the malade imaginaire is still with us to some extent; there are still people who regard the upsettings of war time as a direct affront to their notoriously poor health, but their Public has dwindled to a dis­ heartening extent. Folk have not time now to sit up and listen to symptom-talk. They are far more likely to observe, with astringent briskness, that the invalid would be ‘far better doing a little job of some sort.’ In some ways, indeed, this old war is filling a long-felt want. When Will it Come? wonder how many of us will have real homes again? Here are, huddled into bed-sitting I ever we rooms, sharing other folks’ houses, renting spare corners rigged out -with alien furniture, having to take turns with kitchens and bathrooms. Some day, we .shall be our own mas­ ters again,. I suppose; we shall be able to -use a typewriter or turn on a radio without Causing complaints. We shall be able to send our things grandly to a laundry instead of doing a little furtive washing in a basin and hanging it up on a walking stick suspended in the corner. We shall pull down the placard on ‘How to Tackle Fire Bombs’ from the wall and take the gas-mask from its nail by the dres- ♦siiig table; we shall slip cosily into bed without the preliminary lay­ ing put—in readiness gency—of the coat, shoes, the attache-case belongings. We shall those black-out curtains and let some all’ into our .rooms o’nights; we shall scrap our bicycles (not So good, this, m.aybe!) and hop into cats again. And even if we can do only a few of these things it won’t be so bad, will it? Above all, We shall try to get in touch with old friends. Some-—alas!—-won’t He there. We shall know some heart­ aches over that, I have no doubt; but how grand it will be to meet the others! Perhaps, most important of all, it* will be a kinder, more under- Standing world; a less greedy and self-important and self-centred place, How con it be otherwise? Sc­ once more—here’s hoping. | for emer- 8 the Stout of personal take down • / / Germany: Beware of These Here are some of Britain’s powerful Infantry tanks, “Valen­ tine”- Mark III, photographed roaring across a field with flying colors. en Malays. They said the submarine that sank their vessel was German. The ship, built in 1929 at Gias- ■ gow«, was operated by the Furness- Prince Line between the east and west coasts of the United Sjtates anti the Far East.” On Thursday last Rev. Mr. Laing had a letter from the Marconi Com­ pany "following up a previous cable, saying thgt Jordan was still miss­ ing,-but that they were still search­ ing and if there was any further word they would let him know. Jordan had previously gone down With the Northern Prince off Crete last summer, but was rescued and taken to Greece. On Monday three or four letters which had been mailed by Mr. and Mrs. Laing to their son, came back unclaimed from the London, Eng. Deep sympathy is out the community Mrs. Laing in this distressing news that has come to them about their splendid young Son who, it now ap­ pears almost certain, has given his life in the Empire*s cause, THAT JORDAN LAING SANK WITH SHIP ALMOST CERTAIN Particulars regarding the sink­ ing off the West African coast of the Cingalese Prince on which Jor­ dan Laing, son of Rev. and Mrs. Andrew Laing, of Woodham, was the Marconi Wireless ^Operator, came through in ' a despatch pub­ lished in daily papers on Friday as follows: “Marines circles said today that the 8,474 ton British moitorship Cingalese Prince has been, torped­ oed in the South Atlantic, with a loss of fifty-seven crewHien who had no time to launch lifeboats. They said two torpedoes from a submarine struck the Ship without warning at 4 a.m. on a recent date, and that seventeen men Were res­ cued by a Spanish steamer, Castilo de Montjuich, and taken to* Lis­ bon. The balance of tne crew went down with the ship as it exploded and turned over, the survivors re-1 ported. [ The survivors were half-crazed i from heat and thirst, after drifting i in life rafts along the Equator fdr | seven days before the rescue. They! , t ,were the first engineer, the first Christmas Cards printed of plain mate, four British seamen and elev- at the Times-Advocate Office. post* office of V- To Those Convalescing After Severe Illness After inany severe illnesses or serious operations the patient is very often left in an extremely weak, nervous, run-down condition. To all those convalescents who need some kind of a ionic to stimulate and build up the Weakened system, We Would recommend Milbum’s Health and Nerve Pills to assists them back to health—happiness again. .These pills help supply elements necessary to assist the convalescent in bringing back bodily strength and vigour. Price 50c a box, 65 pills, at all drug counters. Look for our registered trade mark a “Red Heart” on the package. The T. Nlilburri Co., Limited, Toronto, Ont.