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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1958-03-06, Page 6NNf. FFIRST "Dear Anne Birst: If there ,is one lesson I've learned froth 50• years of liv- ing, it is that nothing' tants. So I am trying to: bide my time in a dreadful situation," writes a troubled mother. Half a year ago, during a local housing short- age, she invited her son and his wife to move from their small apartment to her house. For a !few weeks everything was all right, but the honeymoon did not last. "I never though! I'd be one 41 those mothers Who criticizes bar son's wife," she declares, "but what I have endured from this one convinced me that two 'rumen of differer t genrations cannot live amicably together in the same house. "The girl is a shoddy house- keieer, but she thinks she knows it all and laughs at my sug- cstions. She said she knew ell about washing machines, and Phe ruined mine the first time she used it. She is wrecking my lovely home; I have fine old furniture, and she has banged every piece of it by her clumsi- ness. She won't prepare the food my son needs, and serves heavy stuff that no horse could digest. "She will not listen to my son when he tries to correct her handling of the baby; how he is going to grow into a healthy child I cannot imagine. When I found how ignorant she was I insisted on a regular routine for him, but soon she refused to Beginner -Simple PRINTID PA). bother with it. Now we have to creep silently about the house and whisper, '.toavoid waking him. Yet she complains to my son about me all . the time, ex- pecting him to take her part. He doesn't, and this throws her into tantrums. - "My son is trying to buy a house, and it will take at least a year. How can I stand all this quarreling day after , day? I only want the best for them all, but I'm' afraid he will look back. on these months at my home as ugly memories." * * * * This distressed mother can- * not hasten theday of her son's * departure, but fortunately she * has made up her mind to en- * duce what cannot be cured. * Her chief concern is that her * son shall not be hurt. If she * stops trying to direct his wife * and lets her commit what dam- * age she will, this is the simplest * way out. Let the girl talk * about her as she pleases; the * lad is too well-bred to resent * it audibly and for this his * mother is thankful, It is her * disappointment in his wife's * attitude that, really floors her. * I hope she will take her * son's cue, and hide her disgust. * TO "WAITING": For your * son's sake, continue to be * philosophical and contain your * annoyance. When these three * leave, what a consolation it * will be that you did nothing, * said nothing to bring on any * crisis, but submitted with ma- * ture grace to a tension which * many older women would find * unbearable. * Tomorrow will bring its own * harassing situations, but if you * do not anticipate them you will * solve them as calmly as you * did today's. And remember, * every dawn brings you one * day nearer to your release. * * SISTER IS RIVAL "Dear Anne Hirst: Before I got engaged to this young serviceman, he was dating my sister. On his last leave he told me he didn't want to stay engaged—and then he asked my sister if she would go steady! "He says he loves me, and asked me to wait for him. But the way he acts now, I feel she is first with him and I'm just a follow-up. "Shall I find somebody else and try to forget him? Or keep 0 on waiting? HEARTBROKEN" a Find somebody else fast, and *. let these two play with love • * as though it were a new toy. * They will find out. * A boy who gets himself en- • • o * gaged and then wangles out * of it is at the age where he ' * is trying out one girl after • � ¢e i " * another. He isn't thinking of * anybody but himself, and it * will be a long while before * he grows up. Let him practice * on others, including your sis- * ter. I feel sorry for her. * I know this is hard to take, * but, if you will forgive my * saying so, you are well out of * it. You will find other lads * who will appreciate you, and * know how to be loyal to a nice * girl * Next time, hold on to your * heart until one of them proves himself a sweetheart who * knows what he wants, and * how to cherish the right girl * when he finds her. * * * In any in-law trouble, it is the older woman's place to practice tolerance and restraint. The ways of youth are not her ways, and she contributes best by overlook- ing what she can and putting up * ith the rest ... Anne Hirst's studies of family difficulties have increased her wisdom, and it is all at her reader's service. Write her at Box 1, 123, - 18th Street, New Toronto, Ontario. 4700 SIZES 10 --20 JIFFY -CUT and sew! This Printed Pattern is all in one )pieced; just pin it to fabric, cut out the entire dress at one time. Beginner -simple to sew — s -o -o tattering. Perfect style for the coming season, Printed Pattern 4700: Misses' Sizes 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20. Size 16 takes 41/2 yards 35 -inch. Printed directions on each pattern part. Easier, accurate. Send FORTY CENTS (404) (stamps cannot be accepted, use postal note for safety) for this pattern. Please print plainly SIZE, N AM E, ADDRESS, STYLE NUMBER. Send order to ANNN ADAMS, Box 1, 123 Eighteenth St., New Toronto, Ont. HE'S THE BEST!—Handler Robert Gorman is rewardinghis prize- winning charge, Ch. Pultencove Promise, with a tidbit after the poodle won first prize at the Westminster Kennel Club's 82nd Annual Dog Show at Madison Square Garden.. TWO-WAY STRETCH—It takes Iwo models to display what the Well-rounded woman will wear as Rose Wood, left, and Betty Kelly show off a size 72 girdle. The garment, displayed at the Midwest Corset and rBassiere Association Show, was designed for a circus fat lady. 1 a ='0 Gw,r .doll n.e P. C la,rke Well, what shall it be first .. farm price prospects, the forth- coming general election or the American Sputnik? All are very much in the news and all are bound to have some bearing on our ordinary everyday lives. Farm prices, so we are told, are expected to be somewhat higher, except possibly in the case of eggs. (Case of eggs — no pini intended). Apparently there are either too many eggs or not enough people to eat them. Or it could be that modern appe- tites demand something a Iittle more fancy than plain old- fashioned egg dishes. Country people still use plenty and 11 town people used as many eggs as farm folk there soon wouldn't be enough to go round. Of course there is a reason why more eggs are used on the farm. Every day among the eggs that are gathered there are bound to be a number of cracks and culls. So eggs appear on the table in various ways just to use them up. Angel cake is no problem. Yes, and even the cats and dogs benefit. Collie has no objection to a few eggs dropped into his evening meal and cats are equally `appreciative. And oh dear, when one is occupied in cleaning eggs how handy it is to have a cat or dog around — to clean up a dropped and bro- ken egg. Bad enough to have an egg break in your hand without having to scoop it up off the floor — just about the messiest job there is. A dog or cat's tongue does a far neater job. Years ago when Partner's mo- ther was watching us I so well remember her coming to the sup- per table one night and exclaim- ing — What! Eggs again? First thing you know you'll have me looking like an egg!" Poor grandma — soon after that she was back in England among bombs, doodle -bugs and ration- ing. Never again did she need to fear there was any danger ut her looking like an egg. And now we have another sort of egg — a live egg, that's due to hatch on March 31. The incu- bation' period will be as chancy as it always is and what the egg will be when it is hatched is anyone's guess. It could be any breed. It might even he addled and then we wouldn't be any better off than we are now. Thank goodnessthe date (for hatching) wasn't set for April 1. If it had been there would have been sn extra big crop of annual April fools. Ditto — our omen cat — ix about as•crazy these days as a cat could be. Triesto catch things on the TV screen; jumps on to the window -sills to catch the odd flies that the warm sun has brought out; and worse still, thinks the edge of my coffee table is a good place to sharpen her claws. I guess I'll have to keep her away from the TV when the election campaign gets underway otherwise she might take a jump al Diefenbaker's nodding head or Mr. Pearson's bow -tie. Last, but no means least, there was all the excitement last week about the successful launching of the American satellite "The Explorer" to give it its correct title. A tremendous number of people in many countries will be happy about that. And now there is another proalem . . who con-.- trols the regions of outer space?' Shall we soon need a special de- tachment of orbit traffic cops? But oh dear, I'm getting into deep water. It is all too fantastic for words. I think I'll get back to where I feel more comfort- able. And that is Daughter's birthday, which also took place last week. Being her mother my thoughts naturally turn back to this time over thirty years ago. Partner and I had been in Canada only six months then. We were liv- ing with a farm family on the Saskatchewan prairie. Towards the end of January I went to Moose Jaw to await the arrival of our first-born. Partner saw me safely settled down at a boarding-house and then went back to the farm, leaving me to a lonely wait. Five nights later my landlady phoned for a taxi- cab to take me to the hospital. I waited and waited and stili the taxi did not come. My landlady phoned again. Yes, a taxi had been sent — something must have happened to it, they would send another. The second one arrived and on the way through the city we passed the first taxi. One of its wheels had come off! Daughter arrived in due course and ten days later I returned to the farm. And were Partner and I the proud parents! I remember we drove from the "depot" to the farm in an open cutter at 15 below zero. Dee was known in the hospital as "the good baby" and she remained that way for several years. Of course .there were no conveniences where. we;lived no hydro, or plumb- ing no ,car, no shopping centre! When the baby got the croup we ' dosed ,her ` with emetics, Fifty miles Was a little too far for a doctor to come except in a matter of life or death. As you know we all survived. Koala Bears At' Home The most popular _inhabitants of the (Flinders) Chase are un- doubtedly the Koala Bears. These are of the Victorian species with thick fur, grey ton- ing to•brown, and very feathery ears. The home of the koalas by the Rocky River is a particularly beautiful wooded flat. The steep sandbanks run sheer down to the river bed on one side, and on the other bank the woods run north to steep limestone cliffs. The flat is a jungle of tall, slim Manna Gums interspersed with larger trees, and carries a thick undergrowth of wattles, prickly bushes and dead branches. It is broken here and there by patches of sunlit bracken, as part of this country was cleared for barley growing when the old Rocky River station was worked as a farm. In the swaying tops of these tall trees the little bears can usually be found, silhouetted against the sky, swinging in the wind, curled up asleep, or reaching out for gum -leaves. On a hot day they will curl up on a fork or limb and sleep mo- tionless for hours. Often if one is studying the branches of a big gum- tree, what appears to be a knob or curly branch will unroll itself and turn out to be a koala moving off for a feed. In the gvening they become act ive and perform some amusing acrobatic feats for such clumsy little animals, swinging on the twigs as they search for a foot- hold . It was a source of great joy to us the first time one ap- peared in the trees shading our camp and performed for our special benefit. He was a very large, handsome buck, and cross- ed the river by way of a big Sugar Gum leaning over and touching the branches of one on the other bank. The bears are rarely seen on the ground but they often descend by night to reach fresh feeding trees, The mother Koala carries her baby in her pouch for six months until he emerges in the spring, a dark, woolly little fellow, and clings to her chest as she walks up the branches, or sits with him in her lap. Later he crawls up on her back and reaches out for some leaves for himself, and if frightened may leave the mother and go right up into the top- most twigs. Our best vantage point for watching these little bears was to climb the cliffs beyond the flat, until we were level with the tree - tops, and could look 'straight into their faces a few yards away, to their great sur prise!—From "Flinders Chase," by Mervinia Masterman. Today's housewife has only to push a button to get the dishes washed. Her mother.. had to push a husband. "Of course, I know you'll cal It a night gown for outdoor wear." Modern Etiquette • by Roberta Lee Q. Is the guest of honor sup- posed to be the first person to rise from - the table at the end of a dinner? A. No. The hostess is always the person who signalizesthe end of a dinner by rising 'frons her place. Q. Just what is the -proper rule governing the removal of a man's hat in an elevator? A. He removes his hat only in an elevator in a building where` people live, such as a hotel or an apartment building. The ele- vators of office and store build- ings are rated as the street. Q. When there is no one wait- ing on table, and the serving dishes are passed from hand to hand, are they passed to the left or to the right? A. To the right, so that the person receives the dish in his left hand and helps himself with the right. Q. Is it required that one look directly at another person ail the time- that person is talking with one? A. Of course, you imply closer attention to what the other per- son is saying if you look at him — but be sure this doesn't be- come a fixed stare. Q. Is it necessary to write a "thank you" note to a host who has entertained you infor- mally at dinner in her home? A. No; when leaving, be sure to tell her how much, you have enjoyed. your visit, and then sometime in the near future in- vite her to your home. ISSUE 9 — 1958 Make An Heirloom �• a`te$ N� °i der 40006y Pti-; haQPett.tti%to . L'f 4hA Decorativecover for a table or to use as a tablecloth for special occasions. Lovely en the round table so popular now or on an oblong table. Pattern 510: crochet directions for 54- and 64 -inch cloth in string; 36 -inch in No. 30 cotton. Send THIRTY-FIVE CENTS (stamps cannot be accepted, use postal note for safety) for this pattern to LAURA WHEELER, Box 1. 123 Eighteenth St., New Toronto, Ont. Print plainly PATTERN NUMBER,' your NAME and ADDRESS. As a bonus, TWO complete patterns are printed right in our LAURA WHEELER Needle- craft Book. Dozens of other de- signs you'll want to order—easy fascinating handwork for your- self, your home, gifts, bazaar items. Send 25 cents for your copy of this book today! DAMSEL IN DISTRESS -Lying cold and unattended In the gutter is a' victim of a"fire in University Palk, a suburb of Dallas, Tex. But the neglected body is lust a fashion mannequin, scorched In o-$1'25,000 blaze which wrecked five business buildings.