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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1958-05-15, Page 6Tumbling Walls n Tokyo 4i Going out to buy carrots for dinner used to be an ordinary chore. How often, in America, I would run to the carrier grocery, snatch' up a bunch, and return home, undiverted from my thoughts, and so : impartial to the trek that, stopping to re member, I could scarcely recall having gone. Except that the carrots lay like jackstraws in the sink, waiting to be picked up and scraped. ' Since we have lived in Tokyo such short treks have become ' the most essential moments of my days. Stepping from our small yard• into the alley -street, I am sur- rounded by walls and fences which line the narrow way. Some are formidable concrete or stone; some are thin wooden slats and others heavy, hand- some pieces of wood. When I t eel shut out by the walls 1 think of Frost's "Good fences make good neighbors." Or I translate them into symbols; the thick walls are the language which even after eight menthe!, is still an enigma to me; the thin slats whimsically half hide the gentle beauty which one must learn to feel more than to see; the handsome wooden pieces are the substance of gen- erations of tradition and beliefs. Sometimes I imagine that I, like those delicate tea roses which have scaled one great concrete wall and bloom exqui- sitely along the top, can through T 0 -Parts Perfect PRINTED PATTERN 4773 ,/14Nr'i't /244 " '1'7 �re,�,4 - 5 If you're shorter, fuller — sew this slenderizing version of fa- shion's favorite jacket dress. Printed Pattern is proportioned to fit you at shoulders, waist, hips — no alteration problems, Printed. Pattern 4773; Half Sizes 14%, 16%, 18%, 20%, 22%, 24%. Size 16% dress, 3% yards 35 -inch; jacket, 2% yards. Printed directions on each pat- tern part. Easier, accurate. Send FIFTY CENTS (stamps cannot be accepted, use postal note for safety) for this pattern. Please print plainly SIZE, NAME, ADDRESS, STYLE NUMBER. Send order to ANNE ADAMS, Box 1, 123 Eighteenth. St.. New Toronto, Ont. ISSUE I9 — 1958 Smiles and compassion and pa- tience, scale or break through my three walls. But my short treks are filled' with encounters with people' and they open delightful doors through the walls. If Mrs. K... passes me on her way hone from market (carrying vegeta- bles in, small three -sided bags made of newspapers) we, ex- change quick, shy bows. Since she canhot speak English, nor I Japanese, we may never have a full, neighborly conversation. Still there is a quality in our self-conscious bowing which 1 cherish -a mutual consent to be respectfully curiousabout each other. It is similar with the goldfish seller, the fishmonger, or the wife of the Shinto priest. I am as much a novelty to- them as they are to me, and each time we bow we cement this com- mon bond. But it is the children I meet on my walks who make many of the walks tumble down. I am usually greeted at our gate by two intensities who are not yet learning to count in school (ichi, nichi, san, she; go) but spend their hours hanging on our gate or ,peering at me through the fence. The clippety- slock-siock of their getas has become part of the atmosphere for me. They are bursting proud of their English and hail me with a hopscotch of "hullo"; and when I smile "Hello, how are you?" they giggle and clasp each other and dart ahead of me down the alley, writes Nancy Nelson in The Christian Science Monitor. We pass through groups of children playing dodge ball, bat -ball, roller skating. On some-' days their eager eyes in- vite me to play with them, Someone misses a ball, and I catch and toss it back. "Sank. you," he calls, blushing at his own daring to speak English, and then warming my heart when he echoes my "You're welcome," or "That's okay," Some days I am ignored along with the other adults who pass by. And on some terrible days I am silently stared at for my whole long walk down the street, Then I try to stare at myself too and see how strange I must look to them. I imagine them looking at a picture book and, finding an American, point- ing and commenting to a school friend, "We have one on our street, just like that." I cherish most those two boys who rose beside me down the alley one day testing English phrases from their schoolbooks. I was pushing the baby carriage and they pulled up beside me on their bicycles, "What time Is it?" the taller one asked. I shook my head, "I don't know." The boy was disappoint- ed in me; it was not the time he wanted, but talk. "I am a boy," his friend said in meas- ured rhythm. Finally I under.. stood. "Yes, and I am a girl. This is a boy too, a baby boy," and I pointed into the carriage. They grinned, Their English textbook was coming alive. "I go down street," the tall one went on. "You go down the street," I reminded him, "on a bicycle," and my friend laugh- ed. But the other boy was trou- bled. I sensed he was searching for a word, mentally going over lists of vocabulary. Finally he burst out, "I am a boy; baby is boy. You are not girl; you are a mother." He laughed, and his friend cuffed his shoulder, laughing. Then as abruptly as they had come they nodded "good -by mother," and peddled off. Q. Our high school class is going to have a dance, and sever- e' of us fellows would like to know Whether we should ask our dates what kind of flowers they want to wear on their dresses. Can you answer this for us? A. The best plan is to ask your girls what color dresses they will wear, then you choose flowers to harmonize, PLAYING BY EAR — This tiny violin and bow set is for real. It was made by Mrs, Harriet Babcock Neil, 68 She and many other older people showed the products of their unusual talents at a hobby showfor older persons. A visitor to the show plays himself a cheerful little earful with the elfin instrument. _BEAT GENERATION — These tigers are really dragging on arrival in Dallas, from the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. The ' Siberian animals, worth $4,000, turned out to be both males — much to the disappointment of Daces zoo officials — and seem destinedto spend bachelor lives in their new home. HItONICLES 1NGERFARM G.m�mu� a ctas� I imaginea lot of mothers -- and maybe a few grandmothers too, including myself—were not too pleased with the weather during the Easter holidays. Wet weather and children at home is not a happy combination. We volunteered to have David here to help him recuperate after the measles. We thought fresh air and sunshine as well as the change would do him good the swings were ready and waiting to encourage outdoor exercise. But as you know it was cold, wet and windy. But now, with the Easter vacation over the weather is grand so we are going to keep Dave for a few days longer. Daughter has no objection as the other two little fellows are still croupy and restless at night. David is no trouble at all ex- cept for his meals. What is the matter with children nowadays? By the time I have tried to get a meal into Dave I feel too frus- trated for words. We never had that sort of trouble with•our two children. I gave them what I thought they should have and that was that. Anything that was left came up for thenext meal. Dave doesn't care whether he eats or not—preferably not. However, I am hoping he will improve as I got him some chem- ical food --a vitamin and miner- al tonic. I had it as a child, so did our daughter, and now here is our grandson having the same tonic. I imagine it must be good since it has been on the market all these years. Before David arrived I got in half a day at the National Home Show in Toronto, Actually I wasn't too anxious to go but once there I found it paid off. There are various extras we still need around here and at the Hone Show I was able to compare one make with another, bring back a report to Partner and after that we decided on the best type for our purpose. Not only that but I was able to get particulars about a few installations that were here when we took over the house, the mechanics of which we had never, properly under- stood. Now that we do under- stand it will simplify the neces- sary cleaning and care tremend- ously. And then in my wanderings I found myself right on the spot when C.B.C. was getting ready to televise "Open House"—one of my favourite TV programmes. It took over two hours to set up the cameras and other equip- ment in the Model House before it went on the air. Fred Davis was very busy conferring with technicians and those taking part in the programme, including Frank Moritsugu, that genial Japanese artist in home decorat- ing who is also managing editor of Canadian Homes and Gardens. I had an opportunity to asic his advice on a tittle home problem which wasn't quite in his line. Since he wasn't sure of the an- swers he promised to have a member of his staff send me the required information. This was done and told me exactly what I wanted to know. :,Of course Anna Cameron was on the set, looking very charm :ng in a tailored grey suit and a pink, close -fitting flowered hat. After the broadcast I had a, few words with Anna. And you know 1 felt as if I knew her so well it seemed almost strange to think that she shouldn't know me! 1 found her just as natural and friendly as one would expect from her broadcasts, At that same time, a short d s-, tance from the Model House the stage was being set for Front Page Challenge that same eve- ning. I was tempted to stay and then decided I might just as well get home in good time and see it on television at home. Partner was surprised toe see me back so soon but I had seen about everything, found out a lot about a number of things — all in a matter of hours. You can accomplish so much more if you start out with definite ideas about things you want to know about. Wandering around aim- lessly can be very tiring and not too rewarding. One thing amused me. I was having a light lunch at the cafe- teria. Sitting at the next table were two very fashionably dress- ed ladies—one of them loaded with diamond rings and double chins. She turned to her com- panion and said — "Don't they have a bar around here at all?" The poor dears, wasn't it a shame they had to miss their cocktails? Well, so much for that — now on with the work. Dave to go out. Ditto needs feeding, one of the kittens needs an eye-wash—one eye gets stuck up and won't open. The sunshine is lovely . robins, orioles and song -spar- rows warbling with joy. Frogs are singing, grass is greening, in fact spring is busting out all over. Partner is outside cleaning windows, Dave with him. Daugh- ter just phoned to say the little • boy with whom Dave generally plays has chicken -pox. Poor mothers, what a time they have nursing their children through first one contagious disease and then another. 'Bye I can smell my roast -- maybe I forgot to turn the heat down! Obey the traffic signs — they are placed there for your safety. AN NE 14MST ST "Dear Anne Hirst: I am a woman 19, and have been .mac- ried four years. We have two lovely children -whom. I rove dearly. I. was very young to. get married, but I didn't know what love was,,— 'But now I think I am in love, and with my husband's brother! He is not married; he likes me, I expect, just as a sister-in- law. "My husband is building us a lovely home, and gets us every- thing we want. He doesn't know about his brother, of course Once my husband said that if anything• like this happened, he would not let Ane have the chil- dren! "Shall I stay with the husband I don't love — or teII his brother how T feel? Help me, please! MRS. C. D." }IOW CAN YOU? * If you want to toss brothers e at each other's throats, break * up your home, and lose these * children of yours, tell your * husband, but first go to your room and see what the future * holds. " Where is your conscience? You have an indulgent hus- band, you are about to move +' into a finer home, your chit- * dren look to you to be a model mother. (How could you go * on without them?) Your * brother-ih-law would probab- * ly be so horrified by »your * news that he would clear out * fast, and that would be that. 4' Your husband's faith in you * would be destroyed, and for * the rest of his life he would * despise you. " Put yourself in his piece. * What would he do without * you, how bring up the children " — and where would you go? *° Disgraced in your husband's * eyes, scorned by his brother, * bereft of your children, what * place `on earth is left for you * to hide? * It is sometimes hard for a * woman who married so young * to stay to the course. She has * lost the first thrills of mar- * riage. She sees her husband * as a stodgy, hard- working * man, and forgets he Is the * provider of all the good things * in this life she has without * even asking. * You wrote me under stress. * You think you have found r0- * mance, but what you feel is * sinful and destructive. Empty * your heart of such wicked * notions, and be thankful there * is still time to be the good * wife you intended to be when * you took your marriage vows. * Go back to your church and * pray for the strength to thrust * this infatuation out of your * heart, Count your blessings — * and resolve from now on to * keep your husband so content- * ed that he' will never guess * how close you came to de- * serting all those you promised * to cherish. * * * '♦ BOY INTIMIDATES HER "Dear Anne Hirst: Once you wrote that boys take their social cues from the girls they date. One boy I dated just -twice surely must have gone With•tho wrong girls. He said things with double meaning, and trying to be pleasant, 1 just laughed at them... "I soon sent him off — and now he threatens to tell stories about me! Unfortunately, he knows a lot of the other students at school. How can I stop him? FRIGHTENED'5 * This young man needs a threat from one in authority. * Tell your father or your * brother the truth; if there, * is no male member in your * family, tell your mother. She * will know how to silence this " vulgar creature. * Either he is tee. Ignorant of * such 'a denunciation' and the * lawful punishment he 1acee, * or toospiteful -to care. In any * event, it will be out of your * hands. * * .. If the day should come: when. you think real romance awaits outside your front door, picture the devastation you would rcauee if you yield. Write. Anne Hired fast, and ask her for help. She will give it. Address her at Bos 1, 123 Eighteenth St„ New Tor nnto, Ont. Needle Painting Just a little embroidery for these two pictures. They will add beauty to any room. Use natural coloring,' or just black Or brown as in an etching. Pattern' 618: transfer of tore pictures 91/2x11s/a inches (em- broidery size); color chart. Send THIRTY-FIVE CENT$ (stamps cannot be accepted, use postal note for safety) for this pattern to LAURA WHEELER, Box 1, 123 Eighteenth. St., New Toronto, Ontario. Print plainly PATTERN' NUMBER, your NAME and ADDRESS. As a bonus, TWO complete patterns are printed right in our LAURA WHEELER Needlecraft Book. Dozens of other designs you'll want to order — easy fas- cinating handwork for yourself, your home, gifts, bazaar items, Send 25 cents for your copy ot this book today! ..naw^. FOR MIDNIGHT DIPS—Something ;new in bathing suits are these two from the spring collection" of Parisian designer Pierre Cardin. They are intended for romantic midnight bathing parties on the Mediterranean coast or anywhere else ,.that smart women gather. Model at right wears the new "combination" creation in elasticized sculptured nylon in cream and gold with match- ing turbaiT,. Golden satin fashions the broad straps and edges the ankle -length pants. Suit at left is in the same elasticized nylon in a rich shade of orange glinting with gold thread.