Side of the Coin VAUXHALL
Two women who care about people
reveal just what this means to them in.
another instalment of a fascinating series
CHE is a quiet woman. SHE
The sort of person who has somehow care- fully earned herself the respectful title of Miss.
by SALLY VINCENT
Agures on the Her life was insular and she had no desire for adventure. She was the sort of woman who st knew the girls she was at school with.
Her name is Grace Bennett, carved Oriental and she is a missionary. returned to London early this year, after five years work in Korea, and went to live in her little room at Pilgrim Lodge, the home, in Surrey, for the men and women who work for the British Mission to Lepers,
She mantelpiece, small vases of ane- munes, a mound of sixpences for the gus, some pale blue knitting. The evening paper open at the crossword puzzle- anti silence except for the gen- the hiss of the gas are.
W.OH
Shy
П
there I met her, desperately shy, happily ner
the anony- Vous woman, with
smooth-skin- mously-featured, ned face of u nung sitting with her hands in her lap.
She wore a green cardigan, a blouse with an embroidered collar, and a grey pleated skirt, and on her feet there were tiny, bright, Bal-heeled slippers,
Her room was plain, neat and bright, with a tidy regiment of
IT
to
is not difficult meet Lady Lewis- ham. She is always pre- pared to organise a moment in her diary- life for the precise gracious acceptance of some attention or other.
When 1 telephoned her she said at once she would be de- Highted to see me, and called for her itin book," The current contents of which she proceeded to reelte in a voice as exag- geratedly alive as a television- Commercial actor's.
tomorrow," "Not
She sold, "Tomorrow Arst thing I'll be at the hairdresser's.
"Then there's a cocktail party at the Italian Embassy. After that I'll be at a party meeting at County Hall and In the eve- ning we're having a tiny dinner party and un to a theatre.
"Let's try Wednesday.
Party
"There's a council meeting in the morning. I can't miss that because someone's going to talk about Piccadilly Circus. Oh, and there I have a lunch date, aud
She is shy without aggres- sion, enjoying the company, but incapable of self-projection. She would much rather sten than talk.
Vague
+
Sull, she remembered "strict upbringing and a vague ambition to be a nursery goy- erness. From school she went into the Civil Service, then she became a mirse, had a room in a nurses' home and a social life which consisted entirely of cups of coffee in other nurses' rooms.
COUNCILLOR
At the age of 35 she felt a vocation for mission work. She felt she had something to give lo other people,
Beliefs
So she went to Korea, and the lepers,
Although she had never be fore left England, or even com- municated with anyone outside her immediate circle, she was not in the least afraid to go to Korea and make contact with people of a different race, and beliefs and to impress her
thoughts on them.
On the other hand, she sald she would be frightened of be- ing the guest of honour, indeed
Lady Lewisham
Westminster
have
said. "And if you
up 500 individual problems as a "It's absolutely Frighteningly
City Councillor;, True," she hat, of all things, she holds a gold medal for public speaking.
a guest at all, at a dinner party in London.
She explained the difference. "My mission work, is a voca- tion, therefore I have the strength and courage to go in Korea. But there would be no reason for me to be at a dinner party. No good would come of it."
She said: "I would be com- pletely out of my clement. I.
would be rather afraid of the people.".
make That she did, in fact, contact with the Koreans has been the biggest surprise of Miss Bennett's quiet life.
She comprehends intuitively
Involved psychology
In the building up the confidence of strangers whom she might be able to help.
MISSIONARY
Grace Bennett
who sees no romance In doing God's work; or, if she see It, would never attempt to describe
"My earliest job was to find Koreans who could act as sort of middlemen for me. Naturally, the natives would be suspicious it. of a foreigner who claims have come to help them.
"But I believe I convinced them that was all I wanted to do."
Talks
to
she is
seem to be any real meaning to a city, just a lot of movement and hurry."
She told me a story which I She gives talks in church belleve she treasured most of oil halls with lantern alidos and her Korean experiences. photographs to
pass round. One morning she had travel- district far when she speaks about the led to a country problems of the lepers in Kores from Talgu, where the Mission she becomes animated, sure of to Lepers had its headquarters.
A herself.
who peasant woman Otherwise
detached, thought Miss Bennett was 70- ther pale, asked her if the sun and content to be so.
Miss Bennett does not form never shone in Talgu.
of things or
"You sec." Miss Bennett ex- dislikes
people. she Ilkes
didn't think of опе thing plained, "she Raiher
necessarily excludes me as a foreigner, but only as which
clse she likes someone with a rather pale something country life and gardening and skin who was therefore a little "does not eare very much" for different. city Hte.
"It is odd, isn't it, how simple sometimes understand nolse In the things to much better than the For she is a practical woman town," she said. "There doesn't clever ones?"
Now that she has returned to London, she is lost and bewild- ered.
She said: " can't get used to being back. I have a feeling of not being here. I miss having something definite to do each day, and I don't seem to fit in anywhere."
Shc longs to get back to There are too many people folk
Korea, but without sentiment, and too much
hers and she "I have a sort of antennac, don't belleve me just look at she had caught
you know. It tells me about carried on:- History.
"We Need Personalities. If people at once. "It's People that have mado we didn't have them our So- It. It was all those Little Hu- ciety would just Collapse. We mon Things that Changed the still need the Right Sort of Peo- World. Think of Napoleon. If ple.
he hadn't caught a" cold, his army might have marched right into Moscow or something
Frightful like that.
Unfair
"Actually it always upsels me dreadfully to fird someone doesn't like me. It always seems to me to be so unfair of them. I always, always, make effort to be pleasant and I have never given anyone any cause to dislike me."
an
always sur-
"And then think of that
"I."
she said, throwing a
Looking down at her white darling man Disraeli. You know bright smile at a emoll buller hands Lady Lewisham noticed what a positive State the Euro- who had crept in with Dover the time on her diamond watch. pean monarchy was in when he sole, "almply sec people as It surprised her. came along, now don't you? I Individuals. I like to humanise I feel the time mean. Queen Victoria absolutely things, cut through red tape, prizes Lady Lewisham. It al- Had to be Empress of India or make stuffy officials see the ways seems to be pointing to Where Would England have Ordinary People and Respect the next entry in her diary, Deen?
Them. It gives me enormous The next Appointment to take satisfaction to be in position to up the Individual Problems of some Absolutely Riveting Peo- speak up for people.
"I adore to have lots of peo- pic. ple around me who are Attrac-
London Express Servico). There Was a briet pause, tive and Charming and Suc- "After all, when I nearly managed to ask cessful," she said. Lady Lewisham a question. But they are the only people to have before I could catch my breath around one.
In the afternoon there's a com buses to take the lonely and capital letters, "but how__Ab-
"And there was dear Disraeli mittee meeting of Westminster Infrm for outings; that she is solutely Riveting. But People City Hall and then we're all off patron of group
of Bay are the most Important things with his little bunches of violets for the Queen, Just Egging her who Scouts. to Mummy's.
officially in the world. One simply has to Now, I've absolutely prom- "Viscountess Lewisham's Own"; all about?
changed the le troop name to Adore them, or what else is Life on to great things." Ised to take the children to a cowboy films, and there's a tiny that she has personally taken coffee party in the morning and in the evening we're having a dinner party because there's a wonderful little ran coming from the Victorin And Alber! Muscum to tell us about one of our tables which has turned out to be something quite grand.... And so on. I think there were eight days. Eventually a holt hole was made: and I was crammed into it.
Riveting
When I eventually replaced another visitor in Lady Lewis- ham's sitting-room, she seemed to be excitedly antelpating
In the meantime Lady Lewis game of something or other and
ham promised to sead me some äsked what I wanted to ask her
papers "They'll tell you all about.
about iny Boy Scouts and
things," she said gally.
Isall I wanted to talk about
Lady Lewisham's publietty her and people.
hand-out explained that she
"My dear," said Lady
had helped raise money for Lewisham, her voice making
FRED THE INVISIBLE
FRED THE
INVISIBLE MAN
HOLL
Unsurpassed Quality is
Our GENERAL Rule
When you want the BEST
GENERAL DUAL 90
DUAL TREAD STOPPING ACTION
• GREATER DRIVING STABILITY
• NYGEN CORD BODY STRENGTH
• PUNCTURE SEALING CONSTRUCTION
• HIGHER MILEAGE PERFORMANCE
THE
(GENERAL) DUAL 90
THE HONGKONG TYRE CO.
(Estd. 1932)
TOP-QUALITY RETREADING
Tel: 72455
Find
The
Way
To Better
• Living Through
VICTOR SUPER
BREAKS THROUGH 4
BUDGET
PRE-BUDGET PRICE
HK$1600
NEW PRICE INCLUDING 10% GOVERNMENT PURCHASE TAX
HK$11.600
Additional Advantages
LOW FUEL CONSUMPTION ATTRACTIVE TRADE IN ALLOWANCE
ON USED CARS
ASK FOR A DEMONSTRATION TO DAY
Sole Agents in Hong Kong:
CHINA INTERNATIONAL MOTORS, LTD. Caroline Mansions, Yun Ping Rd., Tel: 75261
WAYFOONG
Buying or replacing an expensive washing maching or a suite of furniture can place a heavy strain on a family's means. Why not let Waylong carry your burdent · They will also help you to buy that now car or tape recorder,
Wayfoong Finance Limited offer hire purchase facilities for a wide range of industrial - and commercial equipment as well as for domestic items. Our entire facilities are at your disposal through the medium of all approved desfors within the Colony. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Hongkong and Shanghal Banking Corporation.
503 Shell House. Telephone: 27796/7/8/9.
Manager: D.P.G. Learmond.
“I know you can sẹo mo. I'm on holiday.”
Hongkong: 25 Morrison Hill Road, H.K.
Kowloon:
Opposite Kowloon Magistracy, Yaumati, 39 Tonkin Stroot, Shamshulpo.
Tel: 68382
Tel: 57452