1947-12-18 — Page 15

An Old-Fashioned English Xmas

By Gordon Cooper

From the railway station to my Inn (they call it an hotel. I know, but to me it stands for all that is inseparable from the good English word "inu" in w 16-mile road journey, most of

ple.

3+1

MIT THE CHINA MAIL CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1974. "\

Brag Fagia

...The fire will beckon me with an binticing*ingar

for

a supplementary vemel brings replenishment.

Then it is time for them to leave. Up the hairple track they go in search of farther appreciative atidfences for their carols and their thirsts.

THE LIFE OF THE PARTY

Your Own Grandfather

Our title sounds pretty ally, doesn't 17 Nevertheless, a man can becom

own grand-

father, verbally at least, and the "how" of it is attributed to Mark Twain who la credited with the famous puzzic. It isn't

a quickie puzzle, for it takes close attention to follow the reasoning involved, but if your guaals pride them selves on their I. Q's you can, probably throw them for quite a loss with the following ex- planation. The I'm-my-own- grandfather man in the puzzle

ABYGI

married a widow with in krown daughter. My father mur. ried my stepdaughter, thun be coming my son-in-law, and my stepihughter becamo my stop mother becauso sie Wax Ry father's wife.

"My wife gave birth to a son, whn was, of course, my father's brother-in-law and my uncles for he was the half-brother of was also stepmother.

mother of a son. He was, of course, my brother and also my grandchild, for he was the son of my stepdaughter.

The old Devon Inn is waiting, tunnel of the ancient chimney, for me again this Christmak.bij onough to hide in. Joyfully I allow my imagina- What in all the world is there tion to anticipate the pleasures to excel the magle of a Christ- of arrival-from the start at mas welcome? For many yenix Paddington station, where an exile, I have spiont Christ- clično compartment with mas in some strange, distant cheerful-looking strangers th be places of the world; in the

for my companions

the long foreals of Finland and on. 1e rail journey. Last year we all | Equater, on board a ship in the joined in at playing a game Indian Ocean and on a train called "Guggenheim" teat of travelling aver the Kalabarl memory agility, but with such Desert, in the trenches, on j strange fascination that was mine in Malayn. Bat. kept as it all the way to our last. I have found perfection, destination. Strangers to start Here, in an English fun, 1 and with, we parted felends.

the lure of light and whamth and fit, and the precious gift of good companionship among my own folk at Christrims-tide, gen

Brass and Power It feels almost as though th It over lonely country; again, ¦ old inn were waiting for

me however, the time will Av, for this Christmas Eve. My host there will be much to discuss takes me into the adjoining bar, with Fred, the driver of the with its unded floor awept to he held. As we all mit into the brev. No risk there of my stepdaughter who somewhat ancient hotel car. clean, while he prepares a tod. talking and laughing in the bir running out of the magic atul. father's wife became the

Round of He is a fund of Information on j dy. I look around at the brass the blurred, far-off all those eternal topies of coun-randlesticks with holly and approucking singers penetrates try life the crops, the ways of laurel garters standing on the the stone walls of the inn. Sud- animals, local customs, the pec- ! Jitetbean ANEMKEJ. Rows of denly the door opens and half

pewters. abining

a dozen men antor. They are elean and

the wassall singers, and their Arrival

highly burnished. hang frein, shelves. calching the muddy ender descends on the land- Suddenly there will appear wink of the fire in splashes and lord with his husky "Wassail, round a bend in the road the slits.

Beling the bar-counter Wasauli, a jolly wanki||" ken. I hope it will be atormy Cusks

The duneb now starËN. already tapped atant der his arm is a dark wenden

The again, with the billowing waves waiting

bowl. empty and smooth. music is for the evening want! a dry bawianka the pinnial, a very ancient hdiller, provided by a lady crashing against the cliff-lined | vellers. share. Paat the ancient, high- The English may be stiff and landlord' disbelievingly, remem- and a very youthful accordion- towered church, down a hairpin reserved in some hotels, but not bering other years. "No, nur ist. But what they might lack rond on the side of the cliffs, here. We all take our cue from dry lip, neither!" shouts the in technique is more than com- and I will have arrived at the our host and his buxom, chour leader of the band. "So let's-pensated for by their cheerful

ful wife (ant what a cook she begin with a drop of Christmasness and enthaalóam. With My jovial host will be at the bet), and even from the three

ale."

the dancers there is no claos- dour to greet me, The fire also little Devon serving maids. Seconded on all sides by his consciousness, for the serving will beckon me in with an en-ench one of them out to do all companions, he veurs in the maids, the local Tarmers and

Dressed their families and ficing Binger-a real Bre calling in her power to please the direction of the bar. back a wanderer with a per Christmas guests

It in indeed in a strange medley of costumes emptory crackle, embracing the joyous company that sits and well wrapped up, they look faithful In tu opan-hearted

down to dinner that evening an odd collection. Their faces warmth, This burning heart And what a foust! The miseries and voices match the diversity of the entrance lounge is

of minute London rations are of the cutfits, gold-pinelied faces, carefully laid fire. a fire of for the time forgotten.

and Devon volees that could bu During longish band Inter- many parts. Firat there is a Without can be heard the come dulcet in song or in sup- vai We play peculiar local Inyor of old wound stumps, then sullen our of the storm and the pliance for Christmas cheer. granies, most of them culminat- a layer of coal, followed by a waves, but that does not de

Behind the 'bur things are ing in some bashful male hav- pile of pent, and topped by dry press, for the bright, flickering happening, and it is not longing to kiss some equally 'bash- and crackling fargots. To fira and the jelly Jug

before the thirsty visitors are ful girl, amidst great laughter. each ingredient the flame reactsough to make the cold seem deep into the waiting vassall I don't think these Devon party differently. With the stumps wonderful and bracing. Soon.

bowl. Ale, pungent spices, a games can have changed much and coal it is bright and steady ten, the Christmas dance is to ash of brandy, then another through the centuries. At last. with the pent glows dully and art."

tor good measure. Roasted ap- however, it is time to end. The reaches the climax in the fng

bobbing on the surface of the on a three or four mile journay more reluctantly; but when it

ples, their brown-red cheeks villagers depart, many of them

quor, or hung ove, the fire, to their homes, and I seek my their awest hot juices dripping cosy room, my comfortable bed.

old in.

are

Important Ceremony gots, it snaps and roars to the Before it commences there is, Rkies up the black and grimy | however, an important cere-

Un-

All Join In

adrvania,

half a lozen Ballora from near-by Naval station, a light house keeper, and the loen grave-dlæger, all join in with the hotel guests.

MARCOVITCH

BLACK

Marcovitch

Cigarettes

&-

WHITE

VIRGINIA

The Finest Cigarette in the World!

grandmother because she was my "Accordingly, my wife was my

stepmother mother-I was my wife's husband and grandchild at the same time-and as the band of a person's grandmother am my own grandfather." is his grandfather, therefore, I

Table-Top stunt

After that grandfathe suu'd better give the folks 29209 thing easier. Here's a little trick that requires poker chips, ar checkers,-ur.objects of similar site which can be discriminated by colour or shape. Let's say you use white and red poker chips. Take half n duzen of each colour and arrange them as shown be low, the white circles represent ing white chips and the black circles, red ones:

000

The problem is to make each horizontal row the same colour (ie, first row all white, second Tow all Tod, and so on) by touch ing and moving only one marker.

Argument Starters

The most dreaded moment at any party is that stark, dumb period when everybody seems to run out of conversational fodder simultaneously. The following self-starters, contributed by Eleanor M. Marshall, are guar- anteed to bring any party to life with vengeance. Drop a fow of theso verbal mines into the silence and watch them explode on contact. Each begins with the words "What would you do if

1. Your best friend was deli- berately setting out to break up the home of someone you do not know?

2. You -a married person, realize you are falling in love with someone whose good will you must have in order to suc coed at your life work?

3. Your employer, a powerful -politician, is out to rain a com- munity In which you have friends by building a dam that is unsafel

PUZZLE PAGE SOLUTIONS

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

1. Hookah, an eastern pipe; hip- pogriff, a-fabulous animal; haut- -boy, 4 musical instrument; buckaback, a linen fabric: hoo poo, a crested bird; hauberk, a piece of armour. *

2. A row of columns round a

building.

3. Wide ADACES, Agoraphobia; hydrophobia; high places,

phobia, One

close quarters,

MAN WAS the grandfather

of the party. He had two. BOTH, „each of whom alsa-had,two-son. So there were only seven people for seven beds.

QUIZWORD

मय

LHIG

The Hidden Seal Is Facing Upwards Between The Other Three Animal

Indian Problem: The Indian Behinil

The Mother

4. Your daqgħater wants to marry a rich man you know she does not love "in, ezder to obtain money, for a costly operation for

6. "You need in, expert suga gion, and tha: only one, avaliable. Is one who cha téà voli dócause you ||befüred-to-marry, him?:

Töighbour- hood grower (ohdat poor child konnaratión opoints

Grand News for all Xmas Shoppers!!

SPECIAL SALE TO BE EXTENDED RIGHT UP TO XMAS EVE