1957-07-20 — Page 6

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JULY 20, 1957.

It was not one quest only-but all quests; not one bride only but all,

and he came

A

from the ends

of the earth t

THIS

LOVELY SERIOUS GIRL

This is the saga of Eddie and Sophy. A love-story which bloomed quietly under the withering spotlight of scornful publicity, A quest which did not conform to all Grandmother's traditional standards--but with a happy

a village came to realise that ending which she surely benignly directs from the n- malden could hardly face the responsibilities and spelat 00. cestral Heaven.

by JILL DOGGETT

Tirter

alte

Eddie set out to what father ordered, ani had done before him return from the States to the Chinese homelan

abrile eally a points were sind find

as "Eddie's ligation of life abrond with this . maiden from his own village.

14 commandments for choosing modern grandison, 20 unlike his

father. Yet Eddie

blond wife." mether nearly wreekeil The Then the fat was in the Are.

At

Interview Grand- venture at the euvet,

- Publicity beat down un Eddie's mother starent shrewdly at one States defenceless head. Explain as he relf-possessed young teen-nger. Eddig wrote a magazing article might, he reaped only humorous with this merciless scrutiny she entliled I want to marry, an conument, a spate of vitupera- mentally notert the condition of

He explains five correspondence, embarrass, sidhu, hair, feeth, eyes, American girl."

ebra that this meant u

sometimes actives American ment,

feet and ankles, wrids, girl of Chinese origin.

anteronism, a few friends, and Doubtless this effort showed the gold-diggers rush.

The girt turned to Eddle and commendable enterprise (The

"Why did you come here?" He replied "To make my grand- mother happy. Why tlet you

Before leaving the

fee for the article paid the fare 10 Hongkong) my tracked_of contradictory reaction to the purenta calet,

Romantic Crusader

annot

Itere was 26 eligible and Press releases of the magazine personable young article appeared in Hongkong quite a Mr Universe-but with shortly after Eddie's arrival bleeps in the right place.. here, in July 1955. fu

an 11:1 fangghing eyes, attempt lo lucate Eddie, a sparkling personality, tre Chinese newspaper reporter of mendous VIDEO of fun, and forceful personality invaded moreover, મ father with Grandmother's all female house in Mand. Florida. What establishment at North Point, girl would remai impervious To so romüntic a crusader on the

age-old quest for one alone?

Grandmother took the reins

There, he must have been it

remarkable reporter, he won everybody's confidence. und learned of the reason for Eddie's visit according to Grandmother firmly into her shapely

-and her views 011 the hand, She Prranged formal essentials necessary 1:1 the introductions with girls bride-to-be. Fourleen qualifien- suitable background In tions the laką down and the pcence of their families,

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old

of

the

She

como?"

She explained that she was in

returned grace because she

Jale from a picture show. To

gez

10, she had prunused her parents to attend this meeting. She was not ready to Jeave school and go to the Golden

fountain (America).

want "You don't

tu married, do you?"

"No-I want to finish school." "Gec. don't want to Ket muried either. I want to finish Jaw school!"

one

THE THREE GENERATION

GONGS

The sun was hot and the from his own village and harvest was home. Three make her his wife. farm-hands were slaking

their thirst with corn liquor He knew that his bride at a bar in Georgia. Their would have to remain in the lazy eyes alighted upon the village with his mother and small active figure of a submit to her will and train-| Chinese laundryman busy Ing for a while--but he at his ironing board, his long determined that he would queue swinging with his have a wife who would join energetic movements,

him in the States one day and not remain, always in Suddenly three torpid China as his mother had minds seized that irresistible done. queue.

But he accepted

his

One languid youth leapt mother's complete authority into action. "I'll do it," he and ruling about a suitable cried and opening his poc choice, making only one ket knife, crossed the clear-condition.... that he must ing and bore off his trophy ding.

see the girl before the wed- Chinese pigtail.

it This was difficult as The laundryman gave was not possible for young) chase.

and talk brandishing a women He decided Inst to take the plunge.

butcher's knife and yelling with strangers and a good Escoring her home one even- loudly.

girl was too shy to look up ing, he asked for a drink of water,

as she passed a man. Later they became the His throat was so dry he could

best of friends-the laundry- He followed her the kitchen and there

He summoned

his

Grandmother was tireless, She brilliant but not very serious appeared each day with new report of an interview with photographs brought to her by his grandmother, spread from the marriage arrangers, and the Hongkong to Formosa, Monita, lists of qualifications which they and all stops cast to Florida provided, till

day Eddie itself. from which come of his hardly talk. Abapped, "Look here Grand reported exploits brought minor into

will have to marry the girl. Tot have to explosions of parental authority, downing the cold water at one

To a lot of giris Eddie the most wonderful thing that courage and proposed. Shie had

struck Hongkong, seemed shocked but explained ever With currency and passport in gently that she had no wish to be married. It was Eddie's turn the most marriagable "Colour" To his surprise, Grandmother laughed and agreed.

....Eddie was too popular. He to be shocked. on years old and had lived n

She was hardly had time to breathe. But she promised to let him good life. Before she led she who

Sickening of giddy socialites, have her finni answer in a week,

drank

A and flirted 100

week later the phone told Eddie that

environment freely, he saw one day the face rang, and he was as jumpy as a made a great almerenee and

of his fortune in a girl who had kitten, Sophy's quiet voice was uided difficulty to his task.

marry her. And when I do I have to live with her the rest of my life"

She insisted that he should continue to look for a girl with a face of fortune,

From shy debutantes straight from the school-room, Eddle turned to glamorous sophisticates from the movie world,. He mel aloof intellectuais who showed plainly that they foundi Jim wanting.

Champagne Sparkle

So Eddie blew through Hong- kong Society with the sparkle mori of champagne, but no alcohol than Cocacols. He was They laughed together until the most eligible young man Grandmother rebuked them far within miles of the Star Ferry talking in the devil's language and his fame, curried by the and ended the interview,

Chinese newspapers. In

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been around practically all the timo. The quieter elder sister of a popular pair who were always in demand for dances and parties.

Не asking him to moct her. could not shake off his un- happiness, and in a cafe he asked...."Is this just tea and sympathy?"

He felt queer, his conndence But it wasn't. It was Sophy had evaporated, this girl was saying she'd take the long different. She could be good plunge too.

fun, a sympathelle listener and

she had traveljed round the Sophy's background was quite from Eddie's, Her world, yet when the others different

had been bom in were picnicking, she talked with mother villagers of spiritual things. She Peking, had married a Greek, had attended. religious Vinchos, and settled for

a time In England and in Shanghai, where Sophy was America. Eddle had never felt born. A sister. Madeleine like this about anyone before. and younger

brother George, Trying to explain, ho said;

completed the family. They had "She cort of struck me out moved to Manila, lived in the United States for some, time....

assemblies

of the blue."

to meet

Strategy was called for, man with a Western haircut 50 Joe Cong frequented the narrow paths between the -thin edge of the western-

the where paddy fields isation wedge.

villagers strolled other This laundryman had left

people used the broader Hoi Ping, Kwangtung Pro

he highway. When

SOW vince and emigrated to the the chosen maiden approach- United States in the lattering he made his mother sit end of the last century, to under a tree, and holding a settle in Georgia, at least 60 farge black umbrella low, miles away from his nearest advanced along the cause- fellow countryman-doubt-way through the paddy. less to avoid competition in The girl was wearing business. He would send wide-brimmed

straw hat for his son as soon as ho which would have collided reached his teens,

with the umbrella had she His name was Chau Lin-not swiftly tilted it upwards. gong, So of course in He lifted his umbrella high America he was "Chau" for at the same moment and short. Officially he

was was rewarded by a wide- "Mr Cong."

eyed gaze of a girl trying to Joe Fred Chau (later he keep her equilibrium and at got tired of explaining and the same time maintain just put up with "Gong") standards of decorumi. had met missionaries in Joe Cong lost both and China and become a Baptist. hastening back to his mother. in cried in. Toi Shan dialect He joined his father Georgia when he was 15 "Oh. Momma, buy that one years old, and branching out for me!"

on his own, was soon the Mr and Mrs Cong are| proprietor of a grocery store. now in Hongkong for the When he was 24, his wedding of their third father sent him back to generation American only China to find a maiden son Eddie-next Thursday.

where Sophy had some schooling (I want to marry on American girl) So with Sophy-the two- year hunt was up,

Not There

constantly changing environ. ment. Her home is happler now than throughout her childhood, but she does not come from families, wealthý, powerful or established,

Eddio found his ideal girl Eddieweli endowed pro- possessing things he least duct of Hol Ping—Miami— expected to look for ---- Harvard-and the U.S. Air spiritual rosorves. For Sophy Force had found his ideal is a Christion and practises girl. But what was she? hor religion. Where had he found her?

His quest has ended happily and I am sure that. She was not found where Grandmother is content. The he first looked among the bride-to-be has the delicacy

pratty faces.

of contour and character, of Though beautiful, it was a Jane Austen heroine. not Sophy's beauty that out-

She is a young Jennifer shone all the others. She Jones of radiating refine- had won no beauty competi- ment and the glow of deep tions... made, no movies. happiness. She has stepped She was not found where out of girlhood and is a his grandmother searched woman chosen and loved. among solid family back. She has the lustre and grounds.

luminous quality of a pre- Sophy is only half Chinose clous pearl, or 3 shining and cosmopolitan with her soul.

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