1959-12-19 — Page 19

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1959.

OTHER PEOPLE CAN HAVE FUN...BUT ME? NEVER

The parties

I'll never

forget

IT is absurd to be frightened of parties. Parties are fun! Children's parties especially. Children adore dressing up. But you must give them confidence. Tell them how nice they look, how lucky they are to have been asked and what a lot of trouble everyone is taking to see that they will enjoy themselves.

Not until they are safely out of the house and on their way to the slaughter can you relax. Try to comfort yourself with the thought that

perhaps it isn't as bad

for them as it was you at their age.

for

by

ROBERT MORLEY

Irad the

field. We shake fact, ask the girls and did they hands with the hostess and refuse? slip gratefully away.

Some of us, I fancy, still entry the sun Belt femin U childhood parties for many the wounds will never entirely heal.

Because of them cannot walk into a room full of people and mix happily with we feared.

we

the cocktails and the canapes. Of what are we still afraid?

What do we still dread?

Thal

Martur

Eating felly very slowly in case anyone should

suspect.

דיי

for

I was evening when she studies, as you know, we guaran arrived. She WOS conducted tee success, add when Miss hastily to the night nursery.

who has been instructing you, where we were being put to bed. told me about the difficulty she

She made A caceful and was experiencing lengthy inspection

with you I and then decided to come and with one of those sudden flashes myself. of intuition, which

are the privilege of old age, delivered

may be because you are judgment. I think the said to tone deaf, because you have my mother that the girl idea of rhythm. or that your is all riphit." But the boy a bedy is unco-ordinated to a re- markable degree....it may be Could I have heard? And lack of concentration, or some could i, at that age, have under-

inherent weaknes 37: Your stood?

balance Then again, was it

mochun!sm

..perhaps really a party?

it is a combination Certainly not

of all thesa

Anyway, I used to spend my time near the buffet, eating jelly It wasn't so bad, we tell our-

anyone selves; not nearly as alarming very slowly in ease

an idiot," But why did we should suspect that I was at a dinead it so much in ihe fir loose end. place?

I new.

I remember volunteering once to help a conjurer, and how he oilean suddenly produced an

Somewhere I wish no one will talk to us? That along the line, hidden deep in everyone che will leave" That my subconscious, there must be somehow we shall spoil the fun? a reason. And yet nothing very

Terrible has taken home.

I only

form of con-

erit? Are we

*

really the

bores we fear?

What is the matter

with . Other people enjoy parties, Why, oh why, can't we?

Of course, sometimes we do enjoy them-alter The cocktail.

lurd

let

We start to relax....to stories. But usually it is Jae loo Inte: people are already start- ing to leave.

*K

ever

and started to oil me. It fight for my mother, who wore allied to a certain--if you'il for- ened me so much I had to be thoughtful expression for many ever it is, the plain fact is that

Perhaps that

hopper was

all

เ la me at

#1 party. No one after £

eight yours old--has ever struck me, however great the temptation.

was

I try sometimes to remember the early parties I went to, dressed as a rather unlikely looking sailor,

All I can remember was that I was seldom asked to dance. But then, as a boy, surely tut

when 11 started,

or it may have been

*

earlier, at what must have surely been my very Arsi party.

i was six months old and a grand and wealthy relative decided to come and inspect my sister-who was ມ year older than me and myself.

months afterwards.

Leaving

my childhood and advancing

give me clumsiness. But what

you will never learn to dance. "I would be useless to pro ceed with the lessons. trough idole this occasion, and on this occas ona on

SECNICO, I re-

your money,

call a succession of disasters Sion only, I am going to refund at parties which would have discouraged

starter

hearts it rew, a chugia

I bowed my thanks and with-

for the run not stouter trames-than mine.

aruuat of the course I once went right through the

my pocitet. fuor of the Tenterden Town Hall. In Hanover I got engaged A good deal of importance was to a terrible girlmahe was M attached to her visit by my bored as I was at a students rents, who considered it more dance and found myself beck

We grow Suddenly wears shouldn't have surprised me. than possible that one, or indeed ed to fight duel with her exhausted with the effort of After all, is 11 up to the girls both of us, might prove to be trying, even for a moment, to to ask the boys? Or did I. in her heirs.

A CHRISTMAS CROSSWORD

ACROSS

-By HUBERT PHILLIPS-

1 and 4. Reindeer draw his sleigh (5, 3)

8. She probably sings carols at Christmas

(7)

9. He makes us laugh at the circus (5) 10, Crackers often contain them (4), 12. They're for Shrove Tuesday really

unless Wendy baites them for Peteri (8)/ 10. Sullor, popular in 11 (0)

10. Many letters to 1, 4 across, are (6) 10. Children hope to enjoy it and 27

should keep it (4, 4)

20. Too slow to conceal a northern capital

(4)

22. Suge companion? (5)

24. Where the Christmas pudding is pre-

pared (7)

20. Entertainment begins with this (5): 37. The shepherds kept the tra by night (5)

DOWN

2. Peter's turn for a card game! (3)

3. Sorry, a lass isn't all there (4)

4. Many Christmas services are fully this (5)

5. Joan's village; Archer doesn't want her (3) 6. They are hung up on Christmas, Eve (0)

7. Three brought gifts to Bethlehem (5) 8. However many does 1, 1 sercas, transport?

(4)

11. Characteristle Christmas entertalament (9) 13. He presides in the 24 (4)

14. Every actor In 11 hopes for a good one (4) 17. "Come, let's our sorrows" (8)

18. He hopes for a present of cigarelles or

jobacco (6)

10. 11 girl, and an alternative to turkey (5) 21 Confection which may include 22 (4) 23. The last of that ice-cream cornet! (3) 25. How 21 should be served? (3)

ez mais iz tasoon or toxourg er tumora 21 Jura y trouser tour

1

brother when I tried to re- arrange matters the next morn- Ing.

The worst kind of parties for me were tennis patties. No one ever believed how badly I played -until too late.

were

wise

obvious to those of you who llow wrong else was will be

Fanny, that brilliant musical at enough to SCL Drury Lane, in which

danced

my way a low years ago into the hearts of thotsends (well, shall we say hundreds?),

ond pared the

way so successfully

for Mr Rex Harrison.

. still go to dances occasion- ally, but keep well away from There was the floor. At cocktail parties I always a lot of Laik before try to keep away from the gin

hand on which

players

would

make the most

even doubles match.

*

I would always

"I'm a bit weak."

--and the peo-

pie who I know I am going to bere. Each year this becomes in-

interject: creasingly difficult.

"Nonsense," my host would

tell me. "None of us is any good.onger face the moment when We play for the fun of it.

As for New Your parties, I over go to them. I can no

everyone joins hands.. and sings Auld Lang Syne, Απο we never to be allowed to forget old acquaintances?

FOR THE FUN OF IT! Has anyone ever played tennis just for the fun of it? I have yet to see them. Ten minutes later I was back under the cedar. No jelly this time--just lemonade. But I was never asked to make with the friends she had made

up tents altogether.

The best New Year's party 1 ever went to was given by a had filed her fat exclusively promising young starlet who

up a second set. Later, and not over, the preceding 12 months. very much later either, I gave, sald

"If there one thing to be

for getting

she remarked blithely, "It docs drop your old

London Express Service).

It was the some with my enable you to duncing, although in this eREC

the circumstances were different. friends."

I went, I remember, to a studio somewhere near Victoria to per- i fect my ball-mom technique. Realising that I had set myself quite a task I paid in advance for 38 lessons. I had both money and time to burni in those days).

Very pleasant it all was; the instructress was pretty and in- Ivariably in evening dress, 1although the lessons were always

held in the morning.

The first few lessons passed amicably enough and; it noth- ing very spectacular achieved, the talk was good and at least I wasn't falling back.

was

One morning, however, 1 WEL handed over to Ma enormously elegant woman of mature are and bearing, she had, it appeared, founded the school and now controlled t from afar, along ・ with other kindred enterprisen,

It was seldom, I was given to understand by the secretary. that Madam appoaned and even rare for her actually to mare take a pupil.

Wondering vaguely why I had [been singlod out for mich an' honour, I walted while one of the assistants wound up the gramophonie. Madam, then per- approved manner mitted me to grasp ben in the and oir we went round the room in what I had always supposed was mo slow foxtrot routine.

I was conscious of never having danced so well before, We seemed to float along. This, I told myself, in the rear thing. Imagine my asteriishment, therefore, when Madam indicat→ ad, after only two minutes, that (100) (she had bad osade.

I have made it a rude, whe

Copy - skupas () + !(#)®«j«V® g; {do tumours Le Cuartoki me, pever to admit defeat. 1) toquo fer #(m)ois-0(01) 20% town wood si spouster pacing 21: Everrope, in my opinion, can be, puma si fedeo 'oriumor (Lauksdag ZB-IN995), RITES ‘9 DAN I HURU (KOLLATOS.

ta "Chiota," "Ies,' thesu

HK LUXE

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