1933-04-28 — Page 2

DOLLY VARDON HATS.

feel

your

best.

make you and look

ST. GEORGE'S BUILDING.

"RICKSHAW BRAND

CELEBRATED

CEYLON TEA

SOLD BY ALL COMPRADORES

WARDED IO COLD MEDALS

FOR PURITY, STRENGTH

AND FLAVOUR

Sole Distributors--

DAVIE, BOAG & Co., Ltd.

GREAT REMNANT SALE

NOW ON

FOR A FEW DAYS ONLY HUNDREDS OF SILK REMNANTS

TO BE CLEARED At Give-away Prices.

THE PIONEER SILK STORE

China Building

FOR SUMMER

DAYS

EVENING

Queen's Rd, Ctl.

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1933.

Conversation Makes Cowards

The writer of the following article suggests that conversation is dead because people have last the art of intelligent talk. Guests at parties are almost afraid to open their mouths and hostessco equally terrified lest they will, in case the remilts lead to bore- She suggests that the art of conversation should be gently plea- but firmly, revived. Intelligent conversation is, after all, a kang pastime.

dom.

"BUT WHAT shall I do

to

amuse them." demanded the would-be hostess agitatedly. "We haven't room for dancing, and the Browns don't play bridge, and old Colonel Robinson is rather dent and hates listening-in, and

"1

Why not just talk?" I asked mildly. If I had said, "Why not get under the table and play Ju- dinnis-in-a-Cave " I don't suppose my friend could have been moro Astonished.

But I did not give her time to draw breath. I plunged into a passionate plea for the lost are of conversation. Must we be for ever "amused," I inquired; must we be always doing this and doing that; couldn't we sometimes just sit at ease, without a card-pack between our fingers, without Corinthian bagatelle ball in our hands, without, for once, the im- personal tones of the B.B.C. in- terrupting the flow of our friend- ship; couldn't we be allowed sim- ply to talk1

'

Д

Breath recovered,

friend my darted to the attack. "But people are such bores if you let them start talking."

I pounced. "No, they're not--- that's where you're all wrong. Of course I know that without the art of listening, the art of conversation is lost. And that's just where we moderns go wrong; we all want to talk-ve none of us want to listen -naturally anyone else who talks is regarded as a bore. What we've got to do is to cultivate the art of listening."

Thinking it over, I decided that the underlying trouble was prob

If you don't ably incuriosity. want to know how the other fellow lives, if you have not an insatiable interest in people, places, things-- well, stick to dancing or bridge... But with the others, those who have that noble curiosity, that de- sire to sharpen their minds on the whetstone of other minds, surely a discriminating hostess, could form A modern interpretation of that time-honoured but lost institution,

the salon.

Oh, I know she would have more

sny.

4.

Still the Parish Pump."

Nowadays we haven't any cour, tesy, but we have a great alice of egotism and a great idea of our knowledgeableness, and yet own difficulties to contend with than, withal too much of the parish her great-great-grandmother pump" in our outlook to be inter- had. In those days, if egotism did ested in things outside our imme- urge everyone to monopolise the diate cognisance. conversation, or, Sailing that, to In the old days, when so much first yawn at proceedings, at any rate was strange, anyone with politeness kept these tendencies in hand travels, or first-hand know- check. With courtesy you listen-edge on a special subject, was list ened to with interest and respect.

WEAR

ed.

IN FACT

FOR ANY

OCCASION

TO BE COMFORTABLE

AND CHIC..

CORDONS, Lid.

Footwear for Milady

Kayamally Building.

Cool and Fresh

as

on summer evenings,

-the new Irish linen evening frocks are

delightful to wear they are to look at.

Cooler and less crushable than organdie-this special.

as

line has draping qualities

which appeal to the well-dressed woman.

Ladies Salon

LANE, CRAWFORD, LTD.

M Round

the Cown

Seen this Week

Local Shops

Lane Crawfords.--Dance dresses are always a problem in the bor weather, and it is a good idea to have one that will wash.

Sheets of British make, with a fine strong weave which makes them very dirublé

of us All

Now, when nothing is strange, when all world's our potential playground, people are too apt to receive with unfeigned boredom any informed conversation.

The hostess, then, who wants to have her guests come to talk-pot merely to chatter, but te eonverse -will have to be very discriminat- ing in the choice of those guests. The frivolous, whose only mode of speech is "backchat," or dialogue a la Hollywood, must be ruled out. The "dumb" must be rigidly ex cluded. For there is all the dif- ference in the world between the sympathetic listener, who; with in- folligent eye and ant question, helps the conversation forward, and the speechless being who sits like a mato at the spoken feast and gorgonises the flow of thought with his lacklustre countenanco,

Youth the Scornful...

The extremely young, with rare exceptions, are not a happy choice, unless it is an all-young gather ing. They will either quell their elders with silent disdain-for it is a fact that most people are uneasy in the company of the untried and, therefore, supremely scornful young adult or monopolise the conversa tion from start to finish. Almost certainly they will be bored if old So-and-so starts reminiscing, giv ing to the discerning a fascinating M Jost glimpse into the life of world.

But why continue. The would be former of a salon will doubtless make mistakes at first, if only be cause we all have our "on" and our "off" days, our sparkling and. our shy days. Young So-and-$7, Inst who talked brilliantly

60 week, will fail to make contact with the Sach-an-such's this week, and will relapse into an impene trable state of shyness from which no efforts of the hostess will coax him.

Or

somebody's witty.

sarcasmis

will fall fat, or the conversation will tread on somebody else's pet On corn and becoms overheated.

even tact these occasions, when fails, the wise hostess will doubt- less ring for the refreshments to. be brought in,

Discouraged shs may often be, for, of all things, human material is the most inconstant, the most unstable, the most disappointing: and yet, at the same time, it is the most fascinating and the most re- warding to work with.

There is a treasurs of wit and wisdom and argument waiting for the woman who has the courage and the fact and the judgment to draw round her a band of people to form a modern echo of the fa- rous salons of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries.

Those who like a shoe to go with different dresses could not do bet- ter than invest in a pair of magpie I saw some useful locking fibre shoes in white and black or white trunks and suitcases in the same department, all priced down to and brown. They look smart; ne in palest pink with a necklace they go with everything, and they tempt people who are going off on are suitable for all occasions.

and with leave; leather-bound brass, covers they will last a life-

At Lane Crawfords I saw somb charming gowns of printed linen which look smooth and cool and wash perfectly. They have detach able shoulder-capes of either organ die to tone," or liner to mateb. Worn with one of the shady Jeg-time. horn hats (which are going to be BO fashionable this year) they are ideal for afternoon wear, and when the cape is removed Hey, Presto! --they are transformed into evening gowns!

Thoro who don't care for washing gowns would love one I saw in hight blue crinkle-crepe with the sleeves and waist caught together with diamanté buckles: and Deba" will be delighted with the pretty dance-dresses of delicate Howered organdie,soccially the one in patest pink with a necklace to match,

Whiteaway Laidlaws. At this time of year the bright weather makes bibe's rooms look jaded, and there is no better way of brighten- ing them than by getting new cur tains At Whiteaway Laidlaw there me some delightful curtains in the new silk-lace, in all sorts of

rose, daffodil, old gold, honey, and trange) all juiced/down at 82,60 per

főhades

forget to

somer loves

Dolly: Vardon Hat Shop

are an cut-size" People who always find it dificult to get just what they need and would do well 4,look in at the Dolly Vardon Hat Shop this week, and see all the pretty dresses which have just ar- rived. There are plenty of large sizes suitable for Matrone and for tol girle in all sorts of pretty printed colours. Many of them havd smart little puffed sleeves, OF ORDER and all are very up-to-date. Choice of colours is made easier by the, fact that there are hats in stock, to match almost every dress, and they ate all marked down at most rel -zonable prices, Needless to say they are being snopped up very fast, and an early visit is advisable

Gordons. The moment one goes.

cotton frocks

winder

must be

ačme most ́at-

with

Cook

BOVRIL

BOVRIL adds rich flavour and better nutriment to soups, gravies and all meat dishes. BÖVRIL makes them more appetising and tasty. Always keep a bottle of BOVRIL handy in your kitchen.

BOVRIL

There is only one BOYRIL

AMRITLAL OJHA & Co., Ltd.

14, Queen's Road, Central, Hong Kong, Sole Agents for China and the Far East: FREE SAMPLE COUPON

Dear Sirs,

Please send meļus a FREE sample of enclosed AMRUTANJAN, five cents stamps are herewith for postage.

Name

Address

BUY BRITISH For all kinds of lovely Silks, Linens, Hosiery, Lingerie, etc. Come to us

ROYAL SILK STORE

70, Queen's Road, Central. Term: Either Cash or Credit.

WHITEAWAY'S

BATHING COSTUMES

FOR"

LADIES

THE

SURF SUIT. SWIMMING COSTUME.

100% pure wool. Knit on the famous Spring Needle Rib Machine from specially prepared yarn, This dyed in the wool garment will keep its shape permanently. Fast colours. Can be had in Black, Navy, Red, Green and Saxe.

Sises 84 to 48

PRICE $14.50.

LADIES' OUTFITTING DEPT.

WHITEAWAY, LAIDLAW & CO., ITD.