1933-12-16 — Page 9

The Clover Shop-

Gloucester Building Arcade. Telephone 20638.

FLOWERS Wherever "these bright blossoms are, the true joyous Christmas spirit prevails.

Quality American Fresh Fruits Artisticly Arranged

In Baskets,

For the convenience of our Customers, our shop will re- main open on Sunday 24th and Sunday 31st.

CLOSING SALES

For 2 weeks-Xmas Season

Choice Xmas Gifts

Toys, Glassware. Sewing Machines, Silk, Stockings, Perfumery, Towels, Rubber Woollen-goods. Shoes, Stationery,

Empire Trading Co.

WHOLESALE MERCHANTS China Building, 2nd Floor-Room 8.

GENERAL IMPORTERS AND

To wish all our patrons a very HAPPY IMAS E MED DI IN

EXPERT TAILORING 4. D'Aguilar Street.

MAGASIN D'ANGKOR

has removed to

CHINA BUILDING 2ND FLOOR.- (Room 8. Empire Trading Co.)- FOR TWO WEEKS ONLY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS Beautiful artistic bracelets from Cambodge and other rare articles from Cochin China: REDUCTION IN PRICES Open from 10 am. to 7.30 pm.

FELIX HAT SHOP

(York Building Chater Road) A REAL AIR OF DISTINCTION IS ACHIEVED BY WEARING A

FELIX GOWN and HAT

Skill and Courtesy continue to be the forethought of our Fashionable rendezvous

We are happy to take this opportunity of wishing our many friends and customers a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1933.

Seven Poor Travellers

by

Charles Dickens

'Strictly speaking, there were only six poor travellers; but, being a traveller myself, though an idle one, and being withal as poor as I hope to be, I brought the number This word of ex- up to seven. planation is due at onse, ofr what the says the inscription over quaint old door?

Richard Watts, Esq.

upper end, its glimpse of the street through the low mullioned window, and its beams overhead. "It is very comfortable," aald I.

"II-convenient," observed the matronly presence."

I liked to hear her, say so; for it showed a commendable anxiety to execute in no niggardly spirit the intentions of Messrs. Richard

by his Yill, dated 22 August, 157x Watts. But, the room was really so

founded this Charity

for. Six poor Travellers, who not being Rogues, or Frectors, May receive gratis for one Night,

Lodging, Entertainment.

and. Fourpence each.

It was in the ancient Hittle city of Rochester in Kent. of all the good days in the year upon a Christmas Eve, that I stood read- ing this inscription over the quaint old door in question. I had been wandering about the neighbouring cathedral, and had seen the tomb of Richard Watts, with the engy of worthy Master Richard starting out of it like a ship's figure-head; and I had felt that I could do no lees, as I gave the verger his fee, than inquire the way to Watt's Charity. The way being very short and very plain, I had come pros- perously to the Inspection and the quaint old door.

"Now" said I to myself as looked at the knocker, "I know I am not a proctor; I wonder whe- ther am rogue!

Upon the whole, though con- science reproduced two or three pretty faces which might have had a moral smaller attraction for Goliath than they had had for me. who am but a Tom Thumb in that way, I came up to the conclusion that I was a rogue. So. begin ning to regard the establishment as in some sort my property, be- me and divers co- queathed to legatets, share and share alike, by the Worshipful Master Richard Watts, I stepped backward into the road to survey my inheritance.

I found it to be a clean white house, of a stald and venerable air, with the quaint, old door already three times mentioned (an arched door), choice little loans low lattice-windows, and a roof of The silent" High three gables.

is full of Street of Rochester gables, with old beams and tim- bers carved into strange faces. It is oddly garnished with a queer old clock that projects over the pavement out of a grave red-brick building, as if Time carried on business there, and hung out his sign. Sooth to say, he did an active stroke of work in Rochester, in the old days of the Romans, and the Saxons, and the Normans; and down to the times of King John, when the rugged castle-I will not undertake to say how many hundreds of years old then -was abandoned to the centuries of weather which have so defaced the dark apertures in its walls, that the ruin looks as if the rooks and daws had pecked its eyes out.

I was very well pleased, both with my property and its situa tion. While I was yet surveying it with growing content, I. espied, at one of the upper lattices which stood open, a decent body, of a wholesome matronly appearance, whose eyes. I caught Inquiringly addressed to find. They said so plainly, "Do you wish to see the house?" that I answered aloud. "Yes, if you please." And within a minute the old door opened, and I bent my head, and went down two steps into the entry.

"That," said the matronly pre- sence ushering me into a low room on the right, "is where the travel- lers sit by the fire, and cook what bits of suppers, they but with their fourpences."

*

Oh! Then they have no en- tertainment?" said, L. For the Inscription over the outer door was still running in my head, and I was mentally repeating, in a kind of tune,. "Lodging, entertainment, and fourpence each."

well adapted to its purpost, that I protested, quite enthusiastically, against her disparagement.

"Nay, ma'am," said ‚I, “I am sure it is warm in winter and coul & look of It has in summer. homely welcome and soothing rest. It has a remarkably cosy fireside, the very blink of which, gleaming out into the street upon a winter night, is enough to warm all Rochester's heart. And as to the convenience of the six poor travel- lers

"I don't mean them," returned the presence."I speak of its be- ing an 11-convenience to myself and my daughter, having-no. other room to sit in of a night."

This was true enough, but there was another quaint room of cor- responding dimensions on the op- posite side of the entry: so I step- ped across to it, through the open doors of both rooms, and asked what this chamber was for.

the

"This." returned the presence;

Where "the board-room. gentlemen meet when they come here,"

Let me see.I had counted from the street six upper windows be- sides these on the ground-storey. Making a perplexed calculation in my mind. I rejoiced, "Then the six poor travellers sleep upstairs? "

My new friend shook her head. "They sleep," she "answered, "in two little outer galleries at the has where their beds back," always been, ever since the Charity was founded. It being so very ill- conwenient was founded. It belrig so very ill-conwenient to me" as things is at present, the gentle- men are going to take on a bit of the back yard, and make a slip of the room for em there, to alt in before they go to bed."

"And then the six poor travel- lers," said "will be entirely ont of the house?".

"Entirely out of the house," as-

"Which is seated the presence, comfortably. smoothing her hands. considered much better for all par- ties, and much more convenient."

I had been a little startled, in the cathedral, by the emphasis with which the effigy of Master Richard Watts was bursting out of his tomb; but I began to think, now. that. It might be expected to come across the High Street some stormy night, and make a disturbance here..

Howbelt, I kept my thoughts to myself, and accompanied the pre- sence to the little galleries at the back. I found them on a tiny scale, ilke the galleries in old inn- yards; and they were very clean. while I was looking at them, the matron give me to understand that the prescribed number of poor travellers were forthcoming every night from year's end to year's end; and that the beds were always occupied. My questions upon this, and her replies, brought us back to the board-room so `es- sential to the dignity of "the gentlemen," where she showed me accounts ・of the the printed Charity hanging up by the win- dow. From them I gather that the Worshipful Master Richard Watts for the maintenance of this foundation was, at the period of his death," mere marsh-land; but that, in course of, time, it had been reclaimed and built upon, and was very considerably increas ed in value. I found, too, that about a thirtieth part of the an- nual revenue was now expended on the purposes commemorated in the inscription over the door; the rest. being handsomely laid out in Chancery, law expenses, collector ship receivership. poundage, and other appendages of management highly complimentary to the Im- short, I made the not entirely new portance of the six poor tracellers discovery that it may be said of old England, as of the oyster in an establishment like this, is dear the American story: that it takes & good many men to swallow it whole.

"They have a fire provided for em." returned the matron a mighty civil person, not, as I could make out, overpaid" and these cooking utensils. And this what's painted on a board is the rules for their behavious. They have their fourpences when they get their tickets from the steward over the wall-for I don't admit 'em myself; they must get their tickets first and sometimes one buys a

"And pray, ma'am," said T rasher of bacon, and another a herring, and another a pound of sensible that the blankness of my potatoes, or what not. Sometimes face began to brighten as the two or three of 'em will club their thought occurred to me, could fourpences together, and make one see these travellers? sppper: that way. But not much-un s

"Well!" she returned dubiously, of anything is to be got for four-we pence, at present, when provisional " 18 so dear."

"Thus indeed," I remarked: 1 sald had been looking about the room, admiring its snug fireside at the

Not to-night, for instance?

(Continued on Page 8).

KINGS

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GRAND ATTRACTION. EVERYTHING YOU WANT FOR GLORIOUS ENTERTAINMENT

STARTS SUNDAY 24th.

Vilian Harvey

A cuddlesome bit of sweetness who fits like a tiny, sparkling

gem into this gorgeous musical setting

and

LEW AYRES

My Weakness

GLORIOUS GIRLS the most beautiful in Hollywood. UPROARIOUS MIRTH The combined comedy of Charles Butterworth, Harry Langdon, Sid Silvers and Henry Travers.

a B. G. DeSylva Production Directed by David Butler

KING'S

THEATRE

SUNDAY

TUESDAY

MONDAY

17th DEC. 18th DEC. 19th DEC.

IAN HAY'S LAUGHABLE COMEDY "THE MIDSHIPMAID"

JESSIE MATTHEWS FRED KERR

CLAUDE ALLISTER

A. W. BASKCOMB

A GAUMONT-BRITISH PRODUCTION

PROGRAMME

SUNDAY

2.30

PATHETONE PICTURE GAUMONT MIRROR "THE MIDSHIPMAID"

5.10, 7.15 and 9.30 BAND SELECTIONS GAUMONT MIRROR THE MIDSHIPMAID"

PROGRAMME

MONDAY

2.30, 5.10 and 7.15 PATHETONE PICTURE GAUMONT MIRROR THE MIDSHIPMAIL"

9.30

-BAND SELECTIONS GAUMONT MIRROR THE MIDSHIPMAID'

By kind permission of

PROGRAMY TUESDAY

2.30 FATHETONE PR GARMONT MIE THE MIDSHIPS 3.10 and 7.3 BAND SELECT GAUMONT MI THE MIDSHIP

9.30

GOD SAVE THE BAND SELBUF VÁLMONT MI THE MIDSH!

Captain E. Manners, R.N., H.M.S. "SUFFOLK”

and

Captain C G. Sedgwick, R.N., H.M.S. “BERWICK

the combined Royal Marine Bands of ILM, Ship “SUFFOLK”

"BERWICK

will play selections, which will be

abanged daily.

Patrons are specially requested to note that reservations made for the 9.30 performance on Tuesday night mud be paid for 9.15 p.m.

1.2.