1935-02-12 — Page 15

HONGKONG

TELEGRAPH.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY

1935.

"WRITING" "The Black Girl In Search of

SHAW'S BOOK

STENOGRAPHER'S EXPERIENCE

MASTERLY SHORTHAND

By. DOROTHY SMITH

God" but that wasn't very helpful towards transcribing the rest of. those shoots of blue netepaper, on which appeared Chousands and thou- sands of mysterious characters, so I went to bed very frightened and very unhappy, haunted in my dreams by grammalogues and con tractions which had assumed grote sque proportions, and by the plere- Ing blue eyes of Bernard Shaw!

Next morning, however, with clearer brain and vision, and the echo of Mr. Show's like this

Roon, pienso," predominating, I set to work with zest, and found that what at first sight Inst night had acemed a formidable task, in the morning proved infinitely eagler,

The work was beautifully ment, with neither blot nor erasure to mar it, each stroke well propor WHEN Mr. George Bernardtioned, correctly placed, fully voca W show strade down the Main

pontractions, and

street of our amall town, his only the more frequently occurring big stone-coloured sun umbrella grammologues, a shorthand of al- swinging from the crook of his most a century ago certainly, since arm, idlers at bank cornera nudged when there have been many altera their neighbours and said, "Thore's tions, but a shorthand with Ruch Bernard Shaw!" And school boys textbook detail and precision that with literary aspirations basked I gazed at it in wonder and admira- in the warmth of his eloquence tion. when, in the kindly manner he adopted with the children during hia sojourn here, he stopped to

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

The average shorthand writor in speak to them, and fed their avid apt to become very slack in regard little minds with tit-bits from his to making sufficient distinction be- vaat experience. But when the tween the light and heavy strokes, telephone bell rang one afternoon, thereby forming too much similar moasage came ty between strokes and thus caus- and Mr. Shaw's through to me requesting that I ing confusion in transcription. Not no Mr. Shaw. It was his strict do some typing for him, some-o thing like a sensation was caused attention to detail in every respect in intimate circles, although it which minimised considerably the was with very mixed feelings that difficulty of deciphering another's I arranged to interview him after shorthand, there being not more dinner that evening in the lounge than a dozen words which really of the Royal Hotel, where he spent puzzled me, and for which I had to a few weeks owing to the pro-revert to the writer. tracted illness of his wife.

a

BEAUTIFULLY NEAT WORK

These when deciphered proved to

be a Latin phrase or so, or an un-

whole

These winter spoets anthusiasts are "jumping over the Alps,” as the saying goes.

UPROAR IN THEATRE

COMEDY "FIRST NIGHT" OF

Paris, Jan. 11.

There was one of the most re-

Inn playgoers can ever have known at the Theatre Albert Premler recently, when the representation of the actual play, Haya, gave way to a comedy in which the director, author, and audience, in fact everyone but the netors them-1 acives, took part.

Naturally, I thought I would be familiar proper name, which names WITHOUT ANY ACTORS called upon to type from his own to occur in "The Black Girl in One in particular handwriting, but when he laid Search of God."

namely "Micah the upon the table several sheets of puzzled me. shorthand, and said there would Morasthite," until I was insured to be more to follow, something akin turn to the Bible--the phrase relat- to panic seized me; for once I was ing thereto being somewhat Bibli-markable "first nights" that Paris- speechless, a fact I have not lived cal-and there discovered to regret, as the work which en chapter on this gentleman, but I to sued was of the most interesting queried it nevertheless, much I have ever undertaken.

Mr. Shaw's amusement, he appar ently being conversant with the Bible from chapter to chapter,

What never ceased to be of in- My Arat instinct was to say.

the rasc ond "Oh, but I couldn't possibly tran-rest to me was scribe shorthand?"-to transcribe rapidity with which Mr. Show

The evening began quite normal- one's own shorthand is not always wrote his book: With neither dic- simple task, but somebody Lionary, book of reference, nor note- elso'a.

Words failing me, book, with just a simple writingly with a delay of rather less than one hour. Then the curtain roso pad opened upon his knees and a however, i found myself listening well-flied fountain pen, he would and the audience settled back in to his instructions and anying end an hour or two each morning their seats only to find that they meckly, "Yes, Mr. Shaw." To my seated on a beach on the steps of

had before them one of the diree- horror I heard him say, "Just read the hotel, and not rumble of wng- the first line or two, and see you can decipher my shorthand on passing nor chatter of native tors of the theatre, charged with. It's Pitman's, you know." With servant about the premises appear the mission of explaining that the

cd to distract his his assistance I mumbled some deeply engrossed was he in the unintelligible words, and heard

matter of the moment, living with myself saying nonchalantly, "Oh his characters, oblivious of his yos, thank you, I'll be

surroundings. manage nicely,' and collecting He never spoke of his work, in those precious pieces of paper, his the book upon which he was busy, last words ringing in my cars, or, for that matter, any of his This is very confidential, remem-works, but, if time permitted, he ber." I proceeded home, expect would regale me with delightful in- ing at every corner to have some cidents from his varied oxperience.

THE MORNING SWIM villain snatch the documents from It was only urgent and pressing under my arm.

business in London that hastened

Ile deplored the conditions and Arriving home to family his departure from Knysan, after breathless with expectation, his wife's recovery. He enjoyed mentality of the "poor whites" gaaped out, "It's a shorthand!" the peacefulness of the place and (mostly woodcutters) in this dis said of them But familles are strangely unsym-appreciated the respect pald to histrict. What he pathetic in that respect, I find, loudly spoken wishes that he be

(though I forbear to write it), is and seem to think a business col- left to himself. He

A peculiarvery, very true, unfortunately. loge training fits you out for all courtesy to callers. contingencies, even to transcribing man, admittedly, a man with a mas- Ile showed the greatest deligitt an interesting nau, and a man within the Knysna Lagoon, but seldom

#

able to

the MBS. of sich an illustriouster mind, but.. personage as G. B. S.

attention.

The on. Reactors refused to come

theatre was soon in an uproar, confused at first but gradually clarifying to shouts of "Author!!

paid scont

a kindly man,

I managed to decipher the title whom it was indeed a pleasure to

Swedish training ship will participate In the grala #alpe race from

Austraild to England.

converse, never trying to speak above your head, and to me, always' Very courteous. -

went to the leads where we all

go to bathe, as it is too far for the dup before breakfast, which is part of his routine. Every morning, In spite of weather conditions, he would go off the old jetty, and with breast stroke strike out to a stake some fifty yards across the river, never altering his course or stroke, returning on his back, propelling himself to land...

His bathing costume, of Ark-like qualities, he left with the keeper of the bathing boxes, a gift hot sufficiently appreciated until a Free State visitor happening there and desiring to bathe was proffered this costume, to be told on his return from bathing that it had belonged to Bernard Shaw. "I'll give you ten shillings for it," said the Free Stater, but the bathing box-keeper, suddenly alive to possibilities, de- manded a much higher price. The costumo still hangs on a peg in the keeper's shack! -

I was vory anxious to obtain a letter of some sort written In Mr. Shaw's own hand, and no doubt had I been sufficiently courageous to ask I should have obtained one, but, knowing his abhorrence of auto- graph hunters, I refrained, and hit | on a scheme to obtain a specimen of his handwriting. I despatched a parcel with some of the typed MSS. by messenger: boy, covered by a letter to Mr. Shaw asking for acknowledgment, and with strict instructions to the messenger to deliver

It to nona other than to him of the silver hair...

Having hoped that he would ap prociato my business acumen, and reapond accordingly, I was dismay- ed and chagrined when the messon-

or came back with the verbal mea sage, "Basa says thank you, Ming.”

lecture upon the Author The unfortunate author, to listen who had come in the hope of theatrical proprietics. The aud- appearing in very different cir-ience, now thoroughly catching the cumstances, duty walked on, but spirit of the evening, 'shouted t- Instead of trying to appease the nelf boarse, jeers, threats, chal- audience he began a heated lenges to duels and other de- monstratious continuing until wrangle with the director,

Meanwhile even the dryer of the someone had the presence of mind dramatic erlites present had been to ring down the curtain. The stung out of his professional calm, whole drumstix personne then de- and he gave to anyone who cared mrted, exhausted, but happy.

Her Majesty Queen Mary pictured as she wwa"grosted by the Marchioness of Reading, chairman of the Perronal Service League of Grosvenor Place, London. The Queen is deeply interested in the work of the Jaague, which sends out 300,000 garments yearly to aid needy familisa,

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shortly.

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+

CRITICS HAIL GRACE MOORE'S DIVINE PERFORMANCE IN A SUPERB FEAST OF LOVE, LAUGHTER AND MUSICI

stars

any picture years

Grace

Moore

IN

ONE NIGHT OF LOVE

TAONA PARRI

!

A STOLUMNIA PICTURI

QUEEN S THURSDAY

Be well advised and buy your

NOW!

WEDNESDAY 13th

George

212

ARLISS THE HOUSE OF

ROTHSCHILD

AT THE MAJESTIC

CANTON AGENTS

Hongkong Telegraph.

WM. FARMER & CO Victoria Hotel Building

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