The Weather: Several Garden Parties: Card Indexing Your Friends, At the time of writing the sun 4g shining, In the ordinary course of events the fact would not call forth much comment, but after the past six weeks of rain, cold and general dampness, the appearance of the sun a thing to be considered. One S yruld have' thought that, after neglecting Shanghai for so long, the gun. would blaze. forth with all the hheat and strength. appropria Sune days, as it is, his effo Take up "for lost time areas yet tentative, and the sooner he pulls himself together and gets on, with the vast amount of work that is head of him, the better. For has a lot todo. The numbers of tennis courts labouring Under inches of rain phar refuses fb. -depart without. the aids thave ave whole stretches of countryside harbouring: pools of water that fare doing their best to rot the means. Of ivelthood of the. surrounding country people, 'There are polo: grounds, "race courses, parks and gardens, all demanding' help in their efforts fo recover from the deluge.
'The Over-polite Guest 'The weather last week did its best fo ruin' several garden parties; fortunately it did not entirely sueced, Last Wednesday, for instance, yas the day chosen by Lord and Lady Li Ching Mai for the their widen party his year. The rain muded to Keep away for the jon, but the evening was chilly put all thoughts of flimsy gowns and floppy hats out of the Minds of the feminine guest Lord and Lady Li received seats on the tops of their, large use, and their son, Mir. Peter Li, then conducted them found the Winding paths of the beautiful arden to-the lawn where drinks Ard refreshments were laid out on Tong tables. The be of the garden were almost lost in the fast the "fountains plashed merrily. en thieving. darkness of the evening:
ough, but they served to remind one recent rains. Drinks there were {fn abundance—many-coloured cool Hiqalds standing in tall glass jars, Dut i oan not a titty evening. Though, on second thoughts, must be said that on the whole the nests did ample justice to the cock-ils.
About two hundred people came and went during the evening, Lord ing to England soon. Mrs. Ford (who, by the way, was looking very smart in a navy blue ensemble trimmed with beige wool) deserved all the tributes that were paid her. She is leaving for home with Major Ford and her daughter, Dene, and we join the B.(W. A. in wishing her bon voyage and a speedy return.
Two Cocktail Parties The last week has been a fruitful Jone on the whole; at least, in so far as the writer is concerned. In addition to garden parties, several other invitation eats that have long been standing on the mantelpiece, have nmterialised into entertainents of varying. "descriptions. There was the cocktail party give by Brigadier and Mrs. Fleming yes-Landaa A, most appropriate date When one comes to think of it, for Jan honour in the form of C.B.E., the King's birthday brought. forth to the Brigadier. However, the celebration will have to wait' till next Jweek for comment, as we went to press before it took place And there was another cocktail party given by Mr. and Mrs. Randal Henry R, Luce, the editor of "Time' jonid om Tuesday, "at which Mr, was the guest' of honour, Contrary to pardonable expectations, the editor of "Time" is youthful, ener~ eric, and enthusiastic. Especially lover holidays. For Mr, Luce, one of the week's visitors, is en route around the world on " holiday tour. And he refuses to be inveigled into Serious diseussions—for publication. Editors, correspondents, and a mere reporter or two wore included among the guests at the cocktail party, Echoes of Peking To continue on the same subject, There was also a large yethering of friends in the flat of Captain and Mrs. Hutchins last Tuesday evening, Miss "Babs" Hutchins, their elder Jdaughter, was celebrating "her twenty-first birthday, A momentous tet, Digna, who became with the duties of hoste the evening,
king (where Miss. Hutchins spent most of her debutante days)
represented among the And talking-of Peking, Me.
E.B. MeBain have' just turned from a trip up North. hey ne goal loot lo tine before out to see if their cottage' Hungjao (I had almost said Pao-ma-hang, for ie has all the charm of stospeere that is peruiaeYo the fatter al, i not surprising Since: outside Peking; which was. intended by the owners. to remind: them of the good old days in Peng) wes stil Stenting. as the Tete if couple of weeks age, Thee Friends also fast tte time eiscovering the cottage, andthe Meheins tuo "Book tan already boast Reveral' crowded pages, Te its charming little place, with a garden kat promises t9 be one of the pee esta the 'Hongjae road. who Is completed. And just to prove that Me, MeBain hasan eye' Yor the Practical ax well an ts' ornaments, Pinight mention that ext door hin very flourishing bels of stra. Sereies' isa bed" of togter all Plants" Cosid anything "be betiet Proof of a hosts care avd conse. tion for his friends?
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.