FEMININE REFLECTIONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 260, 24 January 1928, Page 5

FEMININE REFLECTIONS

Mundane Musings Once Seen Never Remembered “You know,” said Linda, “it’s perfectly true. Some people are like that.” “Like what, Linda?” I asked. Linda has a habit of breaking a silence of ten minutes or so by making some remark conclusive to a train of thought and expecting you to know exactly what she means. “I do wish you’d listen. I was talking about the sort of people who have no recognisable kind of face —nothing you can seize on and grasp—figuratively, of course— nothing definite you can stow away in your memory and produce when you meet them again And there flashed into my mind a remark of Oscar Wilde’s about a person whose face was ‘once seen, never remembered.’ “If I didn’t know it was chronologically improbable, I should say that Oscar Wilde must have been referring to Miss Meepe. “I met Miss Meepe for the first time about a month or two ago. It was at a progressive bridge party. You played four hands at a table, and then the winners moved on. My partner at the first table was a nervous little woman who had about as much idea of bridge as I have of training elephants. She was introduced to me as Miss Meepe. She went no trumps once, and I put down a wonderful hand with three aces; and she lost through letting our opponents get in with their one long suit. I behaved irreproachably. Being on my party manners, I just smiled and said ‘Bad luck!’ instead of ‘Blithering fool!’ in the idiom of everyday speech. “Later in the afternoon, when we had all changed about and got mixed up, I found myself at a table with a nervous little woman I had not seen before for a partner. Being still on my party manners, I said, sociably, ‘Have you been winning, partner?' She made some indistinguishable reply, and said, ‘Have you?’ I answered, ‘Unfortunately my score was spoiled at the first table, when I played with a woman who knew as much about bridge as I know about the Einstein theory. But I’m sure,’ I added, in my winning manner, ‘you will make up for her.’ “She grew a bit red and said, ‘l’m so sorry ... I know I’m not very good. . . .* “I nearly fainted when I realised it

was Miss Meepe. But how was I to know? She had one of those faces that simply aren’t there, if you get me. Of course, I don’t mean she hadn’t got two eyes, a nose and a mouth like the rest of us. The physical details were there all right. But the thing that ought to have pulled them together wasn’t. I can’t be expected to remember people’s faces when they haven’t got one, can I?” * * * “A few weeks later I was at somebody’s house for the evening. I found myself sitting next to a nervous little woman, who smiled at me and said, ‘How dp you?’ I made the right answer and then said, ‘What a lot of strangers there are here to-night! I don’t seem to know anyone, do you?’ “She replied, ‘No, I believe you’re the only one I know besides our hostess.’ “I started guiltily. I had no idea I had ever seen her before in my life. It was not till our hostess came up to her and called her by name that I realised it was Miss Meepe. “I felt that something must be done about it. If I was to go through life meeting Miss Meepe I must definitely learn what she looked like. I studied her carefully as she sat next to me. I learned her forehead, her nasal angle, her cheek-bone, the lobe of her ear, the little whiskers on her neck. When at last we were parted for some game or other, I felt I was safe for the future. * * * “During supper an unassuming little woman I had never seen before came and sat next to me. I chatted to her in my pleasant way, and somehow our conversation turned on recognising faces. I said, ‘lsn't it extraordinary? Generally I have rather a good memory for faces. But there is one woman here whose face simply eluded me at first. I found that directly I wasn’t actually looking at her she vanished. However, I took myself sternly in hand and learnt her in sections. I shall know her again now, all right.’ “ ‘How curious! I wonder who it could have been?’ said my companion. And just then someone came up to her and said, ‘Will you have trifle or fruit salad, Miss Meepe?’ “I was determined, simply determined, it should not occur again. J examined her face, as we talked, from every angle. I even made a pretence of having dropped my handkerchief to get behind her and look at the back of her head. At last, wh«n it was time to go home, and I went up for my coat and found an unassuming little woman just putting on hers, I smiled confidently at her, secure in my recognition of her at last. As I was going I said, cheerily, ‘Good night, Miss Meepe! Perhaps we shall meet again some time.’ ♦ “She replied, ‘Good night! But my name isn’t Meepe. It is Potter-Jen-kinson. . . .' ” i

FAREWELL PARTY I The members of St. George's Women’s Guild met at the home of Mrs. W. Lloyd, Pahau Street, Thames, last week, to bid farewell to Mrs. Packham, who is shortly leaving for Rhodesia. Luring the afternoon the president of the guild, Mrs. A. McNeill, made a presentation of a case of afternoon teaspoons to the departing guest, and spoke appreciatively of the services Mrs. Packham had rendered the guild. The recipient responded in a brief speech and thanked them all for their kindness and wellwishes. Mesdames Williams and Willis gave several songs, and the singing of “Auld Lang Syne” and cheers for Mrs. Packham brought a close to an enjoyable afternoon. CARLTON CROQUET CLUB FAREWELL AFTERNOON Mrs. G. Campbell and Mrs. Sands, who leave Auckland shortly with their husbands, who are to travel with the New Zealand bowlers on their coming tour of England, were the guests of honour at a pleasing little function arranged by the members of the Carlton Croquet Club, and held on the club’s lawns at Epsom on Saturday afternoon. Mrs. Hamilton, the president, expressed, on behalf of the members, the hope that the guests would experience every pelasure and" happiness during their trip. In wishing them bon voyage, she made a present to each guest in memory of the hapi times they had spent as members of the club. Progressive croquet was played during the afternoon, the A grade prizes being won by Mrs. Davy and Mrs. Laurie, and the B grade by Mrs. Jennings and Mrs. Wagstaff. NEW MATTRESSES . Human hair bed mattresses made from,the bobs and shingles of hundreds of women and girls, unknown to the owners of the mattresses, is the latest fad according to a Windsor, United States, junk dealer, says a writer in an exchange. A wagon-load of this hair collected at various barber shops by the junk dealer attracted general attention. He admitted some of it was from men’s and boys’ heads, and that it would eventually be converted into bed mattresses.