] 1 rsation 1 ffl 1 Pieces \ul 0 ' by ii: _ 1 Helen HiHrsh p ^ I" P" If LL IL." i; I Vol. I MarH V.I IQli2-m I Marsh Collection Society Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada I 1^1 IL„ Gonversation IPieces by Helen Itlafsk niirimtmirinTi •nidumm»»»r*fn H _JUJ Copyright © 1999 |ll., Marsh Collection Society 235A Dalhousie Street 1 i" Amherstburg, Ontario j-JLiLtP N9V1W6 (519)736-9191 Gonversation Pieces Articles herein are reprinted with the permission of the Amherstburg Echo and In 1941 Helen Marsh gave up her teaching position at the Amherstburg Public School Bowes Publishers Ltd. j.ra to join her brother John at theAmherstburg Echo, where she remained vmtil 1980 when illnesscompelled her to retireat eightyyearsyoung. This book, orparts thereof, may not bereproduced inany form without thewritten permission ofthe Marsh Collection Society and the Amherstburg Echo, except by m TheAmherstburg Echo ofSeptember 26,1941 aimounced a new featurepage entitled a reviewer whowishes to quotebriefpassages for inclusion in a review. "OfInterest to Women" [p We are goingto tryand make thisas interesting aspossiblefor the ladies- andfor the men too, ifthey're curious about what the womenfolk are doing - and they ISSN 1481-6695 usually are. It willcontain topics ofcurrentinterest, hintsfor the homemaker and ^Xj suggestions that might help the hand that rocks the cradle to rule the world. Women are taking an active part in the affairs oftheir communities and in the r ^ Empire today andwe will endeavor tochronicle the doings ofthose in the Harrow First printing 1999 1P| andAmherstburg districts... 1 Printed by Tri-Graphics The name ofthe page changed from "OfInterest to Women" to "OfThrilling Interest iPi to Women" to "OfThrilling Interest to the World ofWomen" and finally "Of Interest to the Brown & Associates World ofWomen". The latter name remained for many years. However, Helen Marsh's Amherstburg, Ontario miscellaneous column entitled "Conversation Pieces" was first presented in 1942 and remained a constant, interesting weekly feature untilherretirement. In the following pages _ IP we present these columns, only slightly edited where absolutely necessary. 1 J The Marsh Collection wishes to thank Jeanette McGrath and Sharon Maitre for volunteering their time to assist us with thispublication. • 1 J if" I n 1 antidotes for a war-befuddled mind. September3,1942 Many Canadians are evidently not wrapping and addressing overseas parcels carefully Late Summerseemsto be rivallingJune as the fashionable time for weddings if last enough because since January 1, an appalling number ofparcels have been received at the Saturday wasanyindication. Withthreelovely brides to toast, thetownwasin a partymood base post office at Ottawa in adamaged condition. Mrs. Belle Rogers uses ared marking all day. pencil to address Don's parcels. The address is very legible when made with this oil pencil and is notaffected bywater. This isa pertinent suggestion. Autumn's intheair—Autunm withitsactivities andresolutions. Withajolt werealized thatSummer was over when theMaiden Women's Institute suggested picking recipes for its roll call—whena mother remarked that she would be glad when school started—but most That jolly group ofC.G.I.T. girls lived up tofiie fourth part oftheir purpose, serve of all, when wesawa treeontheKnights of Columbus clubhouse lawnalready dressed in others, when they made such a generous contribution to the Queen's Fund and the Red Autumn togs and preparing to shed its leaves. Cross Society on Friday last. They seemed happy to be able to do their bit in this tangible way and had no regrets about missing camp fun. That is the tme Canadian spirit. Whata splendid little homemaker Betty Sinasac Bums is going to be! Shemade her own wedding gown, hertrousseau andhermaid-of-honour's outfit They would bea credit After my experience on Tuesday moming when the school bells rang I can readily to any dressmaking establishment. m understand that quip about the proverbial fire horse automatically responding to the alarm. "Allegro" isanappropriate name for the gay blue gladiolii grown byMrs. John Brains, looks and social qualities - a combination which should take Beryl Campbell Walker, RiverFront Anderdon. Thisexquisite paleblueflower hastwo darkblue far. She isa credit toher parents and tothe high school fi-om which she won a scholarship blotches onit ending inpeculiar white arrows. Mrs. Walker imported thebulbs entitling her to two years free tuition atUniversity ofWestem Ontario. firom Holland before the war. # The Past Noble Grands ofTalmai Rebekah Lodge have set the pace for Victory, as we enter the fourth year of the war, by turning in over $130 to the September 17,1942 Queen's Fund Committee fi-om the Keno which they put onlast Friday nieht a laudable effort indeed. Have you noticed that the chestnut trees are turning so much earlier this year? Old wives will beasking, what does this fi-eak ofnature presage? Mrs. Mildred Bessette has had a fairly lengthy letter fi-om her husband, who is a prisoner ofwar in Italy. Unfortunately it wasn't necessary to read between the lines to know W Up to my old tricks again -reading despatches firom the New York Fashion Shows -and that he was hungry -that significant fact stood out clearly. Oatmeal was one ofthe things he have been amused bythe "new slender trend," "mermaid silhouette," "pencil look fi-om wanted but he didn't want canned goods. Mrs. Bessette now has her next-of-kin labels so shoulder to hem," "liquid lines." 'Nary athought is being given tohippy people. that she can writeto him directwhich in itselfis a consolation. As there was nobeeffor our tables over the weekend it looks asthough juicy steaks smothered in onions orrare roast beefwith Yorkshire pudding are our latest war casualties. We have had sofew such casualties sofar that those things are hardly worth mentioning. September 10,1942 A friendship which began inAmherstburg when the girls were very small was renewed Over the weekend I re-read "Our Miss Boo" by Margaret Lee Runbeck adelightful •?" -1 story of alittle girl told in asimple refireshing way -that and aglimpse of the ArSumn inMontreal over the weekend when Mary Margaret Barrington and her new husband Robert borders at the Murwin home on the Harrow Experimental Farm, those beautiful bord^ James Sharrer ofSyracuse spent part of&eir honeymoon with Joyce Blanel Gold and John ablaze with color, living glowing color, were pleasant diversions which proved to b Gold. n rn Canadianwomenwere urged by the governmentTuesdayto forego their customary tea handing out doughnuts and coffee toservicemen atthe famous St^e Door Canteen inNew and cookies at afternoon and evening social gatherings for the duration to conserve tea, York. coffee and sugar. These small parties are necessary for our morale, so if that is the government's ultimatum, a different type of simple food should be served. There is t Dieppe - an impleasant sounding name - that never-to-be-forgotten name which has something about food which starts good conversation. made usrunthegamut of emotions during thepastmonth, from deepest sorrow tojoy and pJLiLuj hope that soon our friends will be posted on the prisoner list. Ten years ago the name "Singleness of Purpose," that phrase which carries so much meaning, can truly be Dieppe didn't fill me with terror - itwas a magical name for itwas there that I got my first r appliedto Tom Speidel. His only idea in life was to become a doctor. With that end in view taste of a Continental Summer playground. How couldall thosemad, horrible scenesbe Tom did any odd job offered to him. He taught school, worked at both the Brunner Mond U__iLiP| enacted on that beautiful crescent-shaped beach, dotted with gay colored umbrellas and andattheFord Motor Company andalways looked after hismother. This year, at 25, he is bathing huts, crowds of happy holiday-makers strolling on the esplanade or seated at the at last realizing his life's ambitionand going to the University ofWestern Ontario Medical I 1 ' open aircafes, the hotels, the casinos, the double seawall tomake anartificial harbor, the School. U il IP patchwork quilt countryside - every field seemed tobe a different color - rolling back from the beach. What a contrast No more peace and happiness there - nothing but gun The H. H. Godden's have an historical treasure atthe rear oftheir new Ramsay Street p 1 emplacements, fortifications, electrified barbed wire entanglements and profound home - anold pear tree which issupposed tobeaseedling fi'om the Jesuit pear trees which U. :i IP unhappiness and fear. Dieppe the playground is forgotten, it has much more important were brought from France by those men ofsteel courage who travelled along these shores meaning now for it becomes the place where ourintrepid lads started opening thedoor to preaching, teaching and healing the Indians. Either they, the Jesuits orthe early French an Allied Victory. pioneers planted thetrees, inthedays ofthegrand Monarch Louis XIV. TheFrench were f ^ very fond ofpears. In the Museum I found acharming story, "Legend ofthe old pear trees" ULIf which told the romantic tale ofthe 12 pear trees, named the "Twelve Apostles", eleven of which were still standing in 1883 near the Detroit Water Works. I like to thi^ that the October 1,1942 Godden tree saw the history ofthe town inthe making. This interesting old tree isloaded U 1IJJ] with frnit this year, but isbadly inneed ofthe attention ofatree surgeon. The children werejubilant when they heard that the weatherreport on r Saturday night predicted "snow". One youngster told his mother that he IPI thought that he wouldn't go tochurch onSunday moming because hewanted to stayhomeand makesnowmen. September 24,1942 i; •t Iwonder ifAmherstburg's talented art student, Joanne Manning, could be persuaded ^U n Marianne Nattress is walking in the clouds these days - simply radiating happiness - to enter some ofher work in the second annual exhibition ofpictures by Essex County artists because she has been accepted as a Hospital Assistant in the Women's Division of the whichis beingheldat Willistead Library the endof October.