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No Argument From Her-French starlet Simone Bach is staying out of the controversy over shorter skirt lengths for the time being. She's satisfied with a bathing suit and the beach at Juan Les Pins, France. At TheR Big,Conference-A happy trio at the Get-Together porty held et the Royal York to start off lhe ACWW Conference, were, left to right, Mrs. Bessie Gray, Sarnia, a Chippewa Indian, in her national dress; Mrs. K. Kuppuswamy of Mysore, India; Mrs. S. Sem of Qslo, Norway, in costume of Telemark, Norway. Shed a Few Tears For the Bridegroom June is the lucky month for weddings and fuil moon the lucki- lest day of that rnonth, Fortu- nate is the girl who can walk down the aisle then. But it is curious how ail over .the world the bridegroom is an object of commiseration, Even in Canada he often stages a wild stag party and has a final fling before surrendering to voluntary servitude. Arnong some gipsy tribes it ls customary at the wedding feast to provide a cake, made of flour rnixed with a little blood from the wrists of bride and groom. This is eaten by the happy pair. And in Bulgaria the hands of the, groom are tied to those of his bride so that he can't make a get-away. Ma-in-Law's Chance At rnany marriage ceremonies traditional acts whose meaning has now been iost are stili ob- served. In the renoter parts of Scotland it was once the custom for the mother-in-law to break a plate of salt over the groom's head at the start of the feast. What pn opportunity, if she dis- approves of hin, to use rock saill! Among Oriental Jews it isstill usual for the bride to leap over a large platter heaped with fish Savage tribes have devised in- numerable ordeails for the pros- pective groom to prove bis man- hood. Anong the aborigines of Arnhem Land, Noithern Terri- , tory, Australia, he has to lie for fifteen days in the burning sun, > without food and water. Only then is he considered fit for mar- riage. The ancient custom of throw- ing rice comes from the tropics where it is a symbol of fertility. In the Celebes they throw rice to prevent the groom's souL from fiying away, In the past the maie was usu ISSUE 36 - 1953 ally required to give evidence of his superiority. Marriage by cap- ture is st11 customary in Japa- nese country districts. Ukai Masa, a seventeen-year-old village belle, was on lier way home from the public bath li Osaka when she was bundled into a car and kid- napped. Her brother led a rescue party and recovered her, but the groom fought back and snatched the girl away. That year five marriages by capture were re-. ported in Osaka, and aili ive brides lived happily with their huisbands. Incidentally, in each affray a dozen young men were naimed and the bride's house was wrecked! Happy Pair Must Wrestle In some savage lauds mock fights are staged in which ithc pair wrestle until the bride is overcome and carried off. Tnis was once a Cornish custom. Among the Makuans a mock battle is staged in which both parties enter with gusto. The defeat f the bride is a cue for lier father and mother to rush at the groom and beat him soundly with clubs -in a ceremonial way. The Babar Islanders lock the bride in a dark roem strewn with traps and pitfails. Eventùally the groom finds her-even if it takes hours. In parts of Kamchatka the bride ls hidden unde.r innumer- able ceverings and the groom must search for lier. Before lie finds ber, her friends rush from hiding, beat and scratch hlim and tear the bride away. When ha recovers le has another try andi again they swoop. This may go on for years. But, faint heart never won fair lady. The Betsiles of Madagas- car try to impale the groom with spears, and he must show his skill at dodging. In New Guinda he is scarred with knives and tied in a bag with tiger ants. Locked Up, Fattened! In sone of the islands o the East Indies hle bas to undergo an examination by a comriftee of woneu; if they approve he is locked up for forty days and f at- tened! And in many villages of Pakistan he is hauled before the relatives ef the bride who insult him with every abusive term inu their vocabulary. If he can stand that he can take anything the bride May say later. In pre-war lbania, a man seen taking a woman into is bouse was considered te be legally mar- ried even hfiough no ceremorny had been performed. If after this her father reTused to accept him, it was his duty to elope witb the girl. If her father interfered, her lover was in houour bound te shoot hlm, and this invariably started one of those ruthiess ven- dettas which last for generations,. SHE SHOWED HIM When Helen Hayes was ap- pearing uinthe role of Queen Victoria, she received hundreds ef letters from fans who claimed to have met the Queen ainperson. Some of their remiiscences were more fantastically unbe- lievable than others. One lady, for instance, claimed to have been strolling with Victoria through the gardens of Bucking- ham when she came upon her oldest son, aged nine, lambasting a younger plainymate. "What's the big idea?" demanded Victoria- ln more regal language, of course. "I just wanted te show him I'm the Prince of Wales," explained the future Edward VII. Victoria yanked him acroas lier knees (that's the lady's story!) and gave him a fanning, pointing eut griy, "I guess I'd better show you I'm Qucen et England." "Dear Anne Hirst: t arn mar- ried to a soldier, whe is now everseas. Since lie left I've been sitting at home, night after nigh't, and terribly lonesome . . . I met a nice young man who works with me, and he asked me te out. ,I went, and had a very nice time. "I amn net loeking for trouble, Anne Hirst.-I just want to have some fun. But I an se confused! We don't do anything wrong, and going out once a week does give me a lift. But I don't want x ny husband finding out. "Can you please advise me? CONFUSED." PLAYING WITH FIRE * Your confusion is the resuit * of your feeling of guilt. Your husband would not approve of * your dating any man, I ex- * pect - particularly this one, * for you say, "I've been good, * Up until now." That reveals * your potential feeling for hlm * better than any words you did * not say. Why shouldn't he * think lightly of you? A mar- * ried woman who dates another * man invites propositions of * any kind * Yeur dating him wili not go * unobserved, you know Your * husband, like so many other * trusting soldiers, will probably * hear about it. * How do you suppose other * wives, whose men have been * absent over a year, bear their * lonliness? They invest their * spare time with the Red Cross, * or join other groups working * here for the cause, and they * feel a kinship with their men * tltat binds them together for * the cornmon end. * Can you do less? * Find out where your ciurch, * and other organizations, can * use your time and talents. Join * up, and give the job ail you've * got. You will meet other lone- * ly wives, and their quiet cour- * age under the strain of anxi- * ety and loneliness will be an * inspiration. * I predict that, within a * week, you will have solved * your own problem, and be heartily ashamed of your be- * avior now. * * * TO "A WORRIED MOTHER': Stop worrying. The rule you are iaterested in stil applies. When readers are reminded that this column appears in newspapers in almost every section of the coun- try, and that their problems ex- ist in every community group, they are quick to realize that my answer to a question similar to their own isP ot necessarily my answer to theirs. Your attitude in this affair was exactly what it should have been, and I cengratulafe you. I appreciate your gratitude, to, for my opinion. REMEMBER SOLDIER'S BIRTHDAY "Dear Anne Hirst: I an 17, and have been going steady with a soldier who is now everseas. My birthday was a few months ago, and not knowing about it, lie did not send me anything. "Now his birthday comes soon. I don't know whether to send himn something, or just a card. What shall I do? WORRIED GIRL" Send the soldier an airmail birthday card, by all means It nay arrive late. So why not write him a pretty note of good wishes? Say you have just learn- ed about his anniversary, and as the card may not come in time, this little note will say .yu are thinking of him, and looking Io.j ward te the time you tweoS celebrate birthdays together. This vill be a gracieus gestur, and the more welcome becaus it fs unexpected. * * * If you are a soidier's wife, use your leisure time te work for vietory here. There is ne bettet cure for loneliness, . . In any time Of stress, consult Ani Hirst. She wi have helpful ideas. Write her at this newm- paper. WORRIED THE CHAMP Jerry Lewis tells about the battered heavyweight who re- fused a thousand-dollar bribe "take a dive" in the second round of a bout with a highljy publicized and overrated new- corner. The bat tered pug's ex- planation was, "J never lasted till the second round yet, and I ain't gonna start now. The time I fought Joe Louis, I had him pienty worried, though," added the ug. "He thoughti he'd killed Curve of Flattery! What a glamorous way te look by sun or moonlight! That curved neekine iolded over fthe bosonm does such beautiful things for your figure. The skirt is gracefully gathered in front - se pretty when you turn, walk, dance. Choose au airy cotton or cool silk. Pattera 4731: Visses' Sizes 1, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 Size 16 takes 4% yards 35-incli fabric. This pattern easy to use, sim- ple to sew, is tested for fit. Has complete illustrated instructions. S e n d ..THIRTY-FIVE CENTS (354) L coins (stamps cannot be accepted> for this pattern. Pirnt plainly SIZE, NAME, ADDRESS, STYLE NUMBER. Send order to Box 1, 123 Eigh- teenth St. New Toronto, Ont. Wooden Word-Builde's-These big "boys" oren't playing blocks -they're stringing up preservative-impregnated wood somples at a Bell labo.ratories test "farm.' More thon 20 million telephone poles support the network of wires, and with replacements and new poles going up et the rate of 800,000 per yeor, maxi- mum weather-resistonce of wocd is cf utmost importanc.