The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-26
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

find seated by their side an agreeable party for, conversational purposes. am equally sure that the acid test of mans versatility or woman's
 tact is to be placed side by side with those whose tastes are so different as
 to make it hard to touch on any sym- pathetic subject, and yet so manage as
 not show disappointment, but keep up
 flow of made talk.
 
 At most of our public dinners, by little maneuvering one can select a | congenial vis-a-yis or side partner, un- less he happens to be put at the speak CTS table, where his place card may be between strangers. Then to get by with it without boring or being bored
 requires lot of diplomacy.
 got on this line because recently was put next to lady whom l had never seen before, and about whom l
 knew absolutely nothing. Each one of us strove as best we could to get conversational opening that would last longer than the usual banalities about the weather, but somehow we were mighty slow in finding a topic of in- terest.
 But if one does not grow weary in trying to be agreeable, the reward is sure to come I am sure that the young woman thought I was a bit of
 stick, for in spite of my efforts to do
 my part in a conversational way, l could not get hold of a subject that gave any evidence of having real life in it, and I was about to give up in despair and devote my whole attention to the meal itself.
 A friend just beyond me evidently sizing up the situation was gracious enough to present me. When the name Simonton was called, I immediately
 brightened, for I knew that at last I could get much pleasure out of the cas- ual meeting. I began by stating that her name was a well known one in
 Alabama, and after getting some infor- nation about her forbears we were fully launched in sea of talk. It was no trouble from then on for i me to steer the table talk along in- teresting lines, for I had learned that I was engaging Miss Ida Vera Simon ton, lecturer, writer and explorer, to
 tell about her really marvellous expe-
 riences as a traveller when alone she
 went to West Africa in 1906 and lived among the savages of the French | Congo.
 She also voyaged in the Nigerias, the
 Kamerun, Togoland, Liberia, Portu-
 guese Angola, Belgian Congo, Dahomey
 and Sierra Leone. She had the distin- guished honor of being the only wom-
 an in the world who has ever conn manded Turkish troops, for when she went through the French Congo the French government placed a division of ! Turkish troops at her command to be used to protect her in her efforts to pierce the dark continent.
 | Now, had read good deal of mis- sionary literature of the different de- nominations at work in Africa and had listened to the stories of many re- turned missionaries. From the time Stanley was sent to rescue Livingstone up to this good day I have welcomed any window opening into the heart of the great land which still sits in the shadow of a great darkness waiting for the true Light.
 I was gripped by the experiences of Miss Simonton, but the thing which gave me the greatest joy was her l statement that while she had gone to Africa and the east for material for her lecture courses to be delivered under
 the auspices or the board of education 1 of New York with the strongest kind of prejudice against the missionaries ! and their work, she came home with the very highest admiration for them and for what they were doing. She prefaced the statement by say staff lecturer and her environment at home was such as to put her out of 1 sympathy with missionary societies. | This being true, l know of no higher 1 tribute which can be paid to the unself- ish work of men and women who not
 only brave the dangers of living among 1 the savage tribes, but must put up with the ptiless climate which in some parts | means death to whites.
 1 Miss Simonton is also familiar with | conditions in Syria and Armenia, and
 while in no way connected with the
 near east relief, yet being aware of the situation is giving her time to the campaign without any salary, but tor 1 the sake of suffering humanity. She , has written a book whose title is, l ''Helrs Playground" I have not seen ] a copy of it. nor do I know what it is about, but it's a mighty appropriate name for the lands in which fanatical
 Turks have wrecked their vengeance l on helpless Christians.
 1 She was called upon by Chairman Scale Harris for two minute talk. I moved that she be made a -four min 1 ute-speaker" but she said she could
 say quite a good deal in a pair of min
 utes, and she did. She just talked right
 l out in meeting, and went on record that Armenia had nothing to hope for l I,c T l.1