Evening star., 1931-12-13


OF passionate marriages, they uiu see they are
not the happy ones. Most broken HUeS are the
dtScards OF such uno1s.
THOMAS BURKE, famous author of Lime
house Nights" and other stories depicting
London life in all the stark nudity of primitive
emotions, was in a mellow, reminiscent mood
that sunny morning when he was sought out
in his fiat in Tavistock square, a cubicle in
a long of white stone houses overlooking
a verdant garden in the heart of Bloomsbury
In the west-central part of London. Perhaps
the sun, the first after weeks of chill rain, had
thawed him out for this morning the usually
reticent, retiring writer was sharing his
thoughts as well as his moods as they fitted
from one human problem to another.
81 think first love is the one love in life" he
continued reflectivey; "the only beautiful one
Every man, whatever woman he marres is still
thinking seeing the little girl with whom
he first fell in love. The impressions made by
this first experience those we always
member, whatever happens later. Yet very
few marry their first love"
why is that?" he was asked.
He shrugged his shoulders expressiveIy. Life
often causes them to separate and never meet
again"
| e was silent again, and for a moment it
I ! seemed he would withdraw into his shell
were born in the same section of London and
to this day great friends Something of
the shyness of the film star clings about his
author friend Something of his wistfulness,
too, and reticence The objects en- the mantel-
piece over the fireplace seemed like props
that had stepped out of his fantastic tales.
There were Chinese idols opium pipe and
a sinister sounding gong. An array of dag
gers with carved Oriental hits some sheathed,
some cleaning in cold steel, covered one entire
wall.
"Limehouse?" 1 asked, pointing to them.
He nodded, and a smile fitted to his lips,
as though very fond recollections had been
awakened.
"Limehouse" he uttered the word tenderly,
as though speaking of old, tried friend,
"can give a valuable lesson in living to every
woman, from your Park avenue ladies to our
Duchess of Mayfair
"Lmehouse?" I asked, amazed for that is
one of London's noted poorest quarters. Har-
boring East and West India docks, it is
the habitat of a checkered population, made
up of the families of tailors, longShoremen
Chinese tea house keepers and the dregs of
London town.
"a valuable lesson--one they need" repeated
the author, whose famous "Limehouse Nights"
stories fer years have barred to the world life
and love in that section where the cold fatal
ism OF the Orient meets the wiStfuI dubety of
the West Perhaps best remembered for its
haunting loveliness is Burkes THE Chink and
the Child" produced in our cinemas as
Broken Blossoms" "a Tea Shop in Lime
house" and The Wind and the Rain"
What is the lesson?' I asked all curiosity
ITO face life, and make out of it the best
you can Life is hand-to-mouth there" he
hastened to explain. "At the end of the week
not penny is left over. Yet these poor people
leading awful lives, find moments when it is
beautiful. That is because they make the best
OF what they have. That is the finest thing
that can happen to any one A veritable
golden rule for happiness is not merely to put
up with things, but to make from what you
have the best that it will yield From this
the women in poor circumstances have arrived
at the secret of living, which their upper-class
sisters may well ensy.
h\k/oRk is the only thing in life, the one
w thing that makes it worth while" the
author continued. You never find a poor
woman who is restless, dissatisfied and full of
nerves Perhaps she could use little more
money. But then, could every rich woman
The poor woman knows she has work to do
and gets her fun out of that. Rich women