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Show n BOUGHT myself a present last night. .'... A bfa ck bowl f! lied jw i Htta'rs u a y a Hey joffi I n e- stone lights, an a water tower like a cake topped with .'.'a single candle. It was a wonderful gift. I had been invited out for the evening and I was in a hurry, but it took me 20 minutes to get from my house to my car in the driveway. My present was the magic night. I could feel it the moment I closed the back door behind me, but I intended to give it merely a passing salute of the spirit. Then I realized I had done no more than glance inside the wrappings. 'it was no ordinary gift, that night. It was crystal against crystal, like the sound of a bell to be sensed and never heard. Beyond me in the hollow lay the everyday world covered with soft darkness and twinkling 'with a kind of electric elegance. Above me was the silken sky. It was a night that I might never have noticed, and suddenly I was i . . I so caught in .and. had bought it. I bought it with nights I Couldn't sleep. The midnights and the steel dawns when my bed was clammy with lumps of fatigue and my mind was caught in the net of insomnia. V I with tfie for fears of the paid my magic night times when all the world slept but me and when I held in my tired hands alt the petty problems and the proud anguish of the daylight and they became monsters of the black hours and the loud clock and the lonely truck ' tires on the highway. So it seemed to me last night that I had earned the " moment of possession and all the ribbons of rapture which bound it. I was deeply grateful for a certain insomnia of the heart which let my eyes fill with a perception of. perfection. " And let the stars trickle down my cheetsV ''TT: I'm sure there are many, many other wives who can say the same thing. M , M. G., Rome, Ga. A Better Wardrobe for Saying. . . , "in-la- w" I . his children, and his home. Every day we read and hear about friction, but after five nearly years of marriage, my husband's mother is my best and most intimate friend. From the most important problems to the little everyday annoyances, she is my counselor, my instructor, and someone I love very much. She listens to all I tell her with an open, unbiased mind. I have known her six years, and I've never heard her discuss people unfairly, I can depend on her not to repeat the things I tell her, but-t- o keep -- them close to her heart as a true friend should. ' During a class once, my instructor said, "Have many acquaintances but few intimate friends." I have never forgotten Now when those words I consider the number of intimate pteaous-peM- But - T Jftu Vere the melody of it that it became a deep friends I have, I can think of only one my mother-in-law. Rena, Greenville, Miss. He's Haady to Have Arouad I'm fed up with all the stories and programs portraying the average husband as a helpless, creature about the house. do-noth- ing My own husband is not only a whiz with a skillet, but he can turn out delectable pies, breads, and salads. He takes over all the heavy housework when I'm unable to do it. When our babies were, small, his big strong hands were adept at changing diapers and soothing tired, fretful little bodies. And washing diapers wasn't beneath his dignity, either! No, I'm not married to a paragon. My husband is an average American guy who loves his wife, Less Money " The "Sweet Sixteens" of our town are a group of young married women who have hit upon a novel plan of enlarging our wardrobes. "Sixteen" doesn't refer to our ages; it refers to our dress size. Since we are raising families and buying homes, we can't splurge on clothes as we once did. So we decided to swap dresses. We meet once a month and do just that. As a result, each of us has a larger, more versatile wardrobe. The idea has become so popular that the club has grown rapidly. We are now buying more expensive dresses (because we have fewer to buy) , and we are all very smartly dressed oil a fraction of the money we once spent on clothes. Mrs. Rene Gee, West Palm Beach, Fla; The Cot Bell-Ringi-ng One bitter cold evening as I was hurrying along, I saw a little kitten crying at the door of its home. The owners had the shades drawn and the radio blaring so that hear the pathetic little thing. I longed to go to the door and telj them that their pet .was cold and anxious to get inside. My own cat has been trained so she never has to stay outside in bad weather. I hung a little bell near the bottom of the door and taught her how to ring it with her paw. I wouldn't let her in the house until she rang the bell, so she learned quickly, and it's now an accepted part of her routine. Perhaps this simple trick could be used by others who are considerate of their pets' comfort. A, N., Racine,Wis. they- couldn't see or - . surprised at how much youH learn, and youll never be lonely! S. M., Sacramento, Calif. .. An Idea for Suuday Morning . Its sometimes hard to get up in time for Sunday morning church services, but we've discovered a wonderful way to make sure that " we always get there. It's simple. We take several other people with us persons who otherwise would not be able to go. Not only does this make us Sfet to church morp rcriilr1v Kut wv it also makes us get there on time! Try it sometime. The rewards are great. We are benefiting by. the habit of reguFormula for a Full Life lar church attendance; we enjoy So many of the good things the feeling of being able to help around us are free that you don't others; and best of all, we now have to be rich to enjoy an in- have the feeling that we are beteresting life. Try walking around ginning 'to assume a little Chrisyour town and visiting places of tian responsibility. C. H. S., interest. (Don't say your town Champaign, III. hasn't any. That's part of the We Pay $10 for Your Letters game; you must find them.) We welcome your views on any Museums, art galleries, libraries,-th- e of general interest. If zoo, and cemetery headstones subject we print your letter, you will are my forte. After them I visit receive $10. Letters must be the courthouse, where I can sit signed, but names will be withheld on request We reserve the in and listen to trials. When you find your places of right to edit contribution. Address Letters Family interest, start cultivating your Weekly, 179 N. Editor, Michigan Ave., powers of observation. You'll be i, " Gonffoiffss MEET THE REAL PERLE MESTA 1 179 North Michigan Ave., Chicago I, III. . by Jerry Klein. ....... ... 4 NEW NORTH STAR IN THE HOLLYWOOD SKY by Peer J. Oppenheimer IMPORTED RECIPES FOR FAVORITE DESSERTS. THE "HAND-KNIT- " As you can see, our cover girl vivacious Taina Elg of Finland is beautiful of face and figure. And as you'll learn in our story on page 6, she's a woman of rare determination. Taina's cover pose comes natural to her, too because she was an acclaimed ballerina long before Hollywood "discovered" her. Though she won't be dancing in her first can expect to see a lot more of picture, movie-goer- s Miss Elg s talents both terpsichorean and dramatic. 6 .. 7 LOOK FOR SPRING by Allyn Rice. . . . . 10 " Leonard Davidow, Publisher Walter C. Dreyfus, Associate Publisher Ben Kartman, Editorial Director S. Melanie Da Proft, Food Editor Williem A, Fetter, Art Director Associate Editors Robert Fitigibbon Hal Levlnson FAMILY WEEKIY MAGAZINE MARCH Y SWITCH .....v............... . JUNIOR TREASURE CHEST edited by M arjorie Barrows 12 HELP YOURSELF TO MORE SPACE by Ruth W. Lee. 13 KATCHWORD KROSSWORD CONTEST r: 14 Address all communications concerning editorial features to Family Weekly, 179 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago I, III. Send all advertising communications Family Weekly, 7 E. 40tK St.; New YorklvlC YrContents Copyrighted, " 1755, by Family Weekly Magazine, Inc.i 17? N. Michigan Ave.. Chicago I. fll. All rights reserved. , Regina Gruss Jerry Klein 2 HOW TO INSTALL A THREE-WAby Charles Ballanger. 7, 1955 FAMILY WEEKLY PATTERNS . . -. .- - 1 5 , |