Cylchgronau Cymru

Chwiliwch trwy dros 450 o deitlau a 1.2 miliwn o dudalennau

down there?"But we can't ram everything Welsh down people's throats at breakfast time or at any other time, you know, just because it happens to be Welsh." — "D — 1 Why not ? As for those people in Glamorgan they ought to be put against the wall, too, for saying we're not pure just because of those blue and copper spots. Glamorgan, indeed! Where's Glamorgan? Can't be seen for smoke! Better blue and copper spots than black smuts." — "Oh! come, you mustn't talk like that about the great county of Glamorgan, a county palatine, too, the land of song, Ifor Bach, Gwyr y Gloren, and all that sort of thing. Besides, there's not all that smoke about either. You must be thinking of Landore, and that really isn't part of the old Glamorgan of history at all." — "What! Are you one of them." — "No, I'm not. I'm really from here- abouts, twenty miles further north or something of that sort. But you mustn't let prejudice blind you even if you do feel sore." — "Well, then let them drop their nonsense about those spots and admit us to their bird books." And off he went without waiting for the rejoinder that he was a bit out of date because the nonsense about those spots had been dropped. A mile or two further on the two friends had another welcome instance of Welsh rural life at its best. Up the steep hill came toiling labor- iously to meet them a worthy middle-aged man who looked to be a mason or a carpenter or some- thing of that sort, or may be a railwayman, and The Exile's Corner. WELSHMEN IN CHINA. By L. R. Rees, Shanghai. [The following, dated May 28th, from a Shang- hai correspondent, was not originally intended for the "Corner," but it so well answers the scheme that we append copious extracts therefrom. ED. ] MAY I say that I have always derived con- siderable pleasure from the reading of the Outlook, and it has enabled me to keep in touch with all movements in the Hen Wlad, and I congratulate all concerned in its production on the high literary merit of the articles and the really progressive thought anima- ting the present generation of Welshmen as ex- emplified in so many of the contributions. The fact that you are about to add an 'Exiles' Corner' to the magazine proves that you are alive to the fact that Wales is expanding overseas and that her sons are now to be found yn bob cwr o'r Eyd. It gladdens the heart of Welshmen abroad to think that we are not forgotten, and that at least some of our fellow-countrymen in the Homeland have visions beyond the parish pump. It will be read with lively interest his wife. "Can't be English visitors," said Mathafarn with his usual shrewdness and obser- vation. "Too far from the railway for that. If they are visitors, then they're in for a twelve or fourteen mile round, and that's not likely. I wonder who they are and what they're after. Let's see." Who were they and what were they after? Why, they were walking over the hill to the eisteddfod at Tregeiriog-fifteen hundred to two thousand feet up and down, the reader will please to remember and a distance of at least six stiff miles-and they were members of a choir competing there But such is Wales, and so does the real native life persist and live on. And down another three miles was the Holyhead road, and on it one continuous stream of motor cars, each car at the tail of the next with the noise and the rush and the smell, and danger ahead for foot-people fool-hardy enough to venture thereon. And that was the other and modern phase. Their life assurances being considered hardly adequate for the venture and with Death Duties and Succession Duties likely to swallow up any- thing else there might be, the two decided against the extra three miles on the highroad to Glyndyfr- dwy, and took train instead; and a topping good lunch at the Berwyn Arms afterwards was a con- clusion meet and fitting to these, their adventures. So doff we now for a twelve-month our motley with cap and bells and bid the reader ri cheery farewell. by all exiles, and I am going to use this additional departure in an endeavour to get other Welshmen interested in your very excellent magazine. It may interest you to learn that we have a very live St. David's Society here in Shanghai. It was formed back in pre-war days under the presidency of Dr. Timothy Richard, and my lately deceased brother, Dr Hopkyn Rees, was a very active member of the committee, and after Dr Richard's time, was himself president for a number of years. At that time I was living at Chungking in West China (some 1,400 miles to the west of Shanghai) so was not here to enjoy the Welsh sermons that were delivered by him once a month, when a regular Welsh service was held and characterised with great hwyl. For many years the membership was very small, but it gradually grew by the exorts of a few enthus- iastic Cymru and we were able to have an annual Social, with musical programme. This year, however, we bounded forward in great style and held an official banquet in the finest hotel in Shanghai (some people say the finest in the world) which was a tremendous success, and in future it is our intention to make this an important annual event on St. David's Day. The under- taking is rather ambitious when you realise that our membership roll is only about 45, and of these many are ships' officers, who are not in port at all times, so that the active membership