ABOUT PROVERBS. A curious section in a book entitled Proverb Lore, by F. E. Hulme, is that of contradictory proverbs, such as ' A rolling stone gathers no moss,' wliich is answered by another proverb about the 1 tethered ass.' Mr Hulme gives part of a chapter to proverbs and popular expressions, which are commonly misquoted or misunderstood, and tells us, by the way, that when people talk of carrying a thing 'through to the bitter end,' no 'bitterness' is necessarily implied in the threat. The expression is a nautical one ; 'bite' means a turn of cable, and 'the bitter end' is that part which is wound round the 'bite.* Thus 'the bitter end' is merely the extreme end, Robinson Crusoe tells us that during the storm the cables were • veered out to the bitter end.'
Sympathy is often of more use to the poor than almsgiving would be. A gift of money supplies only bodily needs; a few sympathetic words will bring comfort to many a weary, heavy-laden worker.
One mußt be enthusiastic to aosomplish results satisfactorily.
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Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 404, 4 February 1904, Page 2
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177Page 2 Advertisements Column 1 Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 404, 4 February 1904, Page 2
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