TELESCOPE LESSON

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 22, 4 June 1908, Page 37

TELESCOPE LESSON

Uncle Jack was stretched in the Morris chair, reading. He looked up to nod pleasantly when Anna came in, and then lapsed into his book again, but Frances dropped her sewing and greeted her sister with a lire of questions : ' Tell us all about your afternoon. Who did you see, and what did they say ? Why, Ann, you look tired to death and about as cheerful as an owl ! Must have been a lovely tea. I needn't feel badly about not going, I judge.' The lines across Anna's forehead ciinkled up into a laugh. 'Do I look so mournful ? I didn't know it. It was a lovely tea.,, and I enjoyed every minute, only just at the last I met Louise Delmar, and she was telling me all about what hard times she is having at school. She says Miss Olden is so disagreeable.' ' That's funny,' interrupted Frances in astonishment. ' Julie likes her ever so much. She was telling me yesterday how kind she is to the slow girls, and what a nice way she has. She thinks the school has improved decidedly since Miss Olden came.' ' Louise thinks the opposite — says it is running down all the time. Oh, Katherine Waite brought her cousin with her to-day, the one she has been expecting.' ' Did you like her ? Julie called there and said she was a" dear — so bright and cordial.' ... ' I thought she was very attractive, but Louise whispered to me that she hoped we wouldn't be disappointed in her— she wasn't sure she would wear well. 1 ' Why, Louise never saw her before, did she ? ' ' No, but she thinks a great deal of first impressions, you know.' ' H'h ! ' sniffed Frances. 'So do I, but I'd rather have my own than Louise' Delmar's. Did the girls talk about the lecture course the clubs are going to have ? Julie thinks they are promising to be fine. She has persuaded several people to buy tickets already.' ' Oh, yes most of them were enthusiastic — caught it from Julie, I guess. But Louise doesn't -think she will go. She says lectures hardly ever turn out as you rthink they will, and she is afraid- the clubs will be sorry -they undertook it'. 1 Uncle Jack had riot been reading much for the last ten minutes, after all. Now he drew himself up from the Morris chair and went over to the library table. Opening a drawer, he took out a small telescope and carried it to the. window.

1 Come here a minute, girls,' he said, pulling out the glass £,nd adjusting the focus. ' Look through this, Anna, and tell me what you see.' ' I see houses and trees and sky— oh, and a little bird 'way up on that top .bough ! How near and big it makes everything seem, doesn't it ? ' 'It is your turn, Frances.' Uncle Jack passed the glass to her. ' Now let's turn it around. How do things look this way ? ' > ' How strange ! They are so little— as if they were miles and miles away ! ' ' Yet they are not really changed at all. It is just in the ,way you look at them.' Uncle Jack smiled as he shut up the glass. 'Do you know, your two friends, Louise and Julie, make me think of the two ends of this telescope. One talks everything down. At least, that is what I should judge from what you repeated of their sayings. Am I right ? ' The girls looked at one another thoughtfully. ' Yes,' said Anna, slowly, ' I believe you are, though it never came to me in that way before. Julie always does see the good side of people and plans and talks about it, and Louise— well, I know I never feel quite as pleased with anything after I've been listening to her.' ' ' It is pretty dangerous business, this talking down,' went on Uncle Jack. 'We fall into the habit half unconsciously, sometimes. We would not do wilful harm for the world, but we let a criticism slip out and an impression is made on some mind that it may take a longi time to remove. We may do a great injustice to people by speaking slightingly of them to others, and many a plan has been made a failure when it might have been a success if it had not had cold water thrown on it by some one who acted like the wrong end of the telescope. ' Fortunately, it is just as true that a pleasant word about somebody lingers in our ears and prepares us to like them. Enthusiasm is catching, too, and if you want a good plan to succeed, the best way is to say all the good and encouraging things you can about it — talk it up ! If you want your school ' or your church, your teacher or your pastor, to be popular, talk them up.' ' But, Uncle Jack, suppose you really don't like the people ? ' ' Better keep still then. Other folks may like them if you do not prejudice them by speaking. Besides, there is another kind of " 'scope " that brings out beauties we never would see without it. Do you remember how the bit of pollen I showed you the other day looked like common yellow dust till we saw it under the microscope, and then it turned into a tiny, beautiful flower ? If we looked at people through the love microscope oftener, hunting for something lovable, we might find qualities to tell of that we never suspected were there. ' Lecture over, and I'm off down town ! ' shutting the table drawer with a snap. ' Good-bye, my little telescopes. Don't forget that a good many people may be looking at things through your lenses, and be sure to show them the right end. Talk up and not down.' "