The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, 23 March 1911, Page 549

The Family Circle

RULES FOR SPELLERS On words containing the letters ‘ ei ’ and f ie,’ the following poem contains a rule easily remembered: When ‘ ei ’ and ‘ ie ’ both spell ‘e’ How can we tell which it shall be? Here is a rule you may believe. That never, never will deceive, And all such troubles will relieve, A. simpler rule you can’t conceive. It is not made of many pieces, To puzzle daughters, sons or nieces, Yet with all the trouble ceases. After c,’ an ‘e’ apply; . And other letters c i. ’ Thus a general in a siege, Writes a letter to his liege. Or an army hold its field And will never deign to yield While a soldier holds a shield, Or has strength his arm to wield. Two exceptions we must note. Which all scholars learn by rote ; Leisure is the first of these, For the second we have seize. Now you know the simple rules. Learn it, quick, and off to school! THE LUCK OF FOUR-LEAVED CLOVER * on don’t mean to tell me,’ said Uncle Jacob, looking horrified, ‘ that not one of you has ever found a fourleaved clover Well, well, well.’ Bernice and Rachel, the twins, and Chrissy, the nine-year-old, looked as ashamed as they felt. Plainly, Uncle Jacob considered it a serious tiling never to have found a tour-leaved clover. ‘ I didn’t know there was such a thing as a four-leaved clover, said Chrissy, determined to make a clean breast of it. Uncle Jacob shook his head. ‘ I’ve always had my suspicions about those city schools. What do they teach, it they leave out such important things Of course, if you ve never even heard of four-leaved clovers you don’t know how there came to be four-leaved clovers at all No. n hey didn’t; but they wanted to learn. \v ell, at least, you know that the queen of the fairies made all the clovers?’ said Uncle Jacob. , j. Ti 8 t'vins and Chrissy didn’t really know that, either, out they kept silence; they were not going to display any more ignorance. ■ _ ‘ One _ day she was making clovers at a great rate, being an industrious fairy; but somehow or other she made a mistake in counting, for when she finished she had a whole clover-leaf left over. She thought it would be a terrible thing to waste it, being an economical fairy. In the midst of her perplexity she had a brilliant idea, being a clever fairy. She added the extra leaf to a clover, and gave it the fairy blessing, being a kindly-disposed fairy. And so, from that time out, whoever finds a four-leaved clover is a very lucky person. ~ ‘ c c hided Uncle Jacob, 1 I have a plan. Out there behind the orchard is a whole big meadow of clover, xou three may look for four-leaved clovers to-morrow, and the one who finds the first four-leaved clover shall go with me to town the day after to-morrow, and we’ll have a jamboree.’ i j The twins and Chrissy were immensely excited. They had only been a fortnight at Mount Hope Farm, but in that time they had learned what a ‘jamboree’ with Uncle Jacob meant. All that night they dreamed of finding tour-leaved clovers, and after breakfast the next morning they were ready for the clover meadow. +l l -S- ™!’ said Aunt Mary with a sigh, as she went through the hall, there s that bottle of medicine Doctor 1 air left here last night for Teddy Andrews. It ought to go down this morning, but 1 don’t see how I’m ever going to get time to take it.’ ril .Chrissy heard her just as she was going out of the door. Chrissy stopped short. The twins were already scrambling over the fence. _ Chrissy thought of the jamboree just onc ,, e - T she said: ‘l’ll run down to the Andrews’ with Teddy’s medicine, Aunty.’ •j Thank you, Chrissy ; that will be a real help to me,’ said Aunt Mary, who didn’t know anything about the clover-leat compact. £ Uncle Jacob saw Chrissy starting off with the bottle. ‘ Well, well, well!’ he said. ' Chrissy had seen Teddy Andrews before, and felt very sorry for him. He was just seven, and was ill with spinal trouble. He had to lie on the sofa all the time Hus morning she found him crying. ‘ O Teddy, what’s the matter ?’ she said. ‘Johnny said he would read me the new fairy story Aunt May sent me this morning,’ sobbed Teddy, ‘ and now

he’s gone off fishing, and there’s nobody to read: and I’m so tired of being sick and lonesome.’ Chrissy in her mind’s eye saw the twins in clover. But she said briskly £ I’ll read it to you, Teddy boy Here give me the book.’ ’ Chrissy read all, the morning. The story was a long one, and Teddy was wild to know the end. He listened with flushed cheeks and shining eyes, and when Chrissy finished he said: ( Oh, thank you ever so much. It was just splendid. I’ll think about it all the afternoon, and not be 'a bit lonesome.’ Chrissy promised to come again soon and read to him. Then she walked soberly home to dinner. She thought she had lost all chance of the jamboree; but when the twins came in to dinner neither of them had yet found a four-leaved clover.. £ I’m afraid the fairy queen forgot to make any this year, said Rachael sorrowfully. After dinner back hurried the determined twins. Chrissy stayed to help Aunt Mary with the dinner dishes, and then she, too, started for the field. In the yard she met little Nora Lee. • ‘Please, I’ve come to learn the song,’ said Nora shyly. Chrissy had met Nora in Sunday school and had promised that if Nora came up to Mount Hope some day, she would teach her the loveliest new song she had learned in Sunday-school at home. But she had not known Nora would come just when it was so necessary she should be looking for four-leaved clover. Como in, she said heartily. ‘ We’ll go right at it.’ it uas three o clock before Nora had learned the song and gone home. Chrissy was tired and warm, but no twin had yet turned up with a four-leaved clover, and the jamboree was still to be won. As Chrissy went through the, kitchen Aunt Mary got up off the sofa with a sighDear me! I must make a cake for the men’s tea. And how my head does ache!’ For a moment Chrissy thought she couldn’t—no, she could n t Then she did. Aunty, I’ll make the cake, and you go and he down. Oh, yes, indeed, you must 1 can make plain cake splendidly, and I like doing it nil „. }°, u ' a ?T the greatest little help that ever was, Chi issy, said Aunt Mary, gratefully. ‘I believe I’ll have to lex you. I can hardly hold my head up. I’ll g 0 and he down upstairs.’ e h Car lighted a fire, put on an apron, mixed the cake, and baked it. Lucie Jacob looked in at the window once and saw her. Well, well, well!’ he said to himself. • i.„ then tea-time came, and when the twins came in to tea, 10, and behold! neither of them had yet found a fourleaved clover! But they were determined that they would. hni uissy made her third start for the clover meadow* but she saw Aunt Mary, who hadn’t eaten any supper and who had a little wrinkle of pain between her eye-brows’ packing a basket in the pantry. ’ i T r1 ‘}XK r i°- a , re you Suing.with that basket?’ said Chrissy. lie down ’ “ lk you ougslt tobe U P at all. Please go and Sally/ IMS tbis basket of eatables down to old Aunt j I y .’ saaa Aunt Mary. ‘ She is very poor, and I fear must^r P u , of . Provisions. 1 forgot about it before, so I niustn t put it off any longer. ‘FU take k ow ., to Aunt Sally,’ said Chrissy. Din Id, I m afraid you are too tired. You’ve been running my errands all day, Chrissy.’ ‘ That is what nine-year-old legs are for,’ said Chrissy ichf ’ 1 " 8 I m not a bit tired, and I haven’s a head-

and Uncle Jacob saw Chrissy starting off with her basket and he said: ‘ Well, well, well!’ casket, tirp? was nearly dark when Chrissy got back. She was tired and her face was a wee bit sober, for she knew it was too late now to look for lucky clovers. The dew was falling and Aunt Mary never let them stay out after there* *it 1 lh % n Ch nssy just happened to look down, and there at her feet was a big clump of clover. She bent over it, and gave a joyful little cry. Right under her four ‘J eaved clovers, such big, luxuriant clovers that they must have cost the fairy queen some economical twinges. y queen some Chrissy picked the clovers, .and her feet went twinkhng up the lane, forgetting all about being tired. Uncle' USt +nn S S 1^ m g on the verandah, and the twins were there, too, rather tired and cross. i 9 girls,’ gasped Chrissy, did you find any fourleaved clovers ? I’ve found three!’ y & wmilrl' 06 there, Jlo ;v’ saitl Uncle Jacob, ‘I expected you hpforll_tl 1 T , t + S 4]f”f T? d U’ing— forgot to comment on this betoie that the folks who go looking for four-leaved clovers hardly ever seem to find them. It’s the folks who go about doing little duties and kindnesses, and thinking about other people, that find the luck. Well, Chrissy 8 we 11 have the jamboree, sure enough.’ ‘ ’ Chrissy looked at the twins’ disappointed faces, I lease, Uncle Jacob,’ she said, ‘can’t Rachael and Bernice go, too? You see, I found three clovers r> *So you did; 80 you did! That’s always the wav People like you find so much luck that it spills over into other people’s way, even when they don’t deserve it. Yes well take the twins, too. Now, run pp to bed, and get your beauty sleep for to-morrow.’ g And that night they all dreamed again of finding fourleaved clovers; but Chrissy slept with it under her pillow

HE HAD DONE HIS BEST The point of the following story from the New York Tribune is not too fine for everyday economists to perceive. It carries a lesson which ought to interest purchasers as well as manufacturers: A merchant who had a big trade in albata (alloy) spoons decided that he ought to get them from the manufacturer at a lower price. The manufacturer, on the other hand, said that he could not make any reduction unless he put more lead into the composition. ‘All right; use more lead,’ replied the merchant. Before long he wanted a second reduction. The manufacturer made the same reply, and was again told to use more lead. After a while the merchant wanted the spoons at a still cheaper price, but the manufacturer wrote that he could not possibly submit to a further cut. ‘ Put in more lead,’ wrote the merchant. ‘ Can’t,’ answered the manufacturer. ‘ The last lot I sent you were all lead.’ SHE HAD AN ADVANTAGE A distinguished actress was one day having her hair dressed by a young woman at her home. The actress was very tired and quiet, but a chance remark from the dresser made her open her eyes and sit up. ‘I should have went on the stage,’ said the young woman complacently. 1 But.’ returned the actress, ‘ look at me—think how I have had to work and study to gain what success I have, and win such fame as is now mine!’ * ‘Oh, yes,’ replied the young woman calmly; ‘but then I have talent.’ A DISCIPLE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES The great detective climbed through the kitchen window, followed by his faithful ally. ‘Ah,’ he exclaimed, surveying the surroundings, ‘I find that his wife is away!’ ‘And how long has she been away?’ asked his ally. ‘ Exactly thirty days.’ And how on earth are you able to tell that?’ ‘ My dear fellow, by the unwashed dishes and cups and saucers. There are ninety of each in all, which shows that he has used three a day for thirty days, and left them for her to wash when she comes —same as we all do. Simplest thing in the world, ray dear fellowsimplest thing in the world!’ AN ESSAY ON BABIES Here is an essay on babies by an English board schoolboy :— ‘ Babys are of two sects, male and female, and are also very fat. 'When very young they do not have much hair. _ They are always asleep only when crying. Women and girls go silly over babys, and kiss them all over and say silly things. That’s why girls have dolls when they haven’t any little brothers. Everybody ’as to be a baby first. That's all I know about babys.’ TAKING NO CHANCES Jerome K. Jerome, the well known humorist, while crossing the Atlantic, was leaning over the rail one morning when the information fiend tapped him on the shoulder. ‘ Sir/ he said, with a wave of the hand, ‘do you know that if the earth were flattened out, the sea would be miles deep all over the world?’ Mr. Jerome looked impressed, ‘ Well,’ he replied with the vestige of a smile, 4 if you catch anyone flattening out the earth, shoot him on the spot. I can’t swim.’ FAMILY FUN 6 Jet of Water in a Vacuum.—Fill an empty bottle about three-quarters full of water. The cork must be pierced with a bit of sound straw or hollow grass, or a few inches of glass piping of small diameter. In any case this tube must descend near the bottom of the bottle. Hermetically seal the cork with varnish or sealing wax. Now coyer your flask with a large pickle bottle upside down, which must first be warmed over a lamp or candle flame. In order to prevent the air from getting in it must be placed on a few sheets of wet blotting-paper, smoothly laid on a plate. Press the pickle bottle firmly down on the blotting-paper so as to exclude all air. Now in a minute or two, the contraction of the inner air from the cooling of the bottle will cause a jet of water to issue from the medicine bottle automatic fountain—and if the directions have been strictly adhered to, you will perceive it break into a thousand drops of liquid crystal. ,