The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, 13 April 1911, Page 693

The Family Circle

♦ A RIDDLE IN VALUES The river said: ‘While I lie in my bed 1 run and I dance and 1 sparkle bright; And, though my mouth is far from my head, I sing a sweet song by day and by night. A deposit is mine, and two banks also; 1 make the fields rich, but I’m poor as a crow.’ The tree, smiling, said: ‘I stand straight through each fall. I leaf, yet I’m here, and my trunk ne’er goes; A bark I have, but I never can call; I have arms, but no hands, and a foot, but no toes. My brains arc of wood, and my leaves are thick, Yet Id suffer quite keenly if touched to the quick.’ The clock then ticked : ‘ Unto all it is plain, Though no one can see it, I’ve got a good head; I’ve wheels, ’tis true, but I’m perfectly sane; I never look blue, though I’m quite often read. I have no moral sense, but I’m ever right, I own not a tongue, but I speak day and night.’

FAULT-FINDING GIRLS Have you ever heard a group of girls discussing a newcomer in the office or shop? The chances are they pick out every possible flaw in looks and dress and manner, it would have been just as easy, and far better for the future characters of the critics, to have been on the lookout for good points. Most people have more virtues than faults if only we weren’t most of us so blinded by old critical habits that we can’t see them. Some time, when you find yourself seeing the shortcomings of relatives and triends, stop short and ask yourself if you haven’t ways of your own which are just as opeiy to criticism. It >s most unfair to criticise other people's actions unless you know all the circumstances. The chances are if you were in their places you would do no better. . The habit of finding fault with places and things, which most girls have, ought to be nipped in the bud. One girl can ruin the pleasure of a whole party just by pointing out the flaws everywhere. V hat if things aren’t just to your liking? on won’t make them a particle better by calling attention to them, and you will make others uncomfortable by doing so. Train yourself to see the bright side and to make the best of things. If you can’t get. a rosy view keep quiet. And don’t always have a but in your pleasures. Get all the small joys you can as you go along. Don’t go side-stepping after the disagreeables. Some of them will come of course, but you needn t go to meet them. By learning to keep your eyes or } the good and pleasant in people and situations, you will make it easier to grapple with the inevitable disagreeables.

A BOY’S CHANCES Mr. Charles M. Schwab, who, twenty-five years ago, was a grocer’s errand boy, and whose faithfulness recommended him to the 'higher employment which led to his present position on the heights of wealth and influence, gave a little talk to the boy of a trade school some time ago. Said he ; ‘ There were ten boy employed by a concern once, and one night the manager said to his subordinate: “Tell the boys they are to stay a little longer to-night— them they are to stay until 6 o’clock. Don’t tell them why. Just tell them that and watch them.” So this was done, and when 6 o’clock came around there was just one boy who was interested _in his work and was not watching the clock to see what time it was. That boy was the one the manager wanted, and he was taken into the office. And as he continued to manifest the same interest in his work, he was promoted, until at last he got a verv responsible place. ‘ Then there was another boy. He began carrying water, and he did it so much better than any other boy% seeing to it always that the men had good water, cool water, and plenty of it, that he attracted attention to himself. He was taken into the office, where he became in time superintendent and then general manager, and he is now the man that is at the head of the Carnegie Company, with thousands of men under him. As a boy lie did more than the ordinary run of boys did, and so attracted attention; and that was the secret of his first step upward. ‘ v ‘ I was in a bank down-town the other day when a newsboy came in and sold the banker a paper. After he had gone out the banker said to me: “For two years now that boy has been coming in here at the time I told him to come2 o’clock. He does not come before two or after two, but at two precisely. He has sold me a paper every week-day in that way when I have been here without a break. He sells for just one cent., its price. He neither asks more nor seems to expect more. It is a cold commercial transaction, Now,, a boy that will attend to

business in that way has got stuff in him. He doesn’t know it yet, but I am going to put him in my bank, and you will see that he will be heard from.

FIDO AND THE LADIES / Once upon a time a Paderewski recital was given in oymphony Hall, in Boston. The house was packed to the doors, mostly with women and young girls, all supposedly musical enough to sit through a programme of over two hours in length with both pleasure and profit to themselves. A small girl, whose efforts on the piano'were regarded by her admiring family as decidedly unusual, sat with her mother not more than ten rows back of the, 1 platform. For ha a the especial delight of the afternoon was that J aaerewski was to play a certain little Chopin prelude duouslv 6 Snia * gir h £ld herself studied and played asssiShe owned a Skye terrier which was not of a musical temperament He would sit beside the piano stool while she practised and accompany her with a low, mournful £ ro .' v *l ,Uf ad her pieces the little prelude seemed to irritate him most. That may have been partly because she played it oftenest and loudest. Whenever he heard it, his soft, protesting growl turned to a howl of agony As the concert proceeded the small girl was greatly horrified at the remarks of two large, prosperously-dressed omen beside ~ her. . T-hey were evidently more interested in Paderewski s hair than in his hands; in his looks than in his music. They whispered through the numbers about ieir neighbors and their hats, but brought themselves up every little while to murmur: ‘Oh, how beautiful!’ when tiie audience applauded. Fortunately, they kept still while the longed-for preludg; was given. The small girl scarcely breathed. P lt playecf VOnderiul to bear the very same notes that she At the end the clapping was tumultuous, and Paderewski repeated the piece. That was the most wonderful thing of all, and the small girl sat as if entranced. As the fast note sang its way into the stillness of the great hall, the woman next to the little girl turned briskly to her companion, J V • ‘ sl *o said, ‘ I liked that better than the last piece, if they did applaud the other one so tremendously Ihe other woman was studying her progiamme. The next thing to the prelude was a set of Brahms’ Variations x- ] e *’ "Ti saidA V th satisfaction, ‘I always like variations better than I do preludes, anyway.’ ‘ Mamma,’ said the small girl, leaning over in huge uS’’ 1K O WOUd have known was the prelude both

THE culprit The examiner wished to get the children to express moral reprobation + of lazy people, and he led up to it by Sd‘"ithi„ o g Yn^n? 0 ”™ 18 " i '° got all they °°" id a " d For some time there was silence, but at last one little j-irl i uiio had obviously reasoned out the answer indueAf cZ& de e noe°:' Vn ° x P eriei ‘“ s - esc,aimed > with a good 1 Please, sir, it’s the baby.’

FORGOTTEN SOMETHING __ °f e mg]lt avlii 1 e the cadets were in camp the captain as showing some novices how to wrap themselves up in in their blankets so as to obtain the best possible comfort. lie took great care in giving the intruction and seeing it carried out and was about to leave them lying very cosy when an old farmer, who had watched the proceedings and did not believe in coddling boys, called out to him • ‘ Hey mister, J™ Ve r forgot something. ‘Forgot somethin/* f hat have I forgotten?’ asked the captain. You’ve forgotten to kiss them,’.came the reply. -

AN EASTER INCIDENT It was in the y , ear 1799, when the armies of Napoleon all'?hroXTrtheirTay ~ei,t ° f EUr Pe “ Ud within the borders of Austria. . The 111 flows into the Rhine Quite early on this morning there suddenly appeared on the heights above the town to the west the ulitteririDweapons of 18,000 French soldiers, the div Lion xmder th? command of General Massena. There was a hasty assembling of the town council ? d deCU M that a deputation be sent to Massena with the keys of the town and a petition for mercy In the midst of all the confusion of the hurrying to and fro and the anxious consultation the old dea/o/the church stood up serene as was the morning with rm u? of fear ,in his We Christian KT 6 “ no th °“

‘lt is Easter Sunday,’ he said. ‘’We have been reckoning on our own strength, and it is but weakness. Let us ring the bells and have service as usual. We will leave our troubles in the hands of the Higher Power.’ Soon from all the church spires of Feldkirch the bells rang out joyously. The streets became thronged with worshippers on their way to church. Louder and more triumphant pealed the bells as they rang out the glad message, and the hills, putting on their new green, echoed back: ‘Christ is risen. He is risen from the dead.’ , The French army heard the sound of rejoicing, and Massena concluded there could be but one reason for it. Ho was sure that the Austrian army had arrived in the night. He ordered his men to break camp, and almost before the bells had ceased ringing—long before Easter services "'ere over the French army was in orderly retreat. By noon not a tent, not a soldier, not a glitterin'l- - was to be seen on the heights above Feldkirch.

WANTED Dentifrice to clean the ‘teeth of the wind,’ The apparatus used in ‘coining-new phrases.’ The rule used in measuring ‘broad daylight.’ The timid man who wrote in ‘ nervous English.’ Portrait of a horse that has eaten its head off.’

TWO LITTLE FRIENDS ‘ Mother,’ said Susie, ‘ if Rose had not been so naughty we would have had a very happy time this afternoon. She wanted everything her own way, and she said the very first thing that her doll was to be named Evelyn.’ , Why should she not call her doll Evelyn if she liked?’ asked Susie’s mother. _ Because I wanted that name for my doll,’ answered Susie. ‘ Besides, I ivas company, and she ought to have let me play with the carriage all the time.’ ‘I an sorry to hear that Rose is such a naughty child,’ said Susie s mother. ‘Of course, you w ere very sweet and unselfish all the afternoon.’ _ ‘ I’m talking about Rose,’ said Susie. ‘ I think that I won t invite her to my birthday party.’ ‘ But are you sure that you were polite ?’ asked Susie’s mother. ‘lf a little girl is visiting another she must be pleased and satisfied with all the play. let us see whether you were not as much to blame as Rose.’ .. Then Susie and her mother talked it over, and the next time that Susie plays with Rose she is not going to insist upon having her own way all the time.

ENDING THE QUARREL Two little girls were quarrelling, sad to say. They kept saying, ‘You did 1’ and ‘I didn’t!’ and growing more angry every minute. Suddenly Susie stopped speaking and shut her lips tight. She would not say another word tor awhile. ‘What makes you keep still, Susie said another girl near by, ‘when Sophy keeps on teasing ’ , ‘Somebody must stop first!’ said Susie. ‘I just membered that mamma said so. So I’ll stop first, and then the teasing will be over quicker.’ And so it was. For Sophy, too, because she was so surprised; and as Susie would not go on, the quarrel was very soon over.

FAMILY FUN , Why is a cat up three pairs of stairs like a high hill ? Because she’s a-niountin’. ' What three letters give the name of a famous Roman general ?—C-P-0 (Scipio). _ Why is a nice but uncultured girl like brown sugar?— Because she’s sweet but unrefined. ~ Why should you never confide a secret to your relatives? —Because blood will tell. - , What is the best way to keep fish from smelling?— Cut oft their noses. . A . Why has a chambermaid more lives than a cat?—Because each morning she returns to dust. _ Why should a compliment from a turkey be an insult? —Because it would be fowl language. When does a chair dislike you?— it can’t bear you. Why is a duel quickly managed ?—Because it takes only two seconds to arrange it. How does light get through a prism?— hews (hues) its way through. • . What , does a yawning policeman resetible ?—An open face watch. 1