The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, 3 April 1913, Page 61

The Family Circle

THE ROAD BEYOND THE TOWN A road goes up a pleasant bill, And a little bouse looks down; Ah ! but I see the roadway still And the day I left the town. The day I left my father’s borne, It’s many a year ago, And a heart and hope were brave to roam The long, long road I know. The long, long road by bill and plain It’s tired the heart might be; But hope stayed bright in sun or rain, And a Voice that called to me. A Voice that called me over the hill And out of the little town; Ah ! but I see the roadway still, And the good house looking down. The bouse that spake me never a No ! As I started brave ■ away. But said with a heart of blessing, Go ! And followed me every day. It followed me down the road of years, For a father’s heart is true, And joy is sweet in a mother’s tears For the deeds her child may do. The poor little deeds all powerless For the Kingdom of God would be, Save in His mercy will He bless * The road that goes with me: The road that left a pleasant hill, Where a little house looks down; " Ah ! but I bless the roadway still And the land beyond the town. —Rev. Michael Earls, S.J. A misunderstanding The president of the girls’ club rapped for -order, assuming her most grown-up air to make the action impressive. ‘ I appoint Maude Baxter secretary, because our regular secretary, Winifred Willis, is sick. An exclamation came from the corner of the room. ‘Sick!’ cried Ethel Lyons, disregardful of parliamentary procedure. ‘Sick! Why I saw her down town this morning.’ The president forget she had called the meeting to order. The color mounted in her cheeks, and her eyes flashed. ‘ Well, I think that’s pretty queer of Winifred,’ she exclaimed indignantly. She sent me a note this morning, and said she was sick and her mother wouldn’t even let her out of bed.’ She must have improved very rapidly,’ Ethel remarked satirically. ‘ It couldn’t have been a minute later than half-past-ten when I saw her eating icecream at Pryor’s.’ • Another girl also spoke , up. I guess the trouble is that Winifred isn’t.interested in the idea of a bazaat. When we first talked about it, she kept saying what a lot of work it would be.’ I d feel better about it if she came right out and said she didn’t care to help,’ the president exclaimed, ‘instead of making an excuse of being very sick. I can’t bear people who are insincere.’ It took some time to get to the business of the hour. Everybody had something to say about the action of the secretary in absenting herself from so important a meeting and sending a manufactured ex-

cuse. Some of the"more impulsive were in favor of deposing Winifred from : the post of secretary and appointing some one else in her stead, but this suggestion was finally overruled, and the club' settled down to the discussion of. the, approaching bazaar. Three days later at' the public library, Ethel caught sight of a familiar figure in a blue pongee suit. v . The girl who wore it was bending over a catalogue,- so absorbed in her quest that she did not move till Ethel spoke almost in her ear.: , :•-■. - - 'Glad to see that you're better.' - 'Oh!' . . The girl lifted her head. A pair of astonished eyes looked into Ethel's, and Ethel: drew back, her ■■ face crimsoning. • ..-; .-' - " ' „ ' Why—'. It was not easy to get her breath for an explanation. 'Why, I thought it was someone'l knew. . 'lt's the blue pongee suit, I suppose/ said the other girl. They're rather common this season.' She returned to the catalogue, and Ethel turned away feeling very uncomfortable. The blue suit and the.plain little walking hat, so like the one Winifred wore, had deceived her. And that was not the worst of it. If she had been deceived this time, why not on the other occasion/when the girls of the club had been so ready to accept her word, even though it contradicted Winifred's assurance? When Ethel reached home, she found the club president awaiting her, and the president's face was troubled. She bounded to her feet as Ethel entered the room, as if she had found waiting a difficult ordeal See here!' cried the president, 'I thought you said you saw Winifred down town Tuesday, eating ice-cream.' 6

‘ l—l thought I saw her/ stammered Ethel. ‘lt ' was a girl in a blue pongee and ’ The president made a little irritated gesture, which stopped Ethel midway in her explanation, t ‘There are so many suits of that kind/ she said, but you spoke so positively that it never occurred to me that there was a chance of your being mistaken. And I was angry at Winifred, and I never answered her note or went to see her, or telephoned to ask if she were be'tter. And I guess the other girls all acted the same way.’ . -• She paused for a moment. Ethel was not » sure whether she was giving her a chance to defend herself, or was only fighting back the tears. When a big drop splashed over on her cheek, then Ethel knew. ' ‘ She’s been delirious for the . last twenty-four houxs, choked the president ; * and her mother says that all day yesterday and the day before she kept asking if some of the girls had called to ask how she was. She couldn’t understand our not coming. If she doesn’t get well it doesn’t seem as if I can ever forgive myself.’ But as it happened,, the girls were not destined to carry through the years the intolerable load of an unavailing regret. At the next club meeting the president had an important announcement to make. Oh, girls, I’m so thankful to tell you that Winifred is ever so much better. Her mother says she can see some improvement every day. And girls!’ her voice suddenly became impressive, ‘if she ever finds out how awfully unfair we were to her, I shall be in favor of expelling from the club whoever ’ it is that tells her.’ But up to the present time, the membership of the club has not been reduced by the expulsion of any member for indiscreet confidences, and Winifred, who is still the club secretary, discharges the duties of her office with a cheerfulness unimpaired by the knowledge of any injustice based upon a misunderstanding. GRACE WITH THE GIFT . A. traveller in Switzerland, in writing of his experiences in that country, gives the followin'? incident : " ° The window of a little shop, in an old arcade in . Berne, was filled one day with crosses and hearts intended for the decoration of graves, and among them

were several slabs of marble with the inscriptions: ‘ln memory of my sister/ ‘ To the best of husbands/ and the like. ‘ As we were in the shop three or four idle tourists had halted to laugh at the uncultivated taste shown in these cheap votive offerings. Apart, and quite unconscious of them, stood a poor Swiss maid servant. Her eyes were full of eager longing, and the tears slowly ran down her cheeks. The slab which she coveted was the cheapest and ugliest of the lot, a black slab, white lettered, but the inscription was To my dear mother.” ‘ “ She stops every morning to look at that,” whispered the shopkeeper. “But she won't have enough money to buy it in years.” ‘ “ Tell her she can have it,” said one of the tourists, a well-dressed man, in a loud voice. I’ll pay for it.” ‘ “ Monsieur is very generous,” answered the shopkeeper. “But I doubt— is no beggar.” ‘ While they were speaking a young American girl who, with sympathy expressed in her face, had been watching the woman, drew her aside. “I am a stranger,” she said. “I have been very happy in Berne. I am going away to-morrow, never to come back again. I should like to think somebody here would remember me kindly. Will you not let me give you that little slab to lay on your mother’s grave?" ‘ The woman’s face was filled with amazement, and then with delight. The tears rained down her cheeks. She held the girl’s hand in both of her own. 4 “You, too, have lost your mother? Yes? Then you can understand. I thank you gracious lady.’,’ 4 That was all, but two women went on their way happier and better for having met. Almost every one has at heart the wish to heal the hurts of life for others, but few have the delicate tact which can touch a wound without giving pain.’ As an Irish proverb puts it, * A copper farthing given with a kind hand is fairy gold, and blesses at it goes/ SUITS LOST EVERY DAY The other day a lawyer was airing his indignation. He had been robbed. It was shameful the way things went on right under the eyes of the law. Finally the judg’e noticed the fretting and fuming. 4 What’s the matter?’ he asked. * Matter ? It’s a confounded outrage ! Had my overcoat stolen right from this room ! ’ The judge smiled. 4 Overcoat, eh he said. 4 My dear fellow, that’s nothing. Whole suits are lost here every day.’ THE BUSINESS ENDS Henry was very proud of the new kittens, and fetched them to show to the visitors. His mother heard them coming along the hall, and, alarmed at the noise of the procession, called out, 4 Don’t hurt the kittens, Henry.’ 4 No, mother,’ came the reassuring answer, 4 I’m carrying them very carefully by the stems,’ A SILKEN TEST It appears that in Japan one factor entering into the problem of the choice of a daughter-in-law is her skill in raising silk worms. The thread spun by the silk worm is said to be regular and even in proportion as the worm has been regularly and carefully fed. The prospective mother-in-law carefully and minutely examines the evenness of the silk thread in the material of the garments worn by the young lady before giving her assent to the betrothal. HOPEFUL SIGN The following bit of conversation, reported in Harper’s Bazaar, contains a lesson for others beside painters:

‘ How are you, Harley ? I hear you’ve given up art,’ said a successful artist to a younger man. Yes. I found out I couldn’t paint, and I gave it up.’ ‘ How absurd! Why, man, when you find out you can’t paint you are just beginning.’ OUR QUEER SPEECH It always bothers a Frenchman who is learning English to read one .day that a robbery has been committed, and the next day that the robber has been committed. A WI Y REMARK Speaking at a public banquet in New York, a wellknown politician said: ‘ At all seasons, and at the Christmas season especially, we should avoid quarrelling and try to bring about a spirit of good will. ‘ln short, we should imitate Father Healy, the Irish wit, to whom an official once said ; ‘“Father Healy, I've got a crow to pick with you.” ‘ “Make it a turkey,” said Father Healy, “and I’ll join you at 6 sharp.” ’ FAMILY FUN An Easy Little Trick. —Let the conjurer obtain a piece of glass, cut round to exactly the size of a penny, and to be as near as possible of the same weight. This he conceals in his hand. He then asks for a tumbler of water and the loan of a penny and a silk handkerchief. He pretends to cover the penny with the silk handkerchief, instead of which he substitutes the piece of clear glass. Then he gets a member of the audience to hold this piece of glass, covered by the handkerchief, over the tumbler, and the assistant naturally assumes that he is holding the penny. The conjurer takes hold of the sides of the handkerchief, while the assistantor shall we call him the victim —holds the penny that is the disc of glass which is still covered by the handkerchief. ‘ Let go,’ says the conjurer, and the disc of glass drops through the water and lies flat upon the bottom of the tumbler, where it is quite invisible. The penny has apparently disappeared into space, and the conjurer can reproduce it from anywhere his fancy chooses.