THE FAMILY CIRCLE

New Zealand Tablet, 4 March 1915, Page 62

THE FAMILY CIRCLE

THE COMING MAN. A pair of very chubby legs Encased in scarlet hose; A pair of little chubby boots With rather dbubtful toes; A little kilt, a little coat, Cut as a mother can— And 10, before us stands in state - The future’s coming man ! His eyes, perchance, will read, the stars, And search their unknown ways ; Perchance the human heart and soul Will open up their gaze; Perchance their keen and flashing glance Will be a nation’s light— Those eyes that now are wistful bent On some big fellow’s kite.

Those handsthose little busy hands So sticky, ’small and brown; ■ Those hands whose only mission seems To pull all order down—. V ; - .. - Who knows what hidden strength may be - Lurking within their clasp. Though now ’tis but a taffy stick - In sturdy hold they grasp. Ah, blessings on those little hands. Whose work is yet undone ! Ah, blessings on those little feet Whose race is yet unrun ! And blessings on the little brain That has not learned to plan— Whate’er the future holds in store, God bless the coming man ! ’ A CIRCUMSPECT INFORMANT. A gentleman, presumably a German professor, who was travelling on foot from Brussels to Ostend, by way of Ghent, had just left the last-mentioned town when he came upon an old road-mender, seated, head bent, by the wayside and engaged in breaking stones. How long will it take me to get to Bruges, my good fellow ?’ asked the pedestrian, stopping beside the old man.. There ws no reply, nor was a second inquiry any more successful: the roadmender answered never a word. ‘ He’s deaf,’ said the professor to himself. ‘ The administration ought to have more sense than to hire such employees. They can’t give on© any information, or help one in any way.’ And, continuing to grumble, he proceeded on his journey. Scarcely had he walked fifty yards, however, when the old fellow called out to him : ‘ Sir ! I say, sir !’ The surprised traveller turned around, exclaiming, as he walked back: ‘ Oh, ho ! So you are no longer deaf! You’ve recovered your voice perfectly, I see. Well, what is it? What do you want of me?’ ‘ Sir, it will take you at least two hours to get to Bruges.’ ‘ Indeed ! Well, you took your time before answering my question. Couldn’t you have given me this information in the first place?’ No, sir; how could I? I hadn’t seen how fast you were walking. Now that I know your pace —’ ‘ True enough,’ said the other, —‘true enough. You are the most circumspect informant I ever met in all my life. Here’s a coin for a smoke and a glass of wine, when you’re through with your day’s work.’ And as the learned professor continued his journey ho kept repeating to himself: ‘ A most uncommon stamp of mind. I maintain that.’ ♦ A DOUBTFUL COMPLIMENT. Readers of Kate Douglas Wiggins, who, under the nom do plume ‘ Penelope/ wrote such charming books about her visit to England, Ireland, and Scotland, will be interested to learn that that lady possesses a letter which she received from the superintendent of a home for the feeble-minded. He spoke in glowing terms of the pleasure with which the ‘ inmates ’ had read her little book, Mann Lisa, and ended thus superbly : ‘ In fact, madame, I think I may safely say that you are the favorite author of the feeble-minded!’ THE POINT WAS LOST. The Teacher; Now, children, listen to this. Thomas Campbell, the famous poet/once walked six miles to a printing office to have a comma in one of his poems changed to a semicolon. Why did he Hake all that trouble ~ Bright Boy; * ’Cause he didn’t have no telly phone.’