The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, 13 March 1919, Page 45

The Family Circle

ALONG THE WAY. There are many helpful things to do Along life's way, Helps to the helper, if we but knew, From, day to day ! So many troubled hearts to soothe, , So many pathways rough to smooth, So many comforting words to say To:hearts that falter along the way. Here is a lamp of hope gone out Along the way. Some one stumbled and fell, no doubt, But, brother, stay! Out of thy store of oil refill Kindle the courage that smoulders still; Think what Jesus would do to-day For one who has fallen beside the way. How many lifted hands still plead Along life's way! The old, sad story of human need Reads on for aye. But let us follow the Saviour's plan Love unstinted to every man ! Content if, at most, the world should say, "He helped his brother along the way." — James Buckham.

THE JESUIT'S DOG. The long arm of the French mobilisation order is shown by the following story of an Alaskan Jesuit recalled to his native France on the outbreak of war. It is told by a man in the French Flying Corps who had once lived in Alaska: Not long ago Father Bernard, erect and soldierly, and with the familiar expression of cool and fearless determination, though bearing the marks of the sufferings and privations he had endured in the war, was walking along, a short distance behind the trenches, rapt in thought. It may well be that he was thinking of his parishioners in Alaska and of the great silent plains of snow over which he had so often travelled with his malamutes. He was roused from his reverie by the appearance of a dog-team dragging provisions to the men in the trenches. These dog-teams, many of which are now used in France, always attract his attention, for they are a link, and perhaps the only one, still binding him to his missionary life in Alaska. On approaching the team, his surprise was intense. In the large, strong, well-proportioned leader he recognised his own malamute. A familiar bark greeted him and a vigorously-wagging tail expressed the joy of its owner at the meeting. Here, indeed, was a link with Alaska. According to the account, Father Bernard, when leaving for the front, gave his dog-team to a friend. His last words to the new owner of the dogs besought tender care for the animals, and especially for the leader. But commercialism got the better of sentiment, and the dog's wonderful physique brought a good price. He was sold to the French Government with.hundreds of others.

MR. SCHWAB'S SUCCESS RULES. Mr. Charles M. . Schwab, the wonder worker of the steel industry, was asked his maxims for success. He replied: I am not one to dwell on saving pennies. Be bold and take reasonable risks. The boy iri: the workshop has the same chance to succeed as the boy in the university. A pleasing personality is one of the important requisites for success. ;■'-'*'*.:■■■ Be a gentleman at all times. ;, ; Honesty and integrity are absolute necessities. :;: Be proud. Hold up your head when vou talk to

':.,:;) ',<'". ;• :'--- : -., .'• ■,-'- ; •'• ■ ■"■ : "' ""-'' " -.•"• •'■•<"•'" men.. of affairs; never cringe, and always hold a stiff upper lip. . ■ ' :r ; '.'•;•' 'XI%- )■■' " ? > '"'-'•.• ;^..''; ' ~~" '■'■■ ; Money is not success. It is a mere measure. - There are more opportunities for success to-day than ever. ■■ ■ : - :~ ' . _-,. .-. It is no crime to make a mistakeonce. ~\ To make the same mistake twice is unpardonable. .. A BOY'S LOVE. A boy's love of his mother is a beautiful thing. The other day we read of a boy of nineteen who fell in battle in France. The surgeon on opening the young soldier's jacket found a scrap of paper. ;.„., On one side was the word "Mother," on the other this last message:! "This is written in case anything happens to me, for I should like you to have just a little message from my own hand. Your love for me and my Jove for you have made my whole life one of the happiest there has ever been. This is a great day for me. God bless and give you peace

THOSE PUNCTUATION MARKS. "Oh, dear!" sighed Warren, as he came in from school one day. "I wish we didn't have to learn so much about periods and commas and semi-colons and such things. I hate them !" Mamma laid down her sewing and said: "Why do you hate them, Warren?" "Why, it's so hard to remember when to use them ; and, besides, I don't think they are of much use. I don't see why we couldn't write sentences without putting in any punctuation marks." Mamma smiled, and then, rising from her chair, she went over to the desk and got out a piece of paper and a pencil. Then she wrote: "The little turkey strutted about the yard and ate corn half an hour after his head was cut off." "Why, Mummie, how funny!" exclaimed Warren, when he had read it, "how could a turkey walk around eating corn without any head?" "He couldn't," replied mamma, "and yet I have written just what I intended to write. I have, however, left out all punctuation marks." Then she bent down and punctuated the sentence. It then read: "The little turkey strutted about the yard and ate corn half an hour after, his head was cut off." "Oh, I see," cried Warren, and then and there he resolved to learn all that he could about punctuation mark 3.

TRY AGAIN. If at first you don't succeed, Don't sit down and cry; Just sit up and look around And find the reason why. -■'."" No use to sulk and cry, But wear a grin and wade right in And have another try.

WHEN A BOY. Curran used to relate with infinite humor an ad- • venture he had with a mastiff when he was a boy. He had heard somebody say that any person throwing the skirts of his coat over his head, stooping low, holding out his arms; and creeping along backwards, might frighten the fiercest dog and put him to flight. He accordingly made the attempt on a miller's dog in the neighborhood, who would never let the boys rob the orchard; but found to his sorrow that he had a dog to deal with which did not care which end of a boy went foremost, so that he could get a good bite out of it "I pursued the instructions," said Curran, "and as I had no eyes save those in front, "fancied the mastiff was in full retreat. But I was confoundedly mistaken ; . for, at that very moment I thought myself victorious, the enemy attacked my rear, and, having got a reasonably good mouthful out of it, was fully prepared to take another before I was rescued. Egad; I thought

for r a time the, beast had devoured my entire centre of gravity, and that I . should never go on a steady perpendicular again.” . . : . > K ; “Upon my word,” said Sir Jonah Barrii\gton, to whom Curran related the story, “the mastiff may have left you your centre, but he could .not have left much gravity behind him among the bystanders.”

SHE WAS WISE. ■ A woman, wearing an anxious expression, called at an insurance office one morning. "I understand," she said, "that for £1 I can insure my house for £SOO in your company." "Yes," replied the agent, "that is right. If your house burns down we pay you £500." "And," continued the woman, anxiously, "do you make any inquiries as to the origin of the fire?" "Certainly," was the prompt reply; "we make the most careful inquiries, madam." "Oh!" and she turned to leave the office; "I thought there was a catch in it somewhere." SMILE-RAISERS. j "How would you classify a telephone girl?" asked the old fogey. "Is her's a business or a profession?"! "Neither," replied his friend. "It's a calling." r "Ma! Ma!" bawled Freddie, as the usual morning wash was going on, "do my ears belong to my face or my neck Ma temporised. "Why, what is the matter?" she asked. "I want it decided now. Every time you tell Mary to wash my face or my neck she washes my ears, too." For the twentieth time the proprietor of an establishment found himself listening to the same remark from a visitor kept in by the wet. "I say," complained the visitor, "the rain in this confounded place does seem to some down, and no mistake." "True, true," agreed the proprietor. Just, at the moment I can't remember a single occasion when it has taken any other direction !" "Yes,"- exclaimed the street orator, "gravitation is the most wonderful thing on earth. Think of it, gentlemen. Just think that if the whole world was flattened out, so that the sea could flood it, the water would be two miles deep. Just think of that!" "Oh, would it?" cried one of the audience. "Well, if you happen to catch anyone trying to do it, shoot —yes, shoot 'em. I can't swim The governess was listening to the children's reading lesson and her attention, was, perhaps, wandering a little, when she was suddenly brought back to earth by hearing young Timothy declaim: "This is a warm doughnut. Step on it." "Timothy, what ever are you reading?" she exclaimed. "Let me see your book." She looked, and this is what she found: "This is a worm. Do not step on it." The wounded Tommy was sitting up in bed when the nurse brought him in tea. He stared at his plate, and just as the nurse was leaving him, he said : "Oh, I say! Who ever put the litter on this bread?" "Why, I did," returned the nurse,. indignantly. Tommy went rather red, and stammered: "I Oh, .pardon, nurse, but— who scraped it off a.ffain¥"< ' "Q""~ * —— '