The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, 24 April 1919, Page 45

The Family Circle

THE BEAUTY OF WORTH. Once I knew a little girl, . Very plain;. You might try her hair to curl. . All in vain. On her cheek no tint of rose Paled and blushed or sought repose: She was plain.

But the thoughts that through her brain Came and went, v

Were a sure reward for pain Heaven-sent So full many a beauteous thing, In her young soul blossoming, Gave content.

Every thought was full of grace, Pure and true; And in time that open face Lovelier grew; With a heavenly radiance bright From the soul’s reflected light Shining through.

So I tell you, little child. Plain or poor, If your thoughts are kind and mild. You are sure Of the loveliness of worth : And this beauty, not of earth, Will endure. • ■ ■■ • —A Maria. “YOU CAN’T DO IT.” Don’t be discouraged by croakers who, without wisdom or experience, tell you that a certain thing cannot be done or that you are sure to fail if you attempt it. Don’t let them bluff you. Get the advice of people who know, take every care to insure to success, and then, if the venture looks good, try it. It is usually better to try and fail, than never to have tried at all. And usually, if you have used good judgment, you will not fail, the croakers to the contrary notwithstanding. Many people do not have enough confidence in their own judgment to back it vigorously, courageously. They allow every adverse criticism to unsettle their decision and turn them from their course. Multitudes of men to-day "who are either utter failures or only half-way successes, plodding along in mediocrity, might have done splendid work if they had only learned to trust their own judgment. No matter what you do, some one will differ with you, criticise, find fault, or tell you that you should have • done just the opposite. ■/'‘l. never knew (says a writer) a person to get very far in any direction who never dared to.act upon his own judgment, who was always consulting others, relying on other people’s opinions as to what he should or should not do, what he could or could not accomplish. You can’t do it,” has made more men with good ability fail, or kept them in mediocrity, than almost any other thing. : “You can’t do it” will meet you everywhere in life. At every new turn you propose to take you will find some one to warn you away, telling you not to take that road, that it is “impossible” to go over it, or else that it will lead to failure.' Depart from precedent in any line; • try to do things in a new way, to adopt new methods, new machinery, new devices, and the slaves of precedent, worshippers of the old and the tried, who are always m the majority, will tell you not' to do it, that it is a foolish expense,: a doubtful experiment. Whenever an employe© decides to start out for himself, You can’t do it” will be dinned in ) his ears y those who really believe they are his friends.

v “You can’t do it con fronts the ambitious j. struggler whenever he attempts to get ' ahead, to better ; his' condition. “You can’t do it,” has kept: tens of thousands of poor boys from getting a . college education ; has kept innumerable men from developing their inherent strength and measuring up to the' limit of -their natural ability, ; . Vv- f ' r : ■ “You can’t do it,” has immeasurably- retarded the progress of the human race. All the progress.-that has been madg was made in spite of the “You .can’t” philosophy. The “impossible” has been accomplished by those who scouted it, trusted their own judgment, and fared boldly forth on their own strength. It is.all a question of self-reliance and courage. These are the miracle-workers. “You can’t do it” doesn’t phaze those who believe in themselves, who are made of winning material. THE ART OF KEEPING FRIENDS. The faculty of keeping friends is the secret of ; the success of many persons. It is not enough to be able to make them. It is a comparatively easy matter to win regard and favor with a pleasing exterior and even the framework of a well-stocked mind. A real friendship and the only kind worthy of struggle and sacrifice, is a priceless possession, and he is rich indeed who cannot count his friends on the fingers of one hand. It is customary, however, to speak lightly of friendship and to refer to another as a friend when an acquaintance is meant. People who rise to power and influence are usually those who have - retained their friends. They are “the same yesterday, to-day, and to-morrow,” and prosperity does not change them. The friends of long ago are theirs for aye. DON’T WORRY. Not all worry is preventable, but for the most part it can be avoided. Most of our fears are never realised, and, as a rule, if we meet our troubles day by day, as they come, without worrying about them, before they arrive or fretting over them after they have passed, we will find that we have the strength to rise above them. Worry undermines the health to a certain extent. It really weakens the mental forces by tiring them out by doing nothing. Usually, the relief, from worry rests with the victim of this unhappy habit himself, but sometimes the real causes - are • not the ones which seem to explain the condition, and we must go deep into our lives or have the assistance of those who are skilled in unravelling mental processes. Use your mental gifts to better purpose than to worry over things which come into every normal adult life. Think of other's, forgetting yourself. The best thought one can have, if he really wishes to get out of the worry class, is: Worry makes a man unpopular with his fellow men and in his home life. No one likes, to be considered a bore, yet where will you’ find a greater bore than the man or woman who is "continually whining over fancied worries ? Friend and foe alike shun them. Families, alas ! cannot flee before the worrier, but they welcome his absence from the home, for then, and then only, can they let the blessed sunshine of good cheer and peace into the household. TROUBLES OF A COLLECTOR. A. merchant had made use of one of his young clerks in the stead of his regular collector, who was ill.

When the young man returned from his rounds, his employer observed that he looked rather down ,in the mouth. -

“Have any luck?” asked the merchant. “So-so,” replied the young man listlessly. r - , “How about that Jones bill? I suppose you collected that. You said that Mr. Jones was a friend of yours.”::. '

“Well, sir,” said the clerk, “I don’t know whether to rejoice or not at my success with Mr. Jones.” - . . : “What do you mean?” , ’ :ri “This, sir. When I went in and said, ; . * Mr. Jones, I have called to speak about a matter———’ he

interrupted me before I could. proceed further with/ ‘ That’s all right, my boy; she’s yours. Take her and be' happy.’ ” ' v ; ■ ’ ■ ;>>-?

FIRST THING ABOUT KEEPING HOUSE. . Here is a bit of conversation that is as clearsighted as it is witty. “So Irma is engaged/ said Eleanor, with a curl of her lip. “Well, I’m sorry for the man, that’s all. She doesn’t know the first thing about keeping house.” . “Oh, yes, she does, though,” wa# Fannie’s assuring reply. . “Well, I’d like to know what it is,” was the doubting response. “The very first thing, which is to get a man to keep house for.” HOW IT WAS DONE. “Frances,” said the little girl’s mamma who was entertaining callers in the parlor, “you came downstairs so noisily that you could be heard all over the house. Now, go back and come down the stairs like a lady.” Frances retired, and after the lapse of a few minutes re-entered the parlor. “Did you hear me come downstairs this time, mamma “No, dear. I am glad you came down quietly. Now, don’t let me ever have to tell you again not to come down noisily. Now, tell these ladies how you managed to come down like a lady the second time, while the first time you made so much noise.” “The last time I slid down‘the banisters,” explained Frances. ■ SMILE-RAISERS. Clergyman (giving out weekly notices): “The preacher for next Sunday will be nailed upon the church door.” On an American transport two days out from New York: First Sambo, who is really enjoying the sea, to his dark companion, who has gone below: “Nigger! Come on up ! We’re passing a ship !” Voice from below: “I don’t want to see no ship. You jes’ call me when we’re passing a tree!”

“How are you going to vote, Grace?” “Depends on the weather. If it rains, I suppose I’ll have to vote in a mackintosh.”

Caller: “So your son Willie has started work as an office boy. How is he getting on?” Fond Mother: “Splendidly! He already knows who ought to be discharged, and is merely waiting to get promoted so that he can attend to it.”

He: “What made you seem so upset the day we became engaged ? You knew I was going to propose, didn’t you ?” She: /‘Oh, yes. But I had no idea I was going to accept you.”