THE SERPENT'S TOOTH.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 749, 23 February 1910, Page 3

THE SERPENT'S TOOTH.

(Bt Jenny Wren:). ; p Anyone '.attending l ' ; the ■ meetings" of the Benevolent Tru'stets is i(ot' likely/ to. como away .'feeling very 'cliccrful :;itr: mood:. .A* plaiii' : business room;' whose ; sombr.e.-' loblcing . walls hnve heard' many a. pitiful tale ,of poverty, *of "sultering, of strenuous struggling asainst crowding disasters, 'and' also,''. alas! '. of' incredible; . selfishness; ,a'n.d; untruth',"'seem to cdntain pu. atino.spliel'G that almost 'spealis alnud of these -things. Ililbelievabl'3 numbers .of'distressed' souls climb tho stairs leading' to ■ this -kindly-' but-soatching-source, of- relief in. a country that, is/held. up'';as an .example of .pros-, perity-ris ■ iiideed called'. ' God s- ' own country,''. having - no' poverty—and', yet thcr'o.'.haye'bMn as many as.thirty-liye;to' forty annlicants; waiting" in' an afternoon for .their" turn to piit in a plea ;for relict. Sometimes' that Relief isi-wantcd for a very - short ,-;tiine .■ only, iust: to • tide them ..over, their, immediate clifficultiesi'a'nd for it-.is -in 'somo cases the ..very .bitterest ■ moment: in,-lives/ tha.t have been : over-. fiowing. withisdrro\vs.;and .difficulties.,. ... Testerdov'.afternoon,. ono: heard: fragt iucnts,of the story of .an. old couple, who. had: como out : to/Now. Zealand froni ; oiif of . tho northern' coiiutios _ of i > England--a "county that, is noted .'for ■■its >• thnfty, sturdy,' and':self-respecting:-people. • lhey .were'.quitb'. happy l at Home, .but,, on the repeated' urging of .'their 'son, who" .was I living in the colony, .they decided to leave all- and .everything with which they >vere so familiar, : ; to begin' lifo ■ in.' a';"far-off s trails: country-, v For -two-years they - nave. lived-here,valid'-then'the'cruel,, old saying tMt is-so often carried, oivt'in. New ,Zea- ; land came I 'true in ..their,: case—"A man shall' forsake? all and- cleave:only ; ,to: his. wife." . They "had ,to ;leaye ,tho, home, and fen 4 for, themselves.' ■ Oyer , and over v again: ' bhe ;heart of: such-cases; : and:brip'.can. 'ohly 'putnt\down' tb ; lthe' fact that .so -many. .children:are:allo'wed.'to' do' exactly:as' they; like;' are": not . taught, iobedience,; • andcon : . sideration. 'and iespect :for their-'parents and: their' elders' generally,' and in after: life such lack of'- ; toaching a inevitably, bears very bitter,;fruit. .-. All the' older, couple had to livo upon was,, a pound: .a "week,.and, "of . this, ■ ten; shillings, went, in '.fent. It/was difficult , to: seo'' how.; .they, co'iild-.pay -ior all ■ ■ tho necessities -;o£ lifo. out'oflthat pobr-.little suiia" of.iten' shillings 'left .them,.• and- none in-' th« v - room could, offer any,'practical' ad-'. ,vice ! as'toV:h'ofr;:it'waS,:to .'be-done.' ":Th'at is 'onlyrone.'of.the many ; problems that/aro coHtiniially confronting. tboin ;and "that arS - so' : har(l :pf . solution/ Cjld', age.. is' often-. a dire. c'alamity, . and it is . ,small ' wonder, that" there: are', not,,voir' many.' people ,'who. craye':;for' its'.'doubtfur priyileges.V: -''-In■ dno'ther/.'Case .there was'a sick 'flus-, bind ■ tO ; ,' be fc v fed>' andcared ' for, 'and .aj small,, grandchil'd,. withjlohly tho'old. age 'pdnsidn : ,an'd''Six',sliillings; : for. the.' rent'.'of. a' rOdm' they let, to' meot',their, own rent;, '(ono, pound" week)': and', to.. keep! them. 1 'Already.:they ~wor,G in,'arrears, /and, the s'o'me.<pf•. the;necessities; of. life.. -It, is', airways : tha. rent, ',tha't grim ■ spectre, t that hangs';it sworttVoyerluhforininat'e; heads, , and haunts- doggedly. by-day- and by. night: /.■;Andijso it went/on, case, all the' tragediesVof''life .being '&posed,/ ahd : ':al"' ways being/dealt . with'. kindly,: and -sympathetically:, . . / ' The '.'-Book ! of- ! Life", one' jwoiuld"; think,: must : be a : very well-;thumbed ; -volumev'to those; who, deal so' continuoiisly-with'' the : ;things'ithat-:'are. ,/ Written', (there.The-'"Mo.vißg-rFfiger'Vdoe's indeed write,'and' 'write very, blackly sometimes:' :."' -~ ; :