HOME TOPICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13782, 22 June 1908, Page 3

HOME TOPICS.

RESEMBLANCE OF COUSINS. Although much work has been published bearing on the degree of resemblance between the relatives in the direct line, few data, says • the British Medical Journal, are available with respect to collaterals higher than the first degree. Miss Ethel Elderton and Professor Pearson have recently investigated the intensity of resemblance between first cousins in respect of health, intelligence, success, temper, and certain measurable characters (width of hand, width of wrist, etc.). In all cases positive' significant values were obtained approximating to those found to obtain for the resemblance between aunts and nieces or uncles and nephews for eyecolour, and only slightly less than the co-efficients of grand parental inheritance at present determined. Positive results were also found, with one doubtful exception, for the occurrence of insanity and tuberculosis in cousins. The following conclusions appear justified:—" The grand parent, the uncle, or aunt, and the cousin are practically on the same footing with regard to relationship or intensity of kinship as measured by degree of likeness of.jcharacter; and. it- seems probable that any scientific marriage enactments would equally allow or equally forbid marriage between grandparent and grandchild, uncle and niece, aunt and nephew, and between first cousins." It would also seem that in taking family histories for medical purposes, details regarding . the first cousins are just as important as information respecting the patient's uncles and aunts.

THE TRAGEDY OF BEING SKY. CAN IT BE AVERTED? ■Are you; shy? If so, read these words'of wisdom and encouragement from Mr. A. (_'. Benson in the current Cornhill. Hero are some passages from ills interesting paper : — I was told lately a delightful story of a great j statesman, staying with a humble and anj xious host', wiii> had invited a party of simple ■ ami unimportant people to meet' the great I. man. Tile statesman came in late for dinVJiwy : and _ was introduced to■ the party; '■■ lie made a. series of oid-iaaiuoned bows'in ail '•directions,' but, no 0119 felt in a position to | offer any observations. The great man, at | the conclusion of the ceremony, turned to I his host, and said, in tones that had often ; thrilled a, listening Senate, " What very convenient jugs you have in your bedroom. They pour well!" ' The social .frost broke up; the company were delighted to find that the great man was interested in mundane matters of a kind on which everyone might be permitted to have an opinion. and the conversation, starting from the humblest -conveniences of daily life, incited insensibly into more liberal subjects. The fact is that, in ordinary life, kindness and simplicity -are valued far more than brilliance; and the best brilliance is that which throws a, novel and lambent light upon ordinary topics, rather than the brilliance which deport* itseii in unfamiliar and exalted regions. The hero only ceases to be a hero to 'his valet it he is too lofty-minded to enter into the workings of his valet's mind, and cannot duly appraise the quality of his services. When I was an Eton boy i was staying with a country squire, a most courteous old gentleman, with a high temper. The first morning I contrived to come down a, minute or two late for prayers. There was no chair for me. The squire suspended his reading of the Bible with a deadly sort of resignation, and made a gesture to the portly butler. That functionary rose from his own chair,-and, with loudly creaking boots, carried it across the room for my acceptance. I sat down, covered with confusion. The butler returned, and two footmen, who were sitting on a little form, made reluctant room for him. The butler sat down on one end of the form, unfortunately before his equipoise, the second footman, had taken his place at the other end. The result was thai the form tipped tip, and a cataract of flunkeys poured down upon the floor. There was a ghastly silence, then the gadarene herd slowly recovered itself and resumed its place. The squire read the chapter in an accent of suppressed fury, while the remainder of the party with handkerchiefs pressed to their faces, made the most uuaccountaole sounds and motions for the rest of* the proceedings. AT FAMILY ERAi'EKS. . I was only a spectator of the other event. We had assembled .for prayers in the dimly lighted hall of the house of a Church dignitary, and the chapter had begun, when a man of almost murderous shyness, who was a guest, opened his bedroom door and came down the stairs. Our host suspended his reading. The unhappy man came down, but, instead of slinking to his place, went and stood in front of the fire, under the impression that the proceedings had not taken shape, and addressed some remarks upon the weather to his hostess. In the middle of one of his sentences he suddenly divined the situation on seeing the row of servants sitting in a thievish comer of the hall. He took his seat with the air of a man driving to the guillotine, and I do not think I ever saw anyone so much upset as he was for the remainder of his stay. Let the shy person apply himself to social gymnastics. He is not required to be voluble, but if he will practise bearing a hand, seeing what other people need and like, carrying on their line of thought, constructing small conversational bridges, asking the right questions, perhaps stimulating an interest in the pursuits of others which he does not naturally feel, he may unloose the burden from his back. Then is the time to practise a sympathetic smile, or better still, to allow oneself to indicate' and even express the sympathy one feels; and the experimentalist will soon become aware how welcome such unobtrusive sympathy is. He will be amazed at first to find that instead of being tolerated he win bo confided in; he will be regarded as a pleasant adjunct to a p"3Hy, and he will soon have the even pleasanter experience of finding that his own opinions and adventures, if they are not used to cap and surpass the opinions and adventures of 'jthers, but to elicit them, will be duly valued.