A VISION OF CHRISTMAS AT HOME.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 66

A VISION OF CHRISTMAS AT HOME.

My heart hatb northward sped, ; O'er leagues of alien -seas and foreign shores : To the old home in far Northumberland, — To where the grey North Sea • *~ Doth gently ripple up his yellow sands, Kissing the beach with white-edg'd ebb ani flow; Or b»ils o'er sunken rocks- in whirling foam, And.sterms against the cliffs -with thunderoul boom, <t And flings the. flying spindrift to the gale. And there a little chamber is, Wherein my children sleep. A little chamber full of innocence — A little nest of peace and quietness ; A little garden aweet with flowers- in -butl. There, cheek by cheek, with looks commingling-/ And little hands fast clasped, they quiet drean . Of joys to come to-morrow — Of fairies bright and sprites of good intent, • Who in the holy dark of Christmas Eve Fine gifts shall bring for children who've been; good. Ere comes the white light of the early dawn The eager eyes have spied the treasure house. And busy fingers quickly ravish it Of all its glittering wealth of childish toys . And goodly sweets and golden fruit — sucßi - store as children love. The joyous eyes are full, of bright amaze,., * The chattering tongues too slow to- catch the ' .' thought, • - - „ • •''" As wonder after wonder conies toilighti „■ ' " 'Mid rapturous cries and laughter, mirth,- an^ "•smiles, -' • - - ' - r Their /booty to each other they- display , ,f«, f « * With .boastful pride and keen comparison. . • " • ♦ • * . - And, so God speed them, through the\ happjr - day, _. * ' ~," ' )-• Till night brings weariness of even play, , And tired limbs steal slow to mother's knee. And drowsy heads are bent in vesper prayer, And simple hearts and innocent lips send up .. A little prayer for father, far away. - - — Roger Suionbttbit.Timaru, December, 1902. \

. \ Attempts have recently been made to "measure memory." One of the experiments consists in reading a series of figures to the subject at a Tegular speed of about two per second, and observing how many he can re-v peat without error m the order in -whion they were given. The faculty of voluntary > attention, is, of course, called into play ia this experiment. Children from six to eight years old retain, on the average, five figures^ .. children 10 years old, six figures; and adults seven figures.