A FAMILY THAT WAS TOO GOOD.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXII, Issue 3962, 14 December 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

A FAMILY THAT WAS TOO GOOD.

This is a charming Japanese story. In a certain village were two families, one prosperous and rich, the other merely gettng along; yet tho former was famous in tho village for its unhappiness and tho friction between its members, while the latter was equally renowned for its peaceableness and content. Tho man of wealth could stand it no longer. He iveiit to his humble friend, and asked him whore lie thought the trouble lay. The poor man replied thoughtfully : —“ Perhaps dt is because you all are such good" people at your house.” Tho rich man objected that if they were all good people, certainly they had tho right to be happy together. Rut the, poor man would pot. recede. “No, you are all good at your house. Now, at my house it is different. Wo are a very faulty lot, and we all know it. To illustrate, suppose.! am sitting on ,the rugby the brazier, and tho maid passing there kicks,, .over . my teacup, spilling the tea all over the mats. I huipocliately break out with ; ‘Excuse ■me, excuse .me. Very stupid of nie. No business to leave a teacup out in the middle of the room for people to stumble over. Serves mo right.’ “But the’maid will not have it that way. She drops down, wipes up the tea with her handkerchief, and with beaming face, cries : ‘Oh, master, what a blunderbuss lam ! Always stumbling and making trouble." It will serve me right if you turn on me without a word one of these days.’ Yon see how it is; wo are such a faulty lot all around, and wo know it so well that there is no chance of ill-feeling or quarrelling.” And the rich man, after thinking a moment, slowly said ;'“I see it all. It would bo very different in my house. I would turn on the stupid with ‘Stupid, what are you up to now. You’ve only two feet; can’t you look out for that number; or are they so big they ■aro bound to hit every object in tho room. I’ll have to turn you off some day and get a maid of more delicate build.’ “And the maid silently mutters : ‘A lazy man has no business to spread himself all over the room ,and get in busypeople’s way. I suppose you are right, wo are all too good—or, or least, wo think we are.” DOUBLE RECEIT. A HALE-MINUTE STORY. “Of course, I know you oan’t care for an old battered fellow like me,” tho colonel faltered, “ but I’d be very, very good to you, never bother you—my— or—love is buried in—in a grave, in fact.” ■ He looked appealingly at her. . She was tall and fair, and shaped liko ■a queen. She, wore a blouse tliat cost eleven and three; her skirt was ready-made, but he was a mere man. ■She was 20, and fie was more than 40. “1 —1 don’t love you, of course,” his divinity answered, “ my love is also buried in a—grave.” And she thought as she looked at his kind, strong face, Ins big, manly form, how she envied time dead love of his. " Ah! Dorothy, my darling, if only you could have cared for mo!” They nere married now, and somehow ho was not satisfied with his original bargain. “Rut you have no love to give me,” whispered his bride. “No love, darling! I adore .you !” “ But —but the grave.” She held him off when lie would have taken her in his arms. Ho reddened. As a rule he/was a truthful man. “There was no grave,” he confessed; “but I dared not frighten you, but you —you loved another.” “I said my love was buried,” his wife told him. and raised her truthful eyes. “So it is. I have a grave deep down, m ■my heart and you are in possession of it!” Then those two went away into love’s fairyland, where everyone is always young. ST. HELENA GARRISON QUESTION. In connection with the withdrawal of tho. British garrison irom St. Helena, announced by cable message recently a petition, signed by every male inhabitant of,St. Helena, was forwarded by Colonel Gallwey, 'O.M.G., D. 5.0., Governor of the island, a: fe,w weeks ago, to Lord Elgin, with a despatch strongly urging its favourable.consideration. The petition pointed out the consequences of tho proposed withdrawal of the troops. Tho inhabitants, descendants of liberated slaves, were induced by tho Imperial Government to settle in the island with a view to render it self-sup-porting in time of war, and have always devoted their time and energies to that object. Before the opening of the Suez canal a large quantity of shipping called at St. Helena. Now few vessels call in ,nnd the only market remaining lies in tho garrison. . . At the request of the authorities a few years ago valuable cattle and sheep were imported to improve the island breed. Now, however, these are no longer required, and the cattle must be exported or die. Exportation, it is pointed out, will mean an almost total loss. Only two industries aro possible, flax and manganese, the former being the most likely to meet with success. On the departure of the troops there will, it is feared, bo a large number of applicants for parish relief, and no money to provide for them. A small permanent garrison, it is claimed, is necessary as an assurance, and the island should he found stocked, self-sup-porting, and with the roads, telephones, etc., in proper repair. Tho concluding words of the petition aro: —“We cannot realise our lands with none to purchase, for if the troops aro taken away the land will have no value. We cannot emigrate, for.to most cf us escape is now .closed. Wp aro proud of being a historical,, and wo Rape, in our way, a valuable part of the Empire, and in confidence wo submit this petition to your lordship and to the English people, and, humbly that the troops may not bo withdrawn.” Mrs. Wicklor : “Did you -ever .see how all the necessaries of Life have gone up ” Wickler : “No, they haven’t all gone up.” Mrs. Wickler; “Well, I should like yon to mention one thing that hasn't gone up.” Wickler : “Certainly. My salary.” Husband (shaving) : “Bother the razor!” Wife ; “What’s the matter now You’re dreadfully cross-tempered.” Husband : “The razor is so abominably dull!” Wife : “Dull! Why, I ripped up an old .skirt with it yesterday, and it cut ■beautifully.”