The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, 23 February 1911, Page 357

The Family Circle

KETTLE TALK V'-' - ' v ‘ I don’t feel well/ the kettle sighed. The pot responded, ‘ Eh ? Then doubtless that’s the reason, ma’am, You do not sing to-day. But what’s amiss?’ The kettle sobbed, ‘ Why, sir, you’re surely blind, Or you’d have noticed that the cook Is shockingly unkind. I watched her make a cake just now — If I’d a pair of legs I’d run away ! —Oh, dear 1 Oh, dear 1 How she did beat the eggs. Nor was that —remember, please—’Tis truth I tell to you— For with my own eyes I saw Her stone the raisins, too ! And afterward— dreadful sight! — I felt inclined to scream ! The cruel creature took a fork And soundly whipped the cream! « How can you wonder that my nerves Have rather given way ? Although I’m at the boiling point I cannot sing to-day.’ HIS WORD ‘The teacher asked Bob Warren only once,’ the new boy reflected as he went home. An offence had been committed at school, and the principal was making a searching inquiry. Some of the boys had been taken out for a lengthy interview, but they put only one question to Bob Warren: ‘Do you know anything about it?’ ‘No,’ Bob had answered, and no more had been said. And the new boy knew just why. He, too, would have believed anything Bob said. ‘ That’s a reputation worth having,’ he said to himself very seriously. A few days later the school was gathered for an evening jollification at the home of one of the class. ‘ls that ten?’ said Bob, as the clock struck. ‘ I must go.’ Just one minute. Bob, till we finish this game,’ they begged. ‘ I promised to start home at ten,’ said Bob. ‘ But a minute won’t make any difference.’ Not much,’ agreed Bob laughingly, but he was reaching for his cap. Then came a jeer that hurts the average boy so. ‘ Before I’d be such a baby as to be tied down to going home at exactly ten ! Did they send a nurse after you ?’ Bob flushed, but he was a boy not easily ruffled. ‘l’ll go and see,’ he said, and with a smiling ‘ good night,’ he was gone. Bob Warren valued his word too highly to sacrifice even a five-minute fraction of it. He valued it so much that the jeer that wounded his boyish dignity could not move him. And at this time, when he was fifteen, he had so long honored his word that it was a matter of instinctive habit with him. It would have taken a decided wrench tor him to do anything different, , . And—though very likely he didn’t realise this—he was building up. the most valuable capital with which to start out in his life’s work. The habit of absolute truthfulness * is worth more than a great fortune of money, than much knowledge, than influential friends. And only one person can give you this great gift. THE ASSISTANT TYPEWRITER The office-boy looked over his book at the typewriter with an ambitious glance. How fast her fingers flew over the keys 1 What wouldn’t he give if he were as beautiful and accomplished as she ! ‘Miss Garble!’ shouted a voice from the inner room. ‘ Please come and take some letters.’ The young lady .gathered her skirts together in a hurry and went into the inner room. The office-boy put his book down for a moment. Then, stealing cautiously to the door, he listened. She was safe in there ► for a quarter of an hour. Going to the typewriting h machine, he sat down and quietly, very quietly, touched ’ the keys. Then he raised the carriage. The result seemed gratifying, for he continued to place his fingers here and there without regard to spacing or capitals. The rustle of a dress made him start up and resume his accustomed seat. Miss Garble sailed in and sat down at the machine, ‘Miss Garble Again did the young lady arise. ‘ I want you to take the letter you are writing to Brown and Robinson’s as soon as you have finished it/ . - ‘I have just done the letter, sir/ ‘Well, sign it on the machine and take it down at ; puce/

Miss Garble sat down, put in ‘ Yours very truly, So-ancl-bo and Co., per G/ addressed an envelope, folded the sheet of paper up without looking at it, and enclosed it. I hen she went out. ’ An hour later Miss Garble returned with an answer from Brown and Robinson. ‘Miss Garble!’ again called the boss. ■ . ‘Yes, sir.’ ‘ Did you write this letter to Brown and Robinson ?’ res, sir.’ ‘At my dictation?’ ‘ I did, sir.’ ‘Will you please look at it?’Miss Garble took the letter and read- . Messrs Brown and Gentlemen—Will you kindly send us a cheque during the day for goods received W-r. h f V . t 0 heaVy bill?idont c are for the oss, ne s a lobster* i likes mi ss garbel sheßs a gem.—Yours very truly, So-and-So and Co. per G. Miss Garble turned red. Then she danced in the &of William .Mr. So-and-So noticed her dance William was engrossed in a book. & William!’ said a stern voice, inner room* slammed the book down and went into the morning? ,y ° U tOUCh MisS Garble ’ s typewriting machine this William gasped for a reply, von ‘ You asked me this morning,’ went on the voice ‘if you could have the day off , on account of death in the family You can have the day off, William, and you need buried/ 11 * Untll GVery member of y° ur family is dead and FRIENDS We should never let a friend go out of our lives if we can by any possibility help it. If slights are given let them be overlooked. If misunderstandings arise, S let them be quickly set to rights. Friendship is too rare and sacred a treasure lightly to be thrown away. And yet many people are not careful to retain friends. Some lose them through inattention failing to maintain those little amenities, Q courtesies, and kindnesses which cost so little, and jet are hooks of • steel to grapple and hold our friends. Some drop old friends for new ones. Some take offence sacred a * im agmed slights, . and ruthlessly cut the most sacied ties. Some become impatient of little faults, and discard even truest friends. Some are incapable of any frienrkbin 1 l! an ?- lt ii eCtlo v’ a ? d fly from friendship to friendship like birds from bough to bough, but make no rest for their hearts in any. THE LAUGH CURE Laughter induces a mental exhilaration. Ihe habit of frequent and hearty laughter will not only save you many a doctor’s bill, but will also save you years of your life. ■ J There is good philosophy as well as good health in the maxim, ‘ Laugh and grow fat.’ w Laughter is a foe to pain and disease and a sure cure for the blues, melancholy, and worry. Laughter is contagious. Be cheerful and you make everybody around you happy, harmonious, and healthful. of life is half of health. eer make lOV ° of life; and '<>« Use laughter as a table sauce; it sets the organs to dancing, and thus stimulates the digestive process ” physical oeautv^ 8 bearb and f ace y° un S and enhances . Laughter is nature’s device for exercising the internal organs and giving us pleasure at the same time It sends the blood bounding through the body, increases ™ e t s P lratlon and gives warmth and glow to the whole the It expands the chest and forces the poisone'd air from the least-used lung cell. Perfect health, which may be destroyed by a piece of heart/la'iigh. B " 6 '’ by aiety - is te “ rest ° red V » good! A jolly physician is often better than his pills. THE MOVERS There is a fine point to the story of the old Quaker and the movers. Good old Broadbrim was one day driving to a distant town, and as he was jogging along quietly he met a man driving a van loaded with 1 household effects Greetings were exchanged in country fashion ‘I see thee is , moving friend,’ said the Quaker. \\,e had to, replied the man, gruffly, ‘W e bar! get out of the neighborhood. Such a contemptible meantheworld!® Un mha * Place C ° Uld not b « matched in « a ‘ Friend/ commented the old man gravely, ‘ thee will find the same wherever thee is going.’ u A little farther up the road he met another man also a ‘ mover,’ driving Jus load of .furniture, ’ . ° ‘Tuee is moving, friend?’ again the Quaker observed.

‘Yes, we are moving,’ said the man sadly, ‘ and sorry am I to say so. . We are leaving the finest neighbors any family ever had. Never can we find such friends again. The kindest, the best ’ His voice choked on the utterance of his regret. ‘ Friend,’ said the old Quaker again, but quite cheerfully this time, ‘ thee will find the same wherever thee is

going.’

WE WANT TO BUY

A cushion for the seat of war. A ring for the finger of scorn. A glove for the hand of fate. A sleeve for the arm of the law. A lock for the trunk of tile elephant. A pair of glasses for the eyes of the law. A key to the lock of the door of success. A blanket for the cradle of the deep. A button for the coat of paint. A thermometer to measure the heat of an argument. A rung for the ladder of fame. A hinge for the gait of a horse. A tombstone for the dead of night. A razor to shave the face of the earth.

A link for a chain of evidence. A pump for the well of knowledge. A telescope to watch the flight of time. A song that will reach an ear of corn. A hone to sharpen a blade of grass. A cemetery in which to bury some dead languages. A front and back for the sides of an argument. A book on how the water works and frost bites. A medicine to keep the ink well. A. dog to replace the bark of a tree.

A pair of pincers to pull the root of evil. A new rudder for the ship of state. A liniment to stop the pane of glass. A treatise on what makes the weather vane and roads

cross.

Food for reflection.

Scales for the weight of years.

AT THE LAST DITCH

Representative Nye, of Minnesota, has much of the wit of his lamented brother, Bill Nye. Himself a lawyer, Representative Nye said at a lawyers’ banquet in Minneapolis : ‘ Lawyers have grand reputations for energy and perseverance. A lad said to his father one day; “Father, do lawyers tell the truth?” “Yes, my boy,” the father answered; “lawyers will do anything to win a case.”’

THE POLITICIAN REBUKED

A prominent Western politician who frequently visited Washington, and was pretty well known there, went to that city on one occasion to attend to some business, and was surprised to meet an old friend and townsman at the hotel he had selected for his stay. ‘ Why, Bingley,’ he exclaimed, ‘I am glad to see you! Isn’t there something I can do for you? Are you after any office ?’

Mr. Bingley thanked him. No, he was not in search of any office. ‘Got all the money you need with you? If not, don’t hesitate to call on me for a couple of hundred.’ ‘ Much obliged, colonel, but I don’t need any money.’ ‘Well, come with me I can do you one good turn, anyhow.’ He took him by the arm and marched him to the hotel clerk’s desk.

‘ Clerk,’ he said, ‘ this is my friend, Mr, Bingley. I. want you to treat him right. Let him have whatever he wants, and if he gets extravagant and runs out of cash, charge it to me.’ ‘Why, yes,’ said the clerk; ‘I know Mr. Bingley very well, but — who are you?’

FAMILY FUN

Hit it Hard. Place a strip of thin board, or a long wide flat ruler, on the edge of a table, so that it just balances itself, and spread over it an ordinary newspaper. You may now hit it quite hard with your doubled fist, and with a stick, and the newspaper will hold it down, and remain as firmly in its place as if it were glued to the table. You are more likely to break the stick with which you strike than to displace the strip of wood or the paper.

A Home-made Microscope.—The simplest and ,cheapest of all microscopes can easily be made at home. The only materials needed are a thin slip of glass, on to which one or two short paper tubes, coated with black sealing wax, are cemented with, the wax, a small stick, and a tumbler half full of water. Water is dropped gradually into the cells, until lenses are formed of the desired convexity, and objects held below the glass will be more or less,magnified,