The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, 2 January 1913, Page 61

The Family Circle

• WHERE DOES THE NIGHT GO ‘Where does the night go?’ asked the baby, ‘ Where does the night go?’ when it's day V And the merry brown eyes are deep with wonder. And the mischievous hands have forgotten their play. Where does the night go I little dream rover, ■ Where does the night go when it’s day ? Over the roofs and the fields and the river, Over the hilltops and far away. The night and the stars they went together: And the baby’s dreams, they, too, are done; And they’ll not come back till my little dream rover Is snug in her nest with the curtains drawn. THE PRETTIEST GIRL ‘ I know who will get the prize!’ laughed Dorothy. Half a dozen girls were on their way home from school and something very unusual has happened. Mrs. Nailor, the wealthiest woman in Dover, had visited the school that day, and not only that, but she had offered a prize to the one whom, for three reasons, she could pronounce the prettiest girl in the school. Mrs. Nailor’s beautiful home on the hill was a great source of entertainment to the children, who never, tired of peering through the high iron bars of the fence at the deer darting in and out among the shrubbery and watching the sparkling fountain and the shining gold fish darting about in its crystal waters. Mrs. bailor had said that she knew all the girls and that they must be very careful for she would be watching them when they were unaware of —and she would not tell when she would make school inspections. ‘l’m so tired of taking beauty prizes!’ exclaimed Elsie, pettishly. ‘lt must be hard to be so pretty ! snapped Alice, spitefully. Alice had a pretty face, too, but a very unhappy disposition. ( 1 wish I was pretty,’ sighed Bess, mournfully. ‘ There’s no danger of Katherine getting the prize,’ laughed Alice. Katherine s lips quivered, but she looked up with a brave little smile and said sweetly: ‘ Elsie is so beautiful I just love to sit and look at her/"'and sometimes I think Alice is almost as pretty.’ Why don’t you curl your hair and get some pretty dresses; you might get the prize sure enough if you kept your face away from the light and—’ ,‘ Hush !’ interrupted Dorothy, ‘ there’s Mrs. Nailor passing.’ ‘I wonder why she walks when she has such splendid carriages and an automobile,’ said Bertha half aloud. ‘ Because walking makes one strong and well,’ replied Katherine, solemnly. It was true that Katherine was not beautiful. Her face was plain, her complexion dark, and her hair a dull brown, but her eyes were her charm—large, clear, and truthful and her teeth shone like pearls. Her simple black dress and hat were anything but becoming, still there . was an indescribable sweetness in her expression ‘l’m going to buy that light blue silk accordion plaited dress at Raynor’s and charge it until I get the prize money, said Elsie. Mrs. Nailor sits right opposite us in church and she’ll be sure to notice what I have on. ’ • .i Tlle T nth P assed b y at last an d all were assembled m the auditorium of the school, which was crowded to the doors with parents and friends. Elsie sat in the first seat, resplendent in the light blue silk. The presentation of the prize was the last feature on the programme, and when Mrs. Nailor took the platform a hush fell upon the assembly. She was not a beautiful woman, but there was something queenly in her bearing. ° 1 J

Dear girls,’ she said, ‘if I could only express to you the thrill it gives me to look into the sea of bright, happy, and beautiful faces before me you might understand and thus appreciate how hard it is for me to come to a decision. During the month I have watched and studied you all very carefully that I might be perfectly just and make no mistake. My observations have taught me many things. ' First of- ail, I looked for * beauty of character where I saw beauty of face, and- I regret sincerely to say that in every instance 1 found conceit and selfishness accompanying it, and I became aware that I must look higher for what I was seeking. The day I offered the prize I overheard part of a conversation, one sentence of which made a lasting impression upon me: “I’m so tired of taking beauty prizes!’’ I ! wish to stamp indelibly upon your minds now at this awakening period of your lives the true ideal of beauty. For my heroine I have chosen one whom I consider endowed with the three requisites needful to take the prize—namely, beauty of mind, heart, and soul. I pronounce Katherine Sharp the prettiest girl in the school.’ - Amid the thundering applause Katherine was seen, to wipe her eyes, and when she came to the platform, dressed in her plain white dress, she scarcely lifted her eyes, and it was noticed that she carried one arm in a sling. Only a week before her grandmother, with whom she had lived since her father and mother died, had been sitting beside a log fire, and falling asleep, a brand had ignited her dress, and just at the critical moment Katherine came in, and throwing a rug about her succeeded in smothering the flames, but not until she. had burned her arm so badly that she would probably bear the' scar through life. ‘ She bears a scar,’ said Mrs. Nailor, homely, perhaps, to those who are ignorant of its origin, but to those who know it is like a “crown of glory.” ‘ And now, before we separate for the summer, let me urge you to seek rather for the heart’s, treasure of beauty than mere beauty of face and form—work for it, wait for it, pray for it. It is God’s to give and yours to win. Never get tired of taking “beauty prizes.” Keep these words ever in mind. “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are, lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.” ’ UNDER EXAMINATION Counsel: ‘Do you drink Witness: ‘ Well, that depend what you call drink.’ Counsel: ‘ I call drink drink. What else do you expect?’ Witness: ‘Well, in that case I do drink.’ Counsel: ‘Do you drink heavily ?’ Witness: ‘ Well, that again is a question as to what you call heavily.’ Counsel: ‘Do you ever take more than is good for you?’ Witness: ‘I drink until I am satisfied.’ Counsel: ‘ Do you ever take too much?’ Witness: ‘Nounless you consider one cup of tea in the morning and another in the afternoon too much.’ Counsel ; ‘ Come, come; lam speaking of intoxicating liquors.’ Witness: ‘ Oh, I am a teetotaller!’ WHOLESALE Mr. James Payn, the English novelist, used to tell a story of the manner in which a young poet made money out of his first volume of poetry. The anecdote, it must be said, is much like one that is told of the late James Russell Lowell. But here it is in Mr. Payn’s version: —■ The youthful adventurer had his doubts whether the book would pay for itself, and when good-natured friends—whose good nature, we may be sure, stopped on the wrong side of buying—said ‘ You’ll be half ruined,’ he was rather inclined to agree with them.

At last, in fear and trembling, he wrote to the publisher to know the worstwhich he himself had calculated at about eighty pounds. ‘Let me know how many have gone off,’ he wrote in all modesty, ‘ and what is the balance I owe you.’ The publisher wrote back: ‘Dear Sir; Your whole edition has gone off, leaving a balance of twenty pounds in your favor; cheque enclosed.’ The poet was in the seventh heaven, and yet not satisfied. He rushed to the publisher’s to inquire who had bought the friends, enemies, Mudie, or who? ‘My dear sir,’ said the publisher, ‘ I think you had better not ask.’ ‘ Not ask? Why not? You wrote to say that the edition was all sold. It must have been sold to somebody.’ ‘Pardon me. I wrote that it had “gone off.” So it had, the whole of it. There was a fire in the warehouse, and the contents were insured.’ THE NEW YEAR IN RUSSIA In the country villages of Russia New Year’s Day, celebrated on January 13, is pre-eminently a children’s day, when the little folks are allowed the greatest liberties. Early in the morning the boys arm themselves with peas and wheat. Their enemies they subject to a fusillade of peas and their friends to a shower of wheat. After going from house to house with this performance they accompany a gaily caparisoned horse or ass to the home of the nobleman who is their landlord and master. Both the beast and the visitors are admitted to the best room in the nobleman’s house, and the latter are given presents. Following this reception the old women bring a drove of decorated fowls to the lord. The interchange of gifts is an expression of good will between lord and peasants. ALL THE DIFFERENCE ‘How old is your baby brother , asked little Tommy of a playmate. ‘ One year old,’ replied Johnny. • ‘Ah!’ exclaimed Tommy, “I’ve got a dog a yearold, and he can walk twice as well as your brother.’ ‘ Well, so he ought to,’ replied Johnny; ‘he’s got twice as many legs.’ THE PROPER MEASURE A teacher was endeavoring to instil into the mind of a thick-headed youth the difference between linear, square, and cubic measures. After a lengthy explanation he asked him the following question; ‘ Now, Johnny, suppose your mother wished to take the measurements for a new carpet, what measure would she us©?’ After a great deal of anxious deliberation the lad answered: ‘ If you please, sir, a tape-measure.’ MERELY AN ACQUAINTANCE A Scot who served an Englishman as guide and friend on a fishing trip had what the London Daily Mail calls ‘ the national weakness ’ for claiming relationship with all the influential families in that part of Scotland. One day.Qie Englishman met him on the road driving a pig and saw a little fun. ‘Well, Donald,’ said he, ‘is that one of your grand relations?’ ‘O, no,’ said Donald, quietly. ‘ This is just an acquaintance— yersel’.’ GOOD FOR THE CAUSE Two young fellows recently attended a tea for which they had bought tickets at sixpence each. The profits were to go towards a treat to the aged poor. One of them, after consuming four cups of tea, six

ham sandwiches, a plate of bread and butter, two teacakes, five jam tarts, and four large buns, was passing his cup for the fifth time when he turned to his friend and said, in a serious tone; I think everyone should encourage a thing of this sort. It's for a good cause, you know.’ TAKING NO CHANCES Little Ethel had been very naughty. Her mother sent her from the dining-room; but, when the pudding came on she determined to give Ethel another chance . Hi 1 ™ el if she will be very, very good for the rest of the afternoon she may have some pudding/ she said to the servant. 5 want delivered the message, and returned with the reply, . Please, ma’am, Miss Ethel wants to know what kind of pudding it is before she makes any promises,’ THE WRONG NAME In some of the country districts in Ireland it is not an uncommon thing to see carts with the owner’s names chalked on to save the expense of painting. Practical jokers delight in rubbing out these signs to annoy the owners. ' 5 A constabulary sergeant one day accosted a to l him Wh ° Se name had been Wiped out unknown ( Is this your cart, my good man • ‘Of coorse it is!’ was the reply.. ‘Do you see anything the matter wid it?’ N 7 7 I observe,’ said the pompous policeman, that your name is oblitherated.’ ! , ‘ Then ye’re wrong,’ quoth the countryman, who had never come across the long word before, ‘ for me name s O’Flaherty, and I don’t care who knows it.’ NOT A BITE TO EAT You must have had a terrible experience, with no food, and mosquitoes swarming around you,’ said a friend to the ship-wrecked mariner who had been cast away upon a tropical island. i * Y i°j •’j St b ™ 1 bad a terrible experience/ he acknowledged. My experience was worse than that of he man who wrote, “Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. With me it was bites, bites everywhere, but not a bite to eat.’ J FAMILY FUN TREE PUZZLES. What is the double tree?—-Pear. What tree is nearest the sea ?—Beech. Name the languishing tree? Pine. What is the chronologist’s tree?—Date. g What tree is adapted to hold wearing apparel ? What tree will keep you warm? Fir. What is the Egyptian plague tree ?—Locust. What is the tree we offer friends at meeting and parting ?—Palm. 6 The tree used in wet weather?—Rubber. The level tree? Plane. The tree used in a bottle Cork. The tree that belongs to the sea?—Bay An immortal tree?—Arbor Vitae. A tree worn in Oriental countries ?—Sandal. A tree used in drawing an accurate line?— An emblem of grief ?—Weeping Willow.