The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, 26 February 1914, Page 61

The Family Circle

IF 1 WERE A SUNBEAM If I were a sunbeam, I know what I'd do: I would seek white lilies Rainy woodlands through ; I would steal among them, Softest light I'd shed, Until every lily Raised its drooping head. If I were a sunbeam, I know where I'd go: Into lowliest hovels, Dark with want and woe : Till sad hearts looked upward, } I would shine and shine; Then they think of heaven Their sweet home and mine.' Art thou not a sunbeam, Child whose life is glad With an inner radiance Sunshine never had ? Oh, as God has blessed thee, ' Scatter rays divine ! For there is no sunbeam But must die, or shine. WHEN VIRGINIA WAS SICK 'Now let's see! What shall I talk about?' Millie broke off her musings long enough to hand her nickel to the conductor, and then fell back in her seat. Her face wore an expression of extreme earnestness. A very important point was to be settled. ' I've got to be interesting and yet I can't talk about the nice times we've been having, for fear she'll be sorry that she wasn't there, too. And I must be very cheerful, because she's had such a lot to make her low spirited. And I mustn't talk long enough to tire her. Dear me! How many times you must remember when you're going tg see a sick person!' As it proved, Millie's careful planning was quite unnecessary. She reached her friend's home, and was warmly welcomed by Mrs. Kent, Virginia's mother, who let her go up to Virginia's room, without being announced. And as she climbed the stairs, Millie was saving to herself, ' Interesting and cheerful and don't talk too •long,' exactly as if she had memorized a lesson. Virginia greeted her with a wan little smile. Oh, how nice it .seems to see you!' Millie exclaimed, pressing the white hand. 'And I think you look real well, considering.' " • '•1 ' If I look well, it's queer,' returned Virginia, with •a suggestion of pique in her tone. ' Do you know how long I've been sick? It's five weeks to-morrow, and my fever ran for three weeks. Some days it was as high as a hundred and four. And such headaches ! M. don't believe you ever had such headaches.' ||. v ;......'.-Isn't it lovely that*it is , all ovej.-.?'/ suggested Millie. :'■'"■ Virginia did not seem to hear! There were some days I was unconscious. These were the very worst of all. I can't remember anything •except waking up just a little when they gave me my v medicine. I guess the doctor was pretty frightened. "But I was too sick to be scared or anything else.' :.-•." f • §f§JL,. 1 We've missed you very much,' Millie said. ', You 'qain't'think how lonesome it's been at school with you '%j£% vT-'v, I ,'-'' .■■'.'■'■';•- ■'•",'", -'-. • 1-- ■ ■'.■!>' '■ *i ."./-See how thin I've got.' . .V • - , z. 1 : '-. j£s Virginia held '• up her transparent hand ' as if - she ..were exhibiting some rare treasure.' ;' ■ . ~ \ ' . '■ *§&} 'And* you've no idea how-my bones stand out. I suppose it's because I couldn't eat anything to. speak ■"• ' ".^'v-■. .■.•■'"■■"■„■••.:v:''.'S'vsr'?:•"•'T">• '&:-'•■£-~m■■■'■■>■ .- ':'?*•.■% .■*■■ -.- ~.< ■■-■r>< ■-%.,.,>.■;>„-

of. Milk and white of eggs were about all. Now I'm hungry, but the doctor won't let me have nearly all I want/ .. And so the minutes slipped away. > iMillie had not forgotten the things she had come prepared to talk about, the things that were pleasant and interesting. But Virginia was so anxious to tell of other things which certainly were not pleasant, whatever might be \ thought of their interest, that Millie did not have a chance to be heard. And so instead, she listened to the review of days of -suffering and nights of pain, heard symptoms and remedies described in equal detail, and at last got up to ,go with an uncomfortable sense of not having fulfilled her errand. ' I certainly wasn't interesting,' she said to herself, when she was once more outside. ' And I'm afraid I wasn't cheerful. For I had to 'keep saying " How dreadful !" But anyway it wasn't my fault. Dear me ! I should think it was bad enough to be sick in the first place, without living it all over again, every time anyone comes in to see you.' IMAGINE ! Here are a few of the difficulties of the English language. A flock- of ships is called a fleet. A fleet of sheep is called a flock. A flock of girls is called a bevy. A bevy of wolves is called a pack. A pack of thieves is called a gang. A gang of angels is called a host. A host of porpoises is called a shoal. • A shoal of buffaloes is called a herd. A herd of •children is called a troop. A troop of partridges is called a covey. A covey of beauties is called a galaxy. A galaxy of ruffians is called a horde. A horde of rubbish is called a heap. A heap of oxen is called a drove. A drove of blackguards is called a mob. A mob of whales is called a school. A school of worshippers is called a congregation. THE, HANDYMAN •' Ah,' said the vicar affably, as he laid a hand on the shoulder of the village man-of-all-work, ' you're the very chap I've been wanting to meet. The fact is, I've just bought some new wallpaper for my study. When can you come and put it up?' The man-of-all-work scratched his head thoughtfully. ' Well, sir,' he remarked: I'm mighty busy just now. Let me see ' —the scratching process was repeated—'l 'ung old Mrs. Stuggings on Saturday; I'm 'anging your churchwarden to-day but I think I could drop around and 'ang your reverence one day toward the end of the week, if that'd be convenient.' NOT LIKELY TO GET OUT ' That, sir, is the tomb of the greatest naval 'ero Europe or the whole world ever knew!' 'Yes?' 'lt is, sir, the tomb of Lord Nelson. This marble sarcophiggus weighs forty-two tons. Hinside that ,is a steel receptacle weighing twelve tons, and hinside that is a leaden casket, 'ermetically sealed, weighing two tons. Hinside that is a ma'ogany coffin 'olding the ashes of the great 'ero.' Well,' said the Yankee, after a moment's reflection, 'I guess you've got him. If he ever gets out of that, telegraph to me at my expense.' ,:■;";. ORIGIN OF «IRELAND * Ledyvich, the Irish historian and antiquary, supplies the following annals as evidence : of the origin of the much disputed though never finally -settled derivation of the word' Ireland.' ■ = --' : .,.•- N v , ■. '.'■-'••",...'■■'.;. '■',. ;; :

A.D. 870 King Alfred, in his Anglo-Saxon trans--lation of Orosius, styles Ireland Ire-land.' . - A.D. 891 Three Irishmen, says the SaxonChronicle, came in a boat from Yr-lande; so the Cotton* MS. "has it. '""" "'. *'-■■'■- ■ ■■■■;.:-■-■ .> " - vA.D. 918 — same chronicle calls Ireland ' Yrlande.' A.D. 1048—Harold flies to 'Yr-lande.' A.D. 1077 The Danes were shipwrecked on ' Yrlande.' » - * , A.D. 1080—Adam Brfcmensis names Ireland ' Irland.' A.D. 1098—Odericus Vitalis calls the Irish ' Irenses.' ~ '.;'■•. :.*'••' A.D. 1105—Oelonoth, in his Life of St. Canute,istyles them ' Iros.' Ledwich labored hard to deduce that from the •original Celtic Ir-in came the Ira, Iros, Irenses, and Yr-land of the Icelanders, Danes, Anglo-Saxons,. and 'Germans, and the Iris of Diodorus Siculus; and, by a ■transposition of inne,""the lerne of the other Greeks, Ledwich, however, though he proved the derivation to his own satisfaction, did not satisfy his contemporaries or successors.- Ave 'Maria. NOT TARS A famous novelist once took a distinguished foreigner to see the'Derby run, but the foreigner was even more interested in the wonderful crowd of people than in the horses. As the pair strolled about they passed one or two men dressed as sailors who were not, to the novelist's experienced eye, the real article, but were, he suspected, pickpockets in . disguise. The foreigner pointed to them. 'These are, I suppose,' he said, 'what you call your British tars?' 'Oh, no,' said the novelist, ' only Epsom salt's. A COMPLIVIENT An eminent surgeon, was lunching in a restaurant, when a stranger at the next table got into difficulties with a fish bone. Not wishing to thrust himself forward", de surgeon waiTed until the stranger began to get blue in the face. Then he rose and deftly flicked the bone down the stranger's throat. He did not expect any fee but he got something worth a guinea when the stranger, convalescent, called out cheerfully, and with a pleasant; air of patronage, ' I see, my man, that you have been attending ambulance lectures.' ONE OF WELLINGTON'S OFFICERS < On good authority, soldiers like best to be officered by gentlemen, but they have their choice of the type. Of the right kind was General Crawford, the leader of the Light Division. An incident.in his career, during one of the Wellington wars shows' him to have been rich in that justice which commands respect from'equals and loyalty from inferiors in a word, he kept discipline without regard to rank. v - His division was crossing a ford on one of the Spanish marches, and an officer, to keep his breeches 'dry, rode through" on a soldier's back. Crawford observed the thing with disgust, and in a minute was splashing through the water after them both. s ' Put him down, sir !' he shouted ; ' put him down ! I desire you to put that officer down instantly !'• The soldier dropped his burden and went on. : 'Return back, sir,' Crawford said to v the officer, i ' and go through the water like the others. I will not allow my officers to ride upon the men's backs through the rivers; all must take their share alike here.', • COVERING UP MISTAKES ii ; .. A pompous physician -.who was inclined to criticise others was watching a stonemason build- a fence for his neighbor, and thought the mason was using .too much mortar. He said: ; -. : A' V'xv--;'; -._,...<"\'<'■-''" 'MtM

'Jim, mortar covers up a good 'many mistakes, does it not - - ■"':'. -'•■■'-••;■' '. _ V'V ' :•..."'•-' " ' Yes, doctor,' replied the mason, •' and so does the spade.':- 'v."_: ' ■_<■■■-. *£ '■■[■- *'"'■• .-''.';■.-.•■ HIS OBJECTION - :; + A horse-owner was trying to sell a wind-broken horse, and was trotting around with him for inspection. The owner stroked the horse's back, and remarked to the prospective buyer: . t\ ' Hasn't he a lovely coat?' But the other noticed that the horse was panting, and answered : * * Ah, I like his coat all right, but I don't like his pants.' ' . ALWAYS HAD TO STAND In the course of one of his lecture trips, Mark. Twain arrived at a small town. Before dinner he went to a barber's shop to be shaved. ' You are a stranger ?' asked the barber. Yes,' Mark Twain replied. This is the first time I've been here.' ' You chose a good time to come,' the barber continued. Mark Twain is going to read and lecture tonight. 'You'll go, I suppose?' .' Oh, I guess so.' . 'Have you bought your ticket?' "".' Not yet.' i '..■■_• T "But everything is sold out. ' You'll have to stand.' 'How very annoying!' Mark Twain said, with a sigh. ' I never saw such luck ! I always have to stand when that fellow lectures.' . - HIS INTENTIONS ' See here, young man,' said the stern parent as he entered the parlor, you have been calling on my daughter rather Trequently of late. Are your intentions serious?' 'They certainly are, sir,' answered the young man. ' 'fm trying to induce her to exchange £3O and her old piano for a new one.' N A NEW IDE* OF ECONOMY A mother had come upon her eight-year-old son enjoying a feast whereof the components were jam, butter, and bread. ' Son,' said the mother, ' don't you think it a bit extravagant to eat butter with that fine jam?' No, mother,' was the response: ' It's economical; the same piece of bread does for both.' FAMILY FUN A Watch as a Compass.—Here are explicit directions for making a compass of a watch —Get the number of hours from midnight, divided by two, and point the hour at the sun so 'that the shadow of a match or lead pencil falls, directly across the centre of the watch"; 12 o'clock will be north ; 6, south 9, west; and 3, east. Suppose it is 9 a.m.; number of hours from midnight is 9 ; one-half is 4^; point 4.30 at the sun so the shadow of a match or lead pencil falls across the centre of watch, and 12 is north; 6, south, 3, east; and 9, west. Suppose it is '6 p.m. number of hours from, midnight, 18; one-half 9; point 9 at sun, and 12 is north; 6, south: 3, east, * and -9, west. Also when the sun is hidden on a cloudy day, take a lead pencil or stick that is well sharpened and place it on the thumb-nail. By \ looking closely you will see a faint shadow, which will give you a very good idea of the direction of ,the sun, and may be useful to one lost on a cloudy day.