The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, 16 July 1914, Page 61

The Family Circle

KINDNESS. O heart of mine, this lesson learn. Which kindly actions prove, The sweetest joys on earth are linked With sympathy and love. The palace fair adorned with gems From every mart and mine. Is empty, cheerless, cold and bare. Where love has not a shrine. A little posy from a friend, With kindly feelings given. Is fragrance to the yearning soul, A message sweet from heaven. And all the blooms from flower land With costly vases rare. Without the touch of loving hearts. Can ne’er with this compare. A gentle word is music sweet, A cordial to the mind, And aching hearts need little more Than tender words and kind. But often harsh and cruel tones, Without intent or plan, Are deadly arrows given wings, And wound a brother man. Sometimes to those we love the best. The unkind word is given. And by its bitter, piercing dart. The heart is almost riven. Not heaven itself can e’er recall The message of that breath Unfailing to our very own It brings the sting of death. Then speak, Oh, speak the gracious word. Extend a kindly hand ; Our fancied ills soon disappear. When we but understand. When kindness dwells within the heart, Then showers are turned to shine, And sunlight beams on other lives With radiant light divine. THE CITY OF THE VIRGIN. f It was in the year 1260, and the quaint, windswept city of Siena was astir with somewhat unpleasant excitement. News had come that the Florentines who were besieging the city were to make a desperate attempt to carry it by storm. Full well the unhappy Sienese realised that this attempt would be successful. Such of their warriors as had not been killed or wounded in the long siege were weakened by hunger and fever or worn out with constant watching. ‘ Make breaches in your walls, that we may enter at our will,’ —such was the insulting message sent by the general of the besieging army. And Bandinelli insinuated that it would be best to comply with the demand; but Provenzano Salvani, the patriot, replied indignantly that only a traitor could so desire to humble the city; and all loyal souls rallied to the defence. Salembini, the great banker, offered a loan of 18,000 florins to double the pay of the Genoese mercenaries ; and the people elected a dictator, Bonaguida Lucari, who thus addressed the crowd gathered in the great square : ‘ It seems fitting at this juncture that we should devote our persons and our wealth, our city and our district, with all that we have, to the Blessed Virgin Mary.’ - Then Salembini bared his head, unshod his feet, laid aside his robe, put a rope around his neck, and walked solemnly to the cathedral, attended by the chief citizens. Here the holy and venerable Archbishop met

them ; those at variance with their kin made vows of reconciliation; everywhere was weeping and praying, as Bonagnida knelt before our Lady’s altar and dedicated the city to the ‘ most pitiful Mother, the counsellor and helper of the distressed.’ hat night all the city was astir. Every woman, the old men, even the children helped in preparing the arms and accoutrements; and at dawn, as the sun arose and shed his radiance over all the plain, a mighty concourse passed from the city gates, in its midst the great battle-car, every pennon flying, every soldier’s heart beating high with courage and with hope. Those who could not go forth to fight remained at home to pray and crowd the Duomo, beseeching the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. And victory was theirs! Through the same gate next day there returned the victorious army for the Florentine lily was prostrate, and the general who had so insulted the Sienese was a captive. There was a splendid Mass of Thanksgiving in the cathedral; and a law was passed that every citizen above sixteen years of age should offer a candle to our Lady, and that henceforth Siena should be called ‘ Siena Civitas Virginis.’ —A re Maria. EFFECTIVE FORCE. Little Smithson was a meek, nervous-looking fivefeet of humanity. His manner suggested the probability of his heart breaking were he at any time compelled to kill a fly, even though it were in self-defence. When, therefore, a burglar paid him a visit one night, he was a bit scared. The nocturnal visitor having been captured, Smithson had to give evidence at the trial. The prisoner’s counsel, a big, bullying man, evidently thought he had got an easy job on when little Smithson entered the witness-box. Having described the events prior to the burglar’s capture, Smithson said : ‘ Of course, I got him all right, but I had to use considerable force before he gave in.’ ‘ Oh, indeed!’ replied the lawyer, with a sceptical smile, as he looked the little man up and down. ‘ And what force was it you used evidently scouting the idea that it was of the physical variety. ‘ Oh,’ replied Smithson, with a bland smile, 1 It was the police force.’ THE SAME AGE. A man who is old enough to have rheumatism is fortunate if he is still young enough to turn his disability into a joke. A physician met a patient, and asked him the usual question : ‘ Well, John, how are you to-day?’ ‘ Gey weel, sir, gey weel,’ replied John, cautiously, ‘ if it wasna for the rheumatism in my right leg.’ ‘Ah, well, John, be thankful it is no worse; for there is no mistake, you are getting old like the rest of us, and old age does not come alone.’ ‘ Auld age, sir said John. ‘ I wonder to hear ye. Auld age has naething to do with it. Here’s my ither leg just as auld, and it’s quite sound and soople yet.’ MADE THE KING LAUGH. A King of Prussia who reigned about the beginning of last century was noted for his geniality, and often in the course of his walks through the streets would enter into conversation with his subjects. , One day he met a young man and asked him what his faith was. The youth, who was somewhat of a wag, answered, smiling, ‘ I believe what my tailor believes.’ The King entered pleasantly into the joke and then asked again, ‘And what does your tailor believe in?’ ‘Your Majesty,’ replied the young man, * he believes that he will never get the thirty shillings which I owe him," and I believe it also.’

The King laughed heartily at the outspoken and unrestrained way in which he had answered him, and then gave him thirty shillings. ‘ Now, then, you can P a y your tailor and so change his faith.’ The young man fancied, however, that he could use the money for a better purpose, and the tailor naturally went unpaid. Not long afterwards the King met the same youth who, as he saw his Majesty approaching, tried to escape down a side street. The King had, however, espied him and called after him. The youth, somewhat crestfallen and abashed, approached his Majesty, who at once asked him if he had paid his tailor. A smile passed over the young man’s face as he-replied, ‘Your Majesty, I could not change my faith for thirty shillings.’ HOW THINGS.OUGHT TO BE DONE. Huggins; ‘ What has become of Fanning?’ Muggins: ‘ Oh, he’s laid up —a victim of football.’ Huggins: 1 1 didn’t know lie ever played the game. Muggins: lie doesn’t. Tic sprained his larynx telling the referee how things ought to be done.’ OFTEN ASKED FOR IT. ‘ How about the rent of this house of yours, Flitter? Doesn’t the landlord ask a good deal for it?’ Flitter: ‘ \ es. lie often asks five or six times a month for it.’ TIE WOULD FIX IT. Dr. W. W. Keen, the noted surgeon of Philadelphia, was praising speed in surgical operations. The best surgeons, lie declared, were always the swiftest. Speed was one of the greatest essentials of fine operations, since the briefer the period passed by the patient under the knife, the greater the chance for his complete recovery. On this head,’ Dr. Keen continued, smiling, ‘there is a story of a distinguished surgeon. lie performed successfully a difficult and delicate operation on a millionaire banker’s wife, and, naturally, the bill that he rendered for this operation was a large one. It was not exorbitant, but it was enough—a reasonable and just bill. ‘The banker, though, thought otherwise. With an imprecation he declared the bill to be an outrage. 1 “Why,” he cried, “the operation took you only ten minutes.” ‘ The surgeon laughed. ‘ “Oh,” he said, “if that is your only objection, the next time any of your family needs an operation, I’ll keep them two or three hours under the knife.” ’ A FEW ‘ DON’TS.’ Don’t sprinkle salt on the tail of temptation. Don’t be satisfied with the sole idea that misery loves company. Don’t follow tihe beatem track, unless you are satisfied to remain beaten. Don’t accept advice from a man who never offers you anything else. Don’t expect Opportunity to come to you with a letter of introduction. Don’t trust to luck; nine-tenths of the people in the world guess wrong. Don’t buy your friends. They never last as long as those you make yourself. Don’t envy the rise of others. Many a man who gets to the top is mere froth. . Don’t greet misfortune with a smile unless you are prepared for a one-sided flirtation. Don’t make good resolutions unless you constantly carry a repair kit with you. Don’t forget in time of peace to prepare for war. That’s about the only use some of us seem to have for peace.