The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, 20 May 1915, Page 61

The Family Circle

'£;• '.'•■;■ KINDNESS. "'* ,'/ *'.' I cannot build an- obelisk, With beauty sculptured o'er. Ah me, 'tis 1 haven't much Of this world's gilded store! Yet I can help a needy one Who may come to my door. I would give half my food and drink, I've done that oft before. What are these forms, these monuments, These pillars great of stone ? Do they give cheer when life is drear To those weary and alone ? . Ab, no! They cannot shed kindness, Stay burning, rushing tears. Their forms are most indifferent To cruel, crushing fears. I can give smiles to warm the heart, E'en though dark clouds hang low. No greater gift hath any one Than kindness to bestow. I can speak with a softened voice Or sing a song of glee. These are my gifts to freely spend— Mercy and sympathy. THE EMPEROR AND THE ABBOT. Charlemagne, Emperor of Germany, was out riding one day, when he arrived at St. Gall's Abbey and saw the Abbot quietly walking in his garden. This Abbot was fresh, rosy, and portly; for he liked good cheer, didn't work much, and slept soundly every night. The Emperor looked at the stout monk for a moment, and .said to himself: 'I feel sure that this good man has too easy a life. I must give him something to do.' Charlemagne accordingly rode up to the monastery, called the Abbot, greeted him cordially, put a few questions to him, and finally said : ' Father Abbot, I have three questions to ask you, and within three months you must give me the exact answers. If you succeed, you may remain Abbot of St. Gall's; if you fail, you will have to make the tour of the city, seated on a donkey, your head facing his tail, which you will hold in your hand as a bridle.' The poor monk grew pale and trembled, for he knew he wasn't very quick-witted; and, naturally, the idea of going through the city on a jackass in the style mentioned didn't please him. The Emperor smiled at his embarrassment, and proceeded : ' Here are the questions. Pay strict attention, for I shall exact the answers in three months at the latest. The first is: How a time, within a minute of the precise period, would it take me to ride around the world? The second is: How much am I worth, within a cent of the exact value, when I have my crown on my head, my sceptre in my hand, and all my kingly dress on ? The third question is : What is my thought ? And you'll be obliged to prove that the thought is not true.' The monk grew still paler on hearing the nature of the questions ; and the Emperor rbde off, laughing, with a warning to find the right answers under penalty of the donkey-ride he had threatened. The Abbot thought day and night of these three terrible questions. He was no longer happy, his appetite left him, he couldn't sleep. After consulting, without avail, the Prior, who was noted throughout the whole country as a man of sound scholarship and excellent judgment and then Brother Bernard, who

had charge of the monastery library, ; and was thought to 1 know from cover to cover every book it contained, wrote to a number of universities and : to : all the famous scholars with whose names he was acquainted, entreating them to help him out of his quandary." In the meantime he himself became an indefatigable student, spending long hours in the library trying to \ solve the problem— rather, to guess the riddle. All in vain : neither he nor those whom he consulted could find the required answers. ; : The first month passed with frightful rapidity; the second went just as swiftly; and the third was almost finished without a single answer being ready. One day, in despair, the Abbot went out for a walk through his fields. He was lamenting to himself the disgrace that awaited him, and grew so absorbed that he started in surprise when one of his shepherds suddenly addressed him: ' Good-day, Father Abbot! Are you sick ? * You look pale and thin; you appear ,very sad. What is the matter, may I ask?' Touched by the shepherd's sympathy, the poor monk replied : Ah, my good friend, you are well off to be only a shepherd! Just imagine! The Emperor has asked me how long, within a minute, it would take him to ride around the world; how much he's worth with his royal dress and crown on and his sceptre in his hand and, then, what his thought is; obliging me, moreover, to prove that his thought isn't true. If I don't answer correctly,- I will lose my office and be forced to sit on a jackass, facing his tail and holding it as a bridle, while I make the round of the city.' Tears came to the Abbot's eyes as he mentioned the penalty threatened, and he was proceeding sadly on his way when the shepherd stopped him. - ' Your reverence/ said he, ' I'm only a simple shepherd, but I'm convinced I can answer those three questions. If you'll lend me your habit, I'll go to the Emperor's court in your place. We are not unlike in height and appearance.' " :v '~ The Abbot reflected a moment; then, thinking that the shepherd would be obliged to replace him on the x jackass' back in case the questions were incorrectly answered, he joyfully consented to the proposal. Several days later, when the three months had quite passed, the Emperor was told that a monk had arrived and wished an audience. Charlemagne began to laugh, and said to his servant: ' Show him in.' A moment afterward the pretended Abbot appeared. The Emperor regarded him mischievously for a while, then addressed him: • ' Father Abbot, you are not so stout and. ruddy, it appears to me, as you were three months ago. Now, remember that your position depends on the correctness of your answers, and that if they are not perfectly accurate you are doomed to take that donkey-ride I promised you.' The Abbot bowed and gravely replied : ' Yes, Sire, I understand the conditions perfectly, and I'm prepared to answer your questions.' Astonished at the monk's apparent coolness and unconcern, the Emperor went on: ' Very well. How long, within a minute, would it take me to ride on horseback around the world ? Take your time and answer exactly.' The shepherd looked the Emperor in the face, and, with perfect assurance, replied: ' If your Majesty gets on .your horse at the very instant the sun appears above the horizon, and travels just as fast as that daystar, your Majesty will ride* around the earth in just twenty-four hours, —not a second more or less.' Charlemagne was nonplussed at this answer. Having nothing to say against its. correctness, he put the second question : 'How much, within a cent, am I; worth when I have all my royal habits and my crown on, and my sceptre in my hand V .- •-.•-..• ■>«.#**■* The supposed Abbot, without manifesting the

slightest difficulty, and facing the Emperor" squarely, rejoined: - - _ # : --'. v ' The Saviour of the whole world was sold for thirty pieces "of ■: silver. : Your Majesty can not, of course, pretend to be worth as much as the Redeemer, so I estimate your value At I twenty-nine pieces of silver.' - "" This answer was so good that, although it didn't please the Emperor any too well, he could say nothing against it; so he returned :, - You have found answers to the first two questions; but if you don't guess the third one correctly, you'll have to take that- humiliating ride all the same. Tell me, then, what is my thought?' ' Your thought is that I'm the Abbot of St. Gall's.' _ 'Certainly,' said the Emperor; 'and I'd. like "to know how you are going to prove that my thought is not true.' ' I am not the Abbot of St. Gall's, because I'm only one of his shepherds.' And the pretended monk, taking off his habit, presented himself in his ordinary garments. Charlemagne was so delighted with the shepherd's wit that he promised him any reward he should ask. - The shepherd was as humble and good as he was clever; he refused the honor, and answered : . ' Since your Majesty has promised me any reward I wish, I ask that my master, who is one of the best of men, be allowed to remain in his place till he dies.' Moved by the devotion of the shrewd servant, Charlemagne left the Abbot in peace; but he obliged him to pay extra wages to the shepherd, who grew in consequence so rich that he could afford to wear good clothes and have meat tor dinner every day.— Ave Maria. , THE SHEPHERD BOY. A light-hearted shepherd boy was tending sheep one bright spring morning in a flowery valley between wooded hills, and singing and skipping about for very joy. The prince of the territory, who happened to be hunting in the district, saw him, called him up, and said : ' Why are you so merry, my dear little fellow?' The boy did not know the prince, and replied : 'Why should I not be merry? Our most gracious prince himself is not richer than I am.' 'lndeed!' said the prince; 'let me hear all that you have!' ' Why !' replied the boy, ' the sun in the bright blue sky shines as pleasantly for me as for the prince, and hill and valley are as green and blooming for me as for him. I would not give my hands for a hundred thousand crowns, and 1 would not sell my eyes for all the jewels in the prince's treasure chambers. In addition to this, I have all I desire; because I never wish for anything more than I require. , I eat my fill every day; I have clothes sufficient to dress neatly; and every year I receive' as much money for my labor as supplies all my necessities. And, now, can you say that the prince . has more ?' The good prince laughed, made himself known to the lad, and said: • ' You are quite right, my good boy ; and you can now say that the prince himself perfectly agrees with you. Only continue to maintain the same cheerful spirit.' SERPENT OF THE NILE. Dean Smith, of the College of Engineering in the University of Cincinnati, when he lived in Maryland engaged a colored man and his wife to help in the upkeep of the house and premises. This part of the preliminary conversation Dean Smith tells with gusto: 'What is your name?' 'Tom Burgee, sah.' 'Married?' ' Oh, yes, sah.' ' What's your wife's name?' k 'My wife's name Clara-Peters.' How can that be, if your name is Burgee

'Oh, that's her first name; just, her first name; All of- her name Clara-Peters Burgee;' • ' ' - - 'What do you call her?' > -.':- v U '-:} : r J ; Clara-Peters.' _ - j_, ' How did she get that name?'- - ; - ; - <' Well, sah, her old father, he was educated; he could read, and he terrible fond of readin' the Bible and Shakespeare, and sich books, and namin' his children a'ter folks he read about. So, when Clara-Peters was born, he just nachally name her Clara-Peters, a'ter that old queen of Egypt.'- 7 : ORIGINAL ETYMOLOGY. _. In her language, Nancy Allison was inclined to be what her brother called ' gushing.' One summer she took an automobile trip through the country. On her return she was giving an enthusiastic description of one fine old town to her family. 'lt was perfectly charming? Such wonderful old doorways and the quaintest old inn She paused, searching for a word. 'lt —unique !' Brother Ned had been listening gravely to the rhapsody. ' Unique,' he said, quietly. ' That's a fine word. Let's see. "Unus," one; " Equus," horse.' "Onehorse" town. Good!' and without waiting for anyone to criticise his interpretation of the word, he promptly took his departure. NOT LIKELY TO BE TAKEN. "-, An old British admiral built some villa residences on a high point of the coast somewhat difficult of access. One day he said to his servant: ' Now, William, what shall I call them?' Well, you know,' replied Bill, if I were you I should call them "Gibraltar Buildings." ' 'Why?' asked the admiral. Because,' replied the other, ' they say Gibraltar will never he taken, and I'm blest if these houses up here will ever be taken.' A VERY SERIOUS MATTER. ' Why, my dear, what is : the matter ? What can it moan? You look so depressed. It cannot be—and yet ! Oh, relieve this killing suspense. Alexander, have you failed V said his wife, with clasped hands. ' No, my dear, my credit is, as yet, unimpaired, and business is looking up.' ' You can't mean to say, dear, that your old pain in the head has come back ?' - "'No.' ' You haven't had to pay the bill for your brother Joseph 'No.' ' Have you—now tell me, Alexander Bidlack—you had another attack of lumbago?' 'No.' " , 'Has your cashier decamped?' . . ■ 'No.' ' Now. I knowl expected it—T knew it all the time—l felt sure it would be so. Mr. Debonair has asked for Seraphina.' ' No, nothing of the kind.' ' Then tell me, without waiting another minute, what has happened ? I can bear it; let me know the worst.' ' Well, that button I told you about has got tired of hanging on by one thread, and here it is !'