The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, 5 August 1915, Page 61

The Family Circle

QUEER THINGS. A clock can run, but can not walk; My shoe has a tongue, but can not talk; A comb has teeth, but has no mouth ; A north wind blows the smoke straight south. Bottles have necks, but have no heads, And pins have heads, but have no necks; And needles have to hold their threads Right in their eyes— how it must vex! If I were a needle, comb, or shoe, I never should know what to do. My head is really in a whirl ; I’m glad I am a little girl. TROUBLE WITH SERVANTS. ‘ Oh, dear Mrs. Graham !’ said my neighbor, Mrs. Jones, to me one day, ‘ what shall I do for good help? I am almost worried out of my senses. 1 wish somebody would invent a machine to cook, wash, scrub, and do housework in general. What a blessing it would be! As for the whole tribe of flesh and blood domestics, they are not worth their salt.’ ‘ They are all poorly educated,’ I replied, ‘ and we cannot expect much of them. Most of them have nearly every thing to learn when they come info our houses, and are bad scholars into the bargain. But we must have patience. I find it my only resource.’ ‘ Patience !’ ejaculated Mrs. Jones, warmly. It would require more patience than Job ever possessed to get along with some of them.’ ‘ And yet,’ said I, ‘ we accomplish little or nothing by impatience. At least such is my experience.’ ‘ I don’t know, ma’am,’ replied Mrs. Jones. ‘ If you go to being gentle and easy with them, if you don’t follow them up at every point, you will soon have affairs in a pretty condition ! They don’t care a fig for your comfort nor interest— not they ! In fact, more than half of them would, a thousand times, rather make things disagreeable for you than otherwise.’ ‘ I know they are a great trial, sometimes,’ I answered, not feeling at liberty to say to my visitor all I thought. ‘ But we must endeavor to bear it the best we can. That is my rule; and 1 find, in the long run, that I get on much better when I repress all exhibition of annoyance at their carelessness, short-comings, neglect, or positive misdeeds, than I do when I let them see that I am annoyed, or exhibit the slightest angry feeling.’ Not long after this we accepted an invitation to take tea with Mr. and Mrs. Jones, and I then had an opportunity of seeing how she conducted herself towards her domestics. I was in no way surprised, afterwards, that-she found difficulty in getting along with servants. Soon after my husband and myself went in, and while we were sitting in the parlor, Mrs. Jones had occasion to call a servant. I noticed that, when she rung the bell, she did so with a quick jerk; and I could perceive a tone of authority 7 in the ting-a-ling of the bell, the sound of which was distinctly heard. Nearly two minutes passed before the servant made her appearance, in which time the bell received a more vigorous jerk. At last"- she entered, looking flushed and hurried. ‘ What’s the reason you did not come when I first rung?’ inquired our lady hostess, in a severe tone. ‘ I—l—came as quick as I could,’ replied the girl, with a look of mortification at being spoken to before strangers. ‘ No*, you didn’t ! It’s your custom to wait until I ring twice. Now let this be the last time 1’ And then, in a low -voice, Mrs. Jones gave the direction for which she had summoned her. ‘Such a set!’ ejaculated the lady, as the girl left the room. Her words were intended to reach other ears

beside ours; and so they did. ‘That girl,’ 7 she continued, addressing me, ‘ has a habit of making me ring twice. It really seems to give them pleasure, I believe, to annoy you. Ah, me ! this trouble with servants is a never ending one. It meets you at every turn.’ And, for some time, she animadverted Upon her favorite theme—for such it appeared to be, —until her husband, who was evidently annoyed, managed to change the subject of discourse. Once or twice she came back to it before tea-time. At last the tea bell rung, and we ascended to the dining-room. We were but fairly seated,- when a frown darkened suddenly on the brow of our hostess', and her hand applied itself nervously to the table-bell. ’ The girl who had set the table came up from the kitchen. There is no sugar in the bowl,’ said Mrs, Jones sharply. ‘ I wish you would learn to set the table while you are about it. I’m sure I have spoken to you often enough.’ As the giijl took the sugar-bowl to fill it, the frown left the face of our hostess, and she turned to me with a bland smile, and > asked - whether I used sugar and cream in my tea. I replied in the affirmative; but did not smile in return, for I could not. I knew the poor girl’s feelings were hurt at being spoken to in such a way before strangers, and this made me extremely uncomfortable. ‘ Do you call this cream?’ was the angry interrogation of Mrs. Jones, as the girl returned with the sugar, pushing towards her the cream-jug, which she had lifted from the table as she spoke. ‘ Yes, ma’am,’ was replied. ‘Look at it, and see, then.’ / It’s the cream,’ said the girl. ‘lf that’s cream, I never want to see milk. Here ! take it away and bring me the cream.’ The girl looked confused and distressed. But she took the cream- and went down-stairs with it. - ‘ That’s just the way they always do !’ said Mrs. Jones, leaning bade in her chair. ‘I really get out of all patience, sometimes.’ In a little while the girl returned. ‘ It’s the cream, ma’am, as I said. Here’s the milk.’ And she presented two vessels. Mrs. Jones took boTh from her hands with an illnatured jerk. Sure enough, it was as the girl had said. ‘ Such cream fell from the Ups of our hostess, as she commenced pouring it into the cups already filled with tea. The girl went down-stairs to take back the milk she had brought up, but she was scarcely at the bottom of the stairs, when the bell was rung for her. ‘ Why don’t you stay here? What are you running off about?’ said Mrs. Jones, as she came in hurriedly. ‘ You know I want you to wait on the table.’ And so it was during the whole meal. The girl was not once spoken to except in a tone of anger or offensive authority. I was no longer surprised that Mrs. Jones found it difficult to keep good domestics, for no one of feeling can long remain with a woman who speaks to them always in a tone of command, or who reproves them in the presence of visitors. My husband was very severe upon Mrs. Jones after we returned home. ‘No lady,’ said he, ‘ ever spoke in anger or reproof to a domestic before a visitor or stranger. Nothing more surely evinces a vulgar and unfeeling mind.’ I did not attempt to gainsay his remark, for he expressed but my own sentiment. So far from uttering a reproof in the presence of a visitor, I am careful not to speak to my domestics about any fault even in the presence of my husband. They have a certain respect for themselves, and a certain delicacy of feeling, which we should rather encourage than break down. Nearly ail domestics are careful to appear as well is possible in, the eves of the head o' the family, and it hurts them exceedingly to be reproved, or angrily spoken to, before him. This' every woman ought to

know by instinct, and those who do not are just so far deficient in the aggregate of qualities that go to make up the true lady. ' I was by no means surprised to hear from Mrs. Jones, a few days afterwards, that the ‘ good-for-nothing creature who waited upon the table on the occasion of our taking tea at her house, had gone away and left her. I thought better of the girl for having the spirit to resent, in this way, the outrage committed upon her feelings. Domestics have rights and feelings; and if people were to regard these more, and treat them with greater kindness and consideration than they do, there would be fewer complaints than there are at present. This is my opinion, and 1 must be pardoned for expressing it, KNEW BETTER. It was in Indiana, not so very long ago, that the daughter of an old White River farmer was reading the county paper to him. She had got ' to the ‘Personals,’ and read this: , J Mrs. Willie Morritts, nee Black, has returned from a visit to her parents in Indianapolis.’ ‘ I don’t quite understand that,’ said the old gentleman. ‘What don’t you understand?’ inquired the daughter. ‘ That part about “Mrs. Willie Morritts, nay Blacks.” What does that “nay Black” mean?’ ‘ Oh, that’s French, and means she was born Black.’ ‘ Born black !’ exclaimed the father, excitedly. ‘ Yes net is French for born.’ ‘ Well, it ain’t so,’ ejaculated the old man, jumping up and shaking his fist. ‘ I knowed her parents, and they was as white as anybody that ever lived in Indianny, and I’ll see that editor about it,’ but before he could get away the daughter explained matters, and the old gentleman cooled down. THE CATHOLIC FEDERATION. The parish committee of the Catholic Federation, St. Benedict’s, Auckland, offered two prizes to the pupils of the local Catholic school for the best essays on ‘ The Aims and Objects of the Catholic Federation.’ The first prize was awarded to Miss Eva Simms for the following essay; From the earliest times combinations of families, peoples, and States for mutual defence or aid have taken place. In ancient Grecian history, as far back as 277 8.C., we read of the Greeks forming a confederacy in order that their people might be united and have equal rights. With the same idea of union and of fighting for their rights, the Catholics of Australia, some years ago, formed a society known as the Australian Catholic Federation. So well did our neighbors succeed in establishing this society in Victoria and other States, that the bishops and clergy of New Zealand, seeing the advantages reaped by the Australian Catholics from this form of unity, decided to do their best to construct a similar Federation in this Dominion. The principal aim in establishing such a Federation was to form the Catholics of New Zealand into one vast body, so that their united opinions might be given on such public and social questions as affected Catholic interests. Scarcely had the foundations of the organisation been successfully laid, when its need was clearly shown by the Bible in State schools question. Had not the laity joined with the clergy in their untiring zeal to break up this system of teaching a State religion in the schools, the Government would surely have been the victors in the struggle which took place, and would, long before the present time, have been teaching what is nothing more than a religion chosen by the State to all children, whether Catholic or non-Catholic, attending these schools. The New Zealand Catholic Federation seeks to promote and extend Catholic education throughout the Dominion, and to set up and improve, wherever possible, the numerous Catholic societies already established in

-many towns. Again,. it is to this organisation that we owe so much in the spread of Catholic literature, and the disappearance of so many immoral books which, but a short time ago, were to be found practically all’ over New Zealand. The Federation works to expose falsehood and injustice, and to show the necessity of Chris*' tian principles in all spheres of life, wheth’er social, public, or business. • - Now that this excellent organisation has been sue-’ cessfully established in this Dominion, and has, in so short a time, proved its great use by having done so much good in our midst, all Catholics should do their, utmost to co-operate with its members, in order to make still stronger this federation which has shown itself to be an absolute necessity to the Catholics of New Zealand. ) ' — a —— r " T T ’ NOT WHAT HE WANTED. An English ‘ Tommy,’ while stationed in a Flemish village, wanted to buy a tooth-brush. Being unable to speak either French or Flemish he could not manage to make the people understand what he wanted. After several unsuccessful attempts, he hit on a brilliant idea, and, entering a little shop, he proceeded to imitate the action of brushing his teeth. At first the old dame shook her head, then her face suddenly lit up with a smile. Placing a ladder against the wall, she searched for several minutes in some cardboard boxes on a top shelf. She at last found what she wanted, and triumphantly handed him, not a toothbrush, but a Jew’s harp! JUST A CHANCE. An Irish recruit was taking instruction in marksmanship. The squad had finished firing, and the Celt was brought to task for his poor shooting, and told that he must do better at the next distance, there being seven rounds of quick firing. 1 Now, Pat,’ the sergeant told him, ‘ fire at target number five.’ Pat banged away, and hit target number four seven times in succession. 1 Which target did you aim at V asked the sergeant. ‘ Number five, sir,’ answered the recruit. ‘ And you hit number four every time.’ ! Well,’ said the Irishman, ‘ that would be a grand thing in war. Sure, I might aim at a private and hit a gin’ral !’ ’ ' A CORRECTION. Porter: ‘ Miss, your train is — } Precise Passenger: ‘My man, why do you say “your train” when you know it belongs to the railway company ?’ Porter: ‘ Dunno, miss; why do you say “my man” when you know I belong to my old woman?’ NO DIFFERENCE. A darkey running a ferry across the Alabama River was accosted by a poor white stranger who wanted to cross, but hadn’t the wherewithal. Pete scratched his woolly poll perplexedly, then queried: ‘Doan’ yo’ got no money at all?’ ‘No,’ was the dejected reply. __ But it doan’ cost yo’ but three cents ter cross,’ insisted Pete. ‘ I know, but I hain’fc got three cents.’ " After a final inward think Pet© remarked: ‘I done tell yo’ what; a man what’s not got three cents am Jes’ as well off on dis side ob de ribber as on de odder!’