The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLIII, Issue 18, 4 May 1916, Page 53

The Family Circle

THE FIVE LITTLE CHICKENS

Said the first little chicken, with a queer little squirm : 4 i wish 1 could hnd a fat little worm.’

Said the next little chicken, with an odd little sigh ' 1 wisfi I could find a fat little fly.' Said the third little chicken, with a sharp little squeal ' ' I wish I could find some nice yellow meal.' Said the fourth little chicken, with a small sigh of grief'•l wish I could find a green little leaf.'

Said the fifth little chicken, with a faint little moan, 4 I wish I could find a wee gravel stone.’

Now, see here,’ said the mother, from the old garden patch, 4 lf you want any breakfast, just come out here and scratch.’ v .

WHAT KEPT RUTH.

• ‘Mamma, may I go to see Ada ?’ said Ruth as slip tied on her sunbonnet. * ion know she is going to visit her Aunt Emma to-morrow, and i won’t see her for a whole month.’ 4 Why, yes, i think so,’ said Mrs. Naylor. ‘ Your dress is clean and you have all your chores done. Yes, you may go and stay a little while. You will miss Ada very much.’ 4 What if Ada’s mamma asks me to stay to dinner?’ asked Ruth, twisting her bonnet strings. 4 Well, I think you’ll have to stay then,’ laughed Mrs. Naylor. “Be a nice, polite little girl, and if she doesn t ask you come right back home. Remember, 1 can trust you.’ . So Ruth kissed her mother good-bye and skipped down the lane and toward the little woods pasture that separated her father’s farm from that of Mr. Gilbert. It was a pleasant walk and the two little girls had worn a path going back and forth visiting. The distance was not long, but she was not in sight of home on account of the little hills that shut out the view. Mrs. Naylor was very busy that day, but along about four in the afternoon she thought Ruth ought to be coming home. 4 Something may have happened,’ she said. 4 I can always trust Ruth and she never was gone this long before.’

4 Now, don’t worry,’ said Mr. Naylor, who . had been away from, home helping a neighbor thresh. 4 Ruth is past eight and she can ’be trusted. Most likely the girls are having a good time and Mrs. Gilbert has forgotten to send her home.’

But to, satisfy her he started down toward the woods pasture saying he would meet her on the way home. Ruth was such a trusty little girl that he walked rather slowly, thinking to give the little girls more playtime since they would not be able to play together for so long. 4 Papa ! Papa Papa cried a very joyful, but rather faint, little voice as he reached the woods pasture. ‘.I thought nobody would ever come.’ . Poor little Ruth! As she went singing through the woods in the morning she found the cattle in their neighbor’s woods breaking down the fence and about ready to get into her father’s corn field. She drove them far back - into the woods calling for help as she did so, but nobody could hear her at that distance. Every time she thought she had the cattle safe from the field and started to r,un for help they came plunging back, eager for the fresh green corn. So the poor child had to‘ stay at the broken place all day. 4 And never a bite of dinner!’ said her father, gathering her up in his arms and kissing the tear-stained face. 4 lam so sorry, little Ruth. You are a brave girl to care for your father’s corn so well. Sit here in the shade and I’ll mend the fence in a few minutes.’

.He, brought some rails and repaired the place until he could come back with hammer and nails and materials and then they hurried to the house. You may be sure Ruth ate a great big dinner-supper as soon as her mother could put the good things on the table. 1. . " Ruth did not get to see Ada until she came home from her visit, but she thought she was well paid for her hard day when her father took her to town and let her pick out the dearest little blue and gold watch you ever saw. ? 5a ' ' .- - ,

s: .‘For only one day’s work!’ said Ruth happily.‘as the lady in the store pinned the watch to her new blue dress, 4 My ,' but that was a good day’s work!’ : . - 4 B >£;•;* It certainly ; was;,’ said her • father. - 4 lt saved •me hundreds of dollars, my brave little Ruth.’ ■ .'-'-.x

GOOD FOR EVIL.

fr One day last summer a dear . little . girl in ' a white frock and with a great bunch of flowers, ■ passed by a boy who was playmg in the dusty street: Somehow the sight of that dainty figure stirred the spirit of mischief' in the boy heart, and suddenly a handful of dirt struck the kid^htfes^ " U^e t^ resSj and fell in a shower upon ; the

The girl stood still. Her face flushed pink. : Her lips trembled as if she might cry. But instead a smile broke over her face, and taking a flower from her bunch, she tossed it at the boy who stood waiting to see' what she was going to do. - , , ■ A more surprised boy no one ever saw, nor one more heartily ashamed He hung his head, and his cheeks reddened under their tan and freckles. His unkind-fun was quite spoiled, just because in return for a handful of dirt someone had thrown him a flower. ■■ • What a changed world this would be if everybody, big and little, was as wise as this six-year-old maid. ' How quarrels would go out of fashion if for angry words we threw back gentle _ answers ! How ugly looks would become scarce and disappear, if for frowns we always returned smiles. . J In some lands where flowers are very plentiful, every year they have festivals when the people on the street pelt one another with blossoms. If we fell into the way of scattering about us bright looks, sweet words, 'and loving deeds, the , whole year, even the cold, snowy winter would be like one long festival of flowers.

POLITE CONVERSATION!

There were some visitors at the door, and, as mother was not just ready to make her appearance, little Johnny was told to let them in and show them to the parlor. n • This he did, and while they all waited for mother to finish doing -up her back hair, the small boy sat very still and embarrassed. Presently, seeing the visitors taking stealthy glances round the cozy little room, he remarked politely: ‘Well, what do you think of our furniture'?’

RARE FRIENDSHIP.

_ A touching story of two friends is told bv William Beatty-Kingston in his Journalist’s Jottings. They were two officers in the English army who quarrelled about some trifle, and although they had been the closest of comrades, became in consequence entirely estranged. The fact of their separation as extremely bitter to both of them, and one Christmas Day one of them received from the other a card bearing a dove with an olive branch. The recipient kept the message by him for a twelvemonth, and on the following Christmas sent it back to his fellow officer, who in turn laid it aside for a year, and then dispatched it on the, next anniversaryw Through three successive decades, at each Christmastide, the mute messenger was regularly sent in token of continued friendship, until a year came when it was forgotten because the present possessor w-as too harassed by financial losses to remember it. In the course of the Christmas week, however, his wife, came upon the card and sent it off to her husband’s friend, with a newspaper cutting referring to her husband’s bankruptcy. The returning post brought her a letter, enclosing a thousand pounds, and explaining that the sender had just come into a fortune, and that in return for this • trifling sum, intended for his old friend’s rescue, he should keep the Christmas card as his most precious possession.

KITCHENER STORIES

... _ Those who know Lord Kitchener like to remember an incident when, during the South African War, the young scion of a noble house, who had joined the Imperial Yeomanry as a trooper, could not understand that he was not on terms of perfect equality with the members of the staff. Having been summoned one morning to carry some despatches for the Commander-in-Chief, he entered the room with a jaunty air. 4 Do you -want me. Kitchener?’ he asked, calmly. The rest of the staff gasped for fear of what would happen next. Kitchener, .-however, merely looked at him with a smile. 4 Oh, don’t call me Kitchener,*’ he remarked, gently 4 it’s so beastly formal. Call me Herbert.’ . - ■ -j -j Even more crushing was the yeply of 4 K. of K.’ to an effusive individual who met him in Whitehall shortly after the South African War. He started, 4 Halloa, Lord Kitchener! I bet you don’t know me?’ His lordship gazed at him unmoved. 4 You win,’ he replied, laconically." • : Perhaps Lord .Kitchener’s pet, aversion is effiminacy in ; the Army, and many a : hard knock . has he given to young officers of the eyeglass-and haw-haw type. It is rather,, a chestnut, but one may recall, as characteristic of Kitchener’s' manner on such occasions, the' story : of the young subaltern , who Pegged for. his autograph on a dainty.

VrVoV ' ..V; V-. j handkerchief. -Kitchener/picked .up : the scented hand' kerchief.- and sniffed it. ',‘;Your.' sister’s;.’ I presume?’ he questioned," fixing' the ' gilded 'youth ’ with a scornful eye. ‘No, sir; my own. : A very, pretty pattern, isn’t it?’ ‘ Very,’ was. Kitchener’s dry response, as he passed the handkerchief back unsigned. ‘ What is your taste ■in hairpins, by,the way?’ ,- No story, perhaps, illustrates Kitchener’s- sense of humor more. than that of an , incident which occurred when a pompous individual claimed old friendship with him on the plea that their families were friends two generations ago. ‘ Oh; yes,’ Lord", Kitchener said, with a • twinkle in his eye; ‘if your grandfather lived and worked with mine he must have been selling tea in the same shop.’

A DEFINITION.

A couple of dusky pupils in a primary school in the South were encountering difficulties with their First Reader.- ■ r

LRastus,’ asked one of the other, ‘how kin I tell which is a “d” and which is a “b” ?’ ! ‘Don’t you know?’ asked Rastus; ‘why de “d” is de letter with its stummick on its back.’

COLUMBUS UP TO DATE.

Teacher: I’m surprised at you, Sammy Wicks, that you cannot tell me when Christopher Columbus discovered America! What does the chapter heading of the week’s lesson read?’- •

Sammy: ‘Columbus — Teacher: ‘Well, isn’t that plain enough? Did you never see it before?’ Sammy: ‘ Yes’m, yes’m; but I always thought it was his telephone number.’ * .V .. ...

NOT SMART ENOUGH

Tommy: ‘Talking of riddles, do you know the difference between an apple and an elephant? His Sister’s Young Man (benignly) : ‘ No, Tommy, I don’t.’ Tommy:- ‘You’d be a smart chap to send out to buy apples, wouldn’t you v -

EASILY EXPLAINED.

The late Pierpont Morgan was one day showing a friend his magnificent dog-kennels, when suddenly the visitor stopped to admire a particularly fine pointer. f That’s a beautiful dog he exclaimed. What do you call him?’ Lord Rothschild,’ answered Mr. Morgan. ‘ Why on earth do you call him that?’ asked his friend in surprise. ‘ That’s easily explained,’ . replied the millionaire. * It’s because he never loses a (s)cent !’

A FATHER’S PRESCRIPTION.

Anxious Mother:,‘lt was after 9 o’clock when Clara came down to breakfast this morning, and the poor girl didn’t look well at all. Her system needs toning up. What do you thing of iron?’ Father : * Good idea ! ’ Anxious Mother: What kind of iron had she better take ?’

Father: ‘She had better take a flat-iron.’

HE TESTED IT.

The politician was making a speech when he w>as annoyed by the frequent interruptions of an opposition voter, who seemed bent on causing trouble. « My friend,’ said speaker, determined to suppress the disturber, ‘ haven’t you heard the story of how a braying ass put to flight the entire Syrian army?’ ‘ Don’t be afraid of this audience,’ shouted back the disturber of the meeting. ‘ There ain’t no danger of it stampeding. You’ve tested it.’

A SHAKESPEARE STORY.

, William Dean Howells, the well-knowm American critic, tells a Shakespeare story. . : ", ' * In Stratford,’ he says, ‘during one of the Shakespeare jubilees, an American tourist approached an aged villager in a smock and said: “Who is this chap Shakespeare, anyway?”. ( . ‘ “He were a writer, sir.” . , “‘Oh, but there are lots of writers. Why do you make such an infernal fuss over this one, then? Wherever I;turn I see Shakespeare hotels,. Shakespeare cakes, Shakespeare chocolates, Shakespeare shoes. What the deuce did, he writer— magazine: stories, attacks on the Government, shady novels?”

‘“No, sir; oh, no, sir,’ said the aged, villager. -“I understand he writ for the Bible, sir.” ’ -v , :

WELL-BRED DOGS.

Sam was reading the paper when suddenly he snorted and addressed Mrs. Sam : What tomfoolery, Maria It says here, that some idiot has actually ’ paid a thousand guineas for a dog!’ ‘Well, my' dear, those well-bred dogs are worth a lot of money, you know,’ -answered his wife. " - - ‘ Yes, of course I know that. But a thousand guineas I Why, it’s a good deal more than I am worth myself 1’ ‘Ah, yes, Sam. But those dogs are well bred

A JOKE ON HIMSELF.

Sir George Reid is never afraid of telling a story, against himself, and he is always repeating remarks that have been made on his huge bulk.' His favorite concerns an occasion when he paid a tribute to a chairman by saying, _ ‘I saw him give his seat to a. feeble old man in an omnibus.’

The chairman chipped in, * That’s nothing. I once saw you give your seat ta three ladies in a tramway car.’

WHERE HE OUGHT TO BE.

■■ Sir Herbert Tree once, during the rehearsal of a certain play, asked a very young and by no means brilliant actor,, who fancied himself greatly, to ‘Step back a little.’ The actor did so, and Tree went on rehearsing. A little later the famous manager repeated his request, and the. youth obeyed again. Shortly afterwards Tree once more asked him to ‘Step a little farther back.’ ‘ But if I do,’ complained the youthful one,' ruefully, ‘ I shall be completely off the stage.’ ‘Yes,’ answered Tree, quietly, ‘ that’ s s right!’

HOLD FASTS.

‘There is but one thing in all the world we can put our faith and reliance in with perfect confidence,’ said the Sunday school teacher. Can any little girl tell me what it is?’

‘Safety pins!’- promptly answered a little miss who had ideas of her own.’

WILLIE’S COMPOSITION.

Willie’s composition on soap: ‘Soap is a kind of stuff made into nice-looking cakes that smells good and tastes awful. Soap pieces always taste the worst when you get it into your eyes. My father says the Eskimos don’t ever use soap. I wish I was an Eskimo.’

THE QUAKER’S APT REBUKE.

An elderly Quaker w r ent into a book store, and an impertinent salesman, wishing to have a joke at his expense, said to him; ‘You are from the country, aren’t you?’ ‘ Yes,’ quietly answered the Quaker. ‘ Then here’s just the thing for you,’ said the clerk, holding up a book. ‘ What is it ?’ asked the Quaker. ‘ It’s an essay on the rearing of calves.’ ‘ Friend,’ said the Quaker, ‘ thou hadst better present that to thy mother.’

NOT MUCH.

A well-known country violinist was bitterly disappointed with the account of his recital printed in a local paper. ' / ■‘ I told your man three or four times,’ complained the musician to the owner of the paper, ‘ that the instrument I used was a genuine Stradivarius, and in his story there was not a word about it, not a word.’ Whereupon the owner said ith a laugh: That is as it should be. When Mr. Stradivarius gets his fiddle advertised in my paper you come around and let me know;’-

HE OPERATED.

~ ‘ You’re in a bad ay, my man,’ the surgeon said. ‘ I’ll have to operate.’ ’ . . v . ! But, doctor,’ said the patient anxiously, ‘l’m a poor working man. I’ve got no money to pay for operations.’ The surgeon frowned. VJ ■ . ' ’ , ■ ‘ Humph,’, he said. ‘ You carry life insurance, don’t yon P* Yes, but I don’t get that until • after I’ m dead.’ . ‘ Yes, but I don’t get that until after I’m dead.’ . , * The surgeon smiled. ' * . . . V ‘Oh ' that’ll^ be all right,’ said in a soothing voice.