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New Zealand Tablet, 5 July 1917, Page 53

GET THE HABIT.

Of early rising. Of retiring early. Of going to Mass daily. ► - Of being grateful. Of being punctual. Of speaking kindly. Of seeking the sunshine daily. Of speaking correctly. Of closing doors gently. Of neatness in appearance. Of a forgiving spirit. Of being industrious. Of always- being progressive. Of always paying as you go. Of a quiescent concentration. Of daily physical exercise. Of being accommodating. Of economy, not stinginess. Of hoping on and hoping ever. THE PRAYER OF A CATHOLIC SOLDIER. An Irish soldier at the front in Europe wrote in a letter :—• "And now, before we rush into battle, I pray God if I be mortally struck, mutilation will leave me a hand to bless myself, and lips untouched so as again to say a prayer before the end comes." The above sounds like a Christian echo from the old Roman arena. — Catholic Bulletin. A PRIEST. " iv priest forever," down the years it echoes, A pledge that consecrates each day and hour Unto the great High Priest, Whose love hath chosen To gird another soul with sacred power. That raises man to Christ's own dignity— His human medium—dispensing graces— A priest for time and for eternity. —Mary B. Mam OUTSIDE OF SELF. No one can live a true or even an enjoyable life, who is not living for something outside of self. Enjoying oneself is an impossibility unless that self has*, been made enjoyable by outreach of love or generous endeavor. THE CALL OF PATRIOTISM. A mysterious thing is patriotism. It is the call of the blood that has gone into the making of the flag. It is the voice of the past, rising from the graves of dead heroes. It is the appeal of nature that knows not petty strifes or selfish divisions. It is the word of God, ringing in the ears of the nation and firing the hearts of the people to do and to die in glorious fulfilment of duty. Patriotism is everywhere abroad in the land, it speaks in no uncertain accents. Good men have heard its summons.-*-/! in erica. HOME INFLUENCE. " The boy who is taken out for a stroll on a Sunday afternoon by his father," says Judge Scully, of the Chicago Juvenile Court, " is seldom the boy who gets into trouble." ..■:■:■■ ..-.^j

Judge Scully finds, and social workers will agree with him, that the lad who is tempted to follow the downward path is the lad who is deprived of ■ proper home influences. The tone of a family depends largely on the mother, but the father should not restrict himself to the humble though necessary position- of breadwinner. In the opinion of many observers, too many Catholic boys, whose homes are fairly good in most respects, suffer from the fact that they know little about their father, and he knows little about them. Much has been written and sung of the mother’s influence; the influence of the father has not received the -attention which its importance deserves. The father who makes his boys his companions, at least occasionally, safeguards both himself and them.

BE KIND TO THE AGED. Deal very gently with those who are on the downhill of life. Your own time is coming to be where they now are. You, too, are "stepping forward." Soothe the restlessness of age by amusement, by consideration, by noninterference, and by allowing plenty of occupation to fall into the hands that long for it. But cease to order their ways for them as though they were children.

TOO INTELLIGENT. According to the man who was trying to sell him, the dog was the most remarkable speciman of canine intelligence in the world. " I bought him and trained him," he said. "He learnt to bark if there was so much as a ring at the bell, so we thought we'd settled the possibility of burglars. My wife taught him to carry parcels, too — he'd hang on like grim death to any package until she took it away." "What do you want to part with him for then?" asked one of the audience.

“I’ll tell you. One night I heard a noise in the hall. My wife said it was burglars, and it was, too, by Jove !” , “ But didn’t the dog give the alarm?” D O “Not he! He was too busy carrying the lantern for them !”•

NEEDLESS ALARM. "Oh, George, do get up! A lot of these soldiers who came into the town last night are in the front street, quarrelling fearfully." " Let 'em fight it out," advised George, who did not believe in getting out of bed at 6 a.m. " Oh! but an officer has been hollering at them ever —only I could not tell what he said. And now they are shouting back at him—lots of them. Perhaps they'll shoot him! Do get up." And George jumped out of bed, trod on a slipper, and limped to the window to view the desperate affray in the front street.

It was the roll call !

HE FELL IN. Anything Smith could get free he got free. Such an adept at the game was he that he would often apply for free samples from twelve different addresses at once under twelve different names and in twelve different handwritings and live on the product for a week. And now his son was down with a sore throat, and the problem was, how to get him well for nothing. For an hour he hung about outside his doctor's house, and then pretended to be passing accidentally as the medico came out.

“Halloa, doc!” he exclaimed, ingenuously, and then rambled into the by-ways of conversation on our great offensive in France, also on the unsettled weather. At last he reached his point.

“ By the way, doc,” he remarked, casually, “what would you give for a sore throat?” The M.D. looked him up and down. “Nothing,” replied the medico at length. “I don’t want a sore throat.”

THE NATIVE. Robust Old Gentleman (to sick woman just arrived at health resort): " When I first came here I hadn't strength to utter a word; I had scarcely a hair on my head I couldn't walk across the room, and I had to be lifted from my bed." Sick Woman: "You give me great hone. How were you cured ?" Robust Old Gentleman: " I was born here."

SMILE-RAISERS. The cabby regarded the broken down taxi with a gleam of delight, but did not speak. The chauffeur began operating on his machine. He turned and twisted it, and banged it, and screwed, but to no avail, and still the cabby spoke not. Then the chauffeur wiped his brow, and the cabby, still with the gleam in his eye, crossed over. "'Ere!" he exclaimed grimly, holding out his whip. " 'Ere yer are, mister, 'it 'im with this!"

A house-hunter saw an advertisement in the papers describing a charming house within a stone’sthrow of the station.”

He made an appointment, and in due course was escorted to the house in question, two miles away. When they reached the threshold, he turned to the agent suavely. “Would you mind introducing me,” he whispered, “to the person who threw that stone?”

“ I’m sorry I can’s let you have your cheque today,” said the harassed secretary, soothingly. “It is waiting with several other for our managing director’s signature, but he’s laid up at home with gout.” “Great Scott!” cried the persistent and enraged creditor. “ But he doesn’t have to sign ’em with his feet, does he?”

Would-be Slacker (to recruiting-sergeant) : “But, sir, I have bad eyesight, and can’t see any distance. “Don’t worry about that, my man. We will put you in the very front trench, where you will have a good near view.”

Vicar’s Wife: “Yes, Arnold has gone up to London to learn pharmacy. Village Dame: “Oh, missus, ’e needn’t ’ave gone to all that expense ! ’E could ’ave come on our farm an’ welcome!

In the heart of a seed Buried deep, so deep, A dear little plant Lay fast asleep. Wake! said the sunshine, Wake ! said the light, Wake! said the voice of the raindrops bright. The little plant heard and it rose to see What the wonderful outside world might be.

For washing lace curtains NO RUBBING LAUNDRY HELP is best.