The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, 11 July 1918, Page 45

The Family Circle

SOMEWHERE. How can I cease to pray for thee ? Somewhere In God’s great universe thou art to-day; Can He not reach thee with His tender care? Can He not hear me'when for thee I pray? What matters it to Him Who holds within The hollow of His hand all worlds, all space, That thou art done with earthly pain and sin ? Somewhere within His ken thou hast a place. Somewhere thou livest and hast need of Him Somewhere thy soul sees higher heights to climb; And somewhere still there may be valleys dim, That thou must pass to reach the hills sublime. Then all the more, because thou canst not hear, Poor human words of blessing, will I pray, O true, brave heart, God bless thee whereso’er In His great universe thou are to-day. YOU OWE IT TO YOUR MOTHER : To lift all the burdens you can from shoulders that have grown stooped in waiting upon and working for you. To seek her comfort and pleasure in all things before your own. ever to intimate by word or deed that your world and hers are different or that you feel in any way superior to her. To manifest an inte'rest in whatever interests or amuses her. To make her a partner, so far as your different ages will permit, in all your pleasures and recreations. To remember that her life is monotonous compared with yours, and to take her to some suitable place of amusement, or for a trip to the country, or to the city if your home is in the country, as frequently as possible. To introduce all your young friends to her and to enlist her sympathies in youthful projects, hopes and plans, so that she may carry youth into old age. To deter to her opinions and treat them with respect even if they seem antiquated to you in all the smart up-to-dateness of your college education. To talk to her about your work, your studies, youi filends, your amusements, the books you read, the places you visit, for everything that concerns you is of interest to her. ' To treat her with the unvarying courtesy and deference you accord to those who are above you in rank or position. To bear patiently with all her peculiarities or infirmities of temper or disposition, which may be the result of a life of care and toil. Not to shock or pain her by making fun of her religious prejudices if they happen to be at variance with yours, or if they seem narrow to your advanced views. To-study her tastes and habits, her likes and dislikes. and cater to them as far as possible in an unobtrusive way. To remember that she is still a girl at heart so far as delicate little attentions are concerned. To give her flowers during her lifetime and not to wait to heap them on her casket. To make her frequent, simple presents, and to be sure that they are appropriate and tasteful. To write to her and visit her. To do your best to keep her youthful in appearance, as well as in spirit, by helping her to take pains with her dress and the little accessories and details of her toilet.

If she is no longer able to take her accustomed part in the household duties, not to let her. feel that she is superannuated or has lost any of her importance as the central factor in the family. Not to forget to show your appreciation of all her years of self-sacrifice. To give her credit for a large part of your success. A DOG’S EXAMPLE. Archbishop Benson, of the Anglican Church, the father of Monsignor Benson, one of the most distinguished converts to the Church in our time, had a dog named Watch, that always followed his footsteps in the park and about the house. When service went on in the chapel, Watch stretched himself on the mat at the open door. On one occasion when the Archbishop was quoting our Lord’s words, “What I say unto you, I say unto all watch!” the dog immediately started up and walked to his master as if he had been called. Whenever duty calls us we should obey as Watch did. A QUIET COME-BACK. He was fond of playing jokes on his wife and this time he thought he had a winner. My dear, he said, as they sat at supper, “I just heard such a sad story of a young girl to-day. They thought she was going blind, and so a surgeon operated on her and found” “Yes,” gasped the wife breathlessly. That she d got a young man in her eye!” ended the husband with a chuckle. lor a moment there was silence. Then the lady remarked slowly ; J Well, it would all depend on what sort of a man it was. Some ot them she could have seen through easily enough.” ° HOW THE BATTLE OCCURRED. “So your boy Mike has gone to the war?” “And sure he has that.” They ve had a great battle over there, I’m hearing-” “It’s the gospel truth.” “So you heard about it?” Sure and I did. Didn’t Mike tell it to me on a postal ?” “What did ho say?” Sure he said; 'One day the general came out of his tint and says, says he, “Is Mike Brady here?’ and Mike says, ‘I am,’ and he says, says he, ‘Let the battle go on.’ ” NO DIFFERENCE. “I understand you go fox-hunting,” said an English bishop to a vicar. .1. don’t approve of that.” But fox-hunt is merely a healthy exercise,” timed the vicar. “Besides, my lord, L hear you were at a ball the other night.” “In a sense that is so,” admitted the bishop; “but, truly speaking, 1 was three or tour rooms away from the ballroom.” The vicar smiled. “And lam always three or four fields behind the fox, so where’s the difference?” ONLY A DETAIL. The Claytons had recently amassed an immense fortune, and Mrs. Clayton intended to spare no effort nor expense to break into society. I think,” said she to her husband one morning while she was engaged in arranging a musical programme, “that we will have a mezzo-soprano.” “All right, all right,” replied Mr. Clayton nervously, “go ahead and see an architect, but don’t bother me about it.” A SURE THING. Travelling in the mountains, a man stopped at a cabin and asked for a drink of water. An old woman brought it to him, and after drinking he had quite a

talk with her, telling her about some of the wonders he had seen in the outside world. When he finally stopped to take breath the old woman, after listening attentively, said: Stranger, if I knowed as much as you do I’d go somewhere an’ start a little grocery.” SMILE RAISERS. What happened to me?” asked the chronic optimist when he woke up in the hospital. The motor that knocked you down cut your leg off, said the nurse. Oh, well,” he mused, ‘‘l had rheumatism in that leg anyhow.” If your mother bought four bunches of grapes, (he shopkeeper’s price being ninepence a bunch, how much money would the purchase cost her?” asked a pupil teacher. You never can tell,” answered the young hopeful. “Mil's great at bargaining.” A horse-owner whose horse had been prescribed for by a veterinary surgeon ran into the latter’s office, and with his eyes jumping out of their sockets cried: ‘‘Oh, Doctor, I’m poorly; the powder kilt me intirely. ” 'The powder! Why, man, I didn’t tell you to take the powder. I told you to place it in a paper tube and put one end in the horse’s mouth and blow hard.” ‘‘Yes, sir: I put the powder in the tube, and I put the end ot it in the horse’s mouth, with the other end in my own; but, doctor, the horse blew first.” The young “pride of the family” had been to school for the first time in his short six years. ‘‘What did you learn?” asked his mother, as mothers always ask on the afternoon after the morning before. Little Johnny frowned. "I didn’t learn nothin’,” he replied. "I have to go back to-morrow.” ‘‘When you write a question what do you do?” “Draw an ear after it, ’ said Hobby, giving his idea of an interrogation point. ‘‘What if we loses this blinkin’ war after all, Bill 2” ‘‘Well, all I can say is—them what finds it is quite welcome to keep it.” An old fellow on his death bed, in making his will, murmured to his lawyer: ‘‘And to each of my employees who have been with me twenty years or more I bequeath £2000.” ‘‘What generosity!” the lawyer exclaimed. “No, not at all,” said the sick man. ‘‘You see, none of them have been with me over a year ; but it will look good in the papers, won’t it?”