The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, 14 July 1921, Page 45

The Family Circle

MY NATIVE LAND. Hills and Aalleys fair to see, Rivers deep are flowing, Forest green Avith shady nooks Where the laurel’s growing. Granite rocks lift high their heads, Waterfalls are tumbling Down the mountain side so steep To where the ocean’s rumbling. Waves roll in upon the shore, Fishing boats draw nigh, Seagulls, white, with fluttering wings Float against the sky. Orchards full of blossoms sweet, Perfume fills the air, Homes where truest friends oft meet, Greetings everywhere. \ Native land, Where’er I roam I long for thee, My own dear home.

SPORTSMANSHIP. A good sport is a man who wins honestly, who loses cheerfully, who hopes increasingly, who bestows quietly, who meets you naturally, who differs fairly, who agrees warmly, who lives liberally, who pays his bills promptly, realising that the only way to have a friend is to be one, and whose playfellows therefore are mankind.

A WONDERFUL THING. Enthusiasm is the dynamics of your personality. Without it, whatever abilities you may have lie dormant. You may possess knowledge, sound judgment, good reasoning faculties, but. no one will know it until you discover how to put your heart into thought and action. A wonderful thing is this quality which we call enthusaism. If you would like to be a power among men, cultivate enthusiasm. People will like you better for it; you will escape the dull routine of a mechanical existence and you will make headway wherever you are.J. Ogden Armour.

AMERICA’S VICE-PRESIDENT PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE MOTHER OE GOD. To the long list of non-Catholics who, in the genius of poetry, music ,and oratory, have given to the world an expression of the appeal Mary’s Motherhood has inspired, we are exceedingly pleased to add the name of Mr. Thomas R. Marshall, Vice-President of the United States (says Truth, New York). At the Convention of American War Mothers, held at Washington, in the absence of President Wilson, then tourmg the West, the notable gathering of American women, who had given their sons for the freedom of the world, was addressed by the Vice-President. Mr. Marshall, in the course of his remarks, paid this beautiful tribute to the Blessed Virgin Mary: “There is a religious. communion that venerates and worships a type of woman—the Blessed Virgin. It delights me to consider her the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of God Incarnate upon earth. Ido not myself happen to be a communicant of that great Church; but I hope I shall be violating none of the proprieties when I say that the feelings of those communicants from the divine standpoint have appealed to me from the human standpoint. “I have thought of her as typical of the mothers of all the ages, even, though they have been compelled to stand and see their sons suffer in the cause of justice and humanity; have been compelled to see their little prattling babes grow up to stalwart manhood and face the hour of duty of service, and of sacrifice; who have watched ; eye a . nd broken-hearted > a « they marched to martial strains along the highway of duty to the Calvary o supreme sacrifice in the cause, in which they believed.

“She, the typical mother of all time, has glorified and beautified and made sacred motherhood in all the ages, and all times. But particularly has she made sacred that motherhood which for a cause in which the) son believes, has been ready and willing that the son should give .up his life, his fortune, and his sacred honor to the accomplishment of his noble ideal.”

GOD’S CANDLES. The' stars are candles of the sky_ That God lights up each night, So that the souls He’s calling home May find the pathway bright. But when at last the night is gone And people stir about, , God lights the large white lamp of day And blows His candles out. —Thomas E. Burke, in Ave Maria.

PLAIN COMMON-SENSE. If there were omnipotent and obliging fairies going about as they did in the olden times, with endowments and gifts for one and all, what boon would be most generally craved? Money, fame, knowledge, ability, pleasure, good taste, and many another matter would have innumerable votaries. Plain common-sense, though the best of possessions for the v ear and tear of life, would be sought by few. Most of the poets, artists, musicians, authors, who made a sad work of their own lives and the lives of others were notably deficient in this great asset. Moliere, Shelley, Byron, Carlyle, and many equally well known to fame, were lacking in common-sense.

Those possessed of common-sense are not in the habit of battering their heads against stone walls. They recognise that feelings of envy or jealousy hurt themselves only; and they never lose sight of the fact that, while there are certainly people very much better off in life than themselves, there are as surely many mortals far worse situated. Common-sense teaches control of the temper, and restraint of that unruly member, the tongue; and it counsels patience and resignation in the trials and afflictions that <u o inevitable. It disdains the ever-recurring minor wor- I ries of the day, and accepts philosophically the irritating annoyances that fall to the lot of the majority of mankind. I his quality enables those endoAved Avith it to vioAV their own abilities and their own limitations with fair impartiality; they also can make allowance for the faults and ' imperfections of their neighbors, remembering

There’s so much good in the worst of us, And so much bad in the best of us, That it ill becomes any one of us To speak an ill word of the rest of us.

Ave Maria .

LOST ONE BREAKFAST. A furniture van blocked the way, and a little boy stood by the horse and gave it some bread to eat. The driver looked on approvingly.

That s right, he said to the young benefactor, “always be kind to dumb animals. Look lioaa 7- the horse enjoys that But does your mother always give you big hunks like that?”

“No,” replied the youngster, “mother didn’t give me that one. I" found it lying in the van.” “What!” yelled the carter. “Why, you young scamp, that Avas my breakfast !<.’ " **

HIS GOLDEN STUTTER. The leader of an orchestra was engaging musicians, UnaAvare that the oboe player Avhom he contemplated engaging was not completely master of his instrument, he entered into negotiations by saying, “Harris,. I’ll give you a week if you’ll become a permanent member of . the orchestra.” .

Harris, painfully aware of his imperfections, began to stammer confused thanks, but before he could bring out his' first Avord, he was interrupted bj>, “Oh, then, we’ll make it £6. ;- .' • --

“I—l ” began Harris, seeking adequate expression for his gratitude.

“All right, let’s say £B,’ ; interrupted the leader. And at £8 it stood !

DESERVED TO BE. He was an enthusiastic Scot, and .he was discussing 'with an English friend the merits .of their respective countries. Military prowess, brilliance in invention, engineering, travel, and Empire-building had all been passed in review, and the Scot had won hands down. Eventually the Englishman sought refuge in literature. “Weel, tae tak’ literature,” interrupted the Scot, “there’s Rabbie Burns, Walter Scott, Stevenson, Hugh Miller, Barrie —that’s just mentionin’ a few at random a’ Scots!”

“Yes, yes, but wait a bit,” protested the Englishman. “There’s one greater than all these put —William Shakspere. You wouldn’t suggest he was a Scotsman, would you?”

“Weel,” thoughtfully responded the Scot, “I wadna precisely dae that. But the men’s intelligence wad almost warrant the inference!”

SMILE RAISERS. He; “Do you really believe ignorance is bliss?” She: “I don’t know. You seem to be quite happy.”

Clara; “That man over there is staring straight at my

nose.”

Nell: “Probably he’s a reporter.”

Clara: “And why should a reporter stare at my nose?”

Nell: “They are supposed to keep their eyes on everything that turns up, aren’t they?”

Tommy; “You know the apples in the cupboard that you told me not to eat?”

Father: “Yes.”

Tommy: “You know you said they’d make mo ill if I ate them, didn’t you?”

Father: “Yes.”

Tommy: “Well, they didn’t.”

Mrs. Newlyrich, who was sending her boy to a firstclass public school, wrote to the head master stating that she was “very particular,” and asking if any inquiry was made into the antecedents of scholars.

The head master replied: “Madam, if you pay th® fees regularly and your boy behaves himself no inquiry will be made into his antecedents.”

A street-corner orator was shouting: “We are at the last straw. We have gone from extravagance to extravagance; now we are making steadily for poverty and despair. We shall have thrown away everything, and we shall soon be feeding; on 4 the very husks that the swine do eat.’ Then there will be nothing left for us.”

One of his hearers shouted, very aptly: “Oh, no,sir; what about the pigs? We’ll all have pork.”

She caught her train: But here, perhaps, ’Twere better to explain ’Twas on a nail -’ '

She caught her train.

Tearing after her train, I do declare She found her train was tearing after her.