The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLIX, Issue 21, 1 June 1922, Page 45

The Family Circle

DREAMING OF HOME. It comes to me often in silence, When the firelight sputters low— When the black uncertain shadows Seem wraiths of long ago; • And e’er with a throb of heartache, That thrills each pulsive vein, Comes the old, unquiet longing For the peace of home again. I’m sick of the roar of cities, And the faces cold and strange; I know where there’s warmth and welcome, And my yearning fancies range Back to the dear old homestead, With an aching sense of pain; But there’ll be joy in the coming, ' When I go home again. In these five words there’s music That never may die away, And it seems the hands of angels, On a mystic harp at play, Have touched, with a yearning sadness, On a beautiful broken strain, To which my fond heart is wording! “When I go home again.” Outside my darkened window, Is the great worlds crash and din, And slowly the autumn shadows Come driving, drifting in. Sobbing, the night-wind murmurs To the splash of the autumn rain; But I dream of the glorious greeting, When I go home again. * —Sr. M. E. in St. Michael’s Calendar, NUNS AND CONVENTS. There are in the United States at this moment, more than 50,000 women who have, of their own free will, left home and, in many instances, fortunes, in order to “ini struct others unto justice,” to nurse the sick in the hospital, to care for the orphan and the aged, and the wayward, in special homes as a life-long work. Hundreds of thousands of such saintly ladies are working for God, for the souls of others and for their own sanctification, throughout the world. They are often called “Spouses of Christ,” because they have chosen Him as their only lover (says the Sunday Visitor). Only those Protestants who have come in close contact with the Catholic Sister seem to understand her and her motive. Ask the old soldier who was nursed by one of them on the battlefield; ask the man who experienced her unselfish devotion when he was ill; ask any of the thousands of ladies who were taught by one of them in a Catholic boarding school and see if their estimate of the nun is that which others have gleaned from the pages- of the novel, or from teachers who were hostile to the Catholic Church and who entertain most unwarranted ideas about Catholic Sisterhoods. The Convent Inspection Laws which were passed in recent years in those states where Catholics are few', and where bigotry is intense, were born of the suspicions provoked by anti-Catholic training and not by any abuses even apparent. No girl is ever forced into the convent against her will; no girl would be detained in the convent if she wanted to get out. Therefore, there can be no such thing as an “escaped nun.” On the contrary, a novitiate of several years precedes the entry of the young lady into the religious life, and she is even urged not to take the step unless she is sure she will find her life’s happiness in such a vocation. > Those who are in convents are there solely to live pure and holy lives, and they are even under vow to observe chastity in the strictest manner. When Religious Communities were dissolved in Prance and some other countries, their bit-

terest enemies never thought of charging their members with evil lives, , The present-day anti-Catholic lecturer gets his story from, women who were in Houses of the Good Shepherd, but were never nuns. These institutions are reformatories conducted by nuns, and the wayward girls who are there are, of course, sent there against their will, just as the wayward girls in our State reformatories are there against their will. Inmates in the Houses of the Good Shepherd are not even permitted to become nuns. It is from such convent institutions, and not from convents that there have been escapes, MAN’S BEST FRIEND: OUR EARLIEST AND MOST SERVICEABLE DOMESTIC ANIMAL. In the early days, centuries and centuries ago, man lived mostly by the chase, as to-day the last surviving savage tribes still live. The raising of herds, the tilling of the soil, the manufacture of goods, all were unknown. Wild animals hunted in the forests with stone weapons and pointed sticks, furnished almost the only resource. Their flesh gave food, their skins provided clothing. To catch the game, a fleet-footed auxiliary in the chase was necessary ; to keep these dangerous animals in a proper state of awe, a courageous defender was needed by man. This auxiliary, this defender, and, best of all, this friend, devoted even to death, was the dog; a gift from heaven to help man in his pitiful beginnings. With the aid of the dog, life was rendered less perilous, food more assured. Leisure followed, and from being a hunter man became a herdsman. The herd was formed, at first very indocile, and at the slightest lack of watchfulness taking again to the wild life of old. Its keeping was confided to the dog, which, posted on some rising ground of the pasture, its scent to the wind and ear on the watch, followed the herd with vigilant eye, and rushed to bring back the runaways or to drive off some evil-intentioned beast. Thanks to the dog’ the herd gave abundance— and its products, flesh for food, and warm wool for clothing. Then, relieved from the terrible anxiety concerning daily provisions, man took it into his head to dig in the earth and make it produce grain. Agriculture sprang into being, and with it, little by little, civilisation. By the very force of circumstances, therefore, man in all countries is at first a hunter, later he becomes, a herdsman, and ends by being an agriculturist. The dog is absolutely necessary to him, first for hunting, then for watching and defending the herd. Of all . our domestic animals, accordingly, the dog is the earliest on record and the one that has rendered us the greatest service. <XK*X*X*X*> NUTS TO CRACK. What man is always on strike? blacksmith. What is the best way for a boy to make his coat last? Make the trousers and waistcoat first. Whose eye never sheds a tear?—A needle’s. Why is a peacock like the figure 9?—Because it is nothing without its tail. What does a battleship with twenty-four guns weigh just before she sets Anchor. When are oranges like bells ?—When they are peeled (pealed). What belongs to yourself, and is used by your friends more than by yourself?—Your name. Where can happiness always be found?—ln the dictionary. Why are nose and chin at continual variance? Because words always passing between them. Who dares sit. before the King with his hat on The coachman. Why is life like this —Because you’ must give it up. What word contains the five vowels in —Facetious. ' Why is dough like the sun? Because when it rises it is light. ... , Which has the hardest life of it—tea or Coffee?— because coffee can settle down, but tea has to stand and draw. j What do we often catch but never see? — passing remark. . Why did the little dog bark Because he couldn’t sing and he wanted to make a noise

WHAT THERE’S TIME FOR. ■ Lots of time for lots of things, Though it’s <sad that Time has wings. There is always time to find Ways of being sweet and kind There, is always time to share Smiles and goodness everywhere; Time to send the frowns away, Time a gentle word to say, Time for helpfulness, and time To assist the weak to climb; Time to give a little flower, Time for friendship, any hour, But there is no time to spare. THE LAST WORD. It is a tragic irony of fate when a temperance lecturer has a red nose. An earnest advocate of the sparkling brook was addressing an audience some time ago, and was interrupted by a heckler who punctuated his flowing periods with: “Tell us how’yer got yer nose! That ain’t a water color!” Presently the lecturer could stand it no longer. “That man will make me angry in a minute!” he cried. “I’m not easily put out, but when I am put out, you can be sure that ” . “It’s closing time!” shouted the heckler. ❖WWW A VACANT PLACE. A prosy Methodist preacher as giving an endless discourse on the prophets. First he dwelt at length on the minor prophets. At last he finished them, and the congregation gave a sigh of relief. He took a long breath and continued : “Now I shall proceed to the major prophets.” After the major prophets had been amply treated, the congregation gave another sigh of relief. “Now that I have finished with the minor prophets and the major prophets, what about Jeremiah? Where is Jeremiah’s place P” At this point a tall man arose and announced; “Jeremiah can have my place; I am going home.” SMILE RAISERS. He: “I want you to help spend my salary.” She; “Am I not, doing that?” He: “No, no; I mean for ever and ever.” She; “It won’t take me as long as that.” ¥ The Boss: “What do you mean by such language? Are you the manager here, or am I?” Jones: “I know' I’m not the manager.” The Boss; “Very well, then; if you’re not the manager, why do you talk like a blamed idiot?” Sp Customer (in restaurant): “That’s a small amount for me to-day, waiter. You know, as an old customer, I usually get two slices of mutton.” Waiter; “I beg your pardon, sir; you’re quite right. That stupid cook has quite forgotten to cut the slice in two.” zh The minister of a Scottish country parish, whose estimate of himself was not of the lowest type, had accepted a call to a wider sphere, and was ’paying a few farewell visits. “So ye’re gaun tae leave us,” said one of the oldest of his female parishioners, as he sat, down. “What will we'dae noo?” “Oh, Mrs. Macfarlane,” replied the minister in affable tones, “you’ll soon get a far better man!” “’Deed, sir,” came the despondent rejoinder, “I hae my doots. We’ve had five in my time, and every one o’ them has been w r orse than the last!”