The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLIX, Issue 39, 5 October 1922, Page 45

The Family Circle

✓ A LITTLE MAID. I know a little bright-eyed maid, Whose moods,' now grave, now gay, Change like a shifting weather vane In quite a puzzling way. While those who hear her laughing voice, Her roguish smile, remark, They’re wont with pleased accord to say “She’s happy as —a lark.” Yet oftentimes I grieve to add, If vexed or hurt by care, Transformed at once this maid becomes As cross as any—bear. And then our tongues in mild reproof Of conduct bad we loose, And with a frown address her thus — “You silly little —goose.” Throughout the day her active form First here, then there, we see, And in amazement say she is As busy as a bee. At last, when evening shadows fall And silence rules the house, In slumbering she rests at ease, As quiet as a—mouse. How can she be at once a goose And, on the self-same day A mouse, a lark, a bee, a bear, Is more than I can say. Yet none the less will I maintain, ' Nor contradiction fear, That in addition to all else She’s just a —dear. —George L. Benedict.

THE BLESSINGS OF WORK. The good things, of life come from labor. Labor is the creator of wealth, the foundation of health, and the builder of happiness. . In those pleasant hours of idle imaginings we. may conceive a very great .and very beautiful pattern of life; but to weave their roseate dreams into sweet and valuable realities calls for purposeful and continued effort. Nothing succeeds without labor. We are born to work, and likewise we are endowed with an appreciation that makes the enjoyment of the fruits of our labor one of the finest pleasures in a life that is filled with many pleasures and happy compensations. To work, and to learn to do that work well, are great gifts and fine accomplishments, To work .is to live and to grow,, constantly adding hew pleasures with new ‘achievements. ,It is not what you do so much .as it is the way you do it, your spirit as much as your skill, your sincerity as much as your speed. Talent itself is but labor intensified, and, like all special success, is due more to perspiration than inspiration., v, ...

/ GUARDIAN ANGELS. v ; The month of October reminds one of ia consoling teaching, of the Church, the doctrine, namely, concerning the angels who act as personal guardians to mortals. The Old Testament frequently refers to these spiritual escorts. “He will send His angel before thee”; an' angel accompanies young Tobias, feeds Elias, guards the youths in the fiery furnace, and on many and divers occasions cares for the faithful. Christ warns against giving scandal to little ones, for “their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father.” ' ■ The Fathers also emphasise.this belief, as St. Jerome, who declares that; “the dignity of a soul is so great that

each has a guardian angel from its birth.” St, Augustine admonishes the Christian: - “We should'pray to the angels who are given to us as guardians.” The Church approves all this by instituting a festival in honor of the Guardian Angels. . . There are many beauties in the Catholic Church that seem to be overlooked by the average Catholic, countless sources of strength that go untouched. Thus, indulgences, communion of the saints, and devotion to the angels are perennial founts of grace and needed help in the warfare against the evils of life. The majority of the v faithful, it is safe to say, suffer these prolific means of assistance to pass unheeded. The children of the world omit no effort, overlook no possibility for advancing themselves in a material sense; every opportunity is at once drafted and made to do yeoman duty in the service of lucre, power, or glory. The divinely-called sons of God, on the other hand, are too listless to approach the various treasure houses whence they may draw heavily on heaven’s wealth. Little wonder, therefore, that they remain so poor spiritually. 1 Since each one has a guardian spirit, it would seem at least good policy to cultivate his friendship by honoring and invoking him, and by seeking his aid in times of need.

NUTS TO CRACK. _ Why are birds so melancholy in the morning ? Because their little bills are all overdue. ’ Why is a shoeblack_ like an editor? Because he polishes the understanding of his patrons. What is the longest word in the language? Smiles, because there is a mile between the first and last letters. Why-are potatoes and corn like certain sinners of old? Because having eyes they see not and having ears they hear not. Which is the most wonderful -animal in the farmyard? A piff? because he is killed and then cured. ' Why is a fishmonger never generous? Because his business makes him sell fish. Why are fatigued persons like a wagon wheel? Because they are always tired. J Spell “blind pig” i n two letters. P, G—A pig without an I. What thing is it that is lower with a head than without one? A pillow. What profession is a postman? He is a man of letters.

TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR! (New Style.) Twinkle, twinkle, little star! I don’t wonder what you are. Teacher told us yesterday : Why you come and go away; And she left us have a wrinkle Why you seem to twinkle, twinkle; ~ You are just a whirling mass , ' Of different sorts of burning gas, Rushing through the places where • There really isn’t even .air; Rushing on at miles a second • (Teacher told us how it’s reckoned). And she told us yesterday You’re so many leagues a,way , That, if some great ■ waterspout • Were ,to burst and put you out, None would know your light had fled Until long after we were dead, • ' . So you may twinkle, little star, But I don’t wonder what you are. Punch,

DEAD RECKONING. George Wurzel did not “go much on eddicashun.” Consequently he had an uncomfortable feeling that over his deal in market produce at so much per pound he had been “done.” Mrs. Wurzel agreed— Turning up an old ready-reckoner, they worked out the deficit, and the'next day descended furiously upon the dealer. ' ■ The dealer looked . keenly at the' angry couple. ’

“Get ■ away,” he said, “that’s . last year’s readyreckoner.” Mr. and Mrs. Wurzel beat a crestfallen retreat. SPOILED THE SCENERY. A certain professional man is a great believer in the widening ' influence of travel. When he and his wife set off for a holiday in Switzerland they took their maid with them'. She was much envied by the other girls of the village, and when sire got back one of her friends asked: “Well, Gladys, what did you think of Switzerland?” “Not much,” was the answer. “I Wouldn’t really see what the country was like. The mountains got in the way KNEW TOO MUCH ALREADY. Running the lift in a building where a prominent publishing firm had its offices was a Negro of more than ordinary intelligence. The firm had published a book on mechanical engineering, a chapter of which was devoted to the construction, and operation of passenger lifts. One of the agents selling the book thought he might find a customer in the Negro. “Wash,” he said, “you ought to buy a copy of this book.” “Don’t git no time for readin’ books,” drawled Wash. “It teks all mah time to run dis lift.” “But this book will help you to run your lift. It contains a whole chapter on the operation of passenger lifts,” persisted the canvasser. “Don’t want no help to run dis lift,” said the Negro. “It runs all right now.” “But,” said the canvasser, “this book will help you to run it better. You will know twice as much when you have read it,” “No, boss, dat’s just it,” returned Wash. “Don’t want to learn nothing. Why, I know more now than I git paid, for.” ft SMILE RAISERS. “Yes sir, eighty-two I be, an’ every tooth in my toad 'same as th’ day I were born.”' “I envy the man who sang the tenor solo.” . “Why, I thought he had a very poor voice.” “So did I; but think of the nerve ho has!” v * “Now, Victor, what does , a clever, nice little boy do when he is in a full tramcar and sees an old lady who has to stand up ?” “He pretends he is asleep !” «? Gent.; “Can’t you find work?” Tramp; “Yessir; but everyone wants a, reference from my last employer.” Gent.: “And‘can’t you get one?” Tramp “No, sir. Yer see, he’s been dead twentyeight years.”"S’ SSI Visitor: “What is the dear little chap’s name?” Mother; “John, but we call him Johnny for short.” •P He came across a paragraph in the paper which, dealing with vital statistics, stated that there was a death in the world for every heart-beat of a human'being. “How terrible!” lie murmured. “Every time I breathe someone dies.” And the little man in the corner said sympathetically: “Have you tried cloves; sir?”'