The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 37, 20 September 1923, Page 53

The Family Circle

I SHALL NOT DOUBT. I shall not doubt, although my soul is tortured j , With cares of Earth that harry me all day; \ I . shall not doubt, though health has hastened from me, And every step is on a stony way. I could not doubt Thy gracious Hand is guiding, I could not doubt, or reason would depart; I look to Thee, in Thy true love confiding, And lean with trust upon Thy Sacred Heart. Let come what will, if Thou with strength befriend me — Strength of the soul enduring to the end — I shall not ask aught earthly to defend me, Whatever pangs my suffering body rend. Thou, Thou art all— only Love that liveth, The Friend of Friends that ne’er stood falsified. When all were gone I felt Thee close beside me, And heard Thy voice when no on© else replied. Thou, Thou art all! Why should I fear or falter, Thy staff hath comfort lent this many a year. Smiling I take the road beneath the Shadow Let none who watch me shed one bitter tear! —M:K. FORCE OF EXAMPLE. The habits of reverence, gentleness, courtesy, honesty, courage, and patience, like their opposites, are absorbed by the child from those with whom he is most closely associated. It is in these attributes that an ounce of example outweighs a ton of precept. It is a charming custom to lose no opportunity, either in reading fiction or in the cir“v' cumstances attendant on everyday living, to express an enthusiastic appreciation of the good, the noble, beautiful and true; but valuable beyond and above all discussion of these virtues is “To be as nearly as we can what we wish our children to be.” <X*X*X*X*X>

MOTHER'S SHOULDERS.

Every girl, if she be not thoroughly selfish, is anxious to lift some of the burden of household management from her mother's shoulders on to her own; but, unfortunately, many girls wait to be asked to do things instead of being constantly on. the look-out for little duties which they are capable of doing. If you would be of any real use in the home you must be quick to notice what is wanted—the room that needs dusting, the flowers which require rearranging, the curtain which lias lost a ring, and is therefore drooping. And you must not only be willing to do what is needed, but willing to do it pleasantly, \)t without making people feel that you are being martyred. Then it will be a pleasure to have you around the house.

HUMILITY.

“The one big thing I strive to keep,” said a wealthy young woman to a group of girl friends, “is a sane balance. My good mother taught me this. She had the advantage of me in that she was a poor girl, and she knows the full meaning of simplicity, frugality, and patient industry. She has told me many times that the more wo 'get in the world, the more we must give, and only by doing this can we keep an even balance.” , This daughter of a wealthy father was speaking mainly f of riches. But the same truth would apply to success or advancement in any line of enedavor. Just as the rich girl should manifest a sympathetic and kindly interest in the girl that belongs to a poor family, so should the highly educated, cultured girl have all manner of patience with the less-educated girl of limited opportunity. Humility is always a blessed trait, in that it makes the best and the greatest of us so simple, so plain, so sincere and sympathetic that all mankind will be drawn to us. Some very successful people have been thrown from their

high place by force of circumstances because they did not keep a “sane balance.” They' became overbearing, intolerant, domineering, oppressive. We should always remember that the Master, the Son of God, was so plain, so simple that He sought the companionship of lowly fishermen. His sympathy and compassion were ' extended as quickly to the poor and the ignorant as to the rich and the great.

A HOLY WAR.

[From Pearls From Holy Scripture for our Little Ones by M. J. Watson, S.J. Dedicated to the Children of the Catholic Schools. “Son, when thou cornest to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation.”—Ecclesiasticus, ii. 1. You are on earth to fight and conquer your spiritual enemies and so win the crown that your Heavenly Father has prepared for you. Hence, the Scriptures say: “The life of man upon earth is a warfare.” (Job vii. 1.) In this holy war all of us must fight as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, and when we are tried in the furnace of suffering and temptation, as gold and silver are tried in the fire, we are proved by our patience to be faithful in our loyalty and love, and so made acceptable to God. The Angel Raphael said to Tobias: “Because thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation should prove thee.” (Tobias xii. 13.) In this matter of trial and temptation Our Lord is our model, as He is in so many other respects. After His baptism in the Jordan He was led by the Holy Ghost into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards He was hungry. Then the evil one tempted Him to gluttony, saying, “If Thou be the Son of God, change the stones at Thy feet into bread, and eat.” It was not God’s will that He should change the stones into bread to satisfy His hunger, and He rejected the temptation by saying that bread was not needed for the support of His life, for God could supply Him with food in other ways, as He rained manna from heaven to feed the Israelites in the desert. Our Lord’s example shows how careful we should be to resist gluttony by avoiding excess in eating and drinking, by shunning greediness in taking food, and by the violation of the laws of fast and abstinence when we are bound to observe them, “Whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God ” (i. Cor. x. 31.) Then the devil carried Our Lord into the Holy City Jerusalem, and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple’ saying: “Throw Thyself down, for the Angels will support Thee and Thou wilt be honored by the people who see Jhee falling from this high place without injury.” He wished Christ to give way to temptation of pride and vainglory. But Jesus replied, that it is not lawful to thrust ourselves into great danger from which we cannot be delivered unless God works, a miracle to preserve us; that to do so would be to tempt God, that is, we tempt Him when we ask or expect Him to exert Almighty Power by miracle in circumstances which give us no right to hope for such a miracle, for it is written, “Thou shalt not ,tempt the Lord Thy God.” Here we are warned to beware of yielding tovainglory and, also, to beware of evil companions and all dangerous occasions- in which we might be very likely to commit sin. To thrust ourselves into extreme natural or spiritual peril contrary to God’s will would be to tempt God; and the Bible says, “He that loveth the danger shall perish in it.”

PUSSY’S ANSWER. Helen with her kitten, Sitting on her knee, “Pussy, dear, now won’t you Try to talk with -me? Yes, you pretty darling, I am sure you could Say a little something If you only would. Now, I’ll ask a question, Answer, pussy, do Whom love you the very best And pussy said, “M-you!”

A STORY THAT HELPED.

~.'•■ A banker with wide experience in pulling firms out of difficulties makes a point of a little story with a moral. Whenever the owners of a crippled business said they couldn't do what he asked— happened often—he used to say:

'•- A man was telling his son a bed-time story about an alligator. It was creeping up behind a turtle, with its mouth wide open. Finally it was within reach, but just as its great 1 jaws were, snapping, the turtle made a spring, ran up a tree and escaped. ,

"Why,- father," said the boy, "how could a turtle climb a tree?"

"By jove," replied the father, "he bad to."

HOW NOT TO ADVERTISE.

"Lost, an umbrella, belonging to a gentleman with a curiously carved ivory head"; "House wanted, suitable for small family that has been recently papered and painted"; "Wanted, Airedale dog puppy, strong, healthy, nine weeks; only steady, reliable men need apply"; "Tenders invited for the erection of a school large enough to accommodate 2000 scholars four storeys high"; "Young man wanted to take charge of horses with a religious turn of mind"; "Nurse wanted in a small gentleman's family"; "For sale, a pony suitable for a lady without vicious habits and quiet m harness"; "Wanted, a mahogany child's chair"; "Overlooker wanted, for 5000 sheep that can speak Spanish" ; "Organist wanted, and a boy to blow the same" ; "Energetic youth wanted, to be partly outside and partly behind the counter"; "Wanted, a boy who can open oysters with a reference."

SMILE-RAISERS.

“Someone was telling me, William, that the soil round here is exceptionally fertile.” “Well, Vs a liar, sir. It’ll grow anything.” . • * V Fair Friend (as band strikes up a waltz): “What’s that out of?” Musician: “Tune!”

House Agent: "Of course, if it's any satisfaction to you, we might keep your name before us."

House-Hunter: "Well, there's no harm in that—my name is Hope!"

"That's what I call a finished sermon," said a woman to her husband, as they wended their way home from church.

"Yes," was the reply, "but, do you know, I thoughtit never would be."

Caller: "I wish to see the manager; I am Mr. Charles Chesham, of Chichester."

Office-Boy (who stutters badly):' "Mr. Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch— you a card, sir? It sounds as though I was playing t-trains!"

Mr. Littlerest: "Doctor, what did you tell me was your special treatment for sleeplessness?"

Doctor: "I strike at the. cause or the origin of the trouble."

Mr. Littlerest: "You don't say so! Well, you'll find the baby in the baby in the other room. Only don't spank him too hard."

The forme, full of type for the iext day's paper, dropped to the floor with a heart-rending crash, and the compositor turned pale.

"Go," he muttered, hoarsely," to a . fellow-workman, "for the sake of everything, go and tell the chief!"

"Go yourself," the other remarked; "you're better at breaking news than I am."

THE MOST OBSTINATE Corn must quickly yield to BAXTER'S RUBY CORN CURE. Once this remedy is applied there is no escape for the corn must give in. Price, 1/- (post free) from ,[ \IXTER'S PHARMACY, Theatre Buildings TIMARU.