Loading...
The Brussels Post, 1906-3-8, Page 3NOTES AND COMMENTS Two directly oposlto agencies are at worts upon the English speech, one ex- erted upon its Iorm, one upon its sub - silence. The first Is the movement to secure a eyele» of spelling Which shall more adequately represtont the sound of words, the second is a tendency to adapt the sound of the word to the spelling and to reduce !climatic expressions to the dead level of logic The spelling reform movement re, spends to an alrnost universal feeling that the spelling of English is needlessly cumbersome, that it mattes Lhe way , 1 the child and the forrlgner tqp hard, end that it causes a waste of time. Yet the feeling is held back from any great en fectiveness by the coexistent converse - !.ism of the educated nand. The power of youthful memories Is such that the sight of a word spelled differently from the way ono has been accustomed to from childhood Is a distinct shock, The movement is extensive, but not strong. indeed it seems now to be on the de- cline, practically, however many theo- retical adherents if. may have gained. The British reading public have not Laken kindly to it, and the butter Amrrl- can publishing houses have dropped ninny of the reformed spellings which have for years distinguished American usage. There is a stronger realization of the unity of the rending world. On the other hand, the pronunciation of English words in America is drift- ing farther from the traditional stand- ard. The large number of immigrants from Europeen countries is partly re- sponsible for this, but the ultimate re- sponsibihly rests upon the schools. If a large number of teachers come from homes where Engllalr correoUy spoken is not the home language, and if their vocabulary has been gained largely from reading, without any consciousness of the pitfalls that lurk for them when they bansrnute the visible sign into the au. t ible word, it is also true that the in- heritors of English speech too often dis- trust the authority of their own know- ledge, when challenged. Tennyson speaks of this strange abdication of memory at the moment, when it should assert its sovereignty: As when we dwell upon a word we know, Repeating, till the word we know so well Becomes a wonder, and we know not why— So the child that has always pronounc- ed ronounceed "forehead" correctly till she learns to spell, in awe of the spelling painfully accustoms herself to say "for head." The tyranny of print makes the child se- verely formal with such words as"boat- swain" and "forecastle." .There is an awkward hiatus in such a combination as "not at all," as the slaves of formal- ism pronounce it, none in Cho nature) utterance of the words. The same mis- taken zeal corrupts, instead of hnprov. Ing, many phrases. The descendant of English speaking people says uncon- sciously "Hadn't you better?" until un - w holesome brooding over the phrase, aided by suggestions from a half bred teacher, substitutes the nrUflbial "Would you not better?" Too many students ot the language go on the principle that whatever is wrong. Too many of them teach others so The language loses is spontaneous grace and becomes a lifeless thing. Un - 1o, speling becomes rphonetic, .and that day seems far off, spelling must' not rule pronunciation. The phrases which na- turally rise to the lips of those of Eng- lish blood are not to be too. rigidly con• honed by those ignorant of the origin and history of the spoken language. Etymology has no standing in court against usage. if English le not to be as dead as Julius Ccesar and hie Latin speech, it must remain a mother tongue, the language of mother and oblid, not a thing of ink and paper only. NO TICKET. "I shall have to ask you for a ticket for that boy, ma'am," insisted a con- ductor, specking to a quiet.looktng wo- man seated beside a boy on a train. "I guess not," she replied with decis- ion, "He's too old to travel tree, 1•Ie occu- pies a whole seat, and the car's orowd- ed. There are people standing." "I've never paid for him yet," the wo- man .,retorted. "You've got to begin it some time," persisted the conductor. "Not this trip, anyway,' "You'll pay for that boy, ma'am, or 111 stop the train and put him oft." "Ml right, pa him oft if you think that's the way to get anything out of me," "You ought to know what the rtries of this road are, ma'am. How old 1s that troy?" "1 don't ]mow. f neve' saw him be- fore," Second (to duellist, who, on confront, in onl ront- in his sdvorsary, hos suddenly grown pale, and is only just prevented from faking) ---"Take courage, man, I knew ,your opponent is going to fire in the air." Uuelilal,—'that's just what makes me afraid, tie's such a notnrinusly bad shot. 'Thr, proprietor of an hotel, hearing of thtr whcrenhotrts of a guest who had de. enrnped from WS ealahlishment without going tlrrobgh the formality of paying his bill, sent hint It 0010, Mr. ----., bear She—Will you send amount of, your bill and oblige?'" To which the: dalin- nment replied—"The moue), is NO 'gem's respeaifully," THE FATHER'S CARE Like All Things Deep and Sublime His Love Passes Comprehensisn. Like as a father pillelh his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. —Psalm eiii., 1'1. Formal creeds have Mlle to say of the Lelief in the overruling care of the All l-'atter•. Perhaps the belief is so nearly enlversal as to be without the range of ciabate so dear to creed makers. Yet nt all lines, In all lands, recur, wheleher the savage, the oriental mystic, or the cool headed Christian, in various ways and with different phloem, has recog- nized the hand that, trust behind the scenes, touched his afiahx and often seemed to order his life. Wheteher it he lite hand of force or of friend, the fact has been felt. True, the laziest man is apt to have the readiest sense In the intention of Providence to cure for hlm, to send him bread well buttered; the foolish and thoughllees depend on heaven to do their thinking, and many court bank- ruptcy while praying for solvency. But UM improvidence of ren does not dis- prove the providence of God. So far from encouraging sloth and recitlessness this truth provokes to progress by the assurance of the corporation of Infinite powers with 01111 BEST ENDEAVORS, 1t Is a thought we cannot escape; the ail wise must be the all loving. The spirit at the centre of all must embrace al; wilh(n the circle of his love; and that love will not lie quiescent, helpless when its objects are in distress, in per- plexity, or need, when it might succor, save, or suggest the way of success. if there is a heart of love there is a hand cf help. YeL It seems too great a thought. What are we but dust on the wheels on the universe. Often do our fainting hearer question whether there be any, oulsine our own little circle, who caro whether we suffer, whether we succeed. Can It be that the petty affairs of a lite that passes like the hoar frost before the morning sun can even interest, still less call forth the aid, of the one in whom we at live and move and have our be- ing? Despite all questionings men will ever go on praying to that one; they will turn to an ear that hears, they will seep a heart that [eels, and 1o01s for hands reached out in hours of necessity. Ex- perience indorses their faith. Nearly of Don look back and see where des- tiny hes seemed to breathe upon them; their old plana wilted, and new ones, new ways sprung up, hearing other and Wirer flower's than they bad ever dream- ed, a mighty, mysterloua power had In- tervened, Wise" does It ail nunn? That we are tut puppets In these strange unseen, hands; that we can neither will nm' ware for ourselves? No; 11 but means what poets sang long ago when, seeking after that which far transcends all thought and all imagery, they cried. "Surely thou art our father: That which was best in them, the holy fire of fatherhood became a mirror In which THEY SMV THE INFINITE From the source of all life humanity has learned the great lessons of family care and provision. Ml that is good in our families is true of this great family of all mankind. The great purpose of this family, as of all families, is the de- velopment of the highest, fullest life in iIr members. Fatherhood regards the provision of food, clothing and shelter but as incidental to the great purposes of training the children This is the purpose of the father '1 Us all, to develop the best in us. When our weak hearts cry for ease, for rest, for pleasures, he sends the task, the sor- row, the loss. When we think all life's lessons well learned be sends us up ,to higher grades with harder tasks. Yet ever over all is the pitying, compasslon- ete yearning of a father's heart that never forgets the weakness of the child. -Wisely the father's love seems to hide its working. All the child can do is to bend every effort to do his best, to work cut the father's plan ao far as he knows it, to know, through all, that God is good. Then, when the ahlld grows to the man, the man toward the divine, the things that seemed strange are made plain in the light of the father's face. HENRY F. COPE. THE S. S. LESSON INTERNATIONAL LESSON, MARCH 11. Lesson X. The 'Tongue and the Temper. Golden Text, Psa. 141.:1. LESSON WORD STUDIES. Note.—The text of the Revised Version Is used as a basis for these Word Studies. "I say unto you."—Perhaps the most pronounced characteristic of the teach- ing of Jesus was the authority with which he spoke. His was no borrowed philosophy of life, his no conception of the kingdom of heaven to which he had fallen heir as a member of his own gen- eration and nation, this no wisdom gained from books or human teachers. His teaching was his own, and his knowledge of teen and of God Ile obtained first- hand; the former, largely nt ]oust, from sympathetic contact with and keen ob- servation of men; the latter, from the hidden wellspring of divinity In his na- ture. in contrasting tiro fundamental principles of his teaching with the Old Testament law and tradition, as he does in verses 21-48 of this chapter, and es- pecially in asserting the superiority and higher authority of tete principles which he enunciated, Jesus placed himself on record as one 'who believed in the pro- gressive character of revelation. The old law anti the ancient tradition had to be superseded L,y these higher standerds of life and action set by himself and ex- ompli9ed in his own life. Witch now we consider what is implied in this as- sumption by Jesus of authority superior not only to that o1 alt other teachers of. the Jewish nation in his day, but el authority superior to that of the Old Testament ,aw itself, we are confronted by on alternative from which we cannot escape. Either Jesus was all that he claimed to be, divine Son of God, and only Revoaler of the Father, .or he was self -deceived and a deceiver of others, 13u1 the ethical purity of Isis lite and the unparalleled quality of his teaching, to- gether with the hlstm'ical fact of .the great Christian Church, representing the rich fruitage of that life and that teach- ing, make it impossible for any candid and thoughtful person to accept the hitter of the two alternatives. Verse 9 Ye have heard that it was e 3, said=Thr great bulk of religious teach- ing among the Jaws consisted of oral traditions and rabbinical interpretations, Mustering about the written Old Testa- ment law. The meaning of the written law 'on the points to which Jesus was about to refer had been distorted by the amplification and misapplication to witch it was subjected at the hands of this oral tradition. Them of old time—The Old Testament parietals. Forswear ---Swear falsely, commit per. Jury. Special reference to the third corn mandment may have been intended (comp. also Lev, 19. 12; Num, 30, 2; neut. 23. 21), 34; Swear not at all --The Oriental even of Lo -day makes constant use of oaths. In the following verses are mentioned some of tine tliings by Which the Jews were In the habit of swearing. Even to- day the natives of Palestine and adjoin- ing countries aro given to the use of similar oaths, none of which except the oath in which the name of God himself. is used, being consldored binding, Tito prohibition intended must be understood as applying to those frequent rash and Careless oaths in daily coneersatlon not Marts the &Ilona oaths tnlron in urts of jusllec and'.vhith in those days were re- quired as they aro in our awn time, Verso 31 presents the of side of our' Lord's toachlrlg of Which We hard have the tlegattvet side, Neither by the heaven—One of the rabbinical sayings was, "As heaven and earth shall pass away, so passeth away the oath taken by them." Jesus intended to point out both that a false oath by whatever thing taken is wrong because false, and that tete false oath taken by heaven, by the earth, or by Jerusalem is, because of the necessarily intimate thought association between these and God, ie profaning of God's name. 36. By the head—One of the most 0003111011 fortes of the oath. 37. Yea, yea; Nay, nay—A straight- forward yes or no is stifficfent. These in God's sight are just as sacred ani binding as any form of oath can be. The mere repetition of the word is a'sull- cient emphasis of the promise or refusal involved to indicate that it has not been spoken carelessly. The evil one—Satan, the father of Iles. 38. An eye for an eye—The law in Exod. 2J. 22-25 exacts "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe," from the person inflicting an injury or death upon his fellow. The principle of equivalent retribution was recognized by the laws of all ancient peoples, The scribes, however, falsely interpreted the law when they made it an excuse for the gratification of personal vengeance, and deduced from Ute law that it was morally right for Individuals thus to execute revenge. 39. Resist not hien that is evil -There is a great difference between the resis- tance which Jesus here prohibits, which is a resistance against the evil wrongly brought upon the innocent—as, for in- stance, the suffering and death of Christ, which he resisted not—and meets sub- mission to all forms of personal Jndlg. pity heaped upon one by the vulgar ane the wicked, as is indicated by our Lord's personal example in resenting the action of, the .ollicer who in the, presence of the high priest struck him while 'on trial (comp. John 18. 22, 23). 41. Compel thee to go ono mile—The verb hit this sentenoe is of Persian ori- gin, and signifies literally "to press into service, as a courier" for the royal post, and in its more general usage also "to force to be a guide." Thus a man tra- velling past a post -station was liable to be seized by the officers of the station and pressed into service of the king or emperor and forced to carry a letter or accompany another person back to the next station along the road over which he had coma In his journey, or in some other direction, and this to the delay ani detrlsnent of this own errand and busi- ness. This custom was one of the exec: - lions suffered by the Jews under the Romans, by whom it had been borowed from the Persians. Jesus exhorts to it cheerful submission to the taw of the land, and a general wilirsgness to serve even beyond the legal requirement. 43. Neighbor—This is one of the many words to which Christianity and the New Testament have given a broader and a higher meaning. In !lie parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10. 20.37) Jesus makes plain this broader meaning of the word as used by himseif. 45. Sons of your Fatter -Sons 'n troth, having his spirit ,end akin to hire in ehe'ecte'. 46. Puhlteans—That is, lax collectors, though not in the sense in which that word is used in our country and in our day. It was customary for the contra! government of a large umpire in olden times to sell the revenues of the different individual provinces composing Ifo em- pire to the highest bidder, who then ap- pointed his own officers to collect (rein the people as 201105 as possible, The publicans mentioned in the New Testa - Mani are the lows' or subordinate class of taxgatherers to Whom the higher officers or contractors sublet the oollec- ten Of taxes. These men as well as their sunerfors aimed to become Wealthy by exacting more than the nmounL wlitoji they had paid for the privilege,, .and time the system resulted in great Crtretly.end oppression of the common people, es- pecially e1 the smaller property owners. A dew who consented to become a tax officer of this kind and to .extort taxer from his fellow countrymen to bo paid to the hated Roman authorities was above all mon despised by his fellow Jews. 48. Ye therefore shall bo perfect --No- thing less, no national or other stan. lard short of God's own standard of right and of love, shall satisfy you, As your heavenly Father is perfect -- Not, however, in absolute knowledge and power, nor yet In absolute ethical per- fection, in sinlessness: but in purpose and aspirations rather, having the ideaof Gods own goodness ever before you as the ultimate goal of that purpose amt of those aspirations, LOOK AT YOUR FINGERS ARE THEY TAE LUCKY OR THE VN - LUCKY KIND. Long Fingered People Love Details, Short Fingered People Don't. Even the lines and the mounts of the hand makes the science of palmistry too complicated for you, still you can tell from the shape of the fingers some- thing about your subject. I'he digits alone are considered by many a very good indication of character. Long fingers indicate love of details, exactness in 'all small matters; worries ever little, unirnpo•tatnt things. They are, in a bad hand, a sign of deceit- fulness and cowardice. Short fingers, on the contrary, mean neglectabits. of detalls, tendency to talce hthings for granted and not to examine them closely enough; belong often to people rather bohemian in dress and Thick and puffy at the base are the characteristics of lingers that belong to selfish per, ons, over'fond of the good things of hie, great eaters, drinkers, Fingers narrow at the base, unselfish- ness and also close amnion to Meanli- ness, daintiness of food, etc. Curved inward, excess of prudence, even to poltroonery; often stubornness and sometimes avarice. Easily curved backward, good, plea- sant company, but gossiply and inquist- tive to excess; often extravagant In money matters. Twisted and malformed fingers, natur- al cruelty, even to murder. Smoolb and transparent fingers, lack of discretion and love of useless talk- ing, Fingers too close to each other, avari- cious disposition. A short first finger means love of activity, and a very long one a tent, dency to tyrannize over others, 1( the second finger is long and flat, melancholy in indicated, or if long and square, sternness. When the third finger is as long as the second, the gambling instinct will be found highly developed. A long little finger means love of mental improvement and versatility, and a short one quick perception. The rarest and finest of -alt is the hand with pointed fingers; they are almost always the natural complement of a thin, delicate flexible palm, of a finely shaped thumb, and the (mots on the fin- gers are hardly, if at all, noticeable. This is the hand of the poet, the artist, composer ar philosopher. Square fingered persons are perse- vering, foreseeing, orderly and regular. The spatulate -fingered person is ac- tive, energetic, quick and in constant movement. The thumb Is of great importance in character reading. The possesor of a large thumb is self-reliant, often &s— pate, is ruled by the head, not the heart. The possessor of it small thumb is the opposite, one of ideas but not of action, A thumb that bends back easily de- notes extravagance and tulaptabllity, A stiff, straight thumb is a sign of stubbornness, caution, secretiveness, a wealth of common sense, but little feel- ing. The first, or nail, phalanx of the thumb represents will power, self-roll- ance. Too long,despotism; short, en- ergy of a passive kind; very short, weak- ness of will; long and broad, ungovern- able temper, furious impulses. The second phalanx represents logic, reasoning power, judgement. Full and clumsy, low grade of brains; wasp -like, with centre slightly concave, a brilliant intellect, quick, sharp and deep, With a long second phalanx and a short first you have the talkers and arguers. With the opposite conditions you have those who act without proper reflection, and often run reckless risks. Weals -minded and weak-wtiled per- sons carry the thumb inside the fingers. DROWNiD HiS (BROTHERS. Crime to Save Reputation of a Family— Feared Insanity, A young man named La Margueresse has been arrested at Lorient, France, for drowning ,hes younger brothers, Joseph and Francois, The bodies were found in the river recently, and it wits generally supposed they bad fallen in while playing on the bank, At the fun- eral the behavior of the eldest brother was so extraordinary that the suspicions of the parents were aroused, and they questioned him closely. He admitted throwing the boys into the river, and said he did s0 because- leruricols was on Idiot. He was Meatd, he added, that Joseph might grow up an imbecile also, and Ihnt a atigrne would always be allnched to the family, Francois sante immediately, but Joseph avant ashore, Ills )pother pushed him hack and hold him under water until he was dead. When the news of the con - fasten spread the pollen had great dilTt- culty in saving La Mnguerosse from nn angry crowd, who wanted to Iynels hint, INS)DE lNF011tt l'1'ION. "Did that clairvoyant tell you any- thing iruo about yourself? "She Certainly tail. Ilefu„ lel been there ten minute she tela 1110 some- body was trying 10 get ,nit- money," "Wes three ,Yes. Sire was. [4.iI+hleiel4 4'44' i lNl•t'"i0tl elleiht T1�4 Home COOKING RECIPES. Doughnuts.—Take one quart of flour and duce leaspoonfule of baking pow- der and sift together; piece of better alta of an egg, one cup of sugar, one pint of milk, a Mlle nutmeg, one dessertspoon- ful of cornstarch, mix in the milk. Rub the huller In the tour and powder, put in other ingredients, mix to a soft dough, add more flour II needed, roll one-half inch thick, fry in hot lard to a delicate brown. Spice Cake.—One cup of sugar, one- half cup of butter, one -hall cup (.1 molasses, and one scant teaspoonful each of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and a •.,„e nutmeg; beat well together, !ben add one cup of sour milk, with one teaspoon- ful of soda stirred in until It, is quite foamy. Flour enough to make it quite stiff, and one cup of raisins, !loured. Bake slowly unci ice when cold. Raisin Cake.—One cupful each of su- gar, sour milk, and chopped and seeded raisins; two of flour, one-half cupful r f butter, one teaspoonful 01 cinnamon, one-quarter of cloves, one-half grated nutmeg. iiub butter and sugar until creamy, then add other tangs. Bake in a moderate oven. Scotch Woodcock. — Six hard-boiled eggs coarsely chopped, two tablespoon- fuls of butter, one tablespoonful of flour, one tablespoonful of anchovy paste, half pint of milk, pinch of cayenne. Cook butter and flour together until they bubble, add milk and stir until smooth. Put in the anchovy paste and cayenne and one minuto later the eggs. Simmer three minutes and serve on toast. Hominy Grits.—Soak all night; cover with boiling water, slightly salted, in the morning, and cook for en hour. A delicious preparation of hominy effected by cooking it In plenty of salted water and supplying its place with cold milk. Bring to a boil and serve. Drawn Butter Toast,—Prepare a thin drawn butter sauce by blending a heap- ing teaspoonful of butte' with une of flour, cooking till smooth, adding then a pint of hot water, carefully stirring and keeping the sauce smooth. Salt to taste, dip in it slices of carefully toasted bread and servo very hot. IL may be ac- companied with a berry jam or spiced cherries. New Chicken Pie.—Butter a threes quart pudding pan; in It place the sheat from it cooked, seasoned chicken cut -n pieces of suitable size; add a layer of potato balls steamed till tender, then the whites of six hard-boiled eggs cut in rings, the yolks cut in halves, and the mushrooms from one can. Season each layer lightly with salt and pepper. Make. a sauce from one cupful of strong cihicken stock, one pint of milk, and the liquor from the mushrooms, thickened with three tablespoonfuls of flour cooked with three tablespoonfuls of oil from the chicken stock. Cook well, season, then pour over the contents of the pan and place in the oven to heat. Make rich baking powder biscuits, cutting them small; bake and cover the pie with them when it is thoroughly hot and send to the table. For Sunday dinner the brie may be prepared, the sauce and biscuit made on Saturday and reheated and put together before dinner. Quick Nut Bread. --Sift together four cups of flour, four teaspoonfuls of bak- ing powder, one teaspoonful of salt, one cup of sugar and odd one cupful of chopped hickory nut meats, not very tine; stir, then add one cup of milk and one well -beaten egg. Pour Into two but- tered bread Uns and let stand twenty minutes; then bake half an hour. This is a delicious bread and very easily made. Apple Sauce Cake,—Ono and one -hal( cups of apple wee (stew as for table use, mash fine), one-half cup of butter, one cup of sugar, two cups of flour, one teaspoonful of soda, one cup of raisins. Spice to suit; bake one (hour. HINTS FOR HOME LIFE. Borax and water will brighten otoloth. Beeswax and salt will make rusty flat- irons clean and Smooth. Rubber shoes, when wet, should he stuffed with newspapers and left several hours to absorb all dampness. '1'o clean nmdstains from black dress goods rub with a slice of raw potato. Use lemon juice and salt to remove iron rust, ink, and mildew on white goods. A good cleaner for gold or silver jaw ellery is a teaspoonful of ammonia in a cupful of water. Before boiling milk rinse out the pan with cold water; this will prevent ft burning so quickly. By adding a few drops of vinegar to the water when poaching eggs they will set more quickly and perfectly. A few drops of oft of lavender pourel into a glpss of very hot water is very refreshing, and will quickly purify the air of a sick -roots. A pinch of salt added to the whites of eggs when beating will mace them froth quicker, and the froth will re stiffer. Preserves may be prevented getting mouldy by putting a few drops of glen cerise round the edges of the jar before covering. a When not in use, blankets should be neatly folded and pieced between sheets of soft, paper, With aampller to leap out the moths. Air the blankets frequently. Roots and Simms, however damp, wilt polish In it few moments if a drop or two of parnIn oil be added to the blacking, 1t also prevents the leather cracking. When flannel irritates the skin, the nonloasant. feeling m0y be quite allayed, after a lithe white, if friction with , towel be implied 10 the skin directly the flannels n.re removed at night. Mashed menthes left over from a men) shnulct be 0t once parked into a small howl. When wanted trey should be cal in Mess, brushed over With egg, and dipped to bread crumbs, and fried in deep fat. new people realize the usefulness el easter ojt lis efficacy internally is well known, but It most also bo used extol,• nab, with (Neat success. Rubbed on hate, eyebenws, 01 eyelashes, it increases their growih, Air your beds every morning by throw- ing the clothes right down at the toot. And do not tuck In the clothes when making the bed' this can be easily done at bed time, to seep them from slipping 011, and for warmth. A very useful cleaning fluld, which will remove grease from the finest k- luges without injuring them, eat be made in the following way:—Take une quart of rainwater, two ounces ammonia, one teaspoonful of saltpetre, and one ounce of ilnely shaved CasUtc soap. Pillow covers of thin, common calico should be made to fit the pillows of every' bed In a well -arranged household. Use these over the licking end under the pillow slips. They should be washed every three ar four months when the pillows are in daily use. Wide strips of calico sewn over the edge of mattresses Oro an economy which must commend itself to all careful housekeepers. When dusting always have a slightly moist duster as well as a dry one. This Is especially necessary with Polished floors, or the dust is only circulated 'n the room and never removed entirely from it, First wipe over with a damp cloth, to which the dust will stick, and then rub at once with a clean dry duster. For oak or dark furniture it is a good plan to have a bowl of tea in which to wring out the wet cloth, HOME A DUTIES. Co-operation is coming to be the uni- versal watchword. Have you ever tried it in the home? What is good in larger business enterprises should certainly prove of vote& in the most Important one of all, the making of the homes which form the keystone of the nation. There are aountless little ways in which the busy house -mother can simplify her worts, and at the same time make the entire family feel that they have a share in the brightening of each day and the lessening of Its duties. This is especial- ly needful if she is not only the home- maker, but has outside responsibilities, such as the care of a large flock of chickens. Perhaps the secret of the ease with which this can be accomplished lies in the old saying which you have probably heard from your mother or grandmother many times, "Make your head save your heels, child.” Get the boys and girls interested in keeping things up as they go along. Teach them that a moment of care when they unwrap a package, s,a folding the paper and laying it in lees proper place, and winding the string on the ball wltl save many minutes of val- uable time for some one later In the busy day. A book put back on its proper shelf, soiled clothes put In a bug in the ;1oset instead of thrown upon the floor, hats and coats hung on their Individual nails, a basket 01 kindling brought ut when some ono has an Brand near the wood pile, all of these seem too little co matter when done by different members of the family, but they evil) aggregate an hour or more of hard work for the mother, if they are all left for her to do. Whose fault is it if the boys and girls are careless? Surely not theirs if they have never been taught. Would not this beginning of the new year be a good time to inaugurate a change, and sot up a co-operative household? A KINDLY DEED. Sir Henry Irving and the Old Limelight Artist, "Poetical Tributes," a volume pub- lished In memory of the late Si' Henry Irving, contains the following story il- lustrative of the famous actor's gener- osity. There was at the Lyceum an old fel- low who for twenty years had been lime- light man. One evening, at rehearsal. he happened to drop one of his slides, which tell at Sir Henry's feet, narrowly missing his head, as he stood at the wings. Sir Henry heard the crash 01 the falling glass, but could not see from where it came, and soon forgot all about. it. The stage -manager, however, highly indignant, dismissed the culprit forth- with. The poor old limelight .man re- mained out of employment for about three weeks, and then Sir Henry called the stage -manager to him and said:— "Mr. Loveday, where is that old man with the white beard who used 10 work that lime?" The story was told him. He shook his Head and said:— "Oh, accidents will happen, Lovedayl I want him back. I like my old people round me. Please send for him." And, turning to his personal attendant., he added, "Waller, bring the man to me." The poor old fellow was found and, quaking with fear, was introduced into Irving's presence. He blurted out:— "I could not help it, sir; it was an accident." Yes," replied Sir Henry; "I know, ac- cidents happen to us all; never fear," And turning to his stage -manager, "Mr. Loveday, please reinstate this man in his old place, and pay him all arrears as 1f leo had been at work." And, puLWng his hand into his pocket, he gave the man a sovereign, "There, there, 010 friend, you and i are not going to part just yet." It was a tearful unci grateful limelight artist that left Sir Henry's room that night. FATHER'S CATECHISM. Little Willie --Say, pa, what is a re- mote period?, Pa—A remote ported, my son, is the period due at the end of your anoth- er's remarks, Ileme her, however, I atm giving you this information in strict confidence. "One m01% question, pa," began Mlle Willie. "Now, see there," fumed its pa. "Pa," Willie he -stoned to tisk, "what kind of glass are glass eyes made of? "Why—er—looking glass, I suppose. Now go to bed," SANDY BEACH ON LINEA. A special playground for children is provided on the Canadian Pantile Rat. way Company's new steamer Empress. of Ireland, 11 consists of a wide space on deck set apart for their exclusive use, Hero trees have been planted In pets, and heaps of sand and numbers nt buckets and spades provided, so 'that the youngsters may enjoy themselves just as they would at the seaside. Parente will welcome the innovation as a relief from devising all sorts of games for tit" edification of their young oharges---no light task on a long ten voyage, REMARKABLE EIR.UOIS 1111EY HAVE .COME DOWN TIHlOLIGH LONG AGES - Two of the Most Famous Ara the Bruce's Sword and the "!hooch of Lora." It heirlooms that are so jealously treasured hi the stately homes of Breath Coitd only be brought together they would make one of the 511061 16401041, ing umsewns In the whole world, says Lundon iL.11lls, Lord Elgin has among bis many an- cestral treasures at Broomhall the very helmet the valiant Robert Bruce once wore and the huge two-handed aword which wielded with such deadly effect an minty a hard-fought fray; while the Douglas banner wtrlch floated in the thickest of the fight at Otterburn has come down to our times through nearly twenty generations of descendants of Archibald Douglas, who bore It so gal - Jun fly. The brooch of Lorne, too, which was taken from Robert Bruce at tete battle of Dalrigh, has been preserved ever since at Donelly Castle by the family of McDougall. Another most intresting re- lic of Bruce days is THE FAMOUS LEE PENNY, which was the inspiration of Scott's "Talisman," The magical col», which is a silver groat of Edward HI: s time, with a oornelian set in IL, was brought from the East by Sir Simon Lockhart and is credited with wonderful powers ' ( healing the sick and. curing those who had been bitten by mad dogs. Among the many memorials of Sir Francis Drake to be seen in private houses Is the very sword which was pre- sented to him by the burgesses of Ply- mouth, and which now belongs to air Francis Elliott Drake of Buckland Ab- bey. At Buckland Abbey alae are the drum which accompanied the great na- val hero on his voyage in the Pelican; a cocoanut cup mounted in sliver gilt, given by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Francis and also a silver gilt standing dish and cover, At Kimberley Hall, the Norfolk seat of Lord Kimberley. are many valu- able memorials of old days, notably the silver hilt of the sword, which hue lord- ship's ancestor, Sir John Wodeheuse, wielded at Agincourt, and a rosierjy of coral and geld presented to Sir Phslip'a wife by Queen Catharine of Valois. At Lyme Hall. to Slteshire, is n very ancient bed, :villi a caopy et carved Mack wont, in which the Black Prince used to sleep; at Oxburgh Hall one may look on the bed in which Henry VII. was wont to take his rest; at Nappa Hall, the ancestral Yorkshire seat of the Metcaltes, there is, or was within recent ears, A MASSIVE FOUR-POSTER which the beautiful and ill-fated Queen et Scots occupied for a few nights; and at Sizergh Castle the Stricklanda proud- ly exhibit a magnificent counterpane and toilet cover of the richest while satin embroidered by the hands 01 Omen Catharine Parr during a visit she paid b the caste as a young girl. The centre of the pattern on both counterpane and toilet Cover is a medal- lion surrounded by a wreath of natural flowers wrought in twisted silks and bullion; a spread eagle in bold relief, gorged with the Imperial crown, forms the middle, at each corner is a dragon glowing with purple, crimson and gold. She colors are almost as fresh and vi- vid to -day as when they left the bands of Catharine centuries ago. At Rug, near Bata, are preserved a knife, fork and dagger, once the pro- perty of Owen Glendower, the fatuous Welsh chieftain; Lord De L'Isle and Dud- ley has a magnificent two-handed sword,. which was once worn by Robert Dud- ley, Earl of Leicester and the Earl of I-embroke is very proud of the suit of russet and gilt tumor which his remote predecessor, Witham, Earl ot Pembroke, wore when commanding the English ar.. my at the battle of Si. Quentin. Better known, and of exceptional inter- est, is the ancient glass goblet known the world over as the "LUCK OF EDENHALL," which bears the legend: "When this cup shall break and fall, farewell the luck ' of Edenhali,' and which has been ea long treasured by the Musgraves. A: similar heirloom is the "Lucie of Mon- caster," a quaint enamelled glass vase, presented by Henry VI. to Sir John Pen- nigton when he sheltered the King et Muncaster, after the battle of Healon IP 1463; while in the drawing -room of Worthington Wall, the seat of the Cur. wens, is a small drinking cup of Seek% c,gate given by Mary Queen of Soots es a parting MIL to her friend and host, Sir Henry Curwen. At Hosleyside, Durham, is a very re- marlceble memorial of past centuries in the form of a torsnldable spur, rex inoh- es long, which, we are told, the "lady of the family used to serve upon a dish. to her husband and sons, as a hint that - the domestic larder needed replenish. ing." At Coleshill House is a was 1M - age of an infant, the last hope of the I leydells, which is credited with remark. Otte Influence over the (orlunes r4 ah0 Rouverles; and at Mates onemay see the Sochurne falchlon, the idnntcal sword with which Conyers of Snebcburna is said to have slain the Serpent. GREENLAND'S ICE Cult. Enough to Cover the United States Guar, ter of a Mlle Deep, The largest mass of lee in the World is probably the one which fills up nearly the whole of the interior of Greenland, where it has accumulated since before the dawn of history. It is believed to'- now form a block about 600,000 square miler In area, and, averaging a mile and a half in thickness. According to these statistics, hie lump of ice is larger, in volume than the whole bodyof waterhl the Mediterranean; anthere is enoagh of it to cover the whole of the United Kingdom of Great flritain and Ireland with a layer about seven mites thick, It it were cut into two conven- ient stabs and built up equally epee the entire surface of "gallant little Wales" it would form a pile more that 120 miles high, There is ice enough in Greenland to bury the Wire nrea rf the United States a quarter of a mile deep,