Good Enough for Home

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 5, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 22.

Good Enough for Home.

"Why do you put on that forlorn old dress?" asked Emily Manners of her cousin Lydia, one morning after she had spent the night at Lydia's house.

The dress in question was a spotted, faded, old summer silk, which only looked the more forlorn for its once fashionable trimmings, now crumpled and frayed.

"Oh, anything is good enough for home!" said Lydia, hastily pinning on a soiled collar; and twisting up her hair in a ragged knot, she went down to breakfast.

"Your hair is coming down," said Emily.

"Oh, never mind. It's good enough for home," said Lydia, carelessly. Lydia had been visiting at Emily's home, and had always appeared in the prettiest of morning dresses, and with neat hair, and dainty collars and cuffs; but now that she was back again among her brothers and sisters, and with her parents, she seemed to think anything would answer, and went about, untidy and rough, in soiled finery. At her uncle's she had been pleasant and polite, and had won golden opinions from all; but with her own family her manners were as careless as her dress; she seemed to think that courtesy and kindness were too expensive for home wear, and that anything was good enough for home.

There are too many people who, like Lydia, seem to think that anything will do for home. Young men who are polite and pleasant in outside society are rude to their mothers, and snarl at their sisters; and girls who, among strangers, are all gayety and animation, never make an exertion to please their own family.

It is a wretched way to turn always the smoothest side to the world, and the roughest and coarsest to one's nearest and dearest friends.—Child's World.