waiting, who is behindhand with her work as well as in keeping her
appointments, who is never ready at meal-time, but who is always ready
with some excuse for such annoying conduct, is a household nuisance, a
really painful trial to all who are brought into intimate relations with
her. How often have I wished it were possible to arouse the
consciousness of daughters in comfortable homes to the pain and
inconvenience they give their parents and friends by a habitual lack of
promptness! For my own part, I remember how my conscience was first
aroused, in my youth, on this point. I was reading a book written for
young girls by Jane Taylor--a writer I wish were in print now--when I
came across this instruction: "When you hear the bell ring for meals,
rise immediately, leave whatever you are doing, and at once go to the
table." Just as I was reading this sentence the bell rang, and I
immediately obeyed the summons. I noticed that my mother needed my help
in seating the younger children at the table and attending to their
wants, and I gave her my assistance. Somehow the meal seemed to pass off
more pleasantly than usual, and I felt my conscience prick me that I had
so often given my mother trouble by loitering and delaying at meal-time.
I resolved that henceforth I would be promptly on hand to help her. From
that time there was a marked change for the better in the ease with
which our family meals were served, and all because I was always
promptly on hand to help my mother. I do not know that she or any of the
family knew or noticed the reason, but I was very well aware of it. It
was really a kind of turning-point in my habits of life and usefulness
at home. To this day I never hear a bell ring for meals, without the
injunction of Jane Taylor coming into my mind: "Rise immediately, leave
whatever you are doing, and go at once to the table." I can assure you,
my child, it would add greatly to the comfort and happiness of many
houses, and greatly relieve many an overtaxed mother, if this good
old-fashioned direction were heeded not only by daughters but by other