The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1898-07-20
The Duty of Being Pleasant

the while, Mamma, said little
Alice, az she saw the front door
close behind friend who had
been spending the afternoon with
her mother.
"Why do you wish TO have
company all the while, my dear. ?"
because, Mamma, you are al
ways so pleasant when other peo-
pie are here, and somehow every
thing seems to be 50 NICE
The little girl went to her play,
and the mother sat down with
her basket Of mending. Her little
daughters words made deep
impression upon her. 1t was too
true that she was quite irritable
at times when she was alone with
her own family, and that she
fretted and chafed over the
duties which should be most sa-
cred and dear, those home duties
toward those we love the best Of
all on earth. She did not wish to
make IN unfavorable impression
on her outside friends, and nc
knowledged to herself that she
could put on company manners, .
and doff her petty fault-fndlng
garb in very short time. That
night she took up her little book
Of daily reading, and read, "You
have not fulfilled every duty UNI
less you have fulfilled that of be-
ing pleasant. Alice's mother
was one who "Hooked we'll to the
ways of her household. She
saw to it that the necessary re-
quisites for the physical well-be-
ing were well supplied. She was
orderly and painstaking, her
home was always attractive and
everything in it's place. But she
had habit of nagglng the dear
ones, and worrying over the
work she had to do. The child 5
words were true-it was pleas
anter in the home when company
came and mother was on dress
parade. She had never seen her
self IN such &n unfavorable light
before, and she resolved with
Gods help to make home just as
happy and peaceful when only
her family were present, as if she
had the critics or the outside
world making up their verdicts
OF her character.
Oh, how many persons there
are in the world like Alice 5
mother! They keep their pleas
ant ways and kindly, we'll chosen
words for strangers and guests.
We feel that those that are dear
est to us and who are bound TO US
by kinship and love, will put up
with our disagreeabIe ways, and
not expose US, for the sake Of
family reputation. We may do
our duty to our family III certain
directions but if we have done
our work with fretful words, and
oftentimes sharp ones, and gone
about the house with frowTs and
protesting looks on our faces, we
have rot fulfilled our whole duty.
1t is true that we are often over
taxed and weary, and wear, as it
were, our nerves on the outside
of our bodies, but 1t is not sooth-
ing to them or reStful to our
spirits to be IrriJable and unkind
TO those with whom we live-most
especially toward the little child
rem, who are not expected to un-
derstand the daily round, and
who are so trying sometimes
"a soft answer turnetk away
wrath, but grievous words stir up
anger" is true IN our dealings
with our children as we'll as with
grown people. We often provoke
our children TO wrath by our i'm
patience and cross words.
The older we grow, the more
: as the truth borne in upon us
that "cheefful people in the home
are like sunny days. Lub-
beck says: 'The world would
Doe brighter and better if we