Monday 27 February 2012

Monday's Words of Wisdom from Mrs Beeton


A Judicious Choice of Friends

is most essential to the happiness of a household.  An acquaintance who indulges in scandal about her neighbours should be avoided like a pestilence.  While ever attending to the paramount claims of a home, a lady should not altogether neglect social duties.  The daily round of work is much  more pleasant if cheered by intercourse with friends, who are often able to give, or pleased to receive, help in the little difficulties that may occur in everyday life.  Another point of view is that most women look forward to some day guiding their daughters in society, and in this cherished hope have a motive for not abstaining too much from social intercourse.  One is apt to become too narrow-minded by living too much in the home circle; it is not well to get out of the way of meeting fresh people.  It is important also that children should have the advantage of mixing with other young people, though of course parents should exercise every precaution against the evils of bad company.




Take from that what you will!

4 comments:

  1. On the one hand it sounds wonderfully sane, but I think things were perhaps a little more black and white than they are today. We seem to be so much more of a social mish mash nowadays. If we stuck to the above we might find ourselves without a friend in the world.

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  2. Darn... having a good gossip is out then ? !!!

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  3. Hi Alix, thank you for your kind comment on my blog, I was glad I asked if readers could see my cross stitch error as Hazel spotted one I had missed. I'm sure on bigger work I have missed things, wouldn't want to look too closely just in case!
    Some good advice by Mrs. B, not all easy to follow, I guess here in blogland we are keeping to one point she makes and are continually "meeting fresh people".
    Carol xx

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  4. Nothing changes much does it!

    Gill xx

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