Eva was not a very big girl, and her boots were generally cleaned by the
older ones, but one day her mother said, "Eva, I wish you would brush
your own boots this morning, we are all so busy".
"Oh mother!" said Eva, "you know it gives me a headache to brush boots,
and I shall make my hands so dirty, and perhaps bespatter the floor with
blacking as well." I am afraid Eva was rather a spoilt little girl, and
this had made her somewhat selfish.
Half an hour later her mother came into the room again, just as Eva was
lacing up her boots, and she inquired who had made them so bright and
shiny. It was Eva's elder sister, Mary, and Eva knew that her mother was
not pleased, but nothing more was said.
In the afternoon Mary and her mother went out shopping, and Eva hurried
home from school, although she would have liked very much to stay for a
while and play with the other girls. But she wanted to give mother a
surprise. First she put the kettle on the fire, and then she laid the
table all neatly and nicely, ready for tea. When everything was in its
place, she went to the door several times to look for her mother and
sister; at last she saw they were just turning the corner of the street,
and Eva ran along to meet them, and said, "Come away, mother, tea is
quite ready; I have been looking for you and Mary ever so long". And
dear mother knew what it all meant.
It meant that Eva had been listening to the Good Voice, and that she was
sorry she had been so selfish in the morning. The Good Voice says
(Blackboard)
Don't be Selfish. Help all you can.