If pictures don’t lie, my mother’s aunt was a very beautiful young woman. Also very neat. Very clean. Hard-working.
She had one daughter. She had all of her mother’s good qualities and some of her beauty.
Cousin walked about 1 ½ miles to school. She had time to think a lot. One day when she came home, she said, “Mama, I’d like to have another dress.”
Mama didn’t waste many words. She merely asked, “Why?”
In those days many children were expected to wear one outfit all week to school. By changing into “everyday” clothes the minute they got home, even boys could keep it reasonably clean that way.
Cousin did that every evening. Aunt, who believed cleanliness is next to Godliness, washed Cousin’s one and only school dress every Saturday and again on Tuesday or Wednesday evening. Early next morning she’d heat the old sad irons and Cousin would start the school without a single spot or wrinkle.
Another dress. Why indeed! Cousin had her answer ready. “My friend has three dresses. Can’t I have two?”
Aunt replied with a question. “How many dresses does your friend wear at a time?”
“Why, Mama, she just wears one.”
“And you, Child, how many do you wear?” Aunt was quite serious.
“One, Mama.”
“Then you both have plenty.”
Think it over. How many dresses do you wear at one time?