Little Foxes

A series of household essays framed as a parent's evening discourses identifies small, often-overlooked domestic faults—including fault-finding, irritability, repression, persistence, intolerance, discourtesy, and exactingness—that gradually erode family happiness. Drawing on observations about overwork and nervous overstimulation in contemporary life, the essays examine how business pressure, late-night socializing, and stimulants deplete nerves and make people irritable at home. Each chapter analyzes a particular habit, outlines its effects on relationships and daily duties, and urges readers to evaluate amusements and behaviors by their aftereffects on domestic cheerfulness.