'That will do

That will do

Someone says that the sentence, " That will do ," has done more harm than any other sentence in the English language. It indicates the acceptance of a standard below the highest.

A person has done something which is not his best . He recognizes the fact; but he is too indolent to do it over again, or he is impatient to get the matter off his hands, and decides to let it go as it is.

"That will do," is a confession of unworthiness in what is done, and of indolence in the person who does it. He knows he could do better — but decides to let it pass.

Many catastrophes come in later years from doing imperfect or careless work in youth. When digging for the foundation of a great building, the workmen came upon a piece of old wall.

"That will do," they said; and they left it in the new wall, building around it. The great structure went up, and was filled with business. One day there was a crash. The fragment of old wall had given way, and the whole building fell in ruin!

Continually young people are leaving a fault, a wrong habit, a weakness, a flaw — in the foundation walls of their character . It would be hard to dig it out. It is easier just to build over it and around it, and so they let it stay.

"That will do," they say apologetically. Then afterwards, in some great stress or strain, the character fails and falls into ruins; it is seen then, that that careless piece of foundation-building was the cause of it all.

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