The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-08-01


said Laura to her sister Josephine,
when they were alone in their room.
Il said very little" answered jose
phine.
But | know you dislike it,"
Yes, it will make you seem differ
ent to other people. 1t will make you
conspicuous i
Conspicuous!' exclaimed Laura;
"conspicuous-in what way?"
oh" said Josephine, forgetting
herself, Il only meant that everybody
would know then that you think a
great deal aboutthese things, ifyou will
even give up society for the sake of
them
"Ihese things" really meant personal
religion and religious duties. quite as
much as work Of charity and benevo-
~lence; and Josephine was vexed with
herself when she heard the answer.
Il do think of these things a little,
but [ want to think of them a great
deal more: and [ want, as much as /
can, to put myself in the Woy Of think
ing about them more"
so do l." said Josephine. but this
is going out OF your way for them.
It's-in short, it's putting your hand
to the plough"
WAS the man to blame" said Laura,
fol putting his hand to the plough, or
for taking it back again when the fur
row was only half fnished?"
For taking it back" answered Jo-
sephine, who observed at once the drift
of her sisters question.
Then why do you dissuade me from
setting my hand to this? Surely it is
better to begin. and go on if [ can,
than to refrain from beginning at all
besides, if [ begin | may expect help,
and go on with that help"
But if you do not go on every n
will say you are very inconsistent.
You will have given a kind of a pledge
which you may find burdensome.
This is not one hard thing to be done
aud over, but a series of tiresome lit
tie things that will seem as if they
would never be over"
You mean" said Laura, that it is
safer to put ones standard as low as
possible"
Il rather meant safer not to put it
too high" o
"Josey that does. not answer; put
the standard low, and you will go low
err. | am sure of it. Put the standard
high, and you will strive to reach it."
"And fail, perhaps" Il
Very likely; but how much you
think about consistency. Had [ not
better be doing rightly sometimes than
never? Your plan woald be consis-
tently to refrain from doing good at
any time"
You have such an odd way of put
ting things was the answer Il do
not want to discourage you from visit
ing the poor; you might take a district
instead of inventing this plan"
You know very we'll that in this
small place the districts are soughtaf-
ter-actually sought after
Only since we had such a para
gon of a curate, and he always 10 and
out Of the houses. Well, if a district
is not to be had. there is the school"
Do they want another visitor
there?"
No"
But Goody Fairdew does want her
dinner, and she does want her bed
made. Let ms do thattill | find some
thing better to do"
Nothing better was found. The old
woman's need seldom interfered with
Laura's amusements; when it did, she
generally made amusements give way.
unless her mother wished to send the
housemaid to the cottage. This went
at intervals for two years; Laura
fed the old woman, tended her. and
read 10 her. The daughter could not
read well, and it used to give Laura
great pleasure to hear the old creature
say, Read me my prayers, miss, and
read me my chapter. look for EN-
now. and seems to- want EN- So
Laura would kneel by the bed, and
read to her simple prayers and collects
and psalms, and then a chapter out of
the Bible; she also taught her a few
hymns, and often felt very happy when
her poor old patience would say, grave
ly, Them are very fine words, they
seems to do me good
L think about those prayers and
those texts eve So much when you're
gone" she once observed.
DO you?" said Laura.
"Ay, dear, and when we both get to
Heaven I'll tell you what | think; but
| can't now, for you see I've no learn
ing. I think a vast deal. bat [ cant
give it words; but you'll wait, dear,
won't your
Waltz" said Laura, not quite sure
OF her meaning.
"Ay, wait, dear: I shall get in, new
err fear. Christ will open the door.
| trust in him, and, dear. [ should like
you to know what | think about it all.
aud how | thank you. So when you
come I'll tell it you"
When people pat themselves in the
way OF things. thew often meet with