from everything that tries you, as far as you can.  Treat yourself like an invalid, as you are.  Then change your way of life entirely:  go out a good deal in the air, read, and talk, and sing, and play on the piano—­you used to be a good player, I remember.  Let the housework and the sewing be done by somebody else, except what you can do without a strain upon yourself.  Then I should be a little careful about my dress, to have it becoming and all that, and I would invite in a little company once in a while, and go out in a sociable way a little, and try to make my home just the brightest, cheeriest place in all the world.  Economy is good in its place, but I believe Satan is even at the bottom of that sometimes, when we drive our boys and girls out from home by saving coal and gas, and shutting the sun out of our houses—­they like brightness as well as the birds do.  You see you can’t tell me anything new on this.  I made all these mistakes myself once.”

“But Aunt Deborah,” said Mrs. Murray, “I am surprised.  I thought you used to be such a strict Christian.”

“Used to be such a strict Pharisee, you mean,” Aunt Deborah answered; “used to imagine religion consisted in wearing the ugliest garment I could put on, combing my hair straight back in a hard knot, being ’a keeper at home,’ and making things generally uncomfortable for everybody.  Now I think a Christian is one who loves and obeys his Lord.  I know I love Him and I am trying to obey Him, but I believe if there is one place on the earth He loves next to the gates of Zion, it is a happy home, and that He smiles upon us in all our innocent efforts to make it so.

“You were surprised that I did not say right off, ’Pray over your troubles,’ weren’t you?  No, no!  I believe we have got to take everything out of our way that hinders us before we come and ask him to do some great thing for us.  You must lay aside the ‘weight,’ and the temptations to the ‘sin that doth so easily beset us,’ then He will do his part.  It isn’t his way to do for us what we can do.  Now if you load yourself down with burdens that He did not ask you to carry, I don’t believe you will have the same grace given you to overcome that a poverty-stricken mother of a large family has given to her; grace is bestowed according to our need.”

“Yes,” said Mrs. Murray, “it is all true.  But suppose I do all these things that you suggest.  I can’t expect to be entirely free from all provocations to anger while I live in this world.  What is there in all this that will help me to control my temper?  I declare to you, Aunt Deborah, I cannot do it.  I have no hope that I can ever be different.  I know myself so well.”

“Praise the Lord that you know that,” said the old lady.  “He says, ‘In me is thy help found.’  Not a soul of us comes to him for help till we have made this discovery, ‘I cannot do it.’  When your watch is out of order you do not expect it to right itself; you take it to the watchmaker.  Now lay your heart down before Jesus, and say, Lord won’t you fix it for me?  As you trust the watchmaker, trust Him.”