on earth for clapping ourselves down on our knees for set prayers?  When I was a girl, and wretched enough about Master Thurstan, and the crook on his back which came of the fall I gave him, I took to praying and sighing, and giving up the world; and I thought it were wicked to care for the flesh, so I made heavy puddings, and was careless about dinner and the rooms, and thought I was doing my duty, though I did call myself a miserable sinner.  But one night, the old missus (Master Thurstan’s mother) came in, and sat down by me, as I was a-scolding myself, without thinking of what I was saying; and, says she, ’Sally! what are you blaming yourself about, and groaning over?  We hear you in the parlour every night, and it makes my heart ache.’  ‘Oh, ma’am,’ says I, ’I’m a miserable sinner, and I’m travailing in the new birth.’  ’Was that the reason,’ says she, ‘why the pudding was so heavy to-day?’ ’Oh, ma’am, ma’am,’ said I, ’if you would not think of the things of the flesh, but trouble yourself about your immortal soul.’  And I sat a-shaking my head to think about her soul.  ‘But,’ says she, in her sweet dropping voice, ’I do try to think of my soul every hour of the day, if by that you mean trying to do the will of God, but we’ll talk now about the pudding; Master Thurstan could not eat it, and I know you’ll be sorry for that.’  Well!  I was sorry, but I didn’t choose to say so, as she seemed to expect me; so says I, ’It’s a pity to see children brought up to care for things of the flesh;’ and then I could have bitten my tongue out, for the missus looked so grave, and I thought of my darling little lad pining for want of his food.  At last, says she, ’Sally, do you think God has put us into the world just to be selfish, and do nothing but see after our own souls? or to help one another with heart and hand, as Christ did to all who wanted help?’ I was silent, for, you see, she puzzled me.  So she went on, ’What is that beautiful answer in your Church catechism, Sally?’ I were pleased to hear a Dissenter, as I did not think would have done it, speak so knowledgeably about the catechism, and she went on:  ’"to do my duty in that station of life unto which it shall please God to call me;” well, your station is a servant and it is as honourable as a king’s, if you look at it right; you are to help and serve others in one way, just as a king is to help others in another.  Now what way are you to help and serve, or to do your duty, in that station of life unto which it has pleased God to call you?  Did it answer God’s purpose, and serve Him, when the food was unfit for a child to eat, and unwholesome for any one?’ Well!  I would not give it up, I was so pig-headed about my soul; so says I, ’I wish folks would be content with locusts and wild honey, and leave other folks in peace to work out their salvation;’ and I groaned out pretty loud to think of missus’s soul.  I often think since she smiled a bit at me; but she said, ’Well, Sally, to-morrow, you shall have time to work out your salvation; but as