hey 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."

"I want to be made over new," said Mrs. Murray sadly, "but oh, have I
faith enough for such a great work? I am too unworthy, too far away
from Him to expect it."

"Well, He is worthy. Don't you know good old Faber says: