se it is wrong; but the defence is, that it is
necessary. If Sunday's milk is not made at once into cheese, it must
wait till Monday; and not only double work must be done then, for
Monday will have its own milk, but double sets of everything will be
needed; tubs and presses and all. So people think they cannot afford
it."

"Well, how can they, aunt Caxton? There seems reason in that."

"Reason for what?"

"Why, I mean, it seems they have some reason for working on the
Sabbath--not to lose all that milk. It is one seventh of all they have."

Mrs. Caxton replied in a very quiet manner,--"'Thou shalt remember the
Lord thy God; for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.'"

"But aunt Caxton," said Eleanor a little doubtfully,--"he gives it in
the use of means?"

"Do you think he blesses the use of means he has forbidden?"

Eleanor was silent a moment.

"Aunt Caxton, people do get rich so, do they not?"

"'The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich,'" said Mrs. Caxton,
contentedly,--"'and he addeth no sorrow with it.' That is the sort of
riches I like best."

Eleanor did not answer; a kind of moisture came up in her eyes, for she
felt poor in those riches.

"It is mere want of faith, Eleanor, that pleads such a reason," Mrs.
Caxton went on. "It is taking the power to get wealth into our own
hands. If it is in God's hands, it is just as easy certainly for him to
give it to us in the obedient use of means as in the disobedient use of
them; and much more likely that he will. Many a man has become poor by
his disobedience, for one that has been allowed to prosper awhile in
spite of it. If the statistics were made up, men would see. Meanwhile,
never anybody trusted the Lord and was confounded."

"Then what do you do with the seventh day's milk, aunt Caxton?"

"I make butter of it. But I would pour it away down the river, Eleanor,
before I would make it an excuse for disobeying God."

This was said without any heat, but as the quietest of conclusions.
Eleanor stood silent, wondering at her aunt's cheeses and notions
together. She was in a new world, surely. Yet a secret feeling of
respect was every moment mounting higher.

"The principle is universally true, Eleanor, that the safe way in
everything is the way of obedience. Consequences are not in our hands.
It is only unbelief that would make consequences a reason for going out
of the way. 'Trust in the Lord, and keep his way; so shall he exalt
thee to inh