farm Mrs. Ford had of late insisted on
the excellent rule of getting all done that could be done on Saturday
night, so as to leave the Lord's day as free as possible from secular
duties; so Nelly, sleepy as she was, took up her blacking brushes, and
proceeded to rub and polish with all her might. But fatigue was too
strong for her, and before she had got through the third pair, her
head sank down and she lost all consciousness, till she suddenly
started up, thinking Mrs. Ford was calling her to drive the cows to
pasture. It was impossible to rouse herself again to her work; she
just managed to put out her light, and, hastily undressing, she threw
herself on the bed with only a half-conscious attempt at her usual
evening prayer, which, however, He who knows the weakness of our frame
would surely accept.

Next morning, she started up instantly at Mrs. Williams' impatient
call. She could hardly get ready quick enough to satisfy her mistress,
and had no time to kneel down and ask her heavenly Father's help for
the duties of the day. Mrs. Williams had not thought of this need for
herself, and still less for her little handmaid. She found there was
plenty of work before her, independently of the boots that remained to
be cleaned. By the time she had got through, the bells were ringing
for church, and it was time to think of getting the dinner ready, the
boarders dining early on Sunday. Mrs. Williams was not going to church
herself. The gentlemen always expected the dinner to be especially
good on that day, without much consideration what the cook's Sunday
might be; and it was much too important a matter to be left to Nelly's
inexperienced hands. But during the time when her mistress was
occupied in helping her daughter to dress her hair elaborately for
church, Nelly found a little quiet time to read part of a chapter, and
learn a verse, and ask God's help to do right during the day, and to
remember that it was His day, the best of all the week.

So prepared, she found the difficult task of performing unaccustomed
duties to her mistress's satisfaction easier than it might otherwise
have been. For why should we consider anything too small to seek His
aid, by whom the hairs of our head are all numbered? And the very
attitude of trust and reliance on Him calms and clears the mind, and
strengthens the heart.

There was no time for Nelly to go to church on that Sunday, at any
rate. She could not get through her work with her com