n apostle could say, 'Oh,
wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this
death?' Even St. Paul felt the two natures warring within him. How can
you and I, then, expect to be exempt from this conflict?"

"Don't put yourself in the same category with me, Bessie. You have
crushed your lower nature, if you ever had it."

"Oh, hush!" replied her sister, quite shocked at this. "You can't know
what you are talking about." And here her voice trembled a little, for
no one was more conscious of her faults and shortcomings. Bessie could
remember the time when the conflict had been very hard; when her
standard of duty had been lower than that she held now; when she had
been as careless and indifferent as many girls of her age, until Divine
guidance had led her feet into better paths; and knowing this, in her
humility she could be tolerant of others.

"You do not know what you are saying, Hatty, or you would not hurt me by
such a speech; it is only your love for me that blinds you. What I want
to tell you is this--that you must not be so impatient; you waste all
your strength in saying hard things about yourself, instead of fighting
your faults. Why don't you say to yourself, 'I am a poor, weak little
creature, but my Creator knows that too, and he bears with me. I cannot
rid myself of my tiresome nature; it sticks to me like a Nessus
shirt'--you know the old mythological story, Hatty--'but it is my cross,
a horrid spiky one, so I will carry it as patiently as I can. If it is
not always light, I will grope my way through the shadows; but my one
prayer and my one effort shall be to prevent other people suffering
through me?'"

"Oh, Bessie, that is beautiful!"

"You will find nothing else will help you to fight your bogies; do try
it, darling. Be merciful to your poor little self; 'respect the possible
angel in you,' as Mr. Robertson said. You will get rid of all your
faults and fancies one day, as your namesake did in the river. You won't
always be poor little Hatty, whose back aches, and who is so cross;
there is no pain nor crossness in the lovely land where all things are
new."

"Oh, if we were only there now, Bessie, you and I, safe and happy!"

"I would rather wait till my time comes. I am young and strong enough to
find life beautiful. Don't be cowardly, Hatty; you want to drop behind
in the march, before many a gray-haired old veteran. That is because you
are weak and tired, and you fear the long jo