"Soon's I'm sure o' my duty, I'll act upon it," said Job.
"Your duty's to do what's prudent an' in common sense, I take it," said John.
"Maybe I've a higher rule than that," responded Job. "Maybe I've a wish to please my Master first, an' then to think o' prudence."
"You're not a-going to let any wild notions o' religion lead you to 'dopt that little 'un as your own?" expostulated John.
"No wild notions at all, I can tell ye. Simply I've a Master, an' I'm His servant, an' ye knows well enough a servant ain't free to do his own will, but only accordin' to his master's will."
"But I say ye must be practical," said John.
"Just as I means to be," responded Job. "I'm awaitin' to know my Master's will. Maybe I'll mistake it at first, an' then no fear but He'll set me right in time. Once afore 'twas you as helped me to a clearer understandin', an' I thought ye might once again too."
"I don't know nothin' about it," said John testily. "Hope I'm a honest man, an' tries to do my duty. Don't want to go beyond that."
"Beyond doin' your duty. Why, it's a wonderful man ye'd be to do that," said Job, smiling. "Don't the Bible say how the best of us is only 'unprofitable servants,' doin' never a bit more than we're told to do? An' don't it say, 'Fear God, an' keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man'?"
John was silent—a little uneasy. The duty he had set himself hardly reached so far.