"But in the case I was supposing, neither party can be of the least use to the other."
"You forget perhaps the indirect good one may in by living with uncongenial, tempting persons. First such people do good by the very self-denial and self-control their mere presence demands. Then, their making one's home less home-like and perfect than it would be in their absence, may help to render our real home in heaven more attractive."
"But suppose one cannot exercise self-control, and is always flying out and flaring up?" I objected.
"I should say that a Christian who was always doing that," she replied, gravely, "was in pressing need of just the trial God sent when He shut him up to such a life of hourly temptation. We only know ourselves and what we really are, when the force of circumstances bring us out."
"It is very mortifying and painful to find how weak one is."
"That is true. But our mortifications are some of God's best physicians, and do much toward healing our pride and self-conceit."
"Do you really think, then, that God deliberately appoints to some of His children a lot where their worst passions are excited, with a desire to bring good out of this seeming evil? Why I have always supposed the best thing that could happen to me, instance, would be to have a home exactly to my mind; a home where all were forbearing, loving and good-tempered, a sort of little heaven below."
"If you have not such a home, my dear, are you sure it is not partly your own fault?"
"Of course it is my own fault. Because I am very quick-tempered I want to live with good-tempered people."
"That is very benevolent in you," she said, archly.