"She is; she is simply splendid. In the first place she is very pretty, and that has a tremendous influence. It would take me twenty visits to the poor to win as much love as she gains in one."
"But I did not know she was so religious."
"She was always good and amiable," replied Joanna, "even when she was quite a child. But lately she has been a great deal under Edgar Ford's influence, and has learnt from him the importance of our responsibility to the poor. She will do more good in my district than I have ever done."
"I suppose the world could do without any of us," said Isabel sadly, "none of us are indispensable to anything or anybody."
Joanna shook her head. "The world might, but God couldn't."
"But you said that He could."
"Oh! no, I didn't. I said that He could carry on His work without us, which is quite a different thing."
Isabel looked puzzled. "What is the difference?"
"Don't you see? it is like this. When I was a little girl, father always allowed me to open all his letters with a small paper-knife. I used to love doing it, I felt so important, and I imagined that if it hadn't been for me, father's letters would have permanently remained unopened. I used to say nearly every day, 'You couldn't do without me, could you, father?' and he always answered, 'No'. Of course father could have opened all his letters well enough without my help, but he couldn't have done without me all the same."
"How good you are, dear Joanna!"