"And I could not do the first without at the same time doing the last."
"No; that is very true. Also I trust, daughter, that your great motive for improving your mental powers is that you may thus be prepared to do better service to the Master?"
"I hope so, mother; it is, if I know my own heart," Mildred said, looking up with shining eyes. "I know it is said that duties never conflict, yet it does seem sometimes as though they did."
"As, for example?" and her mother's eyes smiled encouragingly and sympathizingly into hers.
"Why, there is the weekly church prayer-meeting to take one whole evening out of the six."
"Only from an hour to an hour and a half," corrected Mrs. Keith.
"But it breaks into the evening so that one can hardly do much with the leavings," Mildred said with a slight laugh. "And then the young girls' prayer-meeting breaks up one afternoon of every week, and besides—O mother! it is a real trial to me to lead in prayer, and I am sure to be called on."
"I hope you will never refuse," Mrs. Keith said gently, and with a tender, loving look. "We should never fear to attempt any duty, looking to God for help, for it shall be given, and a blessing with it."
"It is a great cross to me."