"He don't take no care o' me," said the poor old woman. "There ain't no care took o' me anywheres—neither in heaven nor in earth. No, there ain't."
"But are you one of His sheep?" said Matilda, doubtfully.
"Eh?" said the woman, pricking up her ears, as it were.
"Are you one of the Lord's sheep, Mrs. Eldridge?"
"Am I one of 'em? I'm poor enough fur to be took care of; I am, and there ain't no care took o' me. Neither in heaven nor on earth. No, there ain't."
"But are you one of His sheep?" Matilda persisted. "His sheep follow Him. Did you ever do that, ma'am? Were you ever a servant of the Lord Jesus?"
"A servant? I warn't no servant, nowheres," was the answer. "I had no need to do that. We was 'spectable folks, and we had our own home and lived in it, we did. I warn't never no servant o' nobody."
"But we all ought to be God's servants," said Matilda.
"Eh?—I hain't done no harm, I hain't. Nobody never said as I done 'em no harm."
"But the servants of Jesus love Him, and obey Him, and do what He says," Matilda repeated, growing eager. "They do just what He says, and they love Him, and they love everybody, because He gives them new hearts."