ELLEN. I heard a woman say, once, that she could pray best when she was at work; that when she was scouring the floor she would ask God to cleanse her mind. MR. ALCOTT. I will now vary my question. Is there any prayer in Patience? ALL. A great deal. MR. ALCOTT. In Impatience? ALL. No; not any. MR. ALCOTT. In Doubt? GEORGE K. No; but in Faith. MR. ALCOTT. In Laziness? ALL (_but Josiah_). No; no kind of prayer. JOSIAH. I should think that Laziness was the prayer of the body, Mr. Alcott. MR. ALCOTT. Yes; it seems so. The body tries to be still more body; it tries to get down into the clay; it tries to sink; but the spirit is always trying to lift it up and make it do something. EDWARD J. Lazy people sometimes have passions that make them act. MR. ALCOTT. Yes; they act downwards. Is there any prayer in Disobedience? ALL. No. MR. ALCOTT. Is there any in submission? In forbearing when injured? In suffering for a good object? In self-sacrifice? ALL (_eagerly to each question_). Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. (_Mr. Alcott here made some very interesting remarks on loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, etc., and the Idea of Devotion it expressed. Josiah wanted to speak constantly, but Mr. Alcott checked him, that the others might have opportunity, though the latter wished to yield to Josiah._) JOSIAH (_burst out_). Mr. Alcott! you know Mrs. Barbauld says in her hymns, everything is prayer; every action is prayer; all nature prays; the bird prays in singing; the tree prays in growing; men pray; men can pray more; we feel; we have more--more than nature; we can know and do right; Conscience prays; all our powers pray; action prays. Once we said here, that there was a "Christ in the bottom of our spirits" when we try to be good; then we pray in Christ; and that is the whole.[6] [Footnote 6: This improvisation is preserved in its words. Josiah, it may be named, was under seven years of age, and the other children were chiefly between the ages of six and twelve years.] MR. ALCOTT. Yes, Josiah, that is the whole. That is Universal Prayer--the adoration of the Universe to its Author! CHARLES. I was most interested in this verse--"The day is coming, and now is, when men shall worship the Father," etc. I think that this means that people are about to learn what to worship, and where. MR. ALCOTT. Have you learned this to-day? CHARLES. Yes; I have learnt some new things, I believe. MR. ALCOTT. What are you to worship? CHARLES. Goodness. MR. ALCOTT. Where is it? CHARLES. Within. MR. ALCOTT. Within what? CHARLES. Conscience, or God. MR. ALCOTT. Are you to worship Conscience? CHARLES. Yes. MR. ALCOTT. Is it anywhere but in yourself? CHARLES. Yes; it is in Nature. MR. ALCOTT. Is it in other people? CHARLES. Yes; there is more or less of it in other people, unless they have taken it out. MR. ALCOTT. Can it be entirely taken out? CHARLES. Goodness always lingers in Conscience. MR. ALCOTT. Is Conscience anywhere but in Human Nature?