"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. I colored, but went on. "Oh, I know I am selfish. And therefore I want live with those who are not so. I want to live with persons to whom I can look for an example, and who will constantly stimulate me to something higher." "But if God chooses quite another lot for you, you may be sure that He sees that you need something totally different from what you want. You just now that you would gladly go through any trial in order to attain a personal love to Christ that should become the ruling principle of your life. Now as soon as God sees this desire in you, is He not kind, is He not wise, in appointing such trials as He knows will lead to this end?" I meditated long before I answered. Was God really asking me not merely to let Martha and her father live with me on sufferance, but to rejoice that He had seen fit to let them harass and embitter my domestic life? "I thank you for the suggestion," I said, at last.