Rotha was in silent dismay. Tanfield was too far to go on foot and alone. Not even Sunday? I am afraid a good part of that Sunday was wasted in tears. The next morning brought a fresh difficulty. It suddenly flashed upon Rotha that she must have some clothes washed. That she should ask Mrs. Purcell to do it, was out of the question. That she should hire somebody else to do it, was equally out of the question. There remained--her own two hands. Her hands. Must she put them into the wash tub? Must they be roughened and reddened by hard work in hot and cold water? I am afraid pride had something to say here, besides the fastidious delicacy of refinement to which for a long while Rotha bad been accustomed, and which exactly suited the nature that was born with the girl. She went through a hard struggle and a painful one, before she could take meekly what was put upon her. But it _was_ put upon her; there was no other way; and there is no mistake and no oversight in God's dealings with his children. What he does not want them to do, he does not give them to do. It cost Rotha a good while of her time that morning, but at last she did see it, and then she accepted it. If God gave it to her to do, there could be no evil in the doing of it, and no hurt, and no disgrace. What she could do for God, was therewith lifted up out of the sphere of the low and common. Even the censers of Korah's wicked company were holy, because they had been used for the Lord; much more simple service from a believing heart. After a while Rotha's mind swung quite clear of all its embarrassments, and she saw her duty clear and took it up willingly. She went down at once then to the kitchen, where Mrs. Purcell was flying about with double activity. It certainly seemed that the rest of the Sunday had added wings to her heels. "Do you wash this morning, Mrs. Purcell?" "Yes. I aint one o' them as likes shovin' it off till the end o' the week. If I can't wash Monday, Prissy Purcell aint good to live with." "When will be a convenient time for me to do my washing?" "Ha' you things to wash?" "Yes, I am sorry to say. You will lend me a tub, and a little soap, won't you?" "I don' know whether I will or not. Suppos'n you've got the tub, do you know how to get your things clean? I don' believe you never done it." "No, I have never done it. But I can learn." "I guess it'd be more trouble to learn you, than to do the things. You fetch 'em here, and I'll do 'em my own self." "But I cannot pay you a cent for it, Mrs. Purcell; not now, at least. You'll have to take it on trust, if you do this for me." "All right," said Prissy. "You go fetch the things, 'cause I'm bound to have my tubs out o' the way before dinner."