But she did not let us get into the bad habit of
pitying ourselves because we were not as "well off" as many other
children. And indeed we considered ourselves pleasantly situated;
but the best of it all was that we had her.
Her theories for herself, and her practice, too, were rather
severe; but we tried to follow them, according to our weaker
abilities. Her custom was, for instance, to take a full cold bath
every morning before she went to her work, even though the water
was chiefly broken ice; and we did the same whenever we could be
resolute enough. It required both nerve and will to do this at
five o'clock on a zero morning, in a room without a fire; but it
helped us to harden ourselves, while we formed a good habit. The
working-day in winter began at the very earliest daylight, and
ended at half-past seven in the evening.
Another habit of hers was to keep always beside her at her daily
work something to study or to think about. At first it was "Watts
on the Improvement of the Mind," arranged as a textbook, with
questions and answers, by the minister of Beverly who had made
the thought of the millennium such a reality to his people.
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