your mother and father and home people. "_Haus Teuffel, Strasse Engel_" is
a bad name. The point of that text about 'Corban, it is a gift,' is, that
you must not feel absolved from duties at home, because you do good works
outside. Find out some home duty you can do regularly, and stick to it. I
dare say your mother may not suggest any to you, because she wants you to
have a good time, but think of _her_ pleasure and amusement; mothers
often talk as if they enjoyed being left at home, just to make more room
for you. Keep your eyes open, and find out what you can do to make life
pleasanter to her. Talk over your plans with her; often mothers do not
realize that a girl wants to find duties and kind things to do, and so
they only shower pleasures on her which do not satisfy her.

If there seems no special work for you, be on the look-out to do the
things that other people do not like doing; that is the sort of person I
like better than any other,--the one who feels "somebody must do the
tiresome work, why shouldn't I?" Nothing you could do in the future would
please me so much as if you lived by that motto; and, if you add to it a
determination to make it quite a pleasure to your mother to find fault
with you, you will do well!

So much for Prayer, our duty to God, and for Alms, our duty to our
neighbour; how about Fasting, our duty to ourself?

What is the good of fasting? Is it simply that we should be uncomfortable?
No, the point of fasting is self-discipline and training. This is your
duty to self: not to get comfort or amusement or success in the world,
but, so to train, to drill, to feed and strengthen yourself, that you may
be a good soldier for God.

Such questions as the proper amount of Rest and Amusement and Exercise