. ▁By ▁this ▁me ek ▁and ▁hum ble ▁self - rest raint , ▁Z ita ▁at ▁last ▁succeeded ▁in ▁over coming ▁the ▁mal ice ▁of ▁her ▁fellow - serv ants ▁and ▁her ▁employ ers , ▁so ▁much ▁so ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁placed ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁affairs ▁of ▁the ▁house . ▁Her ▁faith ▁had ▁enabled ▁her ▁to ▁per se vere ▁against ▁their ▁ab use , ▁and ▁her ▁constant ▁p iety ▁gradually ▁moved ▁the ▁family ▁to ▁a ▁religious ▁aw ak ening . ▁ ▁Z ita ▁often ▁said ▁to ▁others ▁that ▁dev otion ▁is ▁false ▁if ▁sl oth ful . ▁She ▁considered ▁her ▁work ▁as ▁an ▁employ ment ▁assigned ▁to ▁her ▁by ▁God ▁himself , ▁and ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁her ▁pen ance , ▁and ▁obey ed ▁her ▁master ▁and ▁mist ress ▁in ▁all ▁things ▁as ▁being ▁placed ▁over ▁her ▁by ▁God . ▁She ▁always ▁rose ▁several ▁hours ▁before ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁and ▁employed ▁in ▁prayer ▁a ▁considerable ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁which ▁others ▁gave ▁to ▁sleep . ▁She ▁took ▁care ▁to ▁hear ▁Mass ▁every ▁morning ▁with ▁great ▁dev otion ▁before ▁she ▁was ▁called ▁upon ▁by ▁the ▁duties ▁of ▁her ▁station , ▁in ▁which ▁she ▁was ▁employed ▁the ▁whole ▁day , ▁with ▁such ▁dil ig ence ▁and ▁f idel ity ▁that ▁she ▁seemed ▁to ▁be ▁carried ▁to ▁them ▁on ▁wings , ▁and ▁studied ▁when ▁possible ▁to ▁anticip ate ▁them . ▁ ▁One ▁an ec d ote ▁rel ates ▁a ▁story ▁of ▁Z ita ▁giving ▁her ▁own ▁food ▁or ▁that ▁of ▁her ▁master ▁to