Effie Maurice | Page 3

isn't idle and good-for-nothing now, Effie. Since he began to go to
the Sunday school he's as different as can be. Now if we could put our
money together, and help him to go to school this winter (he can't even
read the Bible, Effie,) I think it would do more good than anything else
in the world.'
'Perhaps it would, but I never liked John Frink very well. He will learn
to read the Bible at the Sunday school, and if he did know any more,
I'm not sure he'd make a good use of it.'
'Perhaps he wouldn't, but we could hope, Effie, and pray, and then we
should have the pleasure of knowing that our duty was done, as Mr L.
said the other day. If John Frink should become reformed, only think of
how much good he might do in that wicked family, and among the
wicked boys here in the city, and then when he gets to be a man--'
'But if he isn't reformed, Harry?'
'That is just what Mr S. said to father, the other day, when he asked him
for money to buy tracts for boatmen on the canal--"If they don't read
them," said he.
'Father told him that if we did our duty faithfully, it was all that is
required of us, and we must leave the results in the hands of God. Now
I think just so of John Frink, only that I can't help believing that he will
reform. The Bible says, "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the
evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall
prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good."
Now, maybe, all the money you have given this year will do good, but
perhaps this to John Frink most of all.'
'I believe you are right, Harry,' said Effie, 'but you will give me to-night

to think about it.'
'Oh yes, to be sure, you could not give the money, with your whole
heart, unless you believed it was to do good, and so you may think just
as long as you please. Now your kiss, Effie, for I must go to bed. We
will be up early, if we don't go to Mr T.'s shop.'
CHAPTER III.
NEW YEAR'S DAY.
Harry Maurice was out 'bright and early,' wishing everybody a 'Happy
New Year,' and making them happy at least for the moment, by the
expression of his ruddy, laughing face. We love to see in children
cheerfulness and contentment. Harry's head was full of plans for doing
good, and though more than half of them were visionary, they seemed
realities then, and so being in good humour with himself, he could not
fail of being so with everybody else. Effie refused to go with him to
Mrs Frink's, for she had her own little gifts to dispense, but she
consented to take a walk with him in the afternoon, and even to call at
Mr T.'s shop, for she concluded there could be no danger in looking at
the toys after they had disposed of their money.
Harry's account of his reception at Mrs Frink's was anything but
satisfactory to Effie, for although he evidently endeavoured to make the
best of it, he said not a single word of John's gratitude. 'I am afraid,
Effie,' he rather mischievously whispered, 'if you had gone with me to
Mrs Frink's you would have thought dirt was her god, for I believe she
loves it better than anything else.'
'O Harry, I am sure it is wicked to make fun--'
'I didn't mean to make fun, Effie, but I'm sure I couldn't help thinking
of the old man in Pilgrim's Progress with the muck rake, refusing the
crown, all the time I was there.'
'Father told me that the man with the muck rake, meant the miser.'

'Well, I suppose it does, but I should think it might mean any body that
is not a Christian, for such people, you know, are rejecting a heavenly
crown for worldly things, which are in reality worth about as much as
the trash the old man is raking together in the picture.' Effie stared at
her brother in complete astonishment, for she could not but wonder
how so small a head could contain such a wondrous amount of
knowledge. Harry endured a stare for a moment with considerable
dignity, but he was naturally a modest lad, and finally added, 'That is
pretty nearly the substance of what Frank Ingham told me about it--I
can't remember the words quite.'
After dinner was over, and Harry and Effie had distributed the
remnants of it among several poor families that lived on an adjoining
street, they set out on their walk. The day