Self-Denial | Page 3

quart for peach stones and plum stones; and he says he will pay that for as many as are brought to him. So here is a fine way for any of you that choose to make money, as long as fruit lasts."
Alice Wood now reckoned up the promised sums, and said,
"I think, girls, if we all keep the resolutions we have formed, that by only saving the money that we should spend in other ways, and giving it to the society, we can pledge ourselves to give altogether fifty dollars a year; and with our Sewing Society, and the many other ways that have been mentioned of earning a little money, I should not be surprised if we should raise it to one hundred dollars a year. Just think what a sum that would be, and how much good it may do, if we give it in a right spirit, and with prayers for the blessing of God to accompany it. For you know the missionary said the other evening, that we might give a great deal of money, merely for the sake of having it published, or from some other improper motive, and if it should do good to others, it would not do any to ourselves; but that even a little given from a right motive, and with fervent prayer for the Divine blessing, might accomplish great things, and would return in mercy upon the head of the giver. For, said he, (and these words are from the Bible,) 'He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord, and that which he hath given, will he pay him again.' And, 'The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth, shall himself be watered.'"
As the girls went home, they all kept on the side of the road opposite to Mother Grimes's shop; for the old woman had a bad temper, and a very loud voice, and they were all afraid of hearing from her if they passed her shop without stopping to buy something.
"What on earth is the matter with the children?" said old Mother Grimes to herself. "Here, these two or three days past, hardly a soul of them has been near the shop, and my candies are getting quite old." And Mother Grimes went to work, and cracked nuts, and boiled new molasses, and made nicer candies than ever; but all to no purpose.
Rachel Brown did say to Alice Wood one day, "See, Alice, what beautiful candy Mother Grimes has put in her shop-window to day." But Alice only said, "Rachel, we have now a better use for our money; let us waste nothing, but save all we can, so that we shall not feel, when we meet our fellow-creatures at the last day, that any of them have perished through our neglect, or because we were so selfish that we could not deny ourselves a small gratification for the sake of supplying their need."
One day a knot of little girls were so bold as to pass directly by the candy shop. The old woman stood in the door, and called out to them as they passed, and asked them why they never stopped now. "See," said she, "all my nice candies melting in the sun; and nobody but the flies to eat them."
"We have found something better to do with our pennies, Mother Grimes," answered little Susy Barnes, who was the leader of the party, "than to spend them in getting the tooth-ache, and making ourselves sick; and we have all made up our minds that we will not buy any more candy." The old woman flew into a passion, and talked so loud, that some of the little girls were for running off, but Susy stood her ground undaunted.
"I'll tell you what, Mother Grimes," said she, "if you will give up selling candy, and keep slates, and pencils, and pens, and sponges, and all such useful things for sale, we shall all be much more likely to stop here, than to go all the way round to the booksellers."
But Mother Grimes's wrath only increased the more, and as she showed some signs of coming out after them, Susy was glad to join the retreating party; and they all darted off without looking behind them, and did not consider themselves perfectly safe, till they were seated at their desks in the schoolroom. Mother Grimes soon found that it was useless to try to tempt the little school-children any more, so she determined to move off to some other place, "where," as she said, "the children had no such foolish notions in their heads."
And now the Sewing Society was started; and such a cutting and fixing, and bustle as there was, till enough work was prepared to give them all something to do!