,,self-,,denial2  ,,or1  ,,alice ,,wood1
 ,,and ,,her ,,missionary ,,society4    
,illustration   ,the village            
school-house was situated on a pretty   
green1 and surrounded by old elm-trees1 
and at a short distance and in full     
sight was a candy-shop1 kept by an old  
woman1 whom the children called ,mother 
,grimes4 ,mother ,grimes knew how to    
make the very best candies and cakes    
that ever were eaten1 and almost every  
day she displayed in her shop-window    
some new kind of cake1 or some new      
variety of candy1 to excite the         
curiosity or tempt the palates of her   
little customers1 who found it a very   
difficult matter to pass ,mother        
,grimes's shop on their way from school4
  ,one day1 just after the school-bell  
rang to give notice of the recess1 a    
pretty little girl1 by the name of      
,alice ,wood1 was seen very busily      
running about among the school-girls and
 whispering to one and another4 ,her    
object was to induce them to remain a   

little while after the school1 as she   
had something to propose to them4 ,alice
 was a great favourite1 as she was      
always willing to put herself to any    
inconvenience for the sake of giving any
 one else pleasure4 ,so they all readily
 consented to stay1 if it were only to  
please her4  ,after school was out and  
the teacher had left1 ,alice collected  
the girls together and told them her    
plan4 ,girls1 said she1 last night ,i   
went to the missionary meeting1 and some
 of you were there too4 ,we heard a     
missionary speak1 who has just come back
 from ,india1 and he told us of the     
millions of poor degraded and ignorant  
people there1 who have never heard of   
,god or the ,bible1 and who worship idol
 gods of wood and stone1 and sacrifice  
their children and themselves to these  
dumb idols2 and he told us of millions  
in other countries who are just as      
ignorant and degraded1 besides the      
multitudes in our own land who know     
nothing of the ,bible or the way of     

salvation4 ,i knew all this before1 to  
be sure1 for ,i have often heard it2 but
 ,i never felt it as ,i did last night2 
and when the missionary called upon us  
children and told us that we could do   
something to save these immortal souls1 
,i felt1 for the first time in my life1 
that it was my duty1 by denying myself  
some gratifications and by trying to    
save money in other ways1 to do all that
 ,i could to send the word of ,god to   
those who are perishing4 ,girls1 said   
she1 with earnestness1 ,i could hardly  
sleep last night1 for ,i was all the    
time going over in my mind the different
 ways in which ,i might earn or save    
something1 and ,i thought if all our    
school were to feel as ,i did1 and join 
me in this1 we might collect a great    
many dollars a year4  ,here some of the 
older girls began to whisper to each    
other that they had no money to spare1  
and that their parents could not give   
them money every day to send to the     
heathen4  ,now stop a little while1     

girls1 if you please1 said ,alice1 till 
,i just tell you what ,i want to have   
done4 ,in the first place1 ,i think it  
will be so pleasant to form a sewing    
,society1 to meet on ,saturday          
afternoons1 and make bags and           
needle-cases and collars and many other 
things to sell2 and ,i know my father   
will be delighted to have us put a box1 
with these things1 in his store4 ,then1 
while we sew1 ,i propose that one reads 
aloud from some interesting book or     
paper about missions and benevolent     
societies1 and thus we shall all become 
interested in the intelligence1 and be  
more willing to work and save to help   
the needy4 ,alice then1 with a great    
deal of tact1 proposed the names of     
those who should be ,president1         
,secretary1 and ,treasurer of their     
,society1 selecting the very ones who   
had been opposed to her plan4 ,one large
 girl was still dissatisfied1 and       
declared she would not join them1 till  
,alice moved that she should be         

appointed reader4 ,this delighted her   
very much1 as she read remarkably well2 
and now all were pleased1 and ,alice    
went on with her plan4  ,now1 about our 
laying up money1 girls1 said she4 ,i    
believe our parents are none of them    
very rich1 and yet we contrive to get a 
great many pennies1 in one way or       
another1 to spend for our own           
gratification4 ,how many pennies do you 
think go1 in a year1 from our school    
into ,mother ,grimes's pocket8 ,why     
enough to send a great many ,bibles to  
the destitute4 ,perhaps enough to       
support a missionary1 or educate a      
heathen child1 or give a library or two 
to a poor ,sunday-school4 ,just think of
 it1 girls6 ,now ,i1 for one1 spend     
certainly a penny a day for candy4 ,how 
many will that be in a year1 ,susy8     
,three hundred and sixty-five1 answered 
little ,susy ,barnes4  ,yes2 three      
dollars and sixty-five cents will buy a 
great many ,bibles and good books1 said 
,alice2 and then my father gives me a   

penny a week for slate pencils4 ,now ,i 
am going to ask him to continue the     
penny a week2 and then ,i am going to   
see how long ,i can keep a pencil1 for  
,i have been very careless in losing    
them4 ,and in these1 and other ways1 ,i 
hope ,i can save quite a sum of money in
 a year4 ,now1 girls1 will you all      
think1 between this time and tomorrow   
noon1 how much you can save1 and then we
 will put it all down together1 and see 
how much we can hope to collect in a    
year8  ,the girls readily promised1 and 
then1 as they had stayed a long time1   
they all set off in haste for their     
homes1 full of the new project of the   
,missionary ,society4     ,,part ,,ii4  
,the next day1 as soon as school was    
out1 the little girls1 of their own     
accord1 crowded around ,alice1 who stood
 with a pencil and piece of paper in her
 hand1 ready to put down their names1   
and the sums they each thought she could
 save4 ,several of them thought they    
could save a penny a day1 instead of    

giving it to ,mother ,grimes2 some a    
penny a week1 and some a penny a month4 
,alice told them1 that if some of them  
could only give a penny a year1 she     
would gladly take that2 and then1 that  
they might not be ashamed of giving so  
little1 she read to them the story of   
the widow's mite4 ,and when the girls   
laughed1 because one little girl1 whose 
mother was very poor1 said1 ,she would  
bring a penny if she could ever get one1
 ,alice kissed her1 and said1  ,perhaps1
 ,kitty1 your penny will be as          
acceptable1 and do more good1 than      
hundreds of dollars from some very rich 
man who does not miss it at all4 ,at any
 rate you shall come into our ,society  
and help us sew4  ,rachel ,brown said   
she was sure she did not spend much     
money for candy4  ,no6 and why not1     
,miss ,sugar-tooth8 said little ,susy   
,barnes2 because you always keep close  
to ,alice ,wood1 as you go home from    
school1 and you know that the one that  
is nearest to her will always have half 

of her candy4  ,hush1 ,susy1 said       
,alice1 ,i can tell you that no one will
 have half of my candy after this1 as ,i
 do not intend to buy any2 and ,i am    
sure ,rachel can save a good deal if she
 chooses1 for our ,society4  ,clara     
,hall said1 her father had promised her 
a quarter of a dollar if she would have 
an ugly double tooth drawn1 that had    
ached for some time4  ,but1 said ,clara1
 the provoking thing aches the worst at 
night1 and then ,i think ,i will        
certainly have it out in the morning1   
but when the morning comes it is sure to
 stop aching4 ,once or twice she said   
she had gone to the dentist's door1 but 
her courage failed4 ,but1 said she1     
,alice1 the very next time it aches as  
hard in the day as it does sometimes in 
the night1 ,i shall come with the tooth 
in one hand1 and the quarter of a dollar
 in the other1 for the ,society4  ,sally
 ,bright said1 their next neighbour had 
cut her hand very badly1 and had        
promised her a penny a day1 for milking 

her cow for her1 as long as her hand    
continued lame2 and those pennies should
 all come to ,alice4  ,charlotte ,green 
said1 her father had promised her half a
 dollar if she would leave off biting   
her nails4 ,and now1 said she1 ,i mean  
to try in earnest to break myself of    
this habit1 that ,i may have something  
too to give4  ,well1 girls1 said ,jane  
,prime1 my father1 you know1 keeps a    
large nursery1 and he gives me three    
cents a quart for peach stones and plum 
stones2 and he says he will pay that for
 as many as are brought to him4 ,so here
 is a fine way for any of you that      
choose to make money1 as long as fruit  
lasts4  ,alice ,wood now reckoned up the
 promised sums1 and said1  ,i think1    
girls1 if we all keep the resolutions we
 have formed1 that by only saving the   
money that we should spend in other     
ways1 and giving it to the society1 we  
can pledge ourselves to give altogether 
fifty dollars a year2 and with our      
,sewing ,society1 and the many other    

ways that have been mentioned of earning
 a little money1 ,i should not be       
surprised if we should raise it to one  
hundred dollars a year4 ,just think what
 a sum that would be1 and how much good 
it may do1 if we give it in a right     
spirit1 and with prayers for the        
blessing of ,god to accompany it4 ,for  
you know the missionary said the other  
evening1 that we might give a great deal
 of money1 merely for the sake of having
 it published1 or from some other       
improper motive1 and if it should do    
good to others1 it would not do any to  
ourselves2 but that even a little given 
from a right motive1 and with fervent   
prayer for the ,divine blessing1 might  
accomplish great things1 and would      
return in mercy upon the head of the    
giver4 ,for1 said he1 7and these words  
are from the ,bible17 ',he that hath    
pity upon the poor1 lendeth unto the    
,lord1 and that which he hath given1    
will he pay him again4' ,and1 ',the     
liberal soul shall be made fat1 and he  

that watereth1 shall himself be         
watered4'  ,as the girls went home1 they
 all kept on the side of the road       
opposite to ,mother ,grimes's shop2 for 
the old woman had a bad temper1 and a   
very loud voice1 and they were all      
afraid of hearing from her if they      
passed her shop without stopping to buy 
something4  ,what on earth is the matter
 with the children8 said old ,mother    
,grimes to herself4 ,here1 these two or 
three days past1 hardly a soul of them  
has been near the shop1 and my candies  
are getting quite old4 ,and ,mother     
,grimes went to work1 and cracked nuts1 
and boiled new molasses1 and made nicer 
candies than ever2 but all to no        
purpose4  ,rachel ,brown did say to     
,alice ,wood one day1 ,see1 ,alice1 what
 beautiful candy ,mother ,grimes has put
 in her shop-window to day4 ,but ,alice 
only said1 ,rachel1 we have now a better
 use for our money2 let us waste        
nothing1 but save all we can1 so that we
 shall not feel1 when we meet our       

fellow-creatures at the last day1 that  
any of them have perished through our   
neglect1 or because we were so selfish  
that we could not deny ourselves a small
 gratification for the sake of supplying
 their need4  ,one day a knot of little 
girls were so bold as to pass directly  
by the candy shop4 ,the old woman stood 
in the door1 and called out to them as  
they passed1 and asked them why they    
never stopped now4 ,see1 said she1 all  
my nice candies melting in the sun2 and 
nobody but the flies to eat them4  ,we  
have found something better to do with  
our pennies1 ,mother ,grimes1 answered  
little ,susy ,barnes1 who was the leader
 of the party1 than to spend them in    
getting the tooth-ache1 and making      
ourselves sick2 and we have all made up 
our minds that we will not buy any more 
candy4 ,the old woman flew into a       
passion1 and talked so loud1 that some  
of the little girls were for running    
off1 but ,susy stood her ground         
undaunted4  ,i'll tell you what1 ,mother

 ,grimes1 said she1 if you will give up 
selling candy1 and keep slates1 and     
pencils1 and pens1 and sponges1 and all 
such useful things for sale1 we shall   
all be much more likely to stop here1   
than to go all the way round to the     
booksellers4  ,but ,mother ,grimes's    
wrath only increased the more1 and as   
she showed some signs of coming out     
after them1 ,susy was glad to join the  
retreating party2 and they all darted   
off without looking behind them1 and did
 not consider themselves perfectly safe1
 till they were seated at their desks in
 the schoolroom4 ,mother ,grimes soon   
found that it was useless to try to     
tempt the little school-children any    
more1 so she determined to move off to  
some other place1 where1 as she said1   
the children had no such foolish notions
 in their heads4  ,and now the ,sewing  
,society was started2 and such a cutting
 and fixing1 and bustle as there was1   
till enough work was prepared to give   
them all something to do6 ,and then1    

when the one appointed began to read to 
them the interesting accounts from the  
papers1 even those that at first felt no
 interest1 but joined merely for the    
sake of being made officers in the      
,society1 became so much interested1    
that they too were willing to practise  
great self-denial for the sake of aiding
 in sending the gospel to the destitute4
 ,and now who can estimate the good that
 one such little ,society may           
accomplish8 ,it is like casting a little
 pebble into the smooth water2 at first 
small circles are formed about the spot1
 but they widen and increase1 till we   
cannot see where the influence of that  
little pebble upon the water ends4 ,so  
it may be with this little ,society1 but
 we shall never know1 till the secrets  
of the last great day are disclosed1 how
 much good such an association may have 
accomplished2 how many souls the ,bibles
 thus sent forth may have converted2 and
 then1 too1 how much good these converts
 may have done in teaching the way of   

life to others1 and these again to      
hundreds and thousands more6  ,children1
 is it not worth while to try and see if
 you cannot yourselves do something1 and
 induce others to join you1 and see how 
much money you can save1 and make in the
 coming year8 ,do not ask your parents  
for money just to throw into a box1 but 
give that which you would have spent in 
some other way4 ,and then see if you    
have not ingenuity enough to find out   
some plan of earning money for the sake 
of doing good with it4 ,depend upon it1 
your interest in benevolent objects will
 increase from the very moment that you 
deny yourself for the sake of giving to 
others4 ,think what it would be to have 
even one soul saved from among the poor 
benighted heathen1 to rise up in the    
last great day1 and call you1 yes you1  
my little reader1 blessed4 ,try it1 and 
with daily prayers for the blessing of  
,god upon your efforts1 see what you can
 do for the heathen2 remembering1 that  
he that converteth a single sinner from 

the error of his way1 shall save a soul 
from death1 and shall hide a multitude  
of sins4  ,illustration     ,good       
,resolutions4           ,though ,i'm now
 in younger days1           ,nor can    
tell what shall befall me1         ,i'll
 prepare for every place                
,where my growing age shall call me4    
,should ,i e'er be rich or great1       
,others shall partake my goodness3      
,i'll supply the poor with meat1        
,never showing scorn nor rudeness4      
,where ,i see the blind or lame1        
,deaf or dumb1 ,i'll kindly treat them2 
,i deserve to feel the same1            
,if ,i mock1 or hurt1 or cheat them4    
,if ,i meet with railing tongues1       
,why should ,i return them railing8     
,since ,i best revenge my wrongs        
,by my patience never failing4          
,when ,i hear them telling lies1        
,talking foolish1 cursing1 swearing1    
,first ,i'll try to make them wise      
,or ,i'll soon go out of hearing4       
,what though ,i be low and mean1        

,i'll engage the rich to love me2       
,while ,i'm modest1 neat1 and clean1    
,and submit when they reprove me4       
,if ,i should be poor and sick1         
,i shall meet1 ,i hope1 with pity2      
,since ,i love to help the weak1        
,though they're neither fair nor witty4 
,i'll not willingly offend1             
,nor be easily offended2         ,what's
 amiss ,i'll strive to mend1            
,and endure what can't be mended4       
,may ,i be so watchful still            
,o'er my humours and my passion1        
,as to speak1 and do no ill1            
,though it should be all the fashion4   
,wicked fashions lead to hell1          
,ne'er may ,i be found complying        
,but in life behave so well1            
,not to be afraid of dying4             
,illustration         99       99       
99       99       99  ,transcriber's    
,note3  ,obvious punctuation errors were
 repaired4