The next day, as soon as school was out, the little girls, of their own accord, crowded around Alice, who stood with a pencil and piece of paper in her hand, ready to put down their names, and the sums they each thought she could save. Several of them thought they could save a penny a day, instead of giving it to Mother Grimes; some a penny a week, and some a penny a month. Alice told them, that if some of them could only give a penny a year, she would gladly take that; and then, that they might not be ashamed of giving so little, she read to them the story of the "widow's mite." And when the girls laughed, because one little girl, whose mother was very poor, said, "She would bring a penny _if she could ever get one_," Alice kissed her, and said, "Perhaps, Kitty, your penny will be as acceptable, and do more good, than hundreds of dollars from some very rich man who does not miss it at all. At any rate you shall come into our Society and help us sew." Rachel Brown said "she was sure _she_ did not spend much money for candy." "No! and why not, Miss Sugar-tooth?" said little Susy Barnes; "because you always keep close to Alice Wood, as you go home from school, and you know that the one that is nearest to her will always have half of her candy." "Hush, Susy," said Alice, "I can tell you that no one will have half of my candy after this, as I do not intend to buy any; and I am sure Rachel can save a good deal if she chooses, for our Society." Clara Hall said, her father had promised her a quarter of a dollar if she would have an ugly double tooth drawn, that had ached for some time. "But," said Clara, "the provoking thing aches the worst at night, and then I think I will certainly have it out in the morning, but when the morning comes it is sure to stop aching." Once or twice she said she had gone to the dentist's door, but her courage failed. "But," said she, "Alice, the very next time it aches as hard in the day as it does sometimes in the night, I shall come with the tooth in one hand, and the quarter of a dollar in the other, for the Society." Sally Bright said, their next neighbour had cut her hand very badly, and had promised her a penny a day, for milking her cow for her, as long as her hand continued lame; and those pennies should all come to Alice. Charlotte Green said, her father had promised her half a dollar if she would leave off biting her nails. "And now," said she, "I mean to try in earnest to break myself of this habit, that I may have something too to give." "Well, girls," said Jane Prime, "my father, you know, keeps a large nursery, and he gives me three cents a 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,