Self-Denial; or, Alice Wood, and Her Missionary SocietyAmerican Sunday-School Union
Religion
Self-Denial; or, Alice Wood, and Her Missionary Society
American Sunday-School Union
Christian literature for children; Sunday school literature
"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! And then, when the one appointed began to read to them
the interesting accounts from the papers, even those that at first felt
no interest, but joined merely for the sake of being made officers in
the Society, became so much interested, that they too were willing to
practise great self-denial for the sake of aiding in sending the gospel
to the destitute. And now who can estimate the good that one such little
Society may accomplish? It is like casting a little pebble into the
smooth water; at first small circles are formed about the spot, but they
widen and increase, till we cannot see where the influence of that
little pebble upon the water ends. So it may be with this little
Society, but we shall never know, till the secrets of the last great day
are disclosed, how much good such an association may have accomplished;
how many souls the Bibles thus sent forth may have converted; and then,
too, how much good these converts may have done in teaching the way of
life to others, and these again to hundreds and thousands more!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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