"And look at mine," proceeded Molly. "My Johnnie's got a Bible, as if there wasn't another in the house, let alone Judith's. His father, he did say he'd pawn it; but Johnnie he cried, and Judith made a work, and hid it for him. But his father, he says he wouldn't have Johnnie made religious, not for nothing--Judith she's quite bad enough." "Oh! our Polly--she got a little skimping cape, what don't come down to her poor little elbows. If I went for to be a lady, I'd be ashamed to give the like of that." Happily every one did not receive the gifts in this spirit. There was much rejoicing over the Testament, frock, and Psalter of the little Moles, and their grandfather observed, "Well, you did ought to be good children, there were no such encouragements when I was young." "Except your big old Bible, granfer," put in Bessy. "That was give me by our old parson when me and your granny was married. Ay, he did catechise we in church when we was children, but we never got nothing for it." "Only the knowing it, father, and that you have sent on to us," put in the widow. "Ay, and _that's_ the thing!" said the old man, very gravely. CHAPTER THIRTEEN. AGAINST THE GRAIN. "And shall the heirs of sinful blood Find joy unmixed in charity?" _Keble_. These first beginnings were really hard work, and there was a great amount of unpopularity to be encountered, for the people of Uphill were so utterly unused to kindness that they could not believe that anything was done for them from disinterested motives. Captain Carbonel took great trouble to set up a coal club, persuading the President of Saint Cyril's and the neighbouring landowners to subscribe, and the farmers to fetch the coal on the plea that to have fuel on low terms would save the woods and hedges from destruction. Tirzah especially, and half-a-dozen women besides were to be met with great faggots of limbs of trees on their backs from Mr Selby's woods, and the keepers were held to wink at it, for, in truth, the want of fuel was terrible. Mr Selby talked of withholding his yearly contribution of blankets, because the people were so ungrateful. "As if it would do them any good to make them colder," cried Dora.