Now Susan had begun this work in a right manner, she prayed in her mind before she spoke to her mother. She acted as the Bible directs, honouring her father and mother by asking their approval, so we need not be much surprised that she was able to keep firm to her resolution, and that the whole week passed without her feeling tired, because she had been so busy and had played so little.
This week she earned threepence more than usual; and on Sunday morning her father put into the minister’s hand eightpence, which was the whole of her earnings, telling him whence it came, and what was to be done with it. Susan and her mother were going out of church; when she saw her father go up to the minister, she could not refrain from looking to see what passed: the minister appeared pleased.
Christmas day came, it was cold, wet, and dirty. Susan could not help thinking of the new clogs; she was silent for a few minutes, when her mother inquired if she really had made up her mind to do without them?
“Yes dear mother,” at last, said she, sewing away very busily, and without looking up; “I have not to go out much in the wet. To be sure I should like to have them to wear on Sunday;—but then,—perhaps that is because I should like the neighbours to see them, and that I am sure is not a good reason.”
M. Then you have made up your mind to go without a new year’s gift, for I do not intend to buy you any thing else?
Susan. Mother, I do not want a new year’s gift. I have all I want, and even more than I need provided for me every day, through the blessing of God, by your kindness. There are a great many boys and girls in the village who will not have any new year’s gift; and they have not got thick shoes and warm frocks as I have.
M. Then I am not to buy the clogs?
S. No, mother; but ask father to give the money they would cost, next Sunday, with the rest.
The new clogs were not bought, and Susan contrived to pass the winter without them. Every week (for she did not miss one) her father gave her earnings to the minister; it was always six-pence or sevenpence, and two weeks it amounted to tenpence! When the snow fell very fast, and the air felt very keen and frosty, Susan was happy to think that her pence were keeping some of the poor little children from the cold.
Now I will relate what was done with Susan’s money. Her father requested the minister to apply it for the use of some one family, and particularly for clothing a poor child. There was a widow who had one little boy, they were very poor, he was bare-footed and almost naked: the mother was a good woman, so the minister bought clothes for her son, and advanced the money till Susan’s contributions were enough to repay him, and when the price of the clogs was added, only about a third remained unpaid.