Emmy Lou refused to be coerced. "I don't stand to pray, or lean forward either. I kneel down."
"Then," said Hattie, "it must be because you are what my father calls a bigoted Episcopalian, that you don't. Everybody else stands up or leans forward."
Emmy Lou had faced the chancel of her church for four years. "St. Paul doesn't. He's kneeling above our chancel."
"Then he must be a bigoted Episcopalian too," said Hattie with feeling, and went home.
But today Hattie and Sadie, if anything, were envious of Emmy Lou's opportunity. A rector's prize!
Hattie, to be sure, with the books of the Bible in her memory as were David's pebbles in his scrip, once had felled the giant, Contest, and won the banner for the girls over the boys at her Sunday school. For which act of prowess her teacher had rewarded her with a little gold pin.
And Sadie had a workbox, a little affair complete, scissors, thimble, and all, a recognition of faithfulness at large, from her Sunday school teacher, the same delivered to her by the superintendent before the assembled Sunday school. And as she pointed out, the calling of her name and the walk up and down the aisle to receive the gift were no small part of the reward.
It did stagger them both that Emmy Lou should have to stay to church. "Still," argued Hattie, "it will be worth it, a rector's prize. Though why you don't say preacher!"
"Or minister," said Sadie.
"My brother once got a silver dollar for a prize that wasn't a dollar at all but a watch made to look like a dollar," said Hattie.