The question caused Patty to raise her tearful eyes in astonishment. Did he think a girl six and a half years old didn't know that?
"Yes, sir," said she, meekly; "God made me."
"Right, my dear; that's well said. You're not such a bad child after all, and seem to have considerable sense. Here is a dollar for you, my little woman, and tell your mother I know she's bringing you up in the way you should go, and I hope when you are old you'll not depart from it."
Patty stared at the dollar through her tears, and it seemed to stare back again with a face almost as big as a full moon.
"O, thank you, sir," said she, with a deep courtesy.
Never in her life had she owned a whole silver dollar before. How it danced and shone! She held it tight, for it did not seem to be real, and she was afraid it would melt or fly away before she could get it home.
"Mother, O mother," cried she, "see this live dollar! Deacon Turner gave it to me for remembering who made me!"
"Why, child, what do you mean?"
"She means just what she says, mother," said Mary. "Deacon Turner spoke to her in prayer meeting last night—"
"Why, Patience!"