George Brown, for example, has made ten offerings, and has fifteen yet to make. His name is numbered “46” on page “8” of the record book, and he is to receive his envelope back in the Middle (“M”) school-room, where he studies.
The envelopes as they are emptied of their contents are separated into two piles, the first consisting of those which contain exactly the stipulated weekly offering, and the second of those which do not, as for example, when the donor wishes to make two or more offerings at once. Care is taken to mark on each envelope of the second pile, opposite the proper date, the amount which has been found in it. Each of these piles is now assorted, so as to bring together all the envelopes whose names occur on the same page of the record book, for convenience in entering the amounts. Much time is saved by having a second person read the name-numbers and amounts to the person who enters them, reading of course, the figures on the flaps of the first pile, and those opposite the given date on the second. The envelopes are then properly punched, and afterwards assorted according to the school-rooms, and given to the respective teachers to distribute to the scholars. To save loss, this distribution is deferred till the day before the offering.
The record book is long and narrow, so as to get as many names as possible on a page. The account of each donor requires but one line running across two opposite pages, which are ruled vertically for twenty-five entries. The amount given each week, even when more or less than the stipulated amount, is entered under the date of that week, thus bringing all the offerings of the same week in the same column.
The handling of the money is facilitated by using small cotton bags large enough to hold a hundred cents, or several dollars in nickels.
Its Results.—Envelopes were issued to two hundred and nine persons. Only ten of these preferred not to state how much they would give each week. Sixty-nine, or about one-third, offered to give one cent a week; forty-three, or about one-fifth, offered two cents; fifty-one, or about one-quarter, five cents. Only fifteen out of the two hundred and nine offered more than five cents a week. Among the scholars, the amounts ranged from one to ten cents; among the teachers, from five cents to one dollar.
Out of the one hundred and ninety-nine who offered definite amounts, sixty-three paid exactly what they had stated at the outset; thirty-four (all scholars) paid more—in some cases double and over; while one hundred and two (of whom a good many had left school) paid less. Thus very nearly half paid in full or over. Many of the others were deficient only a few cents, and these, in many cases, unavoidably so. Little notes like this would sometimes come in with the offerings: “This is all that I can pay; I have done the best I could.” The record shows that many who fell behind for a time afterwards made up the deficiency.
The offerings of the ten scholars who did not state what they would pay weekly, averaged a little over one cent a week; of the remaining one hundred and eighty-five scholars, a little over two cents a week; of the fourteen teachers, a little over twenty-one cents a week.
The scholars paid in all $102.02; the teachers, $73.00; making in the aggregate, $175.02. This was a little more than eighty-seven and a half percent. of all that was offered at the start. Excluding the teachers, all of whom paid in full, the scholars redeemed eighty percent. of the amount they set out to pay; and this percentage would have been larger but for the scholars who left school before the close of the year.
Finally, the best result of all is, that we have learned something of the happiness of Christian giving, when practised thoughtfully, conscientiously and willingly.