Sam Stone did not hold out very long. Jill pursued him everywhere,
and was never tired of dilating on his selfishness and greediness,
in refusing to give up a tenth of his weekly wage.
She was beside herself with delight one day, when he came to her with
a two-shilling piece.
"That be my portion for that there scarlet bag, missy," he said. "I'll
stick to it for a bit an' give it reg'lar every week, but if-so-be
that I be wantin' of it, well I must have it. That's all I can say, an'
I hope fayther won't miss his comforts through it!"
"You must _never_ go back from it," said Jill looking up at him
solemnly. "It's a vow! You can't break a vow, it's a much more solemn
thing than a promise!"
"But I don't mean to make no vow!" said Sam.
That would not suit Jill at all. She talked away to him, and finally
threatened that she would get Miss Falkner to come and see him and explain
it to him.
"She'll make you see you ought to do it."
"I'll do my best, missy, but 'tis the prayer you say I must make, stumps
me. I've been a-looking through the chapter, an' Jacob he spoke up
very certain-like about the Lord being his God. I don't set up to be
a religious man myself, and I don't want to make no promises that I
bain't a-goin' to keep!"
Jill insisted upon getting her Bible and reading the verses through
to him.
"Jacob doesn't promise anything wonderful, Sam. He only says if God
will be good to him and take care of him, he will make Him his God,
and give his tenth to Him. Why the Lord is your God, Sam, isn't He?"
"I don't know what the words mean rightly," said Sam dubiously.
"They just mean that you must belong to God, and He will belong to
you. You do belong to Him already, Sam, you know you do!"
"I bain't so sure."
"Oh, Sam! God made you, and keeps you alive every day, and Miss Falkner
says it isn't only what God does for us, but Jesus died for us, so that
ought to make us belong to Him doubly sure!"
"Well," said Sam after long thought, "I'll come to 'Bethel' to-morrow."
So the next day saw him go through the little ceremony with great feeling
and earnestness of purpose, though the effort cost him a good deal.
"I've done it fayther," he said when he went home, "I've tooken the vow
for good and all. I thought it were a kind o' game when Miss Jill first
brought it up, but I've been readin' the Bible, an' it do seem very plain,
an'--an'--well--we do be ungrateful creatures to the good God!"
The scarlet bag grew heavy with coppers as time went on. Norah and
Rose Beecher came over to tea one day, and were persuaded to join "Our
Tenth Society!"
Jill got to calling it grandly the "O.T.S." and soon had the satisfaction
of enrolling Annie the school-room maid as one of its members.
Then came talk of summer holidays. Mona came into the school-room one
evening to consult with Miss Falkner about it.
"I suppose you must go home?" she asked. "You would not be able to take
the children to the seaside?"
"I am afraid not," said Miss Falkner. "I have a mother who lives quite
alone, and who looks for me to come to her whenever I can."
"Ah," said Mona with a little sigh. "You have something that I have not."