“How shall our class raise one hundred dollars for the benefit of the
church-debt fund?” was a question recently put to eight young girls by
their Sunday-school teacher.
“Have a fair in the early fall; we will work for it all summer,” was
the first answer.
“No; that might interfere with the ladies’ fair, which comes during
December. It is to be a mammoth one this year, and we must not
anticipate the event nor risk retarding its prosperity, but rather do
our part to push it forward.”
“Suppose, then, we have a cake sale,” was the suggestion by the eldest
one of the party. That was at once vetoed, as more properly belonging
to our mothers and grandmothers.
“I tell you what, girls!” ejaculated Jessie, “let us make candy; get
all the orders we can and supply our customers. We can make lots of
money that way.”
“Yes, if we can get the customers,” added Hattie, “_I_ thought maybe
we could get up an entertainment, and so I brought a book containing a
colloquy in three parts, which will just take in all of us. There are
eight characters, so it would fit exactly.”
“Good for you, Hattie,” was the quick reply, and the bright eyes and
excited manner of each of the scholars showed that such enthusiasm
could not fall to result in success.
Later a satisfactory programme was arranged, consisting of music,
recitations, tableaux and the above-mentioned colloquy. The
entertainment was to be given in the parlors of one of the scholars,
and the tickets for young and old were to be offered for the sum of
twenty-five cents each.
My! how the girls worked, not alone in the necessary preparation for
their part of the programme, but in the sale of tickets, which were
disposed of rapidly.
At last the much-looked-for night had come, and never did stars seem
more brilliant, or moonlight more beautiful. Such a crowd! Long
before the time for showing the tableaux, which were to open the
entertainment, the parlors and halls and even the stairs were full.
A man was stationed at the door to receive the tickets and any money
which might be offered.
But was it any wonder that little Theodore Vandervoort, who is
connected with one of the younger classes of the Sunday-school, found
himself surrounded by so many bigger and older people, that he was not
seen? or that the money he had expected to give at the door should not
be taken?
What a temptation this now presented! His father and mother would
never know. The twenty-five cents would buy a great deal of candy,
or the new ball he wanted so much, or a box of figs, or several
bananas, of which he was very fond. But no, Theodore was an honest boy
and would therefore scorn to use money which was not his own. This
twenty-five cents had been given to him to pay for the entertainment
he was now enjoying, and he would not expend it for any other purpose.
So the following morning, before he entered school, he paid his debt,
personally going to the house of the teacher who had charge of the
entertainment and, with a few words of explanation, leaving the money.
And so Theodore Vandervoort proved himself a hero, an example to many
an older boy, as well as to many fathers and mothers.
Even in a small boy we see the future man, and if God wills that
Theodore Vandervoort shall grow to manhood, we are not afraid to
predict great things of him, to prophesy that he will be a man above
reproach, a king among his fellows.
May the boys who read this story beware of falling into temptation,
or doing the first dishonest act; but rather let them be brave, noble
and upright, as was little Theodore, and so receive not only peace of
conscience in the present life, but the joy which is eternal.
As for the entertainment, it met with the success that generally
attends zeal and hard work, and so overflowing was the treasury that
the girls scarcely needed the added twenty-five cents. Yet honest
Theodore, in taking his first opportunity to get out of debt, which is
out of danger also, had set for all who read these words an excellent
example.
* * * * *
Transcriber’s Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors repaired. Varied hyphenation retained.