Chapter 4

Miss Raymond, her teacher, told me that Ida really seemed to understand the lesson better, and to take more interest in reciting her golden text, after she came into possession of her precious sash. It was so thick and soft and rich; it felt so nice to the little black fingers, which every now and then stroked it lovingly. I am sure the sash was a means of grace to Ida.

Children who have everything they want, who are clothed in purple and fine linen every day, cannot imagine how much delight a poor child sometimes takes in an innocent bit of finery.

Now, I want to tell you what became of the sash at last.

One day the superintendent at the Sunday-school asked the children to come to order, because a lady was about to talk to them.

The lady was a missionary; her work had been somewhere a great way off, among people who had hardly any money, and had a great deal of trouble to get bread and meat. Their minister, the lady said, had to live in a house dug right out of the side of a hill. She had lived in such a little bit of a house herself for a great many weeks. Poor as these people were, they had built a little church, and were trying very hard to pay for it. They had not any singing-books nor Bibles for their Sunday-school, nor any library-books; but the children thought nothing of walking five miles or more to go to Sunday-school.

What would the children here in this lovely room give for those children in the far, far West?

It happened that Ida's teacher had lately talked to her class about the meanness of giving to the Lord that which it cost them nothing to give. So when the collection-box was passed around, they dropped in their pennies and silver-pieces, and those who had nothing with them were told to bring their share on the next Sunday. And some of them began to plan their little sacrifices.

Ida's dusky face was a study. Once or twice she paused, irresolute. At last, when school was over, she whispered;

"Teacher, may I stay a moment?"

"Yes, dear," said Miss Raymond.

When the two were by themselves in the little half-circle where their class usually sat, Ida, with trembling hands, untied the beloved sash, and, laying it on her teacher's lap, said, "Please, Miss Raymond, this is the prettiest thing I've got, and I want to send it to the children who haven't any Bibles."

"But the sash will do them no good, Ida."

"The worf of it will," replied the child; "and it's worf free dollars, any way; mammy said so."

Ida stooped down and kissed it; it was not giving what cost her nothing to part with her treasured ribbon.

Mass Raymond took it with a tender look, rolled it up and carried it home.

One evening, in her parlor, she told its story to a party of young people, and then remarked: "The sash ought to bring more than three dollars, when that little black girl gave it up so cheerfully."

In a few moments there lay a little pile of silver and paper on the centre table, and Ida's sash had brought eight dollars for the good cause. Before the week was over it had gone from hand to hand, and the eight dollars became twenty without much difficulty.

Fanny said she thought we ought to send the sash back to Ida, or give her another one; but no, that would have taken the sweetness from her self-denial.

She came to school without her ribbon, having been scolded by Aunt Chloe, who could not understand her action, and thought it great folly; but all winter long there was a brave light in Ida's dark face, and a contented expression in her eyes. She had given the scarlet sash for Christ's sake, and he had blessed her deed, and owned her as one of his little ones. Happy Ida!

ABRIDGED FROM S. S. TIMES.

* * * * *

RECEIPTS FOR MAY, 1885.

* * * * *

MAINE, $278.87.

Augusta. Mrs. Skeeles' S. S. Class, _for Student Aid, Talladega C._ $1.00 Bangor. Central Cong. Ch. and Soc., 75; First Cong. Ch., 20.32 95.32 Bath. Central Ch. and Soc. 40.00 Bethel. First Cong. Ch. 4.55 Hallowell. Mrs. H. K. Baker 5.00 Limington. "A. B." 2.00 North Bridgeton. Miss Proctor's Sch., _for Wilmington, N. C._ 1.00 Norway. Ladies, bbl. of C., _for Wilmington, N. C._ Saint Albans. Mrs. W. S. Sewall and family 1.50 Skowhegan. Ladies' Miss'y Soc., by A. L. Colby, Treas. 8.00 South Berwick. Mrs. Hodgkins' S. S. Class, _for Student Aid, Talladega C._ 14.00 South Paris. Cong. Ch. 6.50 Union. Cong Ch., 4; Ladies' Soc., 4 8.00 Waterford. Centre Ch. Sab. Sch. 10.00 By Mrs. J. P. Hubbard, Treas. Woman's Aux., _for Missionary, Selma, Ala._ Albany, Mrs. Lovejoy, 3.--Bridgeton, Miss Hale, 1.--Casco, Mrs. Mayberry, 1.--Denmark, Ch., by Miss Davis, 2.--Orland, Ch., by Miss Buck, 23.--Portland, State St. Ch., 50; Rev. S. Longfellow, 2 82.00

NEW HAMPSHIRE, $202.60.

Bath. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 10.61 Bedford. Cong. Ch., bbl. Bedding, etc., _for Talladega C._ Canterbury. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 11.25 East Derry. Mrs. M. G. Pigeon, _for Missionary, Austin, Tex._ 20.00 Franklin. Mrs. R. C. Andrews, _for Indian M._ 5.00 London. K. S. Price 5.00 Milford. Peter and Cynthia S. Burns 30.00 Portsmouth. North Ch. and Soc. 105.04 Winchester. Cong. Sab. Sch. 15.70

VERMONT, $537.36.

Bakersfield. By Mrs. J. A. Perkins, _for Missionary, McIntosh, Ga._ 5.75 Brattleborough. E. Crosby & Co., _for Student Aid, Talladega C._ 25.00 Corinth. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 31.00 Cornwall. Sab. Sch. of First Cong. Ch. 17.61 Fair Haven. First Cong. Ch. 19.85 Granby. Mrs. Nancy Appleton 5.00 Hyde Park. Second Cong. Ch. and Soc. 15.00 Manchester. "A Friend" 5.00 Manchester. Mrs. A. C. Reed, pkg. C., 1.25 _Freight, for Atlanta U._ 1.25 Middlebury. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 60.44 Newbury. Ladies of Cong. Ch., bbl. Bedding, etc., 1.70 _Freight, for Atlanta U._ 1.70 New Haven. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 20.66 Plymouth. Coll. at Furnace .69 Quechee. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 26.05 Townshend. Cong. Ch., bal. to const. MRS. C. C. TAFT L. M. 25.76 Vergennes. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 25.00 Windsor. Cong. Ch. and Soc., to const. MRS. D. L. RAY L. M. 30.00 Ladies of Vermont, by Mrs. Henry Fairbanks, _for McIntosh, Ga._, Benson, 10.--Bethel (5 of which for building fund), 10.75--Bridport, 33.--Braintree, 5.--Charlotte, 30.25--East Hardwick (3 of which from Young Ladies' Aid Soc.), 10.25--Fairlee, 11.--Franklin, 5.40.--New Haven, 25.06.--Newport, ad'l, 1.16.--North Troy, 1.--Quechee, 1.--Saint Albans, 15.--Saint Johnsbury, ad'l, 2.54.--Sharon, 10.--Swanton, 15.25.--West Rutland, 16.10.--Total, 202.76 (less 11.16 expenses) 191.60

MASSACHUSETTS, $3,636.44.

Alford and West Stockbridge Centre, Cong Ch's. 2.93 Amesbury. Cong. Ch. 9.00 Amherst. Miss M. H. Scott, bbl. of C., _for Tougaloo U._ Andover. Free Christian Church, 100, to const. MRS. RUTH F. EMERSON, MRS. AGNES B. DONALD and BENJ. W. FARNUM L. M's; Chapel, Ch. and Soc., 81 181.00 Athol. Evangelical Ch. 75.00

Boston. Shawmut Cong. Ch., 539.14; Union Ch. and Soc., 107.32; Park Street Ch. and Soc., ad'l, 10; "Friend," _for Indian M._, 10; Mrs. E. P Eayrs, 5--Cambridgeport. Pilgrim Ch. Sab. Sch., _for Student Aid, Straight U._, 50--Charlestown. Winthrop Ch. and Soc., 72.74--Chelsea. Woman's Union Home M. Band, _for Missionary, Chattanooga, Tenn._, 60--Dorchester. Sab. Sch. Class, Second Ch., _for Indian M., Dakota_, 1.58; Mrs. E. J. W. Baker, _for Student Aid, Fisk U._, 50--Roxbury. Eliot Ch. and Soc., 75.51--Somerville. Winter Hill Ch. and Soc., 20; Henry Howard, 20; Broadway Ch. and Soc., 17.41; M. P. Elliott, _Freight_, 2 1,040.70

Bernardston. Miss M. L. Newcomb, 60.00, _for Student Aid, Talladega C._; 20.00, _for Share_ 80.00 Danvers Centre. Missionary Soc., Box S. S Supplies, _for Williamsburg, Ky._ Dedham. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 160.71 East Bridgewater. Union Ch. 32.23 East Bridgewater. Union Sab. Sch., _for Student Aid, Talladega C._ 25.00 Everett. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 4.86 Fall River. Pastoral Aid Soc. of Central Cong. Ch., _for Student Aid, Talladega, C._ 10.00 Gardner. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 25.00 Georgetown, First Cong Ch. and Soc. 46.84 Gloucester. Evan. Cong. Ch. and Soc., to const. ELLIS P. HARLOW L. M. 30.00 Hardwick. First Calvinistic Ch. and Soc. 5.00 Harvard. Evan. Cong. Sab. Sch., _for Share_ 20.00 Haverhill. D. Crowell's Bible Class, Centre Cong. Ch., _for Student Aid, Fisk U._ 30.00 Hinsdale. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 61.10 Holliston. Primary Class, Cong. Sab. Sch., 6; Clothing, val. 1, _for Student Aid, Talladega C._ 6.00 Hyde Park. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 19.00 Lakeville. Precinct Ch. 53.00 Lee. Cong. Sab. Sch. 75.00 Littleton. "Friends," for Atlanta U. 10.00 Malden. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 52.96 Medway. Mrs. Geo. M. Richardson, _for Wilmington, N. C., Freight_ 1.00 Montague. First Cong. Ch. 16.00 New Bedford. First Cong. Ch. 52.00 Newburyport. Belleville Ch. and Soc., 77.30, to const. JOSHUA HALE, JR., and JOSEPH H. CURRIER, L. M's; North Ch., 68.65 145.95 Newton. Ladies' Freedmen's Aid Soc., _for Share_ 20.00 Newton. Miss Annie Boyden, 2 bbls. of C., etc., _for Macon, Ga._ Newton Centre. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 74.10 Northampton. First Cong. Sab. Sch., _for Student Aid, Fisk U._ 52.38 Northampton. "A Friend," 50; Cong. Ch., 25 75.00 Northampton. Ladies' Benev. Soc., _for Share_ 20.00 Northampton. Miss J. B. Kingsley, _for Indian M._ 1.00 North Hadley. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 4.50 North Weymouth. Pilgrim Ch. and Soc. 15.33 Oxford. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 41.29 Rehoboth. Cong. Ch. 20.00 Rutland. Cong. Ch. 5.15 Salem. Tabernacle Ch and Soc. 320.81 Salem. Crombie St. Sab. Sch., _for Talladega C._ 10.00 Saugus. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 2.00 Shelburne Falls. Mrs. J. A. Richmond 2.00 South Framingham. South Cong. Ch. 87.30 South Weymouth. Second Cong. Ch. and Soc. 47.00 Spencer. Mrs. G. P. Ladd's S. S. Class, _for Student Aid, Talladega C._ 3.00 Springfield. "A Friend" 5.00 Topsfield. Mrs. Ephraim Perkins 4.00 Ware. Livingston Band, _for Indian M., Fort Sul'y_ 20.00 Watertown. Friend 1.00 Westborough. Ladies' Freedmen's Mission Soc. _for Freight_ 2.00 Westfield. Second Cong. Sab. Sch., _for Student Aid, Fisk U._ 50.00 West Medway. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 5.45 Weymouth and Braintree. Union Ch. 44.26 Whitinsville. Cong. Sab. Sch., _for Student Aid, Fisk U._ 50.00 Whitinsville. Ladies' Miss'y Circle of Cong. Ch., box of C., _for Macon, Ga._; 10 _for Freight_ 10.00 Williamsburg. Ladies' Sew. Soc., _for Student Aid, Talladega C._ 40.00 Wilmington. Mrs. Noyes, _for Student Aid, Talladega C._ 25.00 Winchendon. North Cong. Ch. and Soc. 93.55 Yarmouth. Ladies' Sew. Circle, _for Fisk University Freight_ 1.50 ----. "A Friend" 100.00 By Charles Marsh, Treas. Hampden Benev. Ass'n. Holyoke, Second, 28.24--Palmer, 20--Springfield. Olivet, 35.30; Mrs Edw. Clarke, 5; North Sab. Sch., _for Missionary, Tougaloo, Miss._, 25 113.54

CLOTHING, ETC., RECEIVED AT BOSTON OFFICE. MAINE--Farmington. Ladies' Soc., Bbl.--MASSACHUSETTS--Chelsea. W. H. M Band, bdl. Papers--Hyde Park, W. H. M. Soc., bbl., _for Jonesboro, Tenn._--Medway, Ladies' B. Soc., bbl., _for Wilmington, N. C._--Newton, Ladies' F. A. Soc., bbl., _for Macon, Ga._--Somerville, Matthew P. Elliot, pkg. Hats, _for Atlanta U._, Val. 50--Waquoit. Rev. Joshua Gay, box Books--Westborough. Ladies' F. M. Soc., bbl.--Worcester, Ladies' B. U. of Piedmont Ch., bbl., _for Marietta, Ga._, Val. 50--Yarmouth, Ladies' Sew. Circle, bbl., _for Fisk U._

RHODE ISLAND, $2.00.

Central Falls. Mrs. Maria E. Edwards, bbl. of Goods, 2 _Freight_ 2.00

CONNECTICUT, $1,563.47.

Abington. Cong. Sab. Sch. 2.00 Ansonia. First Cong. Ch. 22.52 Bethel. "Willing Workers," _for Student Aid, Talladega C._ 40.00 Bethel. "Willing Workers," cask of C., etc., _for Talladega C._ Bozrah. Cong Ch. 4.00 Bridgeport. "Cheerful Workers," _for Share_ 22.00 Bridgeport. Nathaniel Wheeler, Wheeler & Wilson Sew. Machine, _for Wilmington, N. C._ Bridgeport. Miss Carrie Wood, box Bedding, etc., _for Talladega C._ Bristol. Mrs. S. T. Smith 1.50 Cheshire. Cong. Sab. Sch., _for Conn. Sch. Quitman, Ga._ 30.00 Darien. Young Ladies' Miss'y Soc., _for Share_ 10.00 East Hampton. Dea. Skinner, _for Student Aid, Talladega C._ 5.00 Gilead. Cong. Ch. 15.60 Hadlyme. R. E. Hungerford, 50; Cong. Ch., 3.50 53.50 Hartford. Mrs. Catharine B. Hillyer, 30, to const. LUCY TUDOR HILLYER L. M.; Windsor Av. Cong. Sab. Sch., 10 40.00 Hartford. Centre Ch., 2 bbls. Bedding and C., _for Talladega C._ Middlefield. Lyman A. Mills 30.00 Mount Carmel. Cong. Ch. 27.30 New Britain. South Cong. Ch., to const. CHARLES PECK, GEO. P. ROCKWELL, OLIVER STANLEY, REV. CHAS E. STEELE, JOHN B. TALCOTT and DEA. JOHN WIARD L. M's 192.88 New Haven. First Ch. 204.89 North Cornwall. Cong. Ch. 41.85 Roxbury. Cong. Ch., 15.65, and Sab. Sch., 15 30.65 Sherman. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 20.50 Thompson. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 17.36 West Stafford. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 5.00 Westville. Cong. Ch. 19.00 ----. "A Friend" 600.93 ---------- $1,436.48

LEGACY.

Hartford. Estate of Dr. John R. Lee, by John Hooker, Ex. 126.99 ---------- $1,563.47

NEW YORK, $2,499.90.

Albany. First Cong. Ch., 120.73; Chas. A. Beach, 25 145.73 Albion. Miss H. M. Woodward, _for Wilmington, N. C._ 1.75 Bergen. First Cong. Ch. 12.50 Brooklyn. Central Cong. Ch., 429.06; Julius Davenport, 100; South Cong. Ch., 50; "A Friend" 30, to const. MISS ELIZABETH CLEVELAND L. M. 609.06 Chateaugay. Rev. C. C. Torrey 5.00 Chittenango. Mrs. Amelia L. Brown 5.00 Ellington. Mrs. Anson Crosby 1.00 Leroy. Mrs. A. McEwen 5.00 Lima. "A Friend" 2.00 New York. S. T. Gordon, 100; Gen. Clinton B. Fisk, 30, to const. Mrs. LURETTA C. STICKEL L. M. 130.00 New York. Mrs. Wm. E. Dodge, 100; Rev. D. Stuart Dodge, 100, _for Atlanta U._ 200.00 New York. Mrs. H. B. Spelman, _for Student Aid, Atlanta U._ 25.00 Northville. Cong. Sab. Sch. 12.00 Perry Centre. Cong. Ch., 30, to const. MRS. WILLIAM R. BATHRICK L. M.; R. J. Booth, pkg. Papers 30.00 Rushville. Cong. Ch. 4.57 Rutland. First Cong. Ch. 9.69 Saratoga. Miss F. A. Marvin, _for Student Aid, Talladega C._ 2.00 Sherburne. Cong. Sab. Sch., 35.37; "Friends," 35, _for Student Aid, Talladega C._ 70.37 Syracuse. Primary Dept. Plym. Sab. Sch., _for Share_ 20.00 Wellsville. First Cong. Ch. 24.19 West Bloomfield. Cong. Ch. (50 of which _for Student Aid, Fisk U._) 81.00 ---------- $1,395.86

LEGACIES.

New York. Estate of Wm. E. Dodge, _for Atlanta U._ 100.00 North Winfield. Estate of Miss E. Jane Alexander, by Thomas E. Harrison and Olive E. Harrison, Exs. 500.00 Norwich. Estate of John Foote (90 of which to const. MARY C. FOOTE, ACHSA S. FOOTE and SUSAN L. PECK L. M.'s.), by John Mitchell, Ex. 504.04 ---------- $2,499.90

NEW JERSEY, $489.49.

Arlington. "A Friend." 2.00 Bound Brook. Cong. Ch. 11.49 Maywood. E. K. Breckenridge 20.00 Montclair. First Cong. Ch. (30 of which to const. REV. JAMES POWELL, D. D., L. M.) 376.00 Montclair. Woman's Home Miss'y Soc. of Cong. Ch., _for Missionary, Tougaloo, Miss._ 75.00 Montclair. Mrs Pratt's S. S. Class, _for Student Aid, Talladega C._ 5.00 Morristown. Miss Julia Dodge, half bbl. Papers, _for Macon, Ga._

PENNSYLVANIA, $77.10.

Philadelphia. Central Cong. Ch. 28.20 Ridgway. "C. D. O." .50 Scranton. Miss Sarah E. Hawley 10.00 Shoemakertown. Cheltenham Academy, bbl. Boys' C., _for Wilmington, N. C._ West Alexander. Jane C. Davidson 38.40

OHIO, $1,704.39.

Andover. Cong. Ch. 6.78 Austinburg. Ladies' Benev. Soc., bbl. of C., _for Fisk U._, 1.17 _for Freight_ 1.17 Cleveland. First Cong. Ch., 11.46; Mrs. Charlotte Ruggles, 2 13.46 Cleveland. Ladies' H. M. Soc. of Euclid Av. Cong. Ch., _for Missionary, Santee Agency_ 20.00 Conneaut. Cong. Sab. Sch. 10.00 Elyria. First Cong. Ch. (30 of which to const. E. W. METCALF L. M.) 500.00 Four Corners. Cong. Ch. 5.58 Freedom. Cong. Ch., 10; Sab Sch., 5 15.00 Hudson. Cong. Ch., adl. _for Straight U._ .50 Marietta. Miss M. B. Diamond, pkg. of C., _for Macon, Ga._ New Concord. Wm. Lee, Sen. 2.00 Norwalk and Peru. By Rev. H. Lawrence, box and bbl. Bibles, Testaments, etc., _for Talladega C._ Oberlin. First Cong. Ch. 79.10 Oberlin. First Ch. Sab. Sch., 50 copies "Manual of Praise," _for Chapel, Talladega C._ Paddy's Run. Cong. Ch. 23.80 Wakeman. Cong. Ch. 14.00 West Andover. Cong. Ch. 13.00 ---------- $704.39

LEGACY.

Austinburg. Estate of L. B. Austin, by William Pulis, Ex. 1,000.00 ---------- $1,704.39

ILLINOIS, $681.09.