but took it home all safe and sound, to gain time for consideration on
so important a subject. No selfish thoughts mingled with her
calculations, and therefore she very soon came to the decision that it
should go towards a pair of stockings for her grandmother; and happy in
the hope of giving pleasure, she only longed for the accumulation of a
little store sufficient to buy the necessary materials, and enable her
to begin her work. But even sixpences are not to be picked up every day,
and when a month had passed, only one penny had been added to the fund.
Just at this time there was a sermon one Sunday morning for the same new
church of which Miss Crawford had spoken to her brother. Mrs. Falla was
one of the few who were to be found regularly in their places in
church; and Mary, who was always with her mother, heard the sermon. We
cannot boast of our little heroine that she always listened to the
sermon; sometimes she did not understand it, sometimes she did not find
it interesting; but this sermon she did find interesting, and liked very
much, for it was about a church which she saw every day of her life; and
it told how much the church was wanted by sick and old people who could
not reach the parish church; and Mary knew she liked to go to church,
and was very sorry for her old grandmother, and many others whom she had
heard regret the distance. As they walked home she seemed to have
something very interesting to think about, for she dropped behind, and
kept her eyes fixed on the ground in a manner most unusual with this
merry little maiden; at last, however, she settled the question to her
own satisfaction, and ran up to her mother,--

"_Ma mère_, don't you think I had better give my sixpence to the new
church? Grandmother would rather have a church near to go to, than a
pair of stockings next winter, I'm sure; and it would do good to so many
other people besides."