St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-01-17
GOD LOVETH A CHEERFUL GIVER,

Little Peggy Peterkins said this text
over and over to herself, and aloud ia
grandma, who was knitting by the
open fire. Don't make any difference
if | put a penny into my mite-box il
l don't exactly want to, does it ?" she
asked. Il should think it did," was
grandma's answer, "all the difference in
the world" "Why, grandma, if the cent
goes into the box, it goes" and here
Peggy gave decided jerk of her head,
just as if she were putting a cent into the
box and it went hard. "And then" she
added, "it goes to help little heather
children, If would rather haYe candy or
something nice for dolly, doesn't it ?"
"Oh, yes, Peggy, it goes, but we don't
know how large the blessing is that goes
with it; perhaps all the great blessings
go with the willing, cheerful pennies; it
always seemed to me So" But Peggy
shook her head, and decided that God
couldn't care much if she only put the
penny into the box, notwithstanding her
text said, God loveth a cheerful giver."
lust then little Nathan came into the
room, with his hands and face pretty well
covered with molasses, and a number OF
sticks of molasses candy on tin plate.
dot a fanny party in the titchen, l has
me an Rosa an Harky (the cook meis
to eat it all, too; and he held fast hold
of the plate, and stood in the corner away
from his sister.
please give sister some" Peggy said,
in her most winning tones; that's a
good boy"
mo- Nathan's fanny" said the little
fellow, as we'll as he could with two sticks
in his mouth; "me eat all fanny"
"Just one stick; just one to sister ?"
going nearer and nearer to the plate.
Nathan shook his head, and placed one
sticky hand over his stock OF candy. Some
words followed that were not so kind as
they ought to have been, and then Nathan
picked out the very smallest stick and
gave it unwillingly to Peggy. She sat
down by the fire and ateit; but somehow
it did not taste so very good.
Nathan gave you the candy, didn't
he?" said grandma.
yes" said Peggy, but"
us it nice?"
Eyes, pretty nice, not so very"
1t was soon eaten, and then Peggy said
her verse once more and shut up her little
Testament, and got out Fanny Maria, a
very smart doll and began to play, Come
and see."
In few moments her little sister Daisy
came, bringing on a piece of paper two
sticks of candy. "These are yours" she
said. II made em; it's all made, and
it's all yours, Peggy" The loving smile,
and the way she held out her treat,
touched Peggy's heart.
"You are just darling" she said, Civ
ing Daisy kiss. cts ever so nice eating
the candy. There was no iun in eating
Nathan's, he was so stingy."
ut is the same kind of candy, sup
pose?" said grandma.
Yes; Harky fixed it for u.s." said Daisy.
"But like Daisy's best t'sreal good"
"Do you know why ?" asked grandma.
mot exactly"
Both are made of molasses p
"Ofcourse, grandma.
There's something in Daisy's that is
not in Nathan's?"
ooh, no they were just alike"
Grandma smiled and shook her head
and said, Eyes, there is. Guess what it
is"
They bothguessed many things, all very
wonderful when thought of in connection
with candy, and at last gave it up.
Daisy put great deal of her heart
into her candy. Nathan left all of his
out. We all love cheerful giver, don't
we, Peggy?" asked grandma, looking
into the earnest face before her. Then the
little girl understood her text.
God loveth cheerful giver," and if he
sees vour heart going with your mission |