This, or something else, set the two timid ones, who were sisters, to whispering; presently they nodded their heads in satisfaction. Whatever their plan was, they kept it to themselves. It undoubtedly included self-sacrifice, as they belonged to a family who honestly had but little from which to give, but they presently directed that their names be set down for a dollar each.
Apparently, the crowning bit of sacrifice came from Ruth Jennings.
"Father has been promising me a piano-stool for more than a year," she explained, laughing. "This morning he gave me the money, and I have a note written to Benny Brooks to bring it down with him next Saturday; but I do so dreadfully hate those red curtains, that if you will promise to do something with the windows the first thing, I'll sit on the dictionary and the Patent Office Reports for another year. A stool such as I was going to get, costs four dollars. Put it down, Nettie, quick!"
A general clapping of hands ensued. Not a girl present but appreciated that to Ruth Jennings this was quite a sacrifice. As for Miss Benedict, her eyes were brimming.
"You dear girls," she said, eagerly, "I feel as though I wanted to kiss every one of you. We will certainly have our church made over. I feel sure of it now. I think some of you must prefer it above your chief joy."
"O, Miss Benedict, you don't think that velvet ribbons, and gloves, and such things, are our chief joys, do you?"
"Or even piano-stools!" This from Ruth Jennings, amid much laughter. But Miss Benedict's face was grave.
"Has the _church_ been?" She asked the question gently, yet in a sufficiently significant tone.
"I should think not! Such a horrid old den as it is! How could there be any joy about it!"
The words of the evening's text were repeating themselves so forcibly in their teacher's heart that she could not refrain from quoting: "Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy."
"But that doesn't mean the building, does it, Miss Benedict?"
"The building is the outward sign of His presence, is it not? And suggests one of the ways in which we can show our love for the God to whose worship the church is dedicated?"
As she spoke she wound an arm around the young girl's waist, and was answered, thoughtfully: