are, a little worse than wasting about a
dollar and a half a day. But let us put our loss at a shilling
each--"

"No, no," cried Sam, who saw through the whole plan. "Let's give
honest measure. I'll own up to the twenty-five. Let's go the whole, if
any."

"Very well," returned Peter; "then let us commence and pledge
ourselves not to smoke, or drink ale, for one month from this date.
Every night we will lay away a quarter of a dollar, and at the end of
the week we'll put our savings all together, and then go on our
mission. What say you?"

With one voice the other five joined in the plan. The novelty of the
thing may have pleased them; but the real incentives lay deeper down
in the natural goodness of their hearts. There was no written pledge,
but they took a more speedy method. Peter laid his hand upon the
table, and said:

"Here's my hand, pledged to the work."

"And mine too," cried Sam, laying his broad palm atop of Peter's.

"And mine," "and mine," "and mine," chimed the rest, placing their
hands atop of the other until the six right hands lay upon the table
in a pyramid.

"This is Tuesday," resumed Peter. "Will we meet next Saturday?"

"Yes," answered Sam, "and call it a week. Let's throw in two days."

And so the week was begun.

On the next day, as Sam Green sat atop of his bench after dinner, he
felt rather lost without his cigar, and for awhile he argued the
question with himself, whether it wouldn't be just as well for him to
put an extra quarter into his box and have his cigars as usual. But he
remembered his pledge. He looked forward to Saturday, when he should
find himself an ambassador of mercy to the sick and needy--and his
resolution grew strong again. That was his last real hesitation,
though it must be confessed he had some trials and hankerings.

And so with the rest, they had some moments of doubt and mental
warfare with appetite and habit, but conquered, and were true.

Saturday came, and the six youths left their work at noon, having done
more than enough overwork to make up for the loss of the half day.

"Must have a time once in awhile, eh?" said Sam's boss, as the young
man pointed to the work he had done, and informed him that he should
not work the rest of the day.

"Some sort of a time," replied Sam.

"Very well, but you're too good a fellow to go very deep into
dissipation."

"I'll be up bright in the morning, sir;" and with this he left.

The new Benevolent Society m