n the
corner, he said: "Mrs. Martin must have a machine, and that three and a
half makes seventeen dollars. How to get the other forty-eight is the
question."

Mr. Blake and Mr. Marble both agreed that the boys could not raise so
much money, and should not undertake it. But Willie said there was nobody
to do it, and he guessed it would come somehow. The other boys, when they
came to church that evening, told Willie that their presents were
commuted for money also; so they had twenty-five dollars toward the
amount. But that was the end of it, and there were forty dollars yet to
come!

Willie lay awake that night, thinking. Mr. Marble's class could not raise
the money. All the other classes had given all they could. And the
teachers would each give in their classes. And they had raised all they
could spare besides to buy nuts and candy! Good! That was just it; they
would do without candy!

At school the next morning, Willie's white head was bobbing about
eagerly. He made every boy and girl sign a petition, asking the
Sunday-school teachers not to give them any nuts or candy. They all
signed except Tommy Puffer. He said it was real mean not to have any
candy. They might just as well not have any Sunday-school, or any
Christmas either. But seeing a naughty twinkle in Sammy Bantam's eye, he
waddled away, while Sammy fired a shot after him, by remarking that, if
Tommy had been one of the shepherds in Bethlehem, he wouldn't have
listened to the angels till he had inquired if they had any lemon-drops
in their pockets!

That night the extra Teachers' Meeting was held, and in walked
white-headed Willie with stunted Sammy Bantam at his heels to keep him in
countenance. When their petition was presented, Miss Belden, who sat near
Willie, said, "Well done! Willie."

"But I protest," said Mrs. Puffer--who was of about as handsome a figure
as her son--"I protest against such an outrage on the children. My
Tommy's been a-feeling bad about it all day. It'll break his heart if he
don't get some candy."

Willie was shy, but for a moment he forgot it, and, turning his
intelligent blue eyes on Mrs. Puffer, he said--

"It will break Mrs. Martin's heart if her children are taken away from
her."

"Well," said Mrs. Puffer, "I always did hear that the preacher's boy was
the worst in the parish, and I won't take any impudence. My son will join
the Mission School, where they aren't too stingy to give him a bit of
candy!" And Mrs. Puffe