They stayed several days at Palace Beautiful while the little girl’s heel healed. Mercy often sewed beside the window. She gave the finished caps and coats to Charity for children who needed clothes along the road.
One day a young man collecting goods for the shops passed through. His name was Brisk. He wore new boots and two bright buttons on his cuffs. Seeing Mercy’s neat stitches, he sat down and asked whether she meant to open a shop.
“I don’t know yet,” Mercy said. “These are for people who need them.”
Brisk felt a cap. Things like these would sell well, he said. A brighter ribbon would raise the price. He could take her to a town he knew, where people liked stories about kindness and were willing to pay.
“We could say that for every ten sold, one would be given away,” he suggested. “That would be more like proper business than giving everything away.”
Mercy did not answer at once. Across the room, Christiana recognized the look on his face. If that cap were worn by the right person, people would soon be praising the young woman who made it. Christiana herself had once loved such praise.
“There’s nothing wrong with earning money,” Mercy said slowly. “But this cloth was given for children who need clothes. I cannot use it to make a name for myself. And I cannot sew it less carefully just because the children are poor.”
Brisk gave a small laugh. “Do you mean to go on losing out like this?”
“I still need to learn how to arrange my own life. But I’ve already promised these clothes.”
The young man soon left. He said no more about taking her to town. Mercy went on sewing, but made a mistake. Unpicking the stitches, she admitted that she had wondered whether going with him would mean never worrying about a place to live again.
Christiana wanted to promise she would never lack anything. In the end, she did not. She helped loosen the thread, then asked, “Would you like to go on with us? When we reach a suitable place, we can work out how to live.”
That evening, Discretion read the Lord Jesus’ warning about doing good simply to be seen. She also reminded them that the Bible taught people to work diligently and did not despise honest wages. The Lord examined the heart. Were they loving people, or using people’s needs to make themselves look fine?
Next morning a little boy tried on one of Mercy’s coats. He gave no beautiful speech of thanks. He kept feeling the two deep pockets, then at last put his treasured round stones inside.
Mercy watched and smiled. Christiana picked up the remaining cloth and asked her to teach her how to sew a cuff that was not quite so crooked.