Chapter 4
The next day is Sunday. After breakfast, Tom goes upstairs to practice memorizing his Bible verses. Even with Mary helping him, Tom has trouble remembering. Finally, Tom gets the verses right, and Mary gives him a Barlow knife as a reward.
Tom unhappily gets ready for Sunday school and church. Once there, he begins to trade other boys marbles, fishhooks, and other valuables for tickets.
"...each blue ticket was pay for two verses of the recitation. Ten blue tickets equaled a red one, and could be exchanged for it; ten red tickets equaled a yellow one; for ten yellow tickets the superintendent gave a very plainly bound Bible (worthy forty cents in those easy times) to the pupil. How many of my readers would have the industry and application to memorize two thousand verses, even for a Dore' Bible?" Chapter 4, pg. 24
Tom is trading for tickets so he can have the glory of getting a Bible. He doesn't care about the Bible itself, but the pride of getting one. Mr. Walters, the superintendent, gives a lecture on proper behavior, and then lawyer Thatcher, Jeff's father, enters, with visitors. One of them is Judge Thatcher, the lawyer's brother, and with him is his wife and his daughter, Becky--Tom's new love! The children are excited that an important judge would be visiting their Sunday school, but Tom only has eyes for Becky.
Mr. Walters, hoping to impress the visitors, asks if anyone has enough tickets to claim a Bible. No one he expects does, but suddenly Tom steps up to claim one. He has traded for enough tickets to get a Bible. The room is shocked. Mr. Walters cannot believe Tom has learned two thousand verses, but he delivers a Bible to Tom. The Judge congratulates Tom on his accomplishment, and wants to hear something he learned. He asks Tom who the first two disciples were.
Tom is on the spot. He doesn't know, but he must say something, so he blurts out a very wrong answer--David and Goliath.
Topic Tracking: Religion 2
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