"I wonder," said Jill reflectively, "whether your wife gave a tenth to God. Miss Falkner thinks all proper good people do."
"What be that, missy?"
"It's what Jacob did, you know, and we're going to try to do it. Don't you remember his vow? 'Of all that Thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto Thee.'"
Old Mr. Stone nodded his head.
"My fayther did allays give a little to our rector; that be it missy, that be it. 'Tis the beginning of it you have told of!"
"Do tell me," said Jill eagerly. "Do you think we could give our tenth to our rector?"
Sam and his father both tried then to give Jill a dissertation on tithes. She hardly grasped it, but child-like returned pertinaciously to her business in hand.
"I want Sam to join us. I'm sure he has a lot of money. I hear it jingle in his pocket. And won't you too, Mr. Stone? If you will, you can come to our 'Bethel' and do it quite properly."
"I tell missy we be hard-workin' people, that be scarcely able to feed ourselves," said Sam.
"But a tenth isn't much," argued Jill. "Out of forty pennies you only have to give four. How much do you get from Mona, Sam?"