“Well, I didn't before, but I do now. I didn't know till this morning how nice it is. Mrs. Howell and Edith have been telling me all about giving money systematically, and showing me verses in the Bible; and so I thought I'd like to give some of my money, and go with Edith to the mission meeting next Saturday, if you will let me.”
“Of course you may go if you wish.”
“And may I have a box to put my money in?”
“Yes.”
“Where shall I get it?”
“I'll give you one,” said Mrs. Ashford, laughing. “Will that cardinal and gilt one of mine be suitable for the purpose?”
“Will you give me that beauty? Thank you ever so much,” and Marty flew around the table to kiss her mother.
When they went up stairs Mrs. Ashford got out the pretty box, and, at Marty's desire, wrote on the bottom of it, “Martha Ashford,” and the date. Marty, after excessively admiring and rejoicing over it, made a place for it in the corner of one of her drawers. Then she consulted her mother how to begin with the tenths.
“I haven't any of this week's money left,” she said—in fact she seldom had any of her weekly allowance over—“ but I have twenty-seven cents of my Christmas money yet. Had I better take a tenth of that, or wait and begin with my next ten cents?”
Her mother thought it would be best, perhaps, to keep the twenty-seven cents for “emergencies,” and begin the tenths with the next week's money.