“Oh, yes,” Joe said understandingly, “I see now.  You mean the tithe.”

Marcia knew, no matter how, that Joe had begun to think about tithing, and this seemed the opportune time to stress it a little more.  It could help the Every Day Doctrines, and both Joe and J.W. were keen for that.

So Marcia admitted that she did mean the tithe.  “I don’t pretend to know how it began, any more than I know how real homes were established after the Fall, or how keeping Sunday began; I do know these began long before there was any fourth or fifth commandment, or any Children of Israel.  And I’ve gone over all the whole subject with Mr. Drury—­he has a lot of practical pamphlets on the tithe.  I believe that it is the easiest, surest, fairest and cheerfulest way of doing two Christian things at once—­acknowledging God’s ownership of all we have, and going into partnership with God in his work for the world, what the books sometimes call Christian Stewardship.”

“I’d like to see those pamphlets,” said J.W.

“It’s queer you haven’t seen them before this,” said Marcia.  “Mr. Drury has distributed hundreds of them.  But maybe that was when you were away at Cartwright.  Anyway, I’ll get some for you.”

Joe was holding his thought to the main matter.  “Marcia,” said he, “if you can make good on what you said just now, pamphlets or no pamphlets, I’ll agree to become a tither.  First, to start where you did, how is tithing easier than giving whenever you feel like giving?”

Now, though Marcia expected no such challenge, she was game.  “I’m not the one to prove all that, but I believe what I said, and I’ll try to make good, as you put it.  But please don’t say ‘give’ when you talk about tithing, or even about any sort of financial plan for Christians.  The first word is ‘pay,’ Giving comes afterward.  Well, then; tithing is the easiest way, because when you are a tither you always have tithing money.  You begin by setting the tenth apart for these uses, and it is no more hardship to pay it out than to pay out any other money that you have been given with instructions for its use.”

“Not bad, at all,” said Joe.  “Now tell us why it is the surest way of using a Christian’s money.”

By this time Marcia was beginning to enjoy herself.  “It is the surest because it almost collects itself.  No begging; no schemes.  You have tithing money on hand—­and you have, almost always—­therefore you don’t need to be coaxed into thinking you can spare it.  If the cause is a real claim, that’s all you need to find out.  And when you begin to put money into any cause you’re going to get interested in that cause.  Besides, when all Christians tithe there will be more than enough money for every good work.”

J.W. had not thought much of the tithe except as being one of those religious fads, and he knew that every church had a few religious faddists.  But he had long cherished a vast respect for Marcia’s good sense, and what she was saying seemed reasonable enough.  He wondered if it could be backed up by evidence.