nt to belong to the band."

"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.

"But one penny will be very little to take to the meeting," said Marty.
"How would it do to put in two more as a thank-offering for something or
other?"

"That is a very good idea."

In the evening her father came in for his share of the requests.

"Papa," she asked, "would you just as soon give me my ten cents this
evening as Monday?"

"Certainly," he replied, taking a dime out of his pocket. "What's going
on this evening?"

"Oh, nothing's going on, but I've begun to have a box for missionary
money--that lovely cardinal one of mamma's with gilt spots on it--and
I'm going to put tenths and offerings in it and take them to the
mission-band to help send missionaries to the heathen."

"Well, that's good. But what are you going to do about candy and such
things?"

"Oh, I don't put all my money in the box; just some of it. I'm going to
learn to give--what was it I told you mamma?"

"Systematically?"

"Yes, ma'am, that's it. You know, papa, that means giving just so much
of your money and giving it at a