would you like me to go away?" Mrs. Macdonald asked. "Miss Reston
and I can go to the dining-room."

"But I want you as much as Mr. Macdonald," said Jean. "It's your advice
I want--about the money, you know."

Mrs. Macdonald gave a deep sigh. "Ah, money," she said--"the root of all
evil."

"Not at all, my dear," her husband corrected. "The love of money is the
root of all evil--a very different thing. Money can be a very fine
thing."

"Oh," said Jean, "that's what I want you to tell me. How can I make this
money a blessing?"

Mr. Macdonald gave his twisted smile.

"And am I to answer you in one word, Jean? I fear it's a word too wide
for a mouth of this age's size. You will have to make mistakes and learn
by them and gradually feel your way."

"The most depressing thing about money," put in his wife, "is that the
Bible should say so definitely that a rich man can hardly get into
heaven. Oh, I know all about a needle's eye being a gate, but I've
always a picture in my own mind of a camel and an ordinary
darning-needle, and anything more hopeless could hardly be imagined."

Mrs. Macdonald had taken up a half-finished sock, and, as she disposed
of the chances of all the unfortunate owners of wealth, she briskly
turned the heel. Jean knew her hostess too well to be depressed by her,
so she smiled at the minister, who said, "Heaven's gate is too narrow
for a man and his money; that goes without saying, Jean."

Jean leant forward and said eagerly, "What I really want to know is
about the tenth we are to put away as not being our own. Does it count
if it is given in charity, or ought it to be given to Church things and
missions?"

"Whatever is given to God will 'count,' as you put it--lighting, where
you can, candles of kindness to cheer and warm and lighten."

"I see," said Jean. "Of course, there are heaps of things one could
slump money away on, hospitals and institutions and missions, but these
are all so impersonal. I wonder, would it be pushing and _furritsome_,
do you think, if I tried to help ministers a little?--ministers, I mean,
with wives and families and small incomes shut away in country places
and in the poor parts of big towns? It would be such pleasant helping to
me."

"Now," said Mrs. Macdonald, "that's a really sensible idea, Jean.
There's no manner of doubt that the small salaries of the clergy are a
crying scandal. I don't like ministers to wail in the papers about it,
but the laymen should