a fair
liberal sum to each, I wos amazed--I wos stunned for to find that the
total wos so small and left so werry much of my spare cash yet to be
disposed of, so I went over it all again, and had to double and treble
the amount to be given to each. Ah, Dick,' says _my_ rich man, `if
people who don't keep cashbooks would only mark down wot they _think_
they can afford to give away in a year, an' wot they _do_ give away,
they would be surprised. It's not always unwillingness to give that's
the evil. Often it's ignorance o' what is actooally given--no account
bein' kep'.'

"`Wot d'ye think, Dick,' _my_ rich man goes on to say, `there are some
churches in this country which are dependent on the people for support,
an' the contents o' the plates at the doors o' these churches on Sundays
is used partly for cleanin' and lightin' of 'em; partly for payin' their
precentors, and partly for repairs to the buildins, and partly for
helpin' out the small incomes of their ministers; an' wot d'ye think
most o' the people--not many but _most_ of 'em--gives a week, Dick, for
such important purposes?'

"`I don' know, sir,' says I.

"`One penny, Dick,' says 'ee, `which comes exactly to four shillins and
fourpence a year,' says 'ee. `An' they ain't paupers; Dick! If they
wos paupers, it wouldn't be a big sum for 'em to give out o' any
pocket-money they might chance to git from their pauper friends, but
they're well-dressed people, Dick, and they seems to be well off! Four
an' fourpence a year! think o' that--not to mention the deduction w'en
they goes for a month or two to the country each summer. Four an'
fourpence a year, Dick! Some of 'em even goes so low as a halfpenny,
which makes two an' twopence a year--7 pounds, 11 shillings, 8 pence in
a seventy-year _lifetime_, Dick, supposin' their liberality began to
flow the day they wos born!'

"At this _my_ rich man fell to laughing till I thought 'ee'd a busted
hisself; but he pulled up sudden, an' axed me all about the Grotto, and
said it was a first-rate institootion, an' gave me a ten-pun' note on
the spot. Now, Nora, _my_ rich man is a friend o' yours--Mr Durant, of
Yarmouth, who came to Ramsgate a short time ago for to spend the autumn,
an' I got introdooced to him through knowin' Jim Welton, who got aboord
of one of his ships through knowin' young Mr Stanley Hall, d'ye see?
That's where it is."

After this somewhat lengthened speech, Dick Moy swallowed a slop-bowlful
of