that. If you had said it just the
other way 'round you would have been nearer right. People _will_ give if
they care, of course, but it is even more certain that they will care if
they give. The thing we need is to show them how to give."

Joe Carbrook broke into an incredulous laugh. "In other words, my fair
Marcia, you want Christians to give before they care what it is they are
giving to, or even know about it. Don't you think our church will be a
long time financing the Every Day Doctrines on that system?"

Joe and Marcia never hesitated to take opposite sides in a discussion,
and always with good-humored frankness. So Marcia came back promptly: "I
know you think it unreasonable," she said, "but there's a condition you
overlook. We became Christians long before any of us thought about
studying Delafield's needs. And if we and all the rest of the Christians
of the town had accepted our financial relation to the Kingdom and had
acted on it from the start, there would always be money enough and to
spare."

"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