a salesman. The kindling would be put up in bundles of uniform size,
warranted to be dry and to give satisfaction and delivered at the door
by the workers of course. It ought not to be difficult for you to
secure a sufficient number of regular customers to insure the success
of the business. You see, it is not a church-begging scheme, for it
benefits every person connected with it, and every person pays for
what he gets. The citizens would have the pleasure of feeling that
they were assisting only the worthy sufferers, and the satisfaction
of knowing that they were receiving their money's worth."

"Would the income be sufficient to pay all bills?" asked Cameron.

"The food, of course, could be of the plainest, and could be bought
in quantities. Twenty cents will feed a man a day. It is possible, of
course, to live on less," Dick added, with a whimsical smile, which
was met with answering smiles from the company of interested young
people. "Now suppose you had for the start, one hundred regular
customers, who would pay, each, ten cents per week for their kindling!
that would bring you ten dollars per week, which would feed seven
people. Not a large thing I grant you, but a start in the right
direction, and much more than the church is doing now. The other
expenses would not be large, and I am confident that the institution
would be self-supporting. But bear in mind that the Society must own
the grounds and building, so that there would be no rent. _That_ must
be the gift of the people to the poor."

"How would the superintendent and his wife be paid?"

"They would receive their house rent, provisions, and a small weekly
salary, paid either by the Society, the church, or the institution.