pittance

mitätön summa, nälkäpalkka A small allowance of food and drink; a scanty meal.
A meagre allowance of money or wages.
1898, (w), (w) Chapter 5

So I went to keep house with him at the Why Not? and my aunt sent down my bag of clothes, and would have made over to Elzevir the pittance that my father left for my keep, but he said it was not needful, and he would have none of it.