“But,” said Mrs. Bradford, “I thought you were saving that money for another purpose.”
“Oh, so we were,” said Maggie, biting her underlip; “if I didn’t forget it. What a child I am! always forgetting one thing in another.”
“What is it?” asked Belle.
“To buy a warm cloak and a pair of better spetacles for good Mrs. Granby, who is always being kind to other people, and never thinks about herself,” said Bessie.
“And I suppose it wouldn’t be fair to put by a person we’ve known for so long for people we’re hardly acquainted with, only through water-lilies,” said Maggie. “Oh! I wish, I wish, I wish I had the greatest lots of money that ever were seen, so I could give every one every thing they wanted.”
Maggie was always wishing for lots of money; but it is only justice to her to say that it was generally for the benefit of others, and not for herself.
“Did you promise Mrs. Granby?” asked Belle.
“No, we did not promise, not with words,” said Bessie; “but then, we made up our minds to do it, and we wouldn’t like not to. I think it would seem a little like not being very true in our hearts to Mrs. Granby.”
“Oh, dear!” said Maggie, “there are such lots of things one wants to do; but somehow, one can’t seem to do every thing.”