"But do you dare trust such a child in the midst of all these pretty things?" said the stranger, in a lower tone, but still loud enough for Nelly to hear. "I should think she would steal all she could lay her hands on."
"We cannot always tell by the outside who steals and who does not," answered Mrs. Kirkland, dryly. "We catch people stealing, sometimes, who are much better dressed than poor Nelly."
Nelly could see the lady's face in a mirror which hung near, and she was astonished to see her colour till her face was as scarlet as the worsted she held in her hand. She said no more, but occupied herself in picking out shades of worsted from the pile before her.
"Miss Powell," said Nelly, presently, "what makes folks think that people cannot be honest because they are not dressed nice?"
"I will tell you what I think about it, Nelly; but I don't know that I can make you understand. In this country, almost every one who is industrious and saving can afford to dress neatly. If they cannot buy new things very often, they can at least wash and mend what they have. So, when a person sees another in rags, he is apt to think that person must be idle or shiftless; and idle people are very apt to be dishonest people. Now do you understand?"
Nelly nodded. "I think it is a great deal in knowing how," said she. "Kitty Brown's mother never lets her have the least bit of a hole in her things, even if she hasn't any of the same kind to mend with; and Kitty is the same. She keeps her clothes nice,—oh, ever so long! But somehow, I can't keep my things nice. My frock gets a hole in it, and, when I ask granny to mend it, she says, 'Yes, dear, but there's time enough;' and, the first thing I know, it catches on a nail, or something else, and away it goes. I think it is the best way to mend them the first minute."
"No doubt it is; but Nelly, you must learn to mend your own clothes. You are old enough."
"I wish I did know how," said Nelly.
"Well, we will take the matter into consideration. And, now, what do you think about going to Sunday-school?"
"I shouldn't like to go just now," said Nelly. "I haven't any nice frock to wear; and that lady said I was a ragamuffin. She said you were always bringing such objects into the school. What is an object?"