“Jane, do you ever think how ungrateful we are to those who cherish us through the school year and who, although stern at times, are realy our Best Friends?”
“Cherish us!” said Jane. “I haven’t noticed any cherishing. They tolarate me, and hardly that.”
“I fear you are pessamistic,” I said, reproving her but mildly, for Jane’s school is well known to be harsh and uncompromizing. “However, my own feelings to my Instructers are diferent and quite friendly, especialy at a distance. I shall send them flowers.”
It was rather awful, however, after I had got inside the shop, to find that violets, which I had set my heart on as being the school flour, were five dollars a hundred. Also there were more teachers than I had considered, some of them making but small impression on account of mildness.
There were eight.
“Jane!” I said, in desparation. “Eight without the housekeeper! And she must be remembered because if not she will be most unpleasant next fall, and swipe my chaffing dish. Forty five dollars is a lot of Money.”
“You only have to do it once,” said Jane, who could aford to be calm, as it was costing her nothing.
However, I sent the violets and paid with a check. I felt better by subtracting the amount from one thousand. I had still $945.00, less the facials and so on, which had been ten.
This is not a finantial story, although turning on Money. I do not wish to be considered as thinking only of Wealth. Indeed, I have always considered that where my heart was in question I would always decide for Love and penury rather than a Castle and greed. In this I differ from my sister Leila, who says that under no circumstanses would she ever inspect a refrigerater to see if the cook was wasting anything.
I was not worried about the violets, as I consider Money spent as but water over a damn, and no use worrying about. But I was no longer hungry, and I observed this to Jane.