“You may as well explain,” she said condescendingly. “Tell me how you mean.”
“I mean that if I were rich enough to have half-a-dozen maids to dress me—or nurses to make a baby of me—I should be, and at your age should have been, ashamed to be as helpless as you and Leila are,” said Miss Earle.
Leila, who was listening, wriggled a little. Chrissie tossed her head.
“I’m not helpless. I can do anything I choose to do.”
“Indeed,” said their governess drily, “I should not have thought it.”
“But why should we?” said Leila, “We don’t need to.”
“Why should you learn to be self-helpful and, to a certain extent, independent?” replied Miss Earle. “I should say, for two reasons. Because it would be good for your own characters, and also because nobody can tell what they may not have to do sooner or later, and surely it is best to be a little prepared for the chances and changes of life.”
“I suppose you mean we might be sent to school some day,” said Chrissie; “but we shan’t—that’s certain.”
“I meant nothing in particular. I was only answering your question. But I must add something. If you do let yourselves be treated like babies, at least you should be as nice as babies generally are—healthy babies, I mean—to those who treat them kindly.”
Both the girls grew red at this, and Miss Earle was glad to see it.