"Not before me. They do not wish to lose their places."
"Papa, couldn't something be done to make them feel better."
"Why, Daisy," said her father laughing, "are you going to turn reformer!"
"I don't know what that is, papa."
"A thankless office, my dear. If you could make all the world wise, it would do, but fools are always angry with you for trying it."
The conversation ended, and left Daisy greatly mystified. Her father's people not liking him? the poor having ill-will against the rich, and a grudge against their pleasant things it was very melancholy! Daisy thought about it a great deal that day; and had a very great talk on the subject with Nora, who without a quarter of the interest had much more knowledge about it than Daisy. She had been with her brother sometimes to the houses of poor children, and she gave Daisy a high- coloured picture of the ways of living in such houses and the absence of many things by Daisy and herself thought the necessaries of life. Daisy heard her with a lengthening face, and almost thought there was some excuse for the state of feeling her father had explained in the morning. The question, however, was too long a one for Daisy; but she arrived at one conclusion, which was announced the next morning at the breakfast-table. Mrs. Randolph had called upon her to say what was determined upon for the birthday.
"Papa," said Daisy, "will there be a great plenty of strawberries next week?"
"Yes, I believe so. Logan says the vines are very full. What then?"
"Papa, you gave me my choice of what I would have for
Wednesday."
"Yes. Is it my strawberry patch?"