"Gone to New York for the day; Aunt Candy and Cousin Clarissa are."
"Wouldn't ha' hurted 'em to have took you along. Why didn't they?"
"Oh they were going shopping," said Matilda.
"Well, had you any objections to go shopping?" said the housekeeper, sitting back on her feet and wringing her cloth, as she looked at Matilda perched up on the table.
"I hadn't any shopping to do, you know," said Matilda.
"I hain't no shopping to do, nother," said Miss Redwood, resuming her work vigorously; "but I always like to see other folks' goins on. It's a play to me, jest to go in 'long o' somebody else and see 'em pull down all the things, and turn over all the colours in the rainbow, and suit themselves with purchases I wouldn't look at, and leave my gowns and shawls high and dry on the shelf. And when I go out, I have bought as many dresses as they have, and I have kept my money for all."
"But sometimes people buy what you would like too, Miss Redwood, don't they?"
"Well, child, not often; 'cause, you see, folks's minds is sot on different things; and somehow, folks's gowns have a way o' comin' out o' their hearts. I kin tell, pretty well, what sort o' disposition there is inside of a dress, or under a bonnet, without askin' nobody to give me a character. What's be come o' you all these days? Ha' you made any more gingerbread?"
"No."
"I guess you've forgotten all about it, then. What's the reason, eh?"