"No, not all the lane. But I can do something. I can read to Mrs. Eldridge, and Mrs. Rogers."
"You can't buy tea-kettles, though, for Mrs. Eldridge and Mrs. Rogers, with the tea, and the sugar, and the bread and butter, and the fish, and the mutton-chops they will all want. Your nineteen dollars will soon be gone at that rate."
"Mutton-chops!" echoed Matilda. "Norton, they do not see anything so good as mutton-chops."
"They ought to," said Norton. "They have as much right as other folks."
"But they can't, Norton."
"Yes, they can, Pink. We'll take 'em some for once. They shall know how mutton tastes."
"O Norton!" said Matilda in a low voice of delight, "how good that would be!"
"But what I say," continued the boy, with emphasis,—"you cannot go on doing this. Your money will not last."
"I can do what I can," said Matilda, softly.
"But what's the use, Pink? All you can do will just touch one old woman, perhaps, a few times; and then Lilac Lane will not be any better off than it was. And anyhow, you only touch one. What's the use?"