Matilda looked up suddenly, at Norton's thus touching her thought; but she did not like to pursue it. Norton, however, had no scruples.
"Yes; and these strawberries, I suppose, would feed her for a week—the old woman, I mean. And one of our drawing-room chairs would furnish her house, pretty near. Yes, I guess it would. And I really think one week of the coal we burned a few months ago would keep her, and Mrs. Rogers too, warm all winter. And I am certain one of mamma's dresses would clothe her for a year. Seems queer, don't it."
"And she is cold, and hungry, and uncomfortable," said Matilda. The two looked at each other.
"But then, you know, if mamma gave one of her dresses to clothe this old woman, she would have to give another to clothe some other old woman; and the end would be, she would have no dresses for herself. And if she tried to warm all the cold houses, she wouldn't have firing to cook her own dinner. You see it has to be so, Pink; some rich and some poor. And suppose these strawberries had been changed into some poor somebody's dinner, I couldn't have had them to give to you. Do you see, Pink?"
"But, O Norton!" Matilda began, and stopped. "These strawberries are very nice."
"But you would rather turn them into mutton-chops and give them away?" said Norton. "I dare say you would! Wouldn't you?"
"Norton," said Matilda, cautiously, "do you think anything I could have bought with that dollar would have given me so much pleasure as that tea-kettle yesterday?"
"It was a good investment," said Norton. "But it is right to eat strawberries, Pink. Where are you going to stop?"
"I'll take Mrs. Eldridge some strawberries," said Matilda, smiling, "when they get plenty."
"Well, agreed," said Norton. "Let us take her some other things too. I've got money. Stop—let me put these plates in the house and fetch a piece of paper;—then we'll see what we'll take her."