"How came you to know of it?"
"We were told."
"Well—there must be poor people in the world," said Norton; "there always were and there always will be."
"I suppose so. And the question is, what ought we to do for them?"
"You can't do much," said Norton. "You can make yourself poor, easy enough. Then you'll expect Judy and me to take care of you."
"Are you afraid of that, Norton?" said Matilda laughingly.
"No, Pink, I am not," said Norton; "but you and Davy are just in the way to get into trouble. There's no bottom to New York mud."
"Norton," said David, "will you grant that we ought to do in this matter as the word of God says?"
"It don't say we are to make fools of ourselves," Norton responded.
"Yes it does," said Matilda quickly. Both her hearers looked at her.