Part 17 (1/2)
”I am glad I am one of the first sort,” said Norton, disposing of a very large strawberry.
”But isn't it strange?”
”That is what I said, Pink.”
”It don't seem right,” said Matilda, thoughtfully
”Yes, it does.”
”It doesn't to me.”
”How can you help it?”
”Why _I_ cannot help it, Norton; but if everybody that is rich chose, they could help it.”
”How?”
”Don't you think they ought?”
”Well how, Pink? If people were industrious and behaved right, they wouldn't be poor, you see.”
”Oh, but, Norton, they would sometimes. There is Mrs. Eldridge, and there are the poor women at Mrs. Rogers', and a great many more like them.”
”Well if _somebody_ hadn't behaved wrong,” said Norton, ”they wouldn't be so hard up.”
”Oh, but that does not help them.”
”Not much.”
”And they ought to be helped,” said Matilda, slowly examining the painted flowers on the china in her hand, and remembering Mrs.
Eldridge's cracked delf tea-cup.
”That plate would buy up the whole concern where we were yesterday, wouldn't it?”
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?”