was thinking of what you said yesterday; how odd it is that
some people should be rich and others poor."

"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