"She says I would learn to speak bad grammar and use slang, and grow up
to be vulgar."

"Goodness me!" said the stranger. She sat rocking on her bough for a few
minutes. Then: "Why would you have to learn bad things of other girls?"
she demanded. "I wouldn't let _anybody_ teach me anything I didn't want
to know. I should think it would be nice to have you teach _them_ good
grammar if you know it, and not to use slang, and all that. She must
think you are soft! My mother says if you are made of putty, you will
get dented all over and never be more than an unshapely lump, but if you
are made of good stone, you can be carved into something lovely and
lasting. But that is just your grandmother," said the girl. "Where is
your mother? Is she off visiting?"

"She is dead," said Rosanna. A wave of unspeakable longing for the lost
young mother swept over her and her lip trembled as she spoke.

"Oh, poor, poor Rosanna!" said the little tree girl softly. "Oh,
Rosanna, I feel so sorry! If you ever want to borrow mine, I wish you
would. I wish you would! My mother says that when a woman has even just
one child in her heart, it grows so big that it can hold and love all
the children in the world. You borrow her any time you need her,
Rosanna!" Then feeling that perhaps the conversation ought to take a
livelier strain, she did not wait for Rosanna to answer, but continued,
"I wish somebody hadn't built this apartment over your garage so that
none of the windows look out on your garden. We are going to hate that,
aren't we?"

"Grandmother had it built that way so we would not see the people living
there," Rosanna explained.

"Oh!" said the tree girl. "Well, of course you know that _I_ live there
now. We came two days ago, and my name is Helen Culver. We would love to
play together, wouldn't we?"

"Oh, indeed we would!" said Rosanna.

"Well, then we will," said Helen joyfully. "I must go now. I think it is
practice time. I will see you after luncheon. Good-bye!" and she slid
down the tree and disappeared.

Rosanna went skipping to the house. She was so happy. It was not her
practice time, but she was going to practice because Helen was so
engaged. Her mind was full of Helen as she sat doing finger exercises
and scales. How lovely and clean and bright she looked with her big,
blue eyes and blond docked hair! Her teeth were so white and pretty and
her voice was so soft and low. And she had a dimple! It was Rosanna's
dream to ha