And her face was so fresh,
rosy, round and sweet, withal strong and sound, that it was a
perpetual pleasure to me.
As she told her stories of New York needy and suffering, I
mentally added my poor people at Magnolia, and began to wonder
with myself, was all the world so? Were these two spots but
samples of the whole? I got into a brown study, and was waked
out of it by Miss Cardigan's "What is it, my dear?"
"Ma'am?" I said.
"Ye are studying some deep question," she said, smiling.
"Maybe it's too big for you."
"So it is," said I, sighing. "Is it so everywhere, Miss
Cardigan?"
"So how, my bairn?"
"Is there so much trouble everywhere in the world?"
Her face clouded over.
"Jesus said, 'The poor ye have always with you, and whensoever
ye will ye may do them good.' "
"But that is what I don't understand about," I said. "_How much_
ought one to do, Miss Cardigan?"
There came a ray of infinite brightness over her features; I
can hardly describe it; it was warm with love, and bright with
pleasure, and — I thought sparkled with a little amusement.
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