five dollars will be here directly; and January will bring five more.
Fifteen. How many shoes and boots must I get for that time?"

Careful examination shewed that she had on hand one pair of boots well
worn, another pair which had seen service as Sunday boots, but were
quite neat yet, and one pair of nice slippers. The worn boots would not
do to go out with Mrs. Laval, nor anywhere in company with Matilda's
new pelisse. "They will only do to give away," she concluded. They
would have seen a good deal of service in Shadywalk, if she had
remained there with her aunt Candy; Mrs. Laval was another affair. One
pair for every day and one pair for best, would do very well, Matilda
thought. Then gloves? She must get some gloves. How many?

She went to Mr. Cope's that very afternoon, and considered all the
styles of gloves he had in his shop. Fine kid gloves, she found, would
eat up her money very fast. But she must have them; nothing else could
be allowed to go to church or anywhere in company with Mrs. Laval, and
even Norton wore nothing else when he was dressed. Matilda got two
pair, dark brown and dark green; colours that she knew would wear well;
though her eyes longed for a pair of beautiful tan colour. But besides
these, Matilda laid in some warm worsted gloves, which she purposed to
wear in ordinary or whenever she went out by herself. She had two
dollars left, when this was done. The boots, Mrs. Laval had told her,
she was to get in New York; she could wait till December for them.

And now everybody was in a hurry to get to New York. The house was left
in charge of the Swiss servants. The grey ponies were sent down the
river by the last boat from Rondout. Matilda went to see Mrs. Eldridge
once, during these days of bustle and expectancy; and the visit
refreshed all those questions in her mind about the use of money and
the duties of rich people. So much work a little money here had done!
It was not like the same place. It was a humble place doubtless, and
would always be that; but there was cozy warmth instead of desolation;
and comfortable tidiness and neatness instead of the wretched condition
of things which had made Matilda's heart sick once; and the poor woman
herself was decently dressed, and her face had brightened up
wonderfully. Matilda read to her, and came away glad and thoughtful.

The farewell visit was paid at the parsonage the last thing; and on the
first of December the party set out to go to the ne