nd then, what was the duty of those better off?
"Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,"--that opened a wide
field. Too big to be gone over just now. Matilda was sure that she was
in the right way so far, in going to give pleasure to Maria; and by the
way she would take all the pleasure she could herself. How sweet it was
now! The sun was up, and shining with bright yellow light upon the
hills of Rosendale and the opposite shore. The river was all in lively
motion under the breeze; the ferry boat just coming in from Rondout;
the sky overhead clearing itself of some racks of grey vapour and
getting all blue. Could anything be more delicious? Now the passengers
came trooping over from the "Lark," to get their tickets; and presently
came the rumble of the train. She and Norton jumped into one of the
cars, and then they were off.

"I'm hungry," was Norton's first confidence in the cars.

"So am I, very," said Matilda. "It will not take more than an hour,
will it, to go to Poughkeepsie?"

"Not that," said Norton. Then the very first thing will be, to go up to
Smith's and get our breakfast."

"That's that restaurant?"

"Yes. A good one too."

"I never was in a restaurant in my life," said Matilda.

"We'll see how you like it, Pink; it's delightful that you have never
seen anything."

"Why?"

"You have got so much to see. And I want to know what you will think of
it all."

Matilda was almost too happy. So happy, that not a sunbeam, nor a
ripple on the water, nor a cloud in the sky, but seemed to bring her
more to be glad of. It was only that her joy met these things and
glanced back. So Norton said. But Matilda thought it was something
beside.

"Why Norton, I am glad of those things _themselves_," she insisted.

"Of the waves on the river?" said Norton.

"Yes, to be sure I am."

"Nonsense, Pink! What for?"

"I don't know what for," said Matilda. "They are so pretty. And they
are so lively. And there is another thing, Norton," she said with a
change of voice. "God made them."

"Do you like everything he has made?" said Norton.

"I think I do."

"Then you must like those poor people in the omnibus, and poor people
everywhere. Do _they_ give you pleasure?"

Matilda could not say that they did. She wished with all her heart
there were no such thing as poverty in the world. She could not answer
immediately. And before she could answer the whistle blew.

"Is this Poughkeepsie?"

"Yes, this is Po