I see ourselves grown up and
having a splendid home and a real splendid husband, and we each have
three children. She has two boys and one girl, and I have two girls and
one boy. And we educate them and dress them so nice, and they do lovely
things. We travel all around the world with them, and I tell Linnet all
we see in Europe and Asia. Our husbands stay home and send us money. They
have to stay home and earn it, you know," Marjorie explained with a
shrewd little smile. "Would you give that all up?" she asked
disappointedly.
"Yes, I am sure I would. You are making a disappointment for yourself;
your life may not be at all like that. You may never marry, in the first
place, and you may marry a man who cannot send you to Europe, and I think
you are rather selfish to spend his money and not stay home and be a good
wife to him," said Miss Prudence, smiling.
"Oh. I write him splendid long letters!" said Marjorie quickly. "They are
so splendid that he thinks of making a book of them."
"I'm afraid they wouldn't take," returned Miss Prudence seriously, "books
of travel are too common nowadays."
"Is it wrong to build castles for any other reason than for making
disappointments?" Marjorie asked anxiously.
"Yes, you dwell only on pleasant things and thus you do not prepare
yourself, or rather un-prepare yourself for bearing trial. And why should
a little girl live in a woman's world?"
"Oh, because it's so nice!" cried Marjorie.
"And are you willing to lose your precious childhood and girlhood?"
"Why no," acknowledged the child, looking startled.
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