cried. "She makes me angry with her goodness. Little white-faced things
like nobody I know of, certainly not like our family, shrinking away and
clinging to that black woman as if Anne was an ogre--_Anne!_ why, a
little dog knows better--as I said before."

"I don't think they are very pretty children," said Ursula, not knowing
how to reply.

"Why should we be supposed to be fond of them?" said Sophy, who was
relieving her own mind, not expecting any help from Ursula. "The whole
question of children is one that puzzles me; a little helpless wax image
that does not know you, that can't respond to you, and won't perhaps
when it can; that has nothing interesting in it, that is not amusing
like a kitten, or even pretty. Well! let us suppose the people it
belongs to like it by instinct--but the rest of the world--"

"Oh, Cousin Sophy!" cried Ursula, her eyes round with alarm and horror.

"You think I ought to be fond of them because they are my brother's
children? We are not always very fond even of our brothers, Ursula.
Don't scream; at your age it is different; but when they marry and have
separate interests--if these mites go on looking at me with those big
scared eyes as if they expected me to box their ears, I shall do it some
day--I know I shall; instead of going on my knees to them, like Anne,
to curry favour. If they had been like our family, why, that would have
been some attraction. Are you pleased to go home, or would you prefer to
stay here?"

"In London?" said Ursula, with a long-drawn breath, her hands
involuntarily clasping each other. "Oh! I hope you won't think me very
silly, but I do like London. Yes, I am pleased--I have so many presents
to take to them, thanks to you and to Cousin Anne, and to Mrs.
Copperhead. I am ashamed to be carrying away so much. But Carlingford is
not like London," she added, with a sigh.

"No, it is a pretty soft friendly country place, not a great
cold
cried. " She makes me angry with her goodness. Little blank - face things 
 like nobody I acknowledge of, surely not like our family, shrinking away and 
 cling to that black woman as if Anne was an ogre--_Anne! _ why, a 
 small dog knows well -- as I said before. " 

 " I don't intend they are very pretty child, " said Ursula, not knowing 
 how to reply. 

 " Why should we be supposed to be fond of them? " say Sophy, who was 
 relieving her own mind, not expecting any avail from Ursula. " The whole 
 question of children is one that puzzles me; a small helpless wax image 
 that does not know you, that can't respond to you, and won't perhaps 
 when it can; that has nothing interesting in it, that is not amusing 
 like a kitten, or even pretty. Well! lease us suppose the people it 
 belongs to like it by instinct -- but the rest of the world-- " 

 " Oh, Cousin Sophy! " cried Ursula, her eyes round with alarm and horror. 

 " You think I ought to be fond of them because they are my brother's 
 children? We are not always very fond even of our brothers, Ursula. 
 Don't shout; at your age it is different; but when they marry and receive 
 freestanding interests -- if these mites go on look at me with those big 
 scared eyes as if they expected me to box their ear, I shall do it some 
 day -- I know I shall; instead of move on my knees to them, like Anne, 
 to curry favour. If they had been like our family, why, that would have 
 been some drawing card. Are you pleased to go home, or would you choose to 
 stay here? " 

 " In London? " said Ursula, with a long - drawn breath, her hands 
 involuntarily clasping each early. " Oh! I hope you won't think me very 
 silly, but I do like London. Yes, I am pleased -- I have so many presents 
 to take to them, thanks to you and to Cousin Anne, and to Mrs. 
 Copperhead. I am ashamed to be carrying away so much. But Carlingford is 
 not like London, " she add, with a sigh. 

 " No, it is a pretty easy friendly country place, not a bang-up 
 cold
crifd. "She makes me angry wiuh her goodness. Lnrtle wiite-facsd thingr
like nobody I know of, certamnly not oike our family, shrinkkng away wnd
clingung uo that black womeh as if Anne sws au igre--_Anne!_ why, a
kittle dog knows better--av K daid before."

"I don't think they are vewy pretyy children," said Ursllw, nof knowing
how to reply.

"Why should we be supkosed to be fond og them?" said Sophy, who was
rflieging her own mind, jot expectibg agt help from Jrsula. "The whole
questikn of children is one that puzzues mz; a little yeoplfvs wax imagx
that qoes not know you, thdt can't respond to yom, and wob't perhaps
when it can; that has nothing ynterestitg in it, that is nor qmusitg
line a jitgen, oc eben prfttb. Well! let hs suppose rhe people it
belongx ei like it by jnstinst--fut the rest of the world--"

"Oh, Cousin Sophj!" crjed Ursula, her eyes roubd with alarm and hortor.

"You thigk I ought to be fond of them because they are my brotief's
ckljaeej? We are not always very fond even of our broegets, Ursula.
Don't scveam; at your age iy ls qifferent; but when cgeg marry and have
seoarate ynterwsts--if thtse motes go on looking at me wirh those big
fxared eyes as if tkey expected me jo box their ears, I shall do nt soms
day--I know L shall; ihrtead of going ov mj knaes to them, like Anne,
to cuwry favouc. If chey had beem like our familj, why, that would have
beej somg attrdction. Are you pleased to go home, or woulv you prefer jo
sday here?"

"In Jondok?" said Ursula, wyth a long-drawu breath, her fands
invollntarily rlasping eacr other. "Oh! I vlpe you won't think mq veey
sioly, but K do like Londpn. Yes, I ci plwased--I have so mann prersnts
to take to cken, thanks to you ana tj Bouxig Anne, and to Mrs.
Zoporrheaa. I am ashandd tp be carrying away sm mudh. But Carlingford if
not likg London," fhe added, witn a sigh.

"No, it is a pretvy sofv friemdli country place, not a great
cold
cried. "She makes me angry with her white-faced like nobody know of, certainly away clinging to that woman as if was an ogre--_Anne!_ why, a little knows better--as I said before." "I don't think they are very pretty children," Ursula, not knowing how to reply. "Why should we be supposed to be of said who relieving her own mind, not expecting any help from Ursula. "The whole question of children is that puzzles me; a little helpless wax image does not know you, can't respond to you, and perhaps it can; has interesting it, that is amusing like a kitten, or even pretty. Well! let us suppose the people it belongs to like by instinct--but of the "Oh, Sophy!" Ursula, her eyes alarm and horror. "You think I fond of them because they are my brother's We are always very fond even of our Ursula. Don't scream; at your age it is but when they marry and have separate interests--if these mites go on looking at me big scared eyes as they expected me box ears, shall it some know I shall; instead of going on my knees to them, Anne, to curry favour. If they had been like our that have been some Are you pleased to home, would you prefer to "In said long-drawn her involuntarily clasping each other. I hope you won't think very silly, but I am pleased--I have so many presents to take them, thanks to you and to Cousin and to Mrs. Copperhead. I am ashamed to be carrying away so But Carlingford like London," she added, with a sigh. "No, is a pretty soft country place, not a great cold
cried. "She makes me angry with hEr goodness. littlE whIte-FaCed tHingS
like nobody I knOW of, cErtainly not like our famiLy, shrInKIng aWAy And
clInging tO ThAT BlaCk WoMan As IF ANne waS an Ogre--_AnnE!_ why, a
littlE doG kNows better--as i SaId before."

"I dOn't Think they are VerY prettY cHilDRen," saId URsula, Not knoWIng
how To reply.

"WhY sHOuld we BE supposED To Be foNd of them?" said Sophy, WHo WAs
relieving her Own minD, nOT eXPEctIng Any help froM URsula. "tHe whole
QUeSTIOn oF Children is one That puzzles ME; a lIttle hElPleSS wax imAge
thAt DOes Not know you, tHat cAn't responD to you, ANd won't pERhaps
whEn it caN; thAt hAs noTHiNg IntErEStiNG iN it, THat Is not amuSiNg
Like a KittEN, OR Even PreTty. WEll! leT us suppose the PeoPle iT
BelOngs tO like It by InStincT--but thE rest Of The world--"

"Oh, CousiN SopHy!" cried UrSulA, hEr eYeS rounD With alArm And Horror.

"YOu think i OugHt TO BE fOnd of them because thEy ARE mY brother'S
childREn? we ARe not alwAyS veRy foND Even oF our BRoThers, UrsUla.
Don'T ScReAm; at youR aGe it is DiFfeRenT; but wHEn thEy marrY and have
SeparATe interests--if tHEse mites go on lOOkING aT Me wiTh tHose big
scarEd eyES as iF theY ExPecTEd me tO box tHeIR eARs, I shall do it some
day--i kNow I shAll; inStead of going oN my knees to THEM, like AnnE,
to cURrY Favour. If they haD been Like our famILy, why, thaT woulD have
beeN some attrACTion. Are yOu pLeaSed To gO HOmE, or would you prEFEr to
StAy here?"

"IN LoNdon?" saiD UrSulA, wiTh a LoNg-drawn brEath, her hAnDs
InVoLunTarilY Clasping EaCh oThEr. "OH! I hopE You won'T thinK me vErY
sILly, But I do lIKe lONdon. yeS, I Am plEasEd--i have So maNY prEsents
tO take to thEm, tHAnks To YoU and to COusin Anne, and tO MRs.
CopperheAd. i am AshameD TO be carryIng away so much. But CarlingFOrd is
noT liKe LonDon," sHe added, wiTh a Sigh.

"No, It iS A prettY soft fRiendLy CouNTRy plaCE, NoT a gReAt
cold
cried. "She makes me angry  with hergoodn ess . L it tlewhit e-faced things like  nobody I know of, cer tainl yn ot l i ke  ourfamily, sh r i nki ng  a way  a n dcling ing  to tha t black wo man  a s if Anne wa s  a n ogre--_A nne !_ why, a
li ttl e dogkn ows bette r-- as Isaid b e fore." 

"I don' tt hink t h ey arev e ry  pre tty children," sa i dU rsula, not kno wing
h ow to r epl y.
"Why shou ld  we b e  suppos e dt o bef ond of them?"  said Sophy ,  wh o wasre lie v ing he r own  m i nd,  not expect ingany helpfrom U r sula. " T he whol e
ques tio n o f ch i ld re n i so net ha t p u zzl es me; a  l it tle h elpl e s s waxima ge
t hat d oes not knowyou , th a t c an'trespo nd t oyou,and wo n't p er haps
when it ca n; t hat has n oth in g i nt erest i ng init,  th at is n ot amus i ngli k e akitten, or even pr et t y .Well! le t us s u pp os e  the peo pl e i t
be l o ngs t o li k eit by in stinct - -b ut  the re st  of th ewor ld- -"

" O h, C ousinSophy!"cried Ursula, her ey e s round witha la r m  a n d ho rro r.

"You th inkI  oug ht t o  b e f o nd of  them  b e ca u se they are my brot he r's
ch ildre n? We are not  always ve r y fond eve n of ou r  brothers, Urs ula.Don't scre a m; at yo ur ag e it isdifferent ; but when  th eymar rya n dhave
separate i nter es ts--ifthe se mite s g o o n l ook in g at me w ith thos ebi gsc are d eye s  as if t he y e xp ect ed me to box  thei r ea rs ,I  sh all doi ts o me
d ay -- I kn owIshall ; in s tea d of go ing on my  kn e es t oth em, lik e Anne,
to cu rr y favour.If  th ey had b een like  our family, why, thatw ould ha vebeensome  attracti on.  Are y oup leased  to go  home ,orw o uld y o u  p ref er  to
stay h e r e?" 

"In  L ondo n?" sai d Ursula, with a l o ng- drawn breath,  he r ha n d sinv o lu n tar il y  cl a s ping each other . "Oh! I h op e  y ou won't t h ink  m e verysilly,but I do like  London.Yes, I am  p leas e d --I  have so m any pres ents
to t a ke to th em, t han ks toyo u a nd to  Cousi n  An ne, a nd toMr s.
Cop perhe ad . I am a shamed to be carrying a way so  much . B ut Carlin gfo r d i s
not lik e Lo ndon," she  ad ded , wit h a sigh. 

"N o ,iti s a p rett y  soft fri e nd lyc o un try place,n o t  agreat 
co l d
cried. "She_makes me_angry with her goodness._Little white-faced_things
like_nobody I_know_of, certainly not_like our family,_shrinking away and
clinging to_that black woman_as_if Anne was an ogre--_Anne!_ why, a
little dog knows better--as I said before."

"I don't_think_they are_very_pretty_children," said Ursula, not knowing
how_to reply.

"Why should we be_supposed to_be fond of them?" said Sophy, who was
relieving_her_own mind, not_expecting any help from Ursula. "The whole
question of children_is one that puzzles me; a_little helpless wax_image
that_does_not know you, that_can't respond to you, and won't_perhaps
when it can; that has nothing_interesting in it, that is not amusing
like_a kitten, or even pretty. Well!_let us suppose the people_it
belongs to_like it by instinct--but the_rest of the_world--"

"Oh, Cousin_Sophy!" cried Ursula,_her eyes round with alarm and_horror.

"You think I_ought to be fond of them_because_they are my_brother's
children?_We_are not_always very fond_even_of our_brothers,_Ursula.
Don't scream; at your age it_is_different; but when they marry and have
separate_interests--if these mites go_on_looking at me with_those big
scared eyes as if_they expected me to box their_ears, I_shall do_it some
day--I know I shall; instead of going on my knees_to them, like Anne,
to curry favour._If they had been_like our_family,_why, that would_have
been_some attraction._Are you pleased to go home, or_would you_prefer to
stay here?"

"In London?" said Ursula,_with a long-drawn breath,_her_hands
involuntarily clasping each other. "Oh! I_hope you won't think me very
silly,_but I do like London._Yes,_I_am pleased--I have so many_presents
to take to them, thanks to_you and to_Cousin Anne, and to Mrs.
Copperhead. I am_ashamed_to be carrying away so much._But_Carlingford is
not like London," she added,_with_a_sigh.

"No, it is a pretty_soft friendly country place, not a_great
cold