CHAPTER IX SISSY’S PROGRESS

‘Youaremoreusefultomymother,andmorepleasantwithherthanIcaneverbe,’Louisaresumed.‘Youarepleasantertoyourself,thanIamtomyself.’ ‘But,ifyouplease,MissLouisa,’Sissypleaded,‘Iam—Osostupid!’ Louisa,withabrighterlaughthanusual,toldhershewouldbewiserby-and-by. ‘Youdon’tknow,’saidSissy,halfcrying,‘whatastupidgirlIam.AllthroughschoolhoursImakemistakes.Mr.andMrs.M’Choakumchildcallmeup,overandoveragain,regularlytomakemistakes.Ican’thelpthem.Theyseemtocomenaturaltome.’ ‘Mr.andMrs.M’Choakumchildnevermakeanymistakesthemselves,Isuppose,Sissy?’ ‘Ono!’sheeagerlyreturned.‘Theyknoweverything.’ ‘Tellmesomeofyourmistakes.’ ‘Iamalmostashamed,’saidSissy,withreluctance.‘Butto-day,forinstance,Mr.M’ChoakumchildwasexplainingtousaboutNaturalProsperity.’ ‘National,Ithinkitmusthavebeen,’observedLouisa. ‘Yes,itwas.—Butisn’titthesame?’shetimidlyasked. ‘Youhadbettersay,National,ashesaidso,’returnedLouisa,withherdryreserve. ‘NationalProsperity.Andhesaid,Now,thisschoolroomisaNation.Andinthisnation,therearefiftymillionsofmoney.Isn’tthisaprosperousnation?Girlnumbertwenty,isn’tthisaprosperousnation,anda’n’tyouinathrivingstate?’ ‘Whatdidyousay?’askedLouisa. ‘MissLouisa,IsaidIdidn’tknow.IthoughtIcouldn’tknowwhetheritwasaprosperousnationornot,andwhetherIwasinathrivingstateornot,unlessIknewwhohadgotthemoney,andwhetheranyofitwasmine.Butthathadnothingtodowithit.Itwasnotinthefiguresatall,’saidSissy,wipinghereyes. ‘Thatwasagreatmistakeofyours,’observedLouisa. ‘Yes,MissLouisa,Iknowitwas,now.ThenMr.M’Choakumchildsaidhewouldtrymeagain.Andhesaid,Thisschoolroomisanimmensetown,andinitthereareamillionofinhabitants,andonlyfive-and-twentyarestarvedtodeathinthestreets,inthecourseofayear.Whatisyourremarkonthatproportion?Andmyremarkwas—forIcouldn’tthinkofabetterone—thatIthoughtitmustbejustasharduponthosewhowerestarved,whethertheotherswereamillion,oramillionmillion.Andthatwaswrong,too.’ ‘Ofcourseitwas.’ ‘ThenMr.M’Choakumchildsaidhewouldtrymeoncemore.Andhesaid,Herearethestutterings—’ ‘Statistics,’saidLouisa. ‘Yes,MissLouisa—theyalwaysremindmeofstutterings,andthat’sanotherofmymistakes—ofaccidentsuponthesea.AndIfind(Mr.M’Choakumchildsaid)thatinagiventimeahundredthousandpersonswenttoseaonlongvoyages,andonlyfivehundredofthemweredrownedorburnttodeath.Whatisthepercentage?AndIsaid,Miss’hereSissyfairlysobbedasconfessingwithextremecontritiontohergreatesterror‘Isaiditwasnothing.’ ‘Nothing,Sissy?’ ‘Nothing,Miss—totherelationsandfriendsofthepeoplewhowerekilled.Ishallneverlearn,’saidSissy.‘Andtheworstofallis,thatalth