“Well, you see a friend of mine wants my advice on a very serious matter, and I really don’t know what to give her.  It is strictly confidential, you know, so I won’t mention any names, but just set the case before you and get your opinion, for I’ve great faith in your sensible way of looking at things.”

“Thanky, dear, you’r welcome to my ’pinion ef it’s wuth any thing.  Be these folks you tell of young?” asked Mrs. Wilkins, with evident relish for the mystery.

“No, the woman is past thirty, and the man ’most forty, I believe,” said Christie, darning away in some trepidation at having taken the first plunge.

“My patience! ain’t the creater old enough to know her own mind? for I s’pose she’s the one in the quanderry?” exclaimed Mrs. Wilkins, looking over her spectacles with dangerously keen eyes.

“The case is this,” said Christie, in guilty haste.  “The ‘creature’ is poor and nobody, the man rich and of good family, so you see it’s rather hard for her to decide.”

“No, I don’t see nothin’ of the sort,” returned blunt Mrs. Wilkins.  “Ef she loves the man, take him:  ef she don’t, give him the mittin and done with it.  Money and friends and family ain’t much to do with the matter accordin’ to my view.  It’s jest a plain question betwixt them two.  Ef it takes much settlin’ they ’d better let it alone.”

“She doesn’t love him as much as she might, I fancy, but she is tired of grubbing along alone.  He is very fond of her, and very rich; and it would be a fine thing for her in a worldly way, I’m sure.”

“Oh, she’s goin’ to marry for a livin’ is she?  Wal, now I’d ruther one of my girls should grub the wust kind all their days than do that.  Hows’ever, it may suit some folks ef they ain’t got much heart, and is contented with fine clothes, nice vittles, and handsome furnitoor.  Selfish, cold, silly kinder women might git on, I dare say; but I shouldn’t think any friend of your’n would be one of that sort.”

“But she might do a great deal of good, and make others happy even if she was not so herself.”

“She might, but I doubt it, for money got that way wouldn’t prosper wal.  Mis’able folks ain’t half so charitable as happy ones; and I don’t believe five dollars from one of ’em would go half so fur, or be half so comfortin’ as a kind word straight out of a cheerful heart.  I know some thinks that is a dreadful smart thing to do; but I don’t, and ef any one wants to go a sacrificin’ herself for the good of others, there’s better ways of doin’ it than startin’ with a lie in her mouth.”

Mrs. Wilkins spoke warmly; for Christie’s face made her fiction perfectly transparent, though the good woman with true delicacy showed no sign of intelligence on that point.

“Then you wouldn’t advise my friend to say yes?”

“Sakes alive, no!  I’d say to her as I did to my younger sisters when their courtin’ time come:  ’Jest be sure you’re right as to there bein’ love enough, then go ahead, and the Lord will bless you.’”