And that One is in its dimness something Awful.
I'm the only one who has seen it. I see that girl always watching human nature in every body, as one watches kittens at play. Children interest her like grown people, and she puts questions to watch the answers, and quietly raises topics to see how her little and great puppets will work. Where she loves and respects people she does this in such a way as to give them pleasant emotions and dignify them. I've seen her make Sam Batchelder say for an hour things just as creditable to his heart and head as any thing could be: and Sam hardly knowing it either. I've seen her draw out of Amelia the most artless indications of kindness and dignity. She's found out, and a strange art it is, through years of thought, just what keys to touch in people to bring out certain sounds. When she doesn't love, she goes in with the same interest, and treats herself to a good jolly monkey-show of miserable follies in red jackets dancing to the organ. Behind it all, even when Nella's with the wisest and best of people, is that mysterious philosophy, or whatever it is, which keeps comparing and comparing it all to other things laid away.... But just speak a word, and up Nella flies, all prompt and ready and spry; full of fun and jollity, ripe for any thing.
'Now,' said Bertha Sue, 'talking of young men--that is to say, _very_ yong men--I don't like them; that is, if they're not _nice_. I have known some real good fellows who'd keep you laughing all the time, and never vex you with a folly; and then there're so many who make such _geese_ of themselves: think if a lady only looks at them----'
'My dear child,' quoth Sugar, 'that would depend a great deal, I should think, on how the lady looked at the young man. Now the other evening at the opera--'twas really _too_ absurd in me, I declare----'
(Now Little Sugar is very conscientious, and always puts a story through, even at her own expense, if she has once begun it, thinking it wrong to disappoint people.)
'Well, I declare I couldn't help it; but there was a young gentleman in the parquette who looked _exactly_ like my brother. And I looked straight at him the _longest_ time; indeed I don't know what I could have been thinking of----I'm sure _you'd_ have looked at him just in that way if he'd been like _your_ brother, wouldn't you?' quoth Sugar innocently, and addressing Nella.