married and she'll never be able to support herself." "It's going to be cruelly hard for her, poor child." They were all very tender and full of pity for the sick girl. Now that Johan and Anna had nothing against; but folks didn't have to forget that there were other children.
The worst one of all, though, was Back-Kaisa. She carried Selma on her back, prattled with her, and told her she was a perfect little angel. And, indeed. Father and Mother and Granny and Auntie were not much better. Didn't the clever old carpenter at Askersby have to make her a little wagon, so that Back-Kaisa might draw her about? And were Johan and Anna ever allowed to borrow that wagon to cart sand in?—No, no! That was for Selma's use, and they mustn't soil it.
Johan and Anna both knew that when Selma could walk there had been nothing remarkable about her; but now visitors couldn't come to the house but she must be carried in for them to see and make a fuss over. And if a peasant woman happened to drop into the kitchen Back-Kaisa was there in a jiffy, showing Selma to her. The exasperating thing about it all was that Back-Kaisa was forever saying what a good child Selma was—she never cried and never sulked, even though so helpless. And why shouldn't she be good, thought Johan and Anna, the way she was treated! Carried about, and waited on, and petted, day in and day out!
Yes, Back-Kaisa was certainly very trying, Johan
