A great many ladies talked then, and several of them talked all
at once, and even more loudly and more unpleasantly than before.
It seemed that their society was famous for its offering to Hindu
missions, and several said they should die of mortification if it
should be less this year. Some of what was said at this time
Pollyanna again thought she could not have understood, too, for
it sounded almost as if they did not care at all what the money
DID, so long as the sum opposite the name of their society in a
certain "report" "headed the list"--and of course that could not
be what they meant at all! But it was all very confusing, and not
quite pleasant, so that Pollyanna was glad, indeed, when at last
she found herself outside in the hushed, sweet air--only she was
very sorry, too: for she knew it was not going to be easy, or
anything but sad, to tell Jimmy Bean to-morrow that the Ladies'
Aid had decided that they would rather send all their money to
bring up the little India boys than to save out enough to bring
up one little boy in their own town, for which they would not get
"a bit of credit in the report," according to the tall lady who
wore spectacles.

"Not but that it's good, of course, to send money to the heathen,
and I shouldn't want 'em not to send SOME there," sighed
Pollyanna to herself, as she trudged sorrowfully along. "But they
acted as if little boys HERE weren't any account--only little
boys 'way off. I should THINK, though, they'd rather see Jimmy
Bean grow--than just a report!"