Sometimes it seems as if I hated all the world because I 'm so lonely in it . I 'm nobody . My mother died when I was born -- and Father -- oh , I do n't know . One ca n't say anything against one 's father , Miss Channing . But I had a hard childhood -- or rather , I did n't have any childhood at all . We were always moving about . We did n't seem to have any friends at all . My mother might have had relatives somewhere , but I never heard of any . I do n't even know where her home was . Father never would talk of her . He died two years ago , and since then I 've been absolutely alone . '' `` Oh , you poor girl , '' said Miss Channing softly . `` I want friends , '' went on Constance , seeming to take a pleasure in open confession now that her tongue was loosed . `` I 've always just longed for somebody belonging to me to love . I do n't love anybody , Miss Channing , and when a girl is in that state , she is all wrong . She gets hard and bitter and resentful -- I have , anyway . I struggled against it at first , but it has been too much for me . It poisons everything . There is nobody to care anything about me , whether I live or die . '' `` Oh , yes , there is One , '' said Miss Channing gently .
`` God cares , XXXXX . ''
Channing Constance Father anybody father first friends home pleasure tongue