The first sentence of the first paragraph notes that "Unlike the gold . . . Eppie was a creature of endless claims and ever-growing desires, seeking and loving sunshine, and living sounds, and living movements; making trial of everything, with trust in new joy, and stirring the human kindness in all eyes that looked on her." These lines make clear that in contrast to Silas's gold, his new daughter is vibrant and alive.
Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because the lines from the first paragraph cited above reveal Eppie's interest in "living sounds" and "living movements" and thus characterize her vitality in comparison to the gold, rather than her durability, protection, or self-sufficiency.