It's my favourite play at night before I go to sleep. I plan it out to

the littlest detail--the meals and clothes and study and amusements and

punishments; for even my superior orphans are sometimes bad.

But anyway, they are going to be happy. I think that every one, no

matter how many troubles he may have when he grows up, ought to have a

happy childhood to look back upon. And if I ever have any children of

my own, no matter how unhappy I may be, I am not going to let them have

any cares until they grow up.

(There goes the chapel bell--I'll finish this letter sometime).

Thursday

When I came in from laboratory this afternoon, I found a squirrel

sitting on the tea table helping himself to almonds. These are the

kind of callers we entertain now that warm weather has come and the

windows stay open--

Saturday morning

Perhaps you think, last night being Friday, with no classes today, that

I passed a nice quiet, readable evening with the set of Stevenson that

I bought with my prize money? But if so, you've never attended a

girls' college, Daddy dear. Six friends dropped in to make fudge, and

one of them dropped the fudge--while it was still liquid--right in the

middle of our best rug. We shall never be able to clean up the mess.

I haven't mentioned any lessons of late; but we are still having them

every day. It's sort of a relief though, to get away from them and

discuss life in the large--rather one-sided discussions that you and I

hold, but that's your own fault. You are welcome to answer back any

time you choose.

I've been writing this letter off and on for three days, and I fear by

now vous etes bien bored!

Goodbye, nice Mr. Man,

Judy

Mr. Daddy-Long-Legs Smith,

SIR: Having completed the study of argumentation and the science of

dividing a thesis into heads, I have decided to adopt the following

form for letter-writing. It contains all necessary facts, but no

unnecessary verbiage.

I. We had written examinations this week in:

A. Chemistry.

B. History.

II. A new dormitory is being built.

A. Its material is:

(a) red brick.

(b) grey stone.

B. Its capacity will be:

(a) one dean, five instructors.

(b) two hundred girls.

(c) one housekeeper, three cooks, twenty waitresses,

twenty chambermaids.

III. We had junket for dessert tonight.

IV. I am writing a special topic upon the Sources of Shakespeare's

Plays.

V. Lou McMahon slipped and fell this afternoon at basket ball, and she:

A. Dislocated her shoulder.

B. Bruised her knee.

VI. I have a new hat trimmed with:

A. Blue velvet ribbon.

B. Two blue quills.

C. Three red pompoms.

VII. It is half past nine.

VIII. Good night.

Judy

2nd June

Dear Daddy-Long-Legs,

You will never guess the nice thing that has happened.

The McBrides have asked me to spend the summer at their camp in the

Adirondacks! They belong to a sort of club on a lovely little lake in

the middle of the woods. The different members have houses made of

logs dotted about among the trees, and they go canoeing on the lake,

and take long walks through trails to other camps, and have dances once

a week in the club house--Jimmie McBride is going to have a college

friend visiting him part of the summer, so you see we shall have plenty

of men to dance with.

Wasn't it sweet of Mrs. McBride to ask me? It appears that she liked

me when I was there for Christmas.

Please excuse this being short. It isn't a real letter; it's just to

let you know that I'm disposed of for the summer.

Yours,

In a VERY contented frame of mind,

Judy

5th June

Dear Daddy-Long-Legs,

Your secretary man has just written to me saying that Mr. Smith prefers

that I should not accept Mrs. McBride's invitation, but should return

to Lock Willow the same as last summer.

Why, why, WHY, Daddy?

You don't understand about it. Mrs. McBride does want me, really and

truly. I'm not the least bit of trouble in the house. I'm a help.

They don't take up many servants, and Sallie an I can do lots of useful

things. It's a fine chance for me to learn housekeeping. Every woman

ought to understand it, and I only know asylum-keeping.

There aren't any girls our age at the camp, and Mrs. McBride wants me

for a companion for Sallie. We are planning to do a lot of reading

together. We are going to read all of the books for next year's

English and sociology. The Professor said it would be a great help if

we would get our reading finished in the summer; and it's so much

easier to remember it if we read together and talk it over.

Just to live in the same house with Sallie's mother is an education.

She's the most interesting, entertaining, companionable, charming woman