mstwo of our copper kettles； now permanently dented。 Fancy Sandy！ It's the first youthful glimmer I have ever caught in the man。
After ten o'clock； when the braves were safely stowed for the night； the three men came in and limply dropped into comfortable chairs in my library； with the air of having made martyrs of themselves in the great cause of charity。 But they did not deceive me。 They originated all that tomfoolery for their own individual delectation。
So far Mr。 Percy Witherspoon appears fairly happy。 He is presiding at one end of the officers' table under the special protection of Betsy； and I am told that he instills considerable life into that sedate assemblage。 I have endeavored to run up their menu a trifle； and he accepts what is put before him with a perfectly good appetite； irrespective of the absence of such accustomed trifles as oysters and quail and soft…shell crabs。
There was no sign of a private sitting room that I could put at this young man's disposal； but he himself has solved the difficulty by proposing to occupy our new laboratory。 So he spends his evenings with a book and a pipe； comfortably stretched in the dentist's chair。 There are not many society men who would be willing to spend their evenings so harmlessly。 That girl in Detroit is a lucky young thing。
Mercy！ An automobile full of people has just arrived to look over the institution； and Betsy； who usually does the honors； not here。 I fly。
ADDIO！
SALLIE。
My dear Gordon：
This is not a letter；I don't owe you one；it's a receipt for sixty…five pairs of roller skates。
Many thanks。
S。 McB。
Friday。 Dear Enemy：
I hear that I missed a call today； but Jane delivered your message； together with the 〃Genetic Philosophy of Education。〃 She says that you will call in a few days for my opinion of the book。 Is it to be a written or an oral examination？
And doesn't it ever occur to you that this education business is rather one…sided？ It often strikes me that Dr。 Robin MacRae's mental attitude would also be the better for some slight refurbishing。 I will promise to read your book； provided you read one of mine。 I am sending herewith the 〃Dolly Dialogues；〃 and shall ask for an opinion in a day or so。
It's uphill work making a Scotch Presbyterian frivolous； but persistency accomplishes wonders。
S。 McB。
May 12。 My dear； dear Judy：
Talk about floods in Ohio！ Right here in Dutchess County we are the consistency of a wet sponge。 Rain for five days； and everything wrong with this institution。
The babies have had croup； and we have been up o' nights with them。 Cook has given notice； and there's a dead rat in the walls。 Our three camps leaked； and in the early dawn； after the first cloudburst； twenty…four bedraggled little Indians； wrapped in damp bedding； came shivering to the door and begged for admission。 Since then every clothesline； every stair…railing has been covered with wet and smelly blankets that steam； but won't dry。 Mr。 Percy de Forest Witherspoon has returned to the hotel to wait until the sun comes out。
After being cooped up for four days with no exercise to speak of； the children's badness is breaking out in red spots； like the measles。 Betsy and I have thought of every form of active and innocent occupation that could be carried on in such a congested quarter as this： blind man's buff and pillow fights and hide…and…go…seek； gymnastics in the dining room； and bean…bags in the school room。 （We broke two windows。） The boys played leapfrog up and down the hall； and jarred all the plaster in the building。 We have cleaned energetically and furiously。 All the woodwork has been washed； and all of the floors polished。 But despite everything； we have a great deal of energy left； and we are getting to that point of nerves where we want to punch one another。
Sadie Kate has been acting like a little deildo they have feminine deils？ If not； Sadie Kate has originated the species。 And this afternoon Loretta Higgins hadwell； I don't know whether it was a sort of fit or just a temper。 She lay down on the floor and howled for a solid hour； and when any one tried to approach her； she thrashed about like a little windmill and bit and kicked。
By the time the doctor came she had pretty well worn herself out。 He picked her up； limp and drooping； and carried her to a cot in the hospital room； and after she was asleep he came down to my library and asked to look at the archives。
Loretta is thirteen； in the three years she has been here she has had five of these outbreaks； and has been punished good and hard for them。 The child's ancestral record is simple： 〃Mother died of alcoholic dementia； Bloomingdale Asylum。 Father unknown。〃
He studied the page long and frowningly and shook his head。
〃With a heredity like that； is it right to punish the child for having a shattered nervous system？〃
〃It is not；〃 said I； firmly。 〃We will mend her shattered nervous system。〃
〃If we can。〃
〃We'll feed her up on cod…liver oil and sunshine； and find a nice kind foster mother who will take pity on the poor little〃
But then my voice trailed off into nothing as I pictured Loretta's face； with her hollow eyes and big nose and open mouth and no chin and stringy hair and sticking…out ears。 No foster mother in the world would love a child who looked like that。
〃Why； oh； why；〃 I wailed； 〃doesn't the good Lord send orphan children with blue eyes and curly hair and loving dispositions？ I could place a million of that sort in kind homes； but no one wants Loretta。〃
〃I'm afraid the good Lord doesn't have anything to do with bringing our Lorettas into the world。 It is the devil who attends to them。〃
Poor Sandy！ He gets awfully pessimistic about the future of the universe； but I don't wonder； with such a cheerless life as he leads。 He looked today as though his own nervous system was shattered。 He had been splashing about in the rain since five this morning； when he was called to a sick baby case。 I made him sit down and have some tea； and we had a nice； cheerful talk on drunkenness and idiocy and epilepsy and insanity。 He dislikes alcoholic parents； but he ties himself into a knot over insane parents。
Privately； I don't believe there's one thing in heredity； provided you snatch the babies away before their eyes are opened。
We've got the sunniest youngster here you ever saw； his mother and Aunt Ruth and Uncle Silas all died insane； but he is as placid and unexcitable as a cow。
Good…by； my dear。 I am sorry this is not a more cheerful letter； though at this moment nothing unpleasant seems to be happening。 It's eleven o'clock； and I have just stuck my head into the corridor； and all is quiet except for two banging shutters and leaking eaves。 I promised Jane I would go to bed at ten。 Good night； and joy be wi' ye baith！
SALLIE。
P。S。 There is one thing in the midst of all my troubles that I have to be grateful for： the Hon。 Cy has been stricken with a lingering attack of grippe。 In a burst of thankfulness I sent him a bunch of violets。 P。S。 2。 We are having an epidemic of pinkeye。
May 16。 Good morning； my dear Judy！
Three days of sunshine； and the J。 G。 H。 is smiling。
I am getting my immediate troubles nicely settled。 Those beastly blankets have dried at last； and our camps have been made livable again。 They are floored with wooden slats and roofed with tar paper。 （Mr。 Witherspoon calls them chicken coops。） We are digging a stone…lined ditch to convey any further cloudbursts from the plateau on which they stand to the cornfield below。 The Indians have resumed savage life； and their chief is back at his post。
The doctor and I have been giving Loretta Higgins's nerves our most careful consideration。 We think that this barrack life； with its constant movement and stir； is too exciting； and we have decided that the best plan will be to board her out in a private family； where she will receive a great deal of individual attention。
The doctor； with his usual resourcefulness； has produced the family。 They live next door to him and are very nice people； I have just returned from calling。 The husband is foreman of the casting room at the iron works； and the wife is a comfortable soul who shakes all over when she laughs。 They live mostly in their kitchen in order to keep the parlor neat； but it is such a cheerful kitchen that I should like to live in it myself。 She has potted begonias in the window and a nice purry tiger cat asleep on a braided rug in front of the stove。 She bakes on Saturdaycookies and gingerbread and doughnuts。 I am planning to pay my weekly call upon Loretta every Saturday morning at eleven o'clock。 Apparently I made as favorable an impression on Mrs。 Wilson as she made on me。 After I had gone； she confided to the doctor that she liked me because I was just as common as she was。
Loretta is to learn housework and have a little garden of her own； and particularly play out of doors in the sunshine。 She is to go to bed early and be fed up on nice nourishing food； and they are to pet her and make her happy。 All this for three dollars a week！
Why not find a hundred such families； and board out all the children？ Then this building could be turned into an idiot asylum； and I； not knowing anything about idiots； could conscientiously resign and go back home and live happily ever after。
Really； Judy； I am growing frightened。 This asylum will get me if I stay long enough。 I am becoming so interested in it that I can't think or talk or dream of anything else。 You and Jervis have blasted all my prospects in life。
Suppose I should retire and marry and have a family。 As families go nowadays； I couldn't hope for more than five or six children at the most； and all with the same heredity。 But；