June 5th.
_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 and 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 in the world; she knows everything. Think how many summers
I’ve spent with Mrs. Lippett and how I’ll appreciate the contrast.
You needn’t be afraid that I’ll be crowding them, for their house
is made of rubber. When they have a lot of company, they just
sprinkle tents about in the woods and turn the boys outside. It’s
going to be such a nice, healthy summer exercising out of doors
every minute. Jimmie McBride is going to teach me how to ride
horseback and paddle a canoe, and how to shoot and--oh, lots of
things I ought to know. It’s the kind of nice, jolly, care-free
time that I’ve never had; and I think every girl deserves it once
in her life. Of course I’ll do exactly as you say, but please,
_please_ let me go, Daddy. I’ve never wanted anything so much.
This isn’t Jerusha Abbott, the future great author, writing to you.
It’s just Judy--a girl.
June 9th.
_Mr. John Smith._
SIR: Yours of the 7th inst. at hand. In compliance with the
instructions received through your secretary, I leave on Friday next
to spend the summer at Lock Willow Farm.