[Plate: “I LIKE MY DIFFERENT FRIENDS TO KNOW EACH OTHER.”]
November 9th.
_Dear Daddy-Long-Legs_,
I started down town to-day to buy a bottle of shoe blacking and some
collars and the material for a new blouse and a jar of violet cream
and a cake of Castile soap--all very necessary; I couldn’t be happy
another day without them--and when I tried to pay the car fare,
I found that I had left my purse in the pocket of my other coat. So
I had to get out and take the next car, and was late for gymnasium.
It’s a dreadful thing to have no memory and two coats!
Julia Pendleton has invited me to visit her for the Christmas
holidays. How does that strike you, Mr. Smith? Fancy Jerusha Abbott,
of the John Grier Home, sitting at the tables of the rich. I don’t
know why Julia wants me--she seems to be getting quite attached to
me of late. I should, to tell the truth, very much prefer going to
Sallie’s, but Julia asked me first, so if I go anywhere, it must be
to New York instead of to Worcester. I’m rather awed at the
prospect of meeting Pendletons _en masse_, and also I’d have to get
a lot of new clothes--so, Daddy dear, if you write that you would
prefer having me remain quietly at college, I will bow to your
wishes with my usual sweet docility.
I’m engaged at odd moments with the “Life and Letters of Thomas
Huxley”--it makes nice, light reading to pick up between times. Do
you know what an archæopteryx is? It’s a bird. And a stereognathus?
I’m not sure myself but I think it’s a missing link, like a bird
with teeth or a lizard with wings. No, it isn’t either; I’ve just
looked in the book. It’s a mesozoic mammal.
[Illustration: “This is the only picture extant of a
stereognathus.
He has a head like a snake and ears like a dog and feet like
a cow and a tail like a lizard and wings like a swan and is
covered with nice soft fur like a sweet little pussy cat.”]
I’ve elected economics this year--very illuminating subject. When I
finish that I’m going to take Charity and Reform; then, Mr.
Trustee, I’ll know just how an orphan asylum ought to be run. Don’t
you think I’d make an admirable voter if I had my rights? I was
twenty-one last week. This is an awfully wasteful country to throw
away such an honest, educated, conscientious, intelligent citizen as
I would be.
Yours always,