STONE	O
GATE	O
,	O
WORCESTER	O
,	O
MASSACHUSETTS	O
,	O
December	O
27	O
.	O

Dear	O
Judy	O
:	O
Your	O
letter	O
is	O
here	O
.	O

I	O
have	O
read	EVENT
it	O
twice	O
,	O
and	O
with	O
amazement	EVENT
.	O

Do	O
I	O
understand	O
that	O
Jervis	O
has	O
given	O
you	O
,	O
for	O
a	O
Christmas	O
present	O
,	O
the	O
making	O
over	O
of	O
the	O
John	O
Grier	O
Home	O
into	O
a	O
model	O
institution	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
you	O
have	O
chosen	O
me	O
to	O
disburse	O
the	O
money	O
?	O

Me	O
--	O
I	O
,	O
Sallie	O
McBride	O
,	O
the	O
head	O
of	O
an	O
orphan	O
asylum	O
!	O

My	O
poor	O
people	O
,	O
have	O
you	O
lost	O
your	O
senses	O
,	O
or	O
have	O
you	O
become	O
addicted	O
to	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
opium	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
this	O
the	O
raving	O
of	O
two	O
fevered	O
imaginations	O
?	O

I	O
am	O
exactly	O
as	O
well	O
fitted	O
to	O
take	O
care	O
of	O
one	O
hundred	O
children	O
as	O
to	O
become	O
the	O
curator	O
of	O
a	O
zoo	O
.	O

And	O
you	O
offer	EVENT
as	O
bait	O
an	O
interesting	O
Scotch	O
doctor	O
?	O

My	O
dear	O
Judy	O
,	O
--	O
likewise	O
my	O
dear	O
Jervis	O
,	O
--	O
I	O
see	EVENT
through	O
you	O
!	O

I	O
know	O
exactly	O
the	O
kind	O
of	O
family	O
conference	O
that	O
has	O
been	O
held	EVENT
about	O
the	O
Pendleton	O
fireside	O
.	O

"	O
Is	O
n't	O
it	O
a	O
pity	O
that	O
Sallie	O
has	O
n't	O
amounted	O
to	O
more	O
since	O
she	O
left	O
college	O
?	O

She	O
ought	O
to	O
be	O
doing	O
something	O
useful	O
instead	O
of	O
frittering	O
her	O
time	O
away	O
in	O
the	O
petty	O
social	O
life	O
of	O
Worcester	O
.	O

Also	O
[	O
Jervis	O
speaks	O
]	O
she	O
is	O
getting	O
interested	O
in	O
that	O
confounded	O
young	O
Hallock	O
,	O
too	O
good-looking	O
and	O
fascinating	O
and	O
erratic	O
;	O
I	O
never	O
did	O
like	O
politicians	O
.	O

We	O
must	O
deflect	O
her	O
mind	O
with	O
some	O
uplifting	O
and	O
absorbing	O
occupation	O
until	O
the	O
danger	O
is	O
past	O
.	O

Ha	O
!	O

I	O
have	O
it	O
!	O

We	O
will	O
put	O
her	O
in	O
charge	O
of	O
the	O
John	O
Grier	O
Home	O
.	O
"	O

Oh	O
,	O
I	O
can	O
hear	EVENT
him	O
as	O
clearly	O
as	O
if	O
I	O
were	O
there	O
!	O

On	O
the	O
occasion	O
of	O
my	O
last	O
visit	EVENT
in	O
your	O
delectable	O
household	O
Jervis	O
and	O
I	O
had	O
a	O
very	O
solemn	O
conversation	EVENT
in	O
regard	O
to	O
(	O
1	O
)	O
marriage	O
,	O
(	O
2	O
)	O
the	O
low	O
ideals	O
of	O
politicians	O
,	O
(	O
3	O
)	O
the	O
frivolous	O
,	O
useless	O
lives	O
that	O
society	O
women	O
lead	O
.	O

Please	O
tell	O
your	O
moral	O
husband	O
that	O
I	O
took	EVENT
his	O
words	O
deeply	O
to	O
heart	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
ever	O
since	O
my	O
return	EVENT
to	O
Worcester	O
I	O
have	O
been	O
spending	O
one	O
afternoon	O
a	O
week	O
reading	O
poetry	O
with	O
the	O
inmates	O
of	O
the	O
Female	O
Inebriate	O
Asylum	O
.	O

My	O
life	O
is	O
not	O
so	O
purposeless	O
as	O
it	O
appears	O
.	O

Also	O
let	O
me	O
assure	EVENT
you	O
that	O
the	O
politician	O
is	O
not	O
dangerously	O
imminent	O
;	O
and	O
that	O
,	O
anyway	O
,	O
he	O
is	O
a	O
very	O
desirable	O
politician	O
,	O
even	O
though	O
his	O
views	O
on	O
tariff	O
and	O
single	O
tax	O
and	O
trade-unionism	O
do	O
not	O
exactly	O
coincide	O
with	O
Jervis	O
's	O
.	O

Your	O
desire	O
to	O
dedicate	O
my	O
life	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
good	O
is	O
very	O
sweet	O
,	O
but	O
you	O
should	O
look	O
at	O
it	O
from	O
the	O
asylum	O
's	O
point	O
of	O
view	O
.	O

Have	O
you	O
no	O
pity	O
for	O
those	O
poor	O
defenseless	O
little	O
orphan	O
children	O
?	O

I	O
have	O
,	O
if	O
you	O
have	O
n't	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
respectfully	O
decline	EVENT
the	O
position	O
which	O
you	O
offer	EVENT
.	O

I	O
shall	O
be	O
charmed	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
to	O
accept	EVENT
your	O
invitation	EVENT
to	O
visit	O
you	O
in	O
New	O
York	O
,	O
though	O
I	O
must	O
acknowledge	EVENT
that	O
I	O
am	O
not	O
very	O
excited	O
over	O
the	O
list	O
of	O
gaieties	O
you	O
have	O
planned	EVENT
.	O

Please	O
substitute	O
for	O
the	O
New	O
York	O
Orphanage	O
and	O
the	O
Foundling	O
Hospital	O
a	O
few	O
theaters	O
and	O
operas	O
and	O
a	O
dinner	O
or	O
so	O
.	O

I	O
have	O
two	O
new	O
evening	O
gowns	O
and	O
a	O
blue	O
and	O
gold	O
coat	O
with	O
a	O
white	O
fur	O
collar	O
.	O

I	O
dash	EVENT
to	O
pack	O
them	O
;	O
so	O
telegraph	O
fast	O
if	O
you	O
do	O
n't	O
wish	O
to	O
see	O
me	O
for	O
myself	O
alone	O
,	O
but	O
only	O
as	O
a	O
successor	O
to	O
Mrs.	O
Lippett	O
.	O

Yours	O
as	O
ever	O
,	O
Entirely	O
frivolous	O
,	O
And	O
intending	O
to	O
remain	O
so	O
,	O
SALLIE	O
McBRIDE	O
.	O

P.S.	O
Your	O
invitation	EVENT
is	O
especially	O
seasonable	O
.	O

A	O
charming	O
young	O
politician	O
named	O
Gordon	O
Hallock	O
is	O
to	O
be	O
in	O
New	O
York	O
next	O
week	O
.	O

I	O
am	O
sure	O
you	O
will	O
like	O
him	O
when	O
you	O
know	O
him	O
better	O
.	O

P.S.	O
2	O
.	O

Sallie	O
taking	O
her	O
afternoon	O
walk	O
as	O
Judy	O
would	O
like	O
to	O
see	O
her	O
:	O
I	O
ask	EVENT
you	O
again	O
,	O
have	O
you	O
both	O
gone	O
mad	O
?	O

THE	O
JOHN	O
GRIER	O
HOME	O
,	O
February	O
15	O
.	O

Dear	O
Judy	O
:	O
We	O
arrived	EVENT
in	O
a	O
snowstorm	O
at	O
eleven	O
last	O
night	O
,	O
Singapore	O
and	O
Jane	O
and	O
I	O
.	O

It	O
does	O
not	O
appear	O
to	O
be	O
customary	O
for	O
superintendents	O
of	O
orphan	O
asylums	O
to	O
bring	O
with	O
them	O
personal	O
maids	O
and	O
Chinese	O
chows	O
.	O

The	O
night	O
watchman	O
and	O
housekeeper	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
waited	EVENT
up	O
to	O
receive	O
me	O
,	O
were	O
thrown	O
into	O
an	O
awful	O
flutter	EVENT
.	O

They	O
had	O
never	O
seen	O
the	O
like	O
of	O
Sing	O
,	O
and	O
thought	EVENT
that	O
I	O
was	O
introducing	O
a	O
wolf	O
into	O
the	O
fold	O
.	O

I	O
reassured	EVENT
them	O
as	O
to	O
his	O
dogginess	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
watchman	O
,	O
after	O
studying	EVENT
his	O
black	O
tongue	O
,	O
ventured	O
a	O
witticism	EVENT
.	O

He	O
wanted	EVENT
to	O
know	O
if	O
I	O
fed	O
him	O
on	O
huckleberry	O
pie	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
difficult	O
to	O
find	O
accommodations	O
for	O
my	O
family	O
.	O

Poor	O
Sing	O
was	O
dragged	EVENT
off	O
whimpering	EVENT
to	O
a	O
strange	O
woodshed	O
,	O
and	O
given	EVENT
a	O
piece	O
of	O
burlap	O
.	O

Jane	O
did	O
not	O
fare	O
much	O
better	O
.	O

There	O
was	O
not	O
an	O
extra	O
bed	O
in	O
the	O
building	O
,	O
barring	O
a	O
five-foot	O
crib	O
in	O
the	O
hospital	O
room	O
.	O

She	O
,	O
as	O
you	O
know	O
,	O
approaches	O
six	O
.	O

We	O
tucked	EVENT
her	O
in	O
,	O
and	O
she	O
spent	O
the	O
night	O
folded	EVENT
up	O
like	O
a	O
jackknife	O
.	O

She	O
has	O
limped	EVENT
about	O
today	O
,	O
looking	O
like	O
a	O
decrepit	O
letter	O
S	O
,	O
openly	O
deploring	EVENT
this	O
latest	O
escapade	EVENT
on	O
the	O
part	O
of	O
her	O
flighty	O
mistress	O
,	O
and	O
longing	EVENT
for	O
the	O
time	O
when	O
we	O
shall	O
come	O
to	O
our	O
senses	O
,	O
and	O
return	O
to	O
the	O
parental	O
fireside	O
in	O
Worcester	O
.	O

I	O
know	O
that	O
she	O
is	O
going	O
to	O
spoil	O
all	O
my	O
chances	O
of	O
being	O
popular	O
with	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
the	O
staff	O
.	O

Having	O
her	O
here	O
is	O
the	O
silliest	O
idea	O
that	O
was	O
ever	O
conceived	O
,	O
but	O
you	O
know	O
my	O
family	O
.	O

I	O
fought	EVENT
their	O
objections	EVENT
step	O
by	O
step	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
made	O
their	O
last	O
stand	EVENT
on	O
Jane	O
.	O

If	O
I	O
brought	O
her	O
along	O
to	O
see	O
that	O
I	O
ate	O
nourishing	O
food	O
and	O
did	O
n't	O
stay	O
up	O
all	O
night	O
,	O
I	O
might	O
come	O
--	O
temporarily	O
;	O
but	O
if	O
I	O
refused	O
to	O
bring	O
her	O
--	O
oh	O
,	O
dear	O
me	O
,	O
I	O
am	O
not	O
sure	O
that	O
I	O
was	O
ever	O
again	O
to	O
cross	O
the	O
threshold	O
of	O
Stone	O
Gate	O
!	O

So	O
here	O
we	O
are	O
,	O
and	O
neither	O
of	O
us	O
very	O
welcome	O
,	O
I	O
am	O
afraid	O
.	O

I	O
woke	EVENT
by	O
a	O
gong	EVENT
at	O
six	O
this	O
morning	O
,	O
and	O
lay	O
for	O
a	O
time	O
listening	EVENT
to	O
the	O
racket	EVENT
that	O
twenty-five	O
little	O
girls	O
made	O
in	O
the	O
lavatory	O
over	O
my	O
head	O
.	O

It	O
appears	O
that	O
they	O
do	O
not	O
get	O
baths	O
,	O
--	O
just	O
face-washes	O
,	O
--	O
but	O
they	O
make	O
as	O
much	O
splashing	O
as	O
twenty-five	O
puppies	O
in	O
a	O
pool	O
.	O

I	O
rose	EVENT
and	O
dressed	EVENT
and	O
explored	EVENT
a	O
bit	O
.	O

You	O
were	O
wise	O
in	O
not	O
having	O
me	O
come	O
to	O
look	O
the	O
place	O
over	O
before	O
I	O
engaged	EVENT
.	O

While	O
my	O
little	O
charges	O
were	O
at	O
breakfast	O
,	O
it	O
seemed	O
a	O
happy	O
time	O
to	O
introduce	O
myself	O
;	O
so	O
I	O
sought	EVENT
the	O
dining	O
room	O
.	O

Horror	O
piled	O
on	O
horror	O
--	O
those	O
bare	O
drab	O
walls	O
and	O
oil-cloth-covered	O
tables	O
with	O
tin	O
cups	O
and	O
plates	O
and	O
wooden	O
benches	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
by	O
way	O
of	O
decoration	O
,	O
that	O
one	O
illuminated	O
text	O
,	O
"	O
The	O
Lord	O
Will	O
Provide	O
"	O
!	O

The	O
trustee	O
who	O
added	EVENT
that	O
last	O
touch	O
must	O
possess	O
a	O
grim	O
sense	O
of	O
humor	O
.	O

Really	O
,	O
Judy	O
,	O
I	O
never	O
knew	O
there	O
was	O
any	O
spot	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
so	O
entirely	O
ugly	O
;	O
and	O
when	O
I	O
saw	EVENT
those	O
rows	O
and	O
rows	O
of	O
pale	O
,	O
listless	O
,	O
blue-uniformed	O
children	O
,	O
the	O
whole	O
dismal	O
business	O
suddenly	O
struck	O
me	O
with	O
such	O
a	O
shock	EVENT
that	O
I	O
almost	O
collapsed	O
.	O

It	O
seemed	O
like	O
an	O
unachievable	O
goal	O
for	O
one	O
person	O
to	O
bring	O
sunshine	O
to	O
one	O
hundred	O
little	O
faces	O
when	O
what	O
they	O
need	O
is	O
a	O
mother	O
apiece	O
.	O

I	O
plunged	EVENT
into	O
this	O
thing	O
lightly	O
enough	O
,	O
partly	O
because	O
you	O
were	O
too	O
persuasive	EVENT
,	O
and	O
mostly	O
,	O
I	O
honestly	O
think	O
,	O
because	O
that	O
scurrilous	O
Gordon	O
Hallock	O
laughed	EVENT
so	O
uproariously	O
at	O
the	O
idea	O
of	O
my	O
being	O
able	O
to	O
manage	O
an	O
asylum	O
.	O

Between	O
you	O
all	O
you	O
hypnotized	EVENT
me	O
.	O

And	O
then	O
of	O
course	O
,	O
after	O
I	O
began	O
reading	O
up	O
on	O
the	O
subject	O
and	O
visiting	O
all	O
those	O
seventeen	O
institutions	O
,	O
I	O
got	O
excited	EVENT
over	O
orphans	O
,	O
and	O
wanted	EVENT
to	O
put	O
my	O
own	O
ideas	O
into	O
practice	O
.	O

But	O
now	O
I	O
'm	O
aghast	EVENT
at	O
finding	EVENT
myself	O
here	O
;	O
it	O
's	O
such	O
a	O
stupendous	O
undertaking	O
.	O

The	O
future	O
health	O
and	O
happiness	O
of	O
a	O
hundred	O
human	O
beings	O
lie	O
in	O
my	O
hands	O
,	O
to	O
say	O
nothing	O
of	O
their	O
three	O
or	O
four	O
hundred	O
children	O
and	O
thousand	O
grandchildren	O
.	O

The	O
thing	O
's	O
geometrically	O
progressive	O
.	O

It	O
's	O
awful	O
.	O

Who	O
am	O
I	O
to	O
undertake	O
this	O
job	O
?	O

Look	O
,	O
oh	O
,	O
look	O
for	O
another	O
superintendent	O
!	O

Jane	O
says	EVENT
dinner	O
's	O
ready	O
.	O

Having	O
eaten	O
two	O
of	O
your	O
institution	O
meals	O
,	O
the	O
thought	O
of	O
another	O
does	O
n't	O
excite	O
me	O
.	O

LATER	O
.	O

The	O
staff	O
had	EVENT
mutton	O
hash	O
and	O
spinach	O
,	O
with	O
tapioca	O
pudding	O
for	O
dessert	O
.	O

What	O
the	O
children	O
had	O
I	O
hate	O
to	O
consider	O
.	O

I	O
started	EVENT
to	O
tell	O
you	O
about	O
my	O
first	O
official	O
speech	EVENT
at	O
breakfast	O
this	O
morning	O
.	O

It	O
dealt	O
with	O
all	O
the	O
wonderful	O
new	O
changes	O
that	O
are	O
to	O
come	O
to	O
the	O
John	O
Grier	O
Home	O
through	O
the	O
generosity	O
of	O
Mr.	O
Jervis	O
Pendleton	O
,	O
the	O
president	O
of	O
our	O
board	O
of	O
trustees	O
,	O
and	O
of	O
Mrs.	O
Pendleton	O
,	O
the	O
dear	O
"	O
Aunt	O
Judy	O
"	O
of	O
every	O
little	O
boy	O
and	O
girl	O
here	O
.	O

Please	O
do	O
n't	O
object	O
to	O
my	O
featuring	O
the	O
Pendleton	O
family	O
so	O
prominently	O
.	O

I	O
did	O
it	O
for	O
political	O
reasons	O
.	O

As	O
the	O
entire	O
working	O
staff	O
of	O
the	O
institution	O
was	O
present	EVENT
,	O
I	O
thought	EVENT
it	O
a	O
good	O
opportunity	O
to	O
emphasize	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
all	O
of	O
these	O
upsetting	O
,	O
innovations	O
come	O
straight	O
from	O
headquarters	O
,	O
and	O
not	O
out	O
of	O
my	O
excitable	O
brain	O
.	O

The	O
children	O
stopped	EVENT
eating	EVENT
and	O
stared	EVENT
.	O

The	O
conspicuous	O
color	O
of	O
my	O
hair	O
and	O
the	O
frivolous	O
tilt	O
of	O
my	O
nose	O
are	O
evidently	O
new	O
attributes	O
in	O
a	O
superintendent	O
.	O

My	O
colleagues	O
also	O
showed	EVENT
plainly	O
that	O
they	O
consider	EVENT
me	O
too	O
young	O
and	O
too	O
inexperienced	O
to	O
be	O
set	O
in	O
authority	O
.	O

I	O
have	O
n't	O
seen	O
Jervis	O
's	O
wonderful	O
Scotch	O
doctor	O
yet	O
,	O
but	O
I	O
assure	EVENT
you	O
that	O
he	O
will	O
have	O
to	O
be	O
VERY	O
wonderful	O
to	O
make	O
up	O
for	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
these	O
people	O
,	O
especially	O
the	O
kindergarten	O
teacher	O
.	O

Miss	O
Snaith	O
and	O
I	O
clashed	EVENT
early	O
on	O
the	O
subject	O
of	O
fresh	O
air	O
;	O
but	O
I	O
intend	EVENT
to	O
get	O
rid	O
of	O
this	O
dreadful	O
institution	O
smell	O
,	O
if	O
I	O
freeze	O
every	O
child	O
into	O
a	O
little	O
ice	O
statue	O
.	O

This	O
being	O
a	O
sunny	EVENT
,	O
sparkling	EVENT
,	O
snowy	EVENT
afternoon	O
,	O
I	O
ordered	EVENT
that	O
dungeon	O
of	O
a	O
playroom	O
closed	O
and	O
the	O
children	O
out	O
of	O
doors	O
.	O

"	O
She	O
's	O
chasin	O
'	O
us	O
out	O
,	O
"	O
I	O
heard	EVENT
one	O
small	O
urchin	O
grumbling	EVENT
as	O
he	O
struggled	EVENT
into	O
a	O
two-years-too-small	O
overcoat	O
.	O

They	O
simply	O
stood	O
about	O
the	O
yard	O
,	O
all	O
humped	O
in	O
their	O
clothes	O
,	O
waiting	EVENT
patiently	O
to	O
be	O
allowed	O
to	O
come	O
back	O
in	O
.	O

No	O
running	O
or	O
shouting	O
or	O
coasting	O
or	O
snowballs	O
.	O

Think	O
of	O
it	O
!	O

These	O
children	O
do	O
n't	O
know	O
how	O
to	O
play	O
.	O

STILL	O
LATER	O
.	O

I	O
have	O
already	O
begun	O
the	O
congenial	O
task	O
of	O
spending	EVENT
your	O
money	O
.	O

I	O
bought	EVENT
eleven	O
hot-water	O
bottles	O
this	O
afternoon	O
(	O
every	O
one	O
that	O
the	O
village	O
drug	O
store	O
contained	O
)	O
likewise	O
some	O
woolen	O
blankets	O
and	O
padded	O
quilts	O
.	O

And	O
the	O
windows	O
are	O
wide	O
open	O
in	O
the	O
babies	O
'	O
dormitory	O
.	O

Those	O
poor	O
little	O
tots	O
are	O
going	O
to	O
enjoy	O
the	O
perfectly	O
new	O
sensation	O
of	O
being	O
able	O
to	O
breathe	O
at	O
night	O
.	O

There	O
are	O
a	O
million	O
things	O
I	O
want	O
to	O
grumble	O
about	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
's	O
half-past	O
ten	O
,	O
and	O
Jane	O
says	EVENT
I	O
MUST	O
go	O
to	O
bed	O
.	O

Yours	O
in	O
command	O
,	O
SALLIE	O
McBRIDE	O
.	O

P.S.	O
Before	O
turning	EVENT
in	O
,	O
I	O
tiptoed	EVENT
through	O
the	O
corridor	O
to	O
make	O
sure	O
that	O
all	O
was	O
right	O
,	O
and	O
what	O
do	O
you	O
think	O
I	O
found	EVENT
?	O

Miss	O
Snaith	O
softly	O
closing	EVENT
the	O
windows	O
in	O
the	O
babies	O
'	O
dormitory	O
!	O

Just	O
as	O
soon	O
as	O
I	O
can	O
find	O
a	O
suitable	O
position	O
for	O
her	O
in	O
an	O
old	O
ladies	O
'	O
home	O
,	O
I	O
am	O
going	O
to	O
discharge	O
that	O
woman	O
.	O