〃The　Lord　has　given　you　two　hands　and　a　brain　and　a　big　world　to　use　them　in。　　Use　them　well；　and　you　will　be　provided　for；　use　them　ill；　and　you　will　want；〃　is　our　motto；　and　that　with　reservations。
  In　the　sorting　process　that　has　been　going　on　I　have　got　rid　of　eleven　children。　　That　blessed　State　Charities　Aid　Association　helped　me　dispose　of　three　little　girls；　all　placed　in　very　nice　homes；　and　one　to　be　adopted　legally　if　the　family　likes　her。　　And　the　family　will　like　her；　I　saw　to　that。　　She　was　the　prize　child　of　the　institution；　obedient　and　polite；　with　curly　hair　and　affectionate　ways；　exactly　the　little　girl　that　every　family　needs。　　When　a　couple　of　adopting　parents　are　choosing　a　daughter；　I　stand　by　with　my　heart　in　my　mouth；　feeling　as　though　I　were　assisting　in　the　inscrutable　designs　of　Fate。　　Such　a　little　thing　turns　the　balance！　　The　child　smiles；　and　a　loving　home　is　hers　for　life；　she　sneezes；　and　it　passes　her　by　forever。
  Three　of　our　biggest　boys　have　gone　to　work　on　farms；　one　of　them　out　West　to　a　RANCH！　　Report　has　it　that　he　is　to　become　a　cowboy　and　Indian　fighter　and　grizzly…bear　hunter；　though　I　believe　in　reality　he　is　to　engage　in　the　pastoral　work　of　harvesting　wheat。　　He　marched　off；　a　hero　of　romance；　followed　by　the　wistful　eyes　of　twenty…five　adventurous　lads；　who　turned　back　with　a　sigh　to　the　safely　monotonous　life　of　the　J。　G。　H。
  Five　other　children　have　been　sent　to　their　proper　institutions。　　One　of　them　is　deaf；　one　an　epileptic；　and　the　other　three　approaching　idiocy。　　None　of　them　ought　ever　to　have　been　accepted　here。　　This　as　an　educational　institution；　and　we　can't　waste　our　valuable　plant　in　caring　for　defectives。
  Orphan　asylums　have　gone　out　of　style。　　What　I　am　going　to　develop　is　a　boarding　school　for　the　physical；　moral；　and　mental　growth　of　children　whose　parents　have　not　been　able　to　provide　for　their　care。
  〃Orphans〃　is　merely　my　generic　term　for　the　children；　a　good　many　of　them　are　not　orphans　in　the　least。　　They　have　one　troublesome　and　tenacious　parent　left　who　won't　sign　a　surrender；　so　I　can't　place　them　out　for　adoption。　　But　those　that　are　available　would　be　far　better　off　in　loving　foster…homes　than　in　the　best　institution　that　I　can　ever　make。　　So　I　am　fitting　them　for　adoption　as　quickly　as　possible；　and　searching　for　the　homes。
  You　ought　to　run　across　a　lot　of　pleasant　families　in　your　travels；　can't　you　bully　some　of　them　into　adopting　children？　　Boys　by　preference。　　We've　got　an　awful　lot　of　extra　boys；　and　nobody　wants　them。　　Talk　about　anti…feminism！　　It's　nothing　to　the　anti…masculinism　that　exists　in　the　breasts　of　adopting　parents。　　I　could　place　out　a　thousand　dimpled　little　girls　with　yellow　hair；　but　a　good　live　boy　from　nine　to　thirteen　is　a　drug　on　the　market。　　There　seems　to　be　a　general　feeling　that　they　track　in　dirt　and　scratch　up　mahogany　furniture。
  Shouldn't　you　think　that　men's　clubs　might　like　to　adopt　boys；　as　a　sort　of　mascot？　　The　boy　could　be　boarded　in　a　nice　respectable　family；　and　drawn　out　by　the　different　members　on　Saturday　afternoons。　　They　could　take　him　to　ball　games　and　the　circus；　and　then　return　him　when　they　had　had　enough；　just　as　you　do　with　a　library　book。　　It　would　be　very　valuable　training　for　the　bachelors。　　People　are　forever　talking　about　the　desirability　of　training　girls　for　motherhood。　　Why　not　institute　a　course　of　training　in　fatherhood；　and　get　the　best　men's　clubs　to　take　it　up？　　Will　you　please　have　Jervis　agitate　the　matter　at　his　various　clubs；　and　I'll　have　Gordon　start　the　idea　in　Washington。　　They　both　belong　to　such　a　lot　of　clubs　that　we　ought　to　dispose　of　at　least　a　dozen　boys。
  I　remain；
  The　ever…distracted　mother　of　113。
  S。　McB。
  THE　JOHN　GRIER　HOME；
  March　18。　Dear　Judy：
  I　have　been　having　a　pleasant　respite　from　the　113　cares　of　motherhood。
  Yesterday　who　should　drop　down　upon　our　peaceful　village　but　Mr。　Gordon　Hallock；　on　his　way　back　to　Washington　to　resume　the　cares　of　the　nation。　　At　least　he　said　it　was　on　his　way；　but　I　notice　from　the　map　in　the　primary　room　that　it　was　one　hundred　miles　out　of　his　way。
  And　dear；　but　I　was　glad　to　see　him！　　He　is　the　first　glimpse　of　the　outside　world　I　have　had　since　I　was　incarcerated　in　this　asylum。　　And　such　a　lot　of　entertaining　businesses　he　had　to　talk　about！　　He　knows　the　inside　of　all　the　outside　things　you　read　in　the　newspapers；　so　far　as　I　can　make　out；　he　is　the　social　center　about　which　Washington　revolves。　　I　always　knew　he　would　get　on　in　politics；　for　he　has　a　way　with　him；　there's　no　doubt　about　it。
  You　can't　imagine　how　exhilarated　and　set…up　I　feel；　as　though　I'd　come　into　my　own　again　after　a　period　of　social　ostracism。　　I　must　confess　that　I　get　lonely　for　some　one　who　talks　my　kind　of　nonsensical　talk。　　Betsy　trots　off　home　every　week　end；　and　the　doctor　is　conversational　enough；　but；　oh；　so　horribly　logical！　　Gordon　somehow　seems　to　stand　for　the　life　I　belong　to；of　country　clubs　and　motors　and　dancing　and　sport　and　politeness；a　poor；　foolish；　silly　life；　if　you　will；　but　mine　own。　　And　I　have　missed　it。　　This　serving　society　business　is　theoretically　admirable　and　compelling　and　interesting；　but　deadly　stupid　in　its　working　details。　　I　am　afraid　I　was　never　born　to　set　the　crooked　straight。
  I　tried　to　show　Gordon　about　and　make　him　take　an　interest　in　the　babies；　but　he　wouldn't　glance　at　them。　　He　thinks　I　came　just　to　spite　him；　which；　of　course；　I　did。　　Your　siren　call　would　never　have　lured　me　from　the　path　of　frivolity　had　Gordon　not　been　so　unpleasantly　hilarious　at　the　idea　of　my　being　able　to　manage　an　orphan　asylum。　　I　came　here　to　show　him　that　I　could；　and　now；　when　I　can　show　him；　the　beast　refuses　to　look。
  I　invited　him　to　dinner；　with　a　warning　about　the　pressed　veal；　but　he　said　no；　thanks；　that　I　needed　a　change。　　So　we　went　to　Brantwood　Inn　and　had　broiled　lobster。　　I　had　positively　forgotten　that　the　creatures　were　edible。
  This　morning　at　seven　o'clock　I　was　wakened　by　the　furious　ringing　of　the　telephone　bell。　　It　was　Gordon　at　the　station；　about　to　resume　his　journey　to　Washington。　　He　was　in　quite　a　contrite　mood　about　the　asylum；　and　apologized　largely　for　refusing　to　look　at　my　children。　　It　was　not　that　he　didn't　like　orphans；　he　said；　it　was　just　that　he　didn't　like　them　in　juxtaposition　to　me。　　And　to　prove　his　good　intentions；　he　would　send　them　a　bag　of　peanuts。
  I　feel　as　fresh　and　revivified　after　my　little　fling　as　though　I'd　had　a　real　vacation。　　There's　no　doubt　about　it；　an　hour　or　so　of　exciting　talk　is　more　of　a　tonic　to　me　than　a　pint　of　iron　and　strychnine　pills。
  You　owe　me　two　letters；　dear　Madam。　　Pay　them　TOUT　DE　SUITE；　or　I　lay　down　my　pen　forever。
  Yours；　as　usual；
  S。　McB。
  Tuesday；　5　P。M。　My　dear　Enemy：
  I　am　told　that　during　my　absence　this　afternoon　you　paid　us　a　call　and　dug　up　a　scandal。　　You　claim　that　the　children　under　Miss　Snaith　are　not　receiving　their　due　in　the　matter　of　cod…　liver　oil。
  I　am　sorry　if　your　medicinal　orders　have　not　been　carried　out；　but　you　must　know　that　it　is　a　difficult　matter　to　introduce　that　abominably　smelling　stuff　into　the　inside　of　a　squirming　child。　　And　poor　Miss　Snaith　is　a　very　much　overworked　person。　　She　has　ten　more　children　to　care　for　than　should　rightly　fall　into　the　lot　of　any　single　woman；　and　until　we　find　her　another　assistant；　she　has　very　little　time　for　the　fancy　touches　you　demand。
  Also；　my　dear　Enemy；　she　is　very　susceptible　to　abuse。　　When　you　feel　in　a　fighting　mood；　I　wish　you　would　expend　your　belligerence　upon　me。　　I　don't　mind　it；　quite　the　contrary。　　But　that　poor　lady　has　retired　to　her　room　in　a　state　of　hysterics；　leaving　nine　babies　to　be　tucked　into　bed　by　whomever　it　may　concern。
  If　you　have　any　powders　that　would　be　settling　to　her　nerves；　please　send　them　back　by　Sadie　Kate。
  Yours　truly；
  S。　McBRIDE。
  Wednesday　Morning。　Dear　Dr。　MacRae：
  I　am　not　taking　an　unintelligent　stand　in　the　least；　I　am　simply　asking　that　you　come　to　me　with　all　complaints；　and　not　stir　up　my　staff　in　any　such　volcanic　fashion　as　that　of　yesterday。
  I　endeavor　to　carry　out　all　of　your　ordersof　a　medical　naturewith　scrupulous　care。　　In　the　present　case　there　seems　to　have　been　some　negligence；　I　don't　know　what　did　become　of　those　fourteen　unadministered　bottles　of　cod…liver　oil　that　you　have　made　such　a　fuss　about；　but　I　shall　investigate。
  And　I　cannot；　for　various　reasons；　pack　off　Miss　Snaith　in　the　summary　fashion　you　demand。　　She　may　be；　in　certain　respects；　inefficient；　but　she　is　kind　to　the　children；　and　with　supervision　will　answer　temporarily。
  Yours　truly；
  S。　McBRIDE。
  Thursday。　Dear　Enemy：
  SOYEZ　TRANQU