Oh；　dear　me；　here　is　Miss　Snaith；　coming　to　pay　a　social　call。
  Good…by。
  S。
  P。S。　　The　prodigal　has　returned。　　He　sends　his　respectful　regards；　and　three　wags　of　the　tail。
  THE　JOHN　GRIER　HOME；
  April　7。　My　dear　Judy：
  I　have　just　been　reading　a　pamphlet　on　manual　training　for　girls；　and　another　on　the　proper　diet　for　institutionsright　proportions　of　proteins；　fats；　starches；　etc。　　In　these　days　of　scientific　charity；　when　every　problem　has　been　tabulated；　you　can　run　an　institution　by　chart。　　I　don't　see　how　Mrs。　Lippett　could　have　made　all　the　mistakes　she　did；　assuming；　of　course；that　she　knew　how　to　read。　　But　there　is　one　quite　important　branch　of　institutional　work　that　has　not　been　touched　upon；　and　I　myself　am　gathering　data。　　Some　day　I　shall　issue　a　pamphlet　on　the　〃Management　and　Control　of　Trustees。〃
  I　must　tell　you　the　joke　about　my　enemynot　the　Hon。　Cy；　but　my　first；　my　original　enemy。　　He　has　undertaken　a　new　field　of　endeavor。　　He　says　quite　soberly　（everything　he　does　is　sober；　he　has　never　smiled　yet）　that　he　has　been　watching　me　closely　since　my　arrival；　and　though　I　am　untrained　and　foolish　and　flippant　（sic）；　he　doesn't　think　that　I　am　really　so　superficial　as　I　at　first　appeared。　　I　have　an　almost　masculine　ability　of　grasping　the　whole　of　a　question　and　going　straight　to　the　point。
  Aren't　men　funny？　　When　they　want　to　pay　you　the　greatest　compliment　in　their　power；　they　naively　tell　you　that　you　have　a　masculine　mind。　　There　is　one　compliment；　incidentally；　that　I　shall　never　be　paying　him。　　I　cannot　honestly　say　that　he　has　a　quickness　of　perception　almost　feminine。
  So；　though　Sandy　quite　plainly　sees　my　faults；　still；　he　thinks　that　some　of　them　may　be　corrected；　and　he　has　determined　to　carry　on　my　education　from　the　point　where　the　college　dropped　it。　　A　person　in　my　position　ought　to　be　well　read　in　physiology；　biology；　psychology；　sociology；　and　eugenics；　she　should　know　the　hereditary　effects　of　insanity；　idiocy；　and　alcohol；　should　be　able　to　administer　the　Binet　test；　and　should　understand　the　nervous　system　of　a　frog。　　In　pursuance　whereof；　he　has　placed　at　my　disposal　his　own　scientific　library　of　four　thousand　volumes。　　He　not　only　fetches　in　the　books　he　wants　me　to　read；　but　comes　and　asks　questions　to　make　sure　I　haven't　skipped。
  We　devoted　last　week　to　the　life　and　letters　of　the　Jukes　family。　　Margaret；　the　mother　of　criminals；　six　generations　ago；　founded　a　prolific　line；　and　her　progeny；　mostly　in　jail；　now　numbers　some　twelve　hundred。　　Moral：　watch　the　children　with　a　bad　heredity　so　carefully　that　none　of　them　can　ever　have　any　excuse　for　growing　up　into　Jukeses。
  So　now；　as　soon　as　we　have　finished　our　tea；　Sandy　and　I　get　out　the　Doomsday　Book；　and　pore　over　its　pages　in　an　anxious　search　for　alcoholic　parents。　　It's　a　cheerful　little　game　to　while　away　the　twilight　hour　after　the　day's　work　is　done。
  QUELLE　VIE！　　Come　home　fast　and　take　me　out　of　it。　　I'm　wearying　for　the　sight　of　you。
  SALLIE。
  J。　G。　H。；
  Thursday　morning。　My　dear　Pendleton　Family：
  I　have　received　your　letter；　and　I　seize　my　pen　to　stop　you。　　I　don't　wish　to　be　relieved。　　I　take　it　back。　　I　change　my　mind。　　The　person　you　are　planning　to　send　sounds　like　an　exact　twin　of　Miss　Snaith。　　How　can　you　ask　me　to　turn　over　my　darling　children　to　a　kind；　but　ineffectual；　middle…aged　lady　without　any　chin？　　The　very　thought　of　it　wrings　a　mother's　heart。
  Do　you　imagine　that　such　a　woman　can　carry　on　this　work　even　temporarily？　　No！　　The　manager　of　an　institution　like　this　has　got　to　be　young　and　husky　and　energetic　and　forceful　and　efficient　and　red…haired　and　sweet…tempered；　like　me。　　Of　course　I've　been　discontented；anybody　would　be　with　things　in　such　a　mess；but　it's　what　you　socialists　call　a　holy　discontent。　　And　do　you　think　that　I　am　going　to　abandon　all　of　the　beautiful　reforms　I　have　so　painstakingly　started？　　No！　　I　am　not　to　be　moved　from　this　spot　until　you　find　a　superintendent　superior　to　Sallie　McBride。
  That　does　not　mean；　though；　that　I　am　mortgaging　myself　forever。　　Just　for　the　present；　until　things　get　on　their　feet。　　While　the　face　washing；　airing；　reconstructing　period　lasts；　I　honestly　believe　you　chose　the　right　person　when　you　hit　upon　me。　I　LOVE　to　plan　improvements　and　order　people　about。
  This　is　an　awfully　messy　letter；　but　I'm　dashing　it　off　in　three　minutes　in　order　to　catch　you　before　you　definitely　engage　that　pleasant；　inefficient　middle…aged　person　without　a　chin。
  Please；　kind　lady　and　gentleman；　don't　do　me　out　of　me　job！　　Let　me　stay　a　few　months　longer。　　Just　gimme　a　chance　to　show　what　I'm　good　for；　and　I　promise　you　won't　never　regret　it。
  S。　McB。
  J。　G。　H。；
  Thursday　afternoon。　Dear　Judy：
  I've　composed　a　poema　paean　of　victory。
  Robin　MacRae　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Smiled　today。
  It's　the　truth！　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　S。　McB。
  THE　JOHN　GRIER　HOME；
  April　13。　Dear　Judy：
  I　am　gratified　to　learn　that　you　were　gratified　to　learn　that　I　am　going　to　stay。　　I　hadn't　realized　it；　but　I　am　really　getting　sort　of　attached　to　orphans。
  It's　an　awful　disappointment　that　Jervis　has　business　which　will　keep　you　South　so　much　longer。　　I　am　bursting　with　talk；　and　it　is　such　a　laborious　nuisance　having　to　write　everything　I　want　to　say。
  Of　course　I　am　glad　that　we　are　to　have　the　building　remodeled；　and　I　think　all　of　your　ideas　good；　but　I　have　a　few　extra　good　ones　myself。　　It　will　be　nice　to　have　the　new　gymnasium　and　sleeping…porches；　but；　oh；　my　soul　does　long　for　cottages！　　The　more　I　look　into　the　internal　workings　of　an　orphan　asylum；　the　more　I　realize　that　the　only　type　of　asylum　that　can　compete　with　a　private　family　is　one　on　the　cottage　system。　　So　long　as　the　family　is　the　unit　of　society；　children　should　be　hardened　early　to　family　life。
  The　problem　that　is　keeping　me　awake　at　present　is；　What　to　do　with　the　children　while　we　are　being　made　over？　　It　is　hard　to　live　in　a　house　and　build　it　at　the　same　time。　　How　would　it　be　if　I　rented　a　circus　tent　and　pitched　it　on　the　lawn？
  Also；　when　we　plunge　into　our　alterations；　I　want　a　few　guest　rooms　where　our　children　can　come　back　when　ill　or　out　of　work。　　The　great　secret　of　our　lasting　influence　in　their　lives　will　be　our　watchful　care　afterward。　　What　a　terrible　ALONE　feeling　it　must　give　a　person　not　to　have　a　family　hovering　in　the　background！　　With　all　my　dozens　of　aunts　and　uncles　and　mothers　and　fathers　and　cousins　and　brothers　and　sisters；　I　can't　visualize　it。　　I'd　be　terrified　and　panting　if　I　didn't　have　lots　of　cover　to　run　to。　　And　for　these　forlorn　little　mites；　somehow　or　other　the　John　Grier　Home　must　supply　their　need。　　So；　dear　people；　send　me　half　a　dozen　guest　rooms；　if　you　please。
  Good…by；　and　I'm　glad　you　didn't　put　in　the　other　woman。　　The　very　suggestion　of　somebody　else　taking　over　my　own　beautiful　reforms　before　they　were　even　started；　stirred　up　all　the　opposition　in　me。　　I'm　afraid　I'm　like　SandyI　canna　think　aught　is　dune　richt　except　my　ain　hand　is　in　't。
  Yours；　for　the　present；
  SALLIE　McBRIDE。
  THE　JOHN　GRIER　HOME；
  Sunday。　Dear　Gordon：
  I　know　that　I　haven't　written　lately；　you　have　a　perfect　right　to　grumble；　but　oh　dear！　oh　dear！　you　can't　imagine　what　a　busy　person　an　orphan　asylum　superintendent　is。　　And　all　the　writing　energy　I　possess　has　to　be　expended　upon　that　voracious　Judy　Abbott　Pendleton。　　If　three　days　go　by　without　a　letter　she　telegraphs　to　know　if　the　asylum　has　burned；　whereas；　if　you　nice　mango　letterless；　you　simply　send　us　a　present　to　remind　us　of　your　existence。　　So；　you　see；　it's　distinctly　to　our　advantage　to　slight　you　often。
  You　will　probably　be　annoyed　when　I　tell　you　that　I　have　promised　to　stay　on　here。　　They　finally　did　find　a　woman　to　take　my　place；　but　she　wasn't　at　all　the　right　type　and　would　have　answered　only　temporarily。　　And；　my　dear　Gordon；　it's　true；　when　I　faced　saying　good…by　to　this　feverish　planning　and　activity；　Worcester　somehow　looked　rather　colorless。　　I　couldn't　bear　to　let　my　asylum　go　unless　I　was　sure　of　substituting　a　life　packed　equally　full　of　sensation。
  I　know　the　alternative　you　will　suggest；　but　please　don't　just　now。　　I　told　you　before　that　I　must　have　a　few　months　longer　to　make　up　my　mind。　　And　in　the　meantime　I　like　the　feeling　that　I'm　of　use　in　the　world。　　There's　something　constructive　and　optimistic　about　working　with　children；　that　is；　if　you　look　at　it　from　my　cheerful　point　of　view；　and　not　from　our　Scotch　doctor's。　　I've　never　seen　anybody　like　that　man；　he'