The　pendant　arrived　this　morning。　　Many　thanks！　　But　you　really　ought　not　to　have　given　me　another；　a　hostess　cannot　be　held　accountable　for　all　the　things　that　careless　guests　lose　in　her　house。　　It　is　far　too　pretty　for　my　chain。　　I　am　thinking　of　having　my　nose　pierced；　Cingalese　fashion；　and　wearing　my　new　jewel　where　it　will　really　show。
  I　must　tell　you　that　our　Percy　is　putting　some　good　constructive　work　into　this　asylum。　　He　has　founded　the　John　Grier　Bank；　and　has　worked　out　all　the　details　in　a　very　professional　and　businesslike　fashion；　entirely　incomprehensible　to　my　non…mathematical　mind。　　All　of　the　older　children　possess　properly　printed　checkbooks；　and　they　are　each　to　be　paid　five　dollars　a　week　for　their　services；　such　as　going　to　school　and　accomplishing　housework。　　They　are　then　to　pay　the　institution　（by　check）　for　their　board　and　clothes；　which　will　consume　their　five　dollars。　　It　looks　like　a　vicious　circle；　but　it's　really　very　educative；　they　will　comprehend　the　value　of　money　before　we　dump　them　into　a　mercenary　world。　　Those　who　are　particularly　good　in　lessons　or　work　will　receive　an　extra　recompense。　　My　head　aches　at　the　thought　of　the　bookkeeping；　but　Percy　waves　that　aside　as　a　mere　bagatelle。　　It　is　to　be　accomplished　by　our　prize　arithmeticians；　and　will　train　them　for　positions　of　trust。　　If　Jervis　hears　of　any　opening　for　bank　officials；　let　me　know；　I　shall　have　a　well…trained　president；　cashier；　and　paying　teller　ready　to　be　placed　by　this　time　next　year。
  Saturday。
  Our　doctor　doesn't　like　to　be　called　〃Enemy。〃　　It　hurts　his　feelings　or　his　dignity　or　something　of　the　sort。　　But　since　I　will　persist；　despite　his　expostulations；　he　has　finally　retaliated　with　a　nickname　for　me。　　He　calls　me　〃Miss　Sally　Lunn；〃　and　is　in　a　glow　of　pride　at　having　achieved　such　an　imaginative　flight。
  He　and　I　have　invented　a　new　pastime：　he　talks　Scotch；　and　I　answer　in　Irish。　　Our　conversations　run　like　this：
  〃Good　afthernoon　to　ye；　docther。　　An'　how's　yer　health　the　day？〃
  〃Verra　weel；　verra　weel。　　And　how　gas　it　wi'　a'　the　bairns？〃
  〃Shure；　they're　all　av　thim　doin'　foin。〃
  〃I'm　gey　glad　to　hear　it。　　This　saft　weather　is　hard　on　folk。　　There's　muckle　sickness　aboot　the　kintra。〃
  〃Hiven　be　praised　it　has　not　lighted　here！　　But　sit　down；　docther；　an'　make　yersilf　at　home。　　Will　ye　be　afther　havin'　a　cup　o'　tay？〃
  〃Hoot；　woman！　　I　would　na　hae　you　fash　yoursel'；　but　a　wee　drap　tea　winna　coom　amiss。〃
  〃Whist！　　It's　no　thruble　at　all。〃
  You　may　not　think　this　a　very　dizzying　excursion　into　frivolity；　but　I　assure　you；　for　one　of　Sandy's　dignity；　it's　positively　riotous。　　The　man　has　been　in　a　heavenly　temper　ever　since　I　came　back；　not　a　single　cross　word。　　I　am　beginning　to　think　I　may　reform　him　as　well　as　Punch。
  This　letter　must　be　about　long　enough　even　for　you。　　I've　been　writing　it　bit　by　bit　for　three　days；　whenever　I　happened　to　pass　my　desk。
  Yours　as　ever；
  SALLIE。
  P。S。　　I　don't　think　much　of　your　vaunted　prescription　for　hair　tonic。　　Either　the　druggist　didn't　mix　it　right；　or　Jane　didn't　apply　it　with　discretion。　　I　stuck　to　the　pillow　this　morning。
  THE　JOHN　GRIER　HOME；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Saturday。　Dear　Gordon：
  Your　letter　of　Thursday　is　at　hand；　and　extremely　silly　I　consider　it。　　Of　course　I　am　not　trying　to　let　you　down　easy；　that　isn't　my　way。　　If　I　let　you　down　at　all；　it　will　be　suddenly　and　with　an　awful　bump。　　But　I　honestly　didn't　realize　that　it　had　been　three　weeks　since　I　wrote。　　Please　excuse！
  Also；　my　dear　sir；　I　have　to　bring　you　to　account。　　You　were　in　New　York　last　week；　and　you　never　ran　up　to　see　us。　　You　thought　we　wouldn't　find　it　out；　but　we　heardand　are　insulted。
  Would　you　like　an　outline　of　my　day's　activities？　　Wrote　monthly　report　for　trustees'　meeting。　　Audited　accounts。　　Entertained　agent　of　State　Charities　Aid　Association　for　luncheon。　　Supervised　children's　menus　for　next　ten　days。　　Dictated　five　letters　to　families　who　have　our　children。　　Visited　our　little　feeble…minded　Loretta　Higgins　（pardon　the　reference；　I　know　you　don't　like　me　to　mention　the　feeble…minded）；　who　is　being　boarded　out　in　a　nice　comfortable　family；　where　she　is　learning　to　work。　　Came　back　to　tea　and　a　conference　with　the　doctor　about　sending　a　child　with　tubercular　glands　to　a　sanatorium。　　Read　an　article　on　cottage　VERSUS　congregate　system　for　housing　dependent　children。　　（We　do　need　cottages！　　I　wish　you'd　send　us　a　few　for　a　Christmas　present。）　　And　now　at　nine　o'clock　I'm　sleepily　beginning　a　letter　to　you。　　Do　you　know　many　young　society　girls　who　can　point　to　such　a　useful　day　as　that？
  Oh；　I　forgot　to　say　that　I　stole　ten　minutes　from　my　accounts　this　morning　to　install　a　new　cook。　　Our　Sallie　Washington…　Johnston；　who　cooked　fit　for　the　angels　had　a　dreadful；　dreadful　temper　and　terrorized　poor　Noah；　our　super…excellent　furnace　man；　to　the　point　of　giving　notice。　　We　couldn't　spare　Noah。　　He's
  more　useful　to　the　institution　than　its　superintendent；　and　so　Sallie　Washington…Johnston　is　no　more。
  When　I　asked　the　new　cook　her　name；　she　replied；　〃Ma　name　is　Suzanne　Estelle；　but　ma　friends　call　me　Pet。〃　　Pet　cooked　the　dinner　tonight；　but　I　must　say　that　she　lacks　Sallie's　delicate　touch。　　I　am　awfully　disappointed　that　you　didn't　visit　us　while　Sallie　was　still　here。　　You　would　have　taken　away　an　exalted　opinion　of　my　housekeeping。
  Drowsiness　overcame　me　at　that　point；　and　it's　now　two　days　later。
  Poor　neglected　Gordon！　　It　has　just　occurred　to　me　that　you　never　got　thanked　for　the　modeling　clay　which　came　two　weeks　ago；　and　it　was　such　an　unusually　intelligent　present　that　I　should　have　telegraphed　my　appreciation。　　When　I　opened　the　box　and　saw　all　that　nice　messy　putty　stuff；　I　sat　down　on　the　spot　and　created　a　statue　of　Singapore。　　The　children　love　it；　and　it　is　very　good　to　have　the　handicraft　side　of　their　training　encouraged。
  After　a　careful　study　of　American　history；　I　have　determined　that　nothing　is　so　valuable　to　a　future　president　as　an　early　obligatory　unescapable　performance　of　CHORES。
  Therefore　I　have　divided　the　daily　work　of　this　institution　into　a　hundred　parcels；　and　the　children　rotate　weekly　through　a　succession　of　unaccustomed　tasks。　　Of　course　they　do　everything　badly；　for　just　as　they　learn　how；　they　progress　to　something　new。　　It　would　be　infinitely　easier　for　us　to　follow　Mrs。　Lippett's　immoral　custom　of　keeping　each　child　sentenced　for　life　to　a　well…learned　routine；　but　when　the　temptation　assails　me；　I　recall　the　dreary　picture　of　Florence　Henty；　who　polished　the　brass　doorknobs　of　this　institution　for　seven　yearsand　I　sternly　shove　the　children　on。
  I　get　angry　every　time　I　think　of　Mrs　Lippett。　　She　had　exactly　the　point　of　view　of　a　Tammany　politicianno　slightest　sense　of　service　to　society。　　Her　only　interest　in　the　John　Grier　Home　was　to　get　a　living　out　of　it。
  Wednesday。
  What　new　branch　of　learning　do　you　think　I　have　introduced　into　my　asylum？　　Table　manners！
  I　never　had　any　idea　that　it　was　such　a　lot　of　trouble　to　teach　children　how　to　eat　and　drink。　　Their　favorite　method　is　to　put　their　mouths　down　to　their　mugs　and　lap　their　milk　like　kittens。　　Good　manners　are　not　merely　snobbish　ornaments；　as　Mrs。　Lippett's　regime　appeared　to　believe。　　They　mean　self…discipline　and　thought　for　others；　and　my　children　have　got　to　learn　them。
  That　woman　never　allowed　them　to　talk　at　their　meals；　and　I　am　having　the　most　dreadful　time　getting　any　conversation　out　of　them　above　a　frightened　whisper。　　So　I　have　instituted　the　custom　of　the　entire　staff；　myself　included；　sitting　with　them　at　the　table；　and　directing　the　talk　along　cheerful　and　improving　lines。
  Also　I　have　established　a　small；　very　strict　training　table；　where　the　little　dears；　in　relays；　undergo　a　week　of　steady　badgering。　　Our　uplifting　table　conversations　run　like　this：
  〃Yes；　Tom；　Napoleon　Bonaparte　was　a　very　great　manelbows　off　the　table。　　He　possessed　a　tremendous　power　of　concentrating　his　mind　on　whatever　he　wanted　to　have；　and　that　is　the　way　to　accomplishdon't　snatch；　Susan；　ask　politely　for　the　bread；　and　Carrie　will　pass　it　to　you。But　he　was　an　example　of　the　fact　that　selfish　thought　just　for　oneself；　without　considering　the　lives　of　others；　will　come　to　disaster　in　theTom！　　Keep　your　mouth　shut　when　you　chewand　after　the　battle　of　Waterloolet　Sadie's　cooky　alonehis　fall　was　all　the　greater　becauseSadie　Kate；　you　may　leave　the　table。　　It　makes　no　difference　what　he　did。　　Under　no　provocation　does　a　lady　slap　a　gentleman。〃
  Two　more　days　have　passed；　this　is　the　same　kind　of　meandering　letter　I　write　to　Judy。　　At　least；　my　dear　man；　you　can't　complain　that　I　haven't　been　thinking　about　you　this　week！　　I　know　you　hate　to　be　told　all　about　the　asylum；　but　I　can't　help
  it；　for　it's　all　I　know。　　I　don't　have　five　minutes　a　day　to　read　the　papers。　　The　big　outside　world　has　dropped　away。　　My　interests　all　lie　on　the　inside　of　this　little　iron　inclosure。