great　deal　of　energy　left；　and　we　are　getting　to　that　point　of　nerves　where　we　want　to　punch　one　another。
  Sadie　Kate　has　been　acting　like　a　little　deildo　they　have　feminine　deils？　　If　not；　Sadie　Kate　has　originated　the　species。　　And　this　afternoon　Loretta　Higgins　hadwell；　I　don't　know　whether　it　was　a　sort　of　fit　or　just　a　temper。　　She　lay　down　on　the　floor　and　howled　for　a　solid　hour；　and　when　any　one　tried　to　approach　her；　she　thrashed　about　like　a　little　windmill　and　bit　and　kicked。
  By　the　time　the　doctor　came　she　had　pretty　well　worn　herself　out。　　He　picked　her　up；　limp　and　drooping；　and　carried　her　to　a　cot　in　the　hospital　room；　and　after　she　was　asleep　he　came　down　to　my　library　and　asked　to　look　at　the　archives。
  Loretta　is　thirteen；　in　the　three　years　she　has　been　here　she　has　had　five　of　these　outbreaks；　and　has　been　punished　good　and　hard　for　them。　　The　child's　ancestral　record　is　simple：　　〃Mother　died　of　alcoholic　dementia；　Bloomingdale　Asylum。　　Father　unknown。〃
  He　studied　the　page　long　and　frowningly　and　shook　his　head。
  〃With　a　heredity　like　that；　is　it　right　to　punish　the　child　for　having　a　shattered　nervous　system？〃
  〃It　is　not；〃　said　I；　firmly。　　〃We　will　mend　her　shattered　nervous　system。〃
  〃If　we　can。〃
  〃We'll　feed　her　up　on　cod…liver　oil　and　sunshine；　and　find　a　nice　kind　foster　mother　who　will　take　pity　on　the　poor　little〃
  But　then　my　voice　trailed　off　into　nothing　as　I　pictured　Loretta's　face；　with　her　hollow　eyes　and　big　nose　and　open　mouth　and　no　chin　and　stringy　hair　and　sticking…out　ears。　　No　foster　mother　in　the　world　would　love　a　child　who　looked　like　that。
  〃Why；　oh；　why；〃　I　wailed；　〃doesn't　the　good　Lord　send　orphan　children　with　blue　eyes　and　curly　hair　and　loving　dispositions？　　I　could　place　a　million　of　that　sort　in　kind　homes；　but　no　one　wants　Loretta。〃
  〃I'm　afraid　the　good　Lord　doesn't　have　anything　to　do　with　bringing　our　Lorettas　into　the　world。　　It　is　the　devil　who　attends　to　them。〃
  Poor　Sandy！　　He　gets　awfully　pessimistic　about　the　future　of　the　universe；　but　I　don't　wonder；　with　such　a　cheerless　life　as　he　leads。　　He　looked　today　as　though　his　own　nervous　system　was　shattered。　　He　had　been　splashing　about　in　the　rain　since　five　this　morning；　when　he　was　called　to　a　sick　baby　case。　　I　made　him　sit　down　and　have　some　tea；　and　we　had　a　nice；　cheerful　talk　on　drunkenness　and　idiocy　and　epilepsy　and　insanity。　　He　dislikes　alcoholic　parents；　but　he　ties　himself　into　a　knot　over　insane　parents。
  Privately；　I　don't　believe　there's　one　thing　in　heredity；　provided　you　snatch　the　babies　away　before　their　eyes　are　opened。
  We've　got　the　sunniest　youngster　here　you　ever　saw；　his　mother　and　Aunt　Ruth　and　Uncle　Silas　all　died　insane；　but　he　is　as　placid　and　unexcitable　as　a　cow。
  Good…by；　my　dear。　　I　am　sorry　this　is　not　a　more　cheerful　letter；　though　at　this　moment　nothing　unpleasant　seems　to　be　happening。　　It's　eleven　o'clock；　and　I　have　just　stuck　my　head　into　the　corridor；　and　all　is　quiet　except　for　two　banging　shutters　and　leaking　eaves。　　I　promised　Jane　I　would　go　to　bed　at　ten。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Good　night；　and　joy　be　wi'　ye　baith！
  SALLIE。
  P。S。　　There　is　one　thing　in　the　midst　of　all　my　troubles　that　I　have　to　be　grateful　for：　the　Hon。　Cy　has　been　stricken　with　a　lingering　attack　of　grippe。　　In　a　burst　of　thankfulness　I　sent　him　a　bunch　of　violets。　P。S。　2。　　We　are　having　an　epidemic　of　pinkeye。
  May　16。　Good　morning；　my　dear　Judy！
  Three　days　of　sunshine；　and　the　J。　G。　H。　is　smiling。
  I　am　getting　my　immediate　troubles　nicely　settled。　　Those　beastly　blankets　have　dried　at　last；　and　our　camps　have　been　made　livable　again。　　They　are　floored　with　wooden　slats　and　roofed　with　tar　paper。　　（Mr。　　Witherspoon　calls　them　chicken　coops。）　　We　are　digging　a　stone…lined　ditch　to　convey　any　further　cloudbursts　from　the　plateau　on　which　they　stand　to　the　cornfield　below。　　The　Indians　have　resumed　savage　life；　and　their　chief　is　back　at　his　post。
  The　doctor　and　I　have　been　giving　Loretta　Higgins's　nerves　our　most　careful　consideration。　　We　think　that　this　barrack　life；　with　its　constant　movement　and　stir；　is　too　exciting；　and　we　have　decided　that　the　best　plan　will　be　to　board　her　out　in　a　private　family；　where　she　will　receive　a　great　deal　of　individual　attention。
  The　doctor；　with　his　usual　resourcefulness；　has　produced　the　family。　　They　live　next　door　to　him　and　are　very　nice　people；　I　have　just　returned　from　calling。　　The　husband　is　foreman　of　the　casting　room　at　the　iron　works；　and　the　wife　is　a　comfortable　soul　who　shakes　all　over　when　she　laughs。　　They　live　mostly　in　their　kitchen　in　order　to　keep　the　parlor　neat；　but　it　is　such　a　cheerful　kitchen　that　I　should　like　to　live　in　it　myself。　　She　has　potted　begonias　in　the　window　and　a　nice　purry　tiger　cat　asleep　on　a　braided　rug　in　front　of　the　stove。　　She　bakes　on　Saturdaycookies　and　gingerbread　and　doughnuts。　　I　am　planning　to　pay　my　weekly　call　upon　Loretta　every　Saturday　morning　at　eleven　o'clock。　　Apparently　I　made　as　favorable　an　impression　on　Mrs。　Wilson　as　she　made　on　me。　　After　I　had　gone；　she　confided　to　the　doctor　that　she　liked　me　because　I　was　just　as　common　as　she　was。
  Loretta　is　to　learn　housework　and　have　a　little　garden　of　her　own；　and　particularly　play　out　of　doors　in　the　sunshine。　　She　is　to　go　to　bed　early　and　be　fed　up　on　nice　nourishing　food；　and　they　are　to　pet　her　and　make　her　happy。　　All　this　for　three　dollars　a　week！
  Why　not　find　a　hundred　such　families；　and　board　out　all　the　children？　　Then　this　building　could　be　turned　into　an　idiot　asylum；　and　I；　not　knowing　anything　about　idiots；　could　conscientiously　resign　and　go　back　home　and　live　happily　ever　after。
  Really；　Judy；　I　am　growing　frightened。　　This　asylum　will　get　me　if　I　stay　long　enough。　　I　am　becoming　so　interested　in　it　that　I　can't　think　or　talk　or　dream　of　anything　else。　　You　and　Jervis　have　blasted　all　my　prospects　in　life。
  Suppose　I　should　retire　and　marry　and　have　a　family。　　As　families　go　nowadays；　I　couldn't　hope　for　more　than　five　or　six　children　at　the　most；　and　all　with　the　same　heredity。　　But；　mercy！　such　a　family　appears　perfectly　insignificant　and　monotonous。　　You　have　institutionalized　me。
  Reproachfully　yours；
  SALLIE　McBRIDE。
  P。S。　　We　have　a　child　here　whose　father　was　lynched。　　Isn't　that　a　piquant　detail　to　have　in　one's　history？
  Tuesday。　Dearest　Judy：
  What　shall　we　do？　　Mamie　Prout　does　not　like　prunes。　　This　antipathy　to　a　cheap　and　healthful　foodstuff　is　nothing　but　imagination；　and　ought　not　to　be　countenanced　among　the　inmates　of　a　well…managed　institution。　　Mamie　must　be　made　to　like　prunes。　　So　says　our　grammar　teacher；　who　spends　the　noonday　hour　with　us　and　overlooks　the　morals　of　our　charges。　　About　one　o'clock　today　she　marched　Mamie　to　my　office　charged　with　the　offense　of　refusing；　ABSOLUTELY　refusing；　to　open　her　mouth　and　put　in　a　prune。　　The　child　was　plumped　down　on　a　stool　to　await　punishment　from　me。
  Now；　as　you　know；　I　do　not　like　bananas；　and　I　should　hate　awfully　to　be　forced　to　swallow　them；　so；　by　the　same　token；　why　should　I　force　Mamie　Prout　to　swallow　prunes？
  While　I　was　pondering　a　course　that　would　seem　to　uphold　Miss　Keller's　authority；　but　would　at　the　same　time　leave　a　loophole　for　Mamie；　I　was　called　to　the　telephone。
  〃Sit　there　until　I　come　back；〃　I　said；　and　went　out　and　closed　the　door。
  The　message　was　from　a　kind　lady　wishing　to　motor　me　to　a　committee　meeting。　　I　didn't　tell　you　that　I　am　organizing　local　interest　in　our　behalf。　　The　idle　rich　who　possess　estates　in　this　neighborhood　are　beginning　to　drift　out　from　town；　and　I　am　laying　my　plans　to　catch　them　before　they　are　deflected　by　too　many　garden　parties　and　tennis　tournaments。　　They　have　never　been　of　the　slightest　use　to　this　asylum；　and　I　think　it's　about　time　they　woke　up　to　a　realization　of　our　presence。
  Returning　at　teatime；　I　was　waylaid　in　the　hall　by　Dr。　MacRae；　who　demanded　some　statistics　from　my　office。　　I　opened　the　door；　and　there　sat　Mamie　Prout　exactly　where　she　had　been　left　four　hours　before。
  〃Mamie　darling！〃　I　cried　in　horror。　　〃You　haven't　been　here　all　this　time？〃
  〃Yes；　ma'am；〃　said　Mamie；　〃you　told　me　to　wait　until　you　came　back。〃
  That　poor　patient　little　thing　was　fairly　swaying　with　weariness；　but　she　never　uttered　a　whimper。
  I　will　say　for　Sandy　that　he　was　SWEET。　　He　gathered　her　up　in　his　arms　and　carried　her　to　my　library；　and　petted　her　and　caressed　her　back　to　smiles。　　Jane　brought　the　sewing　table　and　spread　it　before　the　fire；　and　while　the　doctor　and　I　had　tea；　Mamie　had　her　supper。　　I　suppose；　according　to　the　theory　of　some　educators；　now；　when　she　was　thoroughly　worn　out　and　hungry；　would　have　been　the　psychological　moment　to　ply　her　with　prunes。　　But　you　will　be　pleased　to　hear　that　I　did　nothing　of　the　sort；　and　that　the　doctor　for　once　upheld　my　unscientific　principles。　　Mamie　had　the　most　wonderful　supper　of　her　life；　embellished　with　strawberry　jam　from　my　private　jar　and　peppermints　from　Sandy's　poc