IamtogivelessonsinEnglishandLatintotheyoungerdaughter，too，butIshallhavealittletimetomyself，andIshallbeearningfiftydollarsamonth！Doesn’tthatimpressyouasaperfectlyexorbitantamount？Sheofferedit;Ishouldhaveblushedtoaskformorethantwenty-five。
IfinishatMagnolia（that’swhereshelives）thefirstofSeptember，andshallprobablyspendtheremainingthreeweeksatLockWillow——
IshouldliketoseetheSemplesagainandallthefriendlyanimals。
Howdoesmyprogrammestrikeyou，Daddy？
Iamgettingquiteindependent，yousee。
YouhaveputmeonmyfeetandIthinkIcanalmostwalkalonebynow。
Princetoncommencementandourexaminationsexactlycoincide——
whichisanawfulblow。SallieandIdidsowanttogetawayintimeforit，butofcoursethatisutterlyimpossible。
Goodbye，Daddy。Haveanicesummerandcomebackintheautumnrestedandreadyforanotheryearofwork。（That’swhatyououghttobewritingtome！）Ihaven’tanyideawhatyoudointhesummer，orhowyouamuseyourself。Ican’tvisualizeyoursurroundings。
Doyouplaygolforhuntorridehorsebackorjustsitinthesunandmeditate？
Anyway，whateveritis，haveagoodtimeanddon’tforgetJudy。
10thJuneDearDaddy，ThisisthehardestletterIeverwrote，butIhavedecidedwhatImustdo，andthereisn’tgoingtobeanyturningback。
ItisverysweetandgenerousanddearofyoutowishtosendmetoEuropethissummer——forthemomentIwasintoxicatedbytheidea;
butsobersecondthoughtssaidno。Itwouldberatherillogicalofmetorefusetotakeyourmoneyforcollege，andthenuseitinsteadjustforamusement！Youmustn’tgetmeusedtotoomanyluxuries。
Onedoesn’tmisswhatonehasneverhad;butit’sawfullyhardgoingwithoutthingsafteronehascommencedthinkingtheyarehis——
hers（Englishlanguageneedsanotherpronoun）bynaturalright。
LivingwithSallieandJuliaisanawfulstrainonmystoicalphilosophy。
Theyhavebothhadthingsfromthetimetheywerebabies;
theyaccepthappinessasamatterofcourse。TheWorld，theythink，owesthemeverythingtheywant。MaybetheWorlddoes——inanycase，itseemstoacknowledgethedebtandpayup。Butasforme，itowesmenothing，anddistinctlytoldmesointhebeginning。
Ihavenorighttoborrowoncredit，fortherewillcomeatimewhentheWorldwillrepudiatemyclaim。
Iseemtobeflounderinginaseaofmetaphor——butIhopeyougraspmymeaning？Anyway，Ihaveaverystrongfeelingthattheonlyhonestthingformetodoistoteachthissummerandbegintosupportmyself。
MAGNOLIA，FourdayslaterI’dgotjustthatmuchwritten，when——whatdoyouthinkhappened？
ThemaidarrivedwithMasterJervie’scard。Heisgoingabroadtoothissummer;notwithJuliaandherfamily，butentirelybyhimselfItoldhimthatyouhadinvitedmetogowithaladywhoischaperoningapartyofgirls。Heknowsaboutyou，Daddy。Thatis，heknowsthatmyfatherandmotheraredead，andthatakindgentlemanissendingmetocollege;Isimplydidn’thavethecouragetotellhimabouttheJohnGrierHomeandalltherest。Hethinksthatyouaremyguardianandaperfectlylegitimateoldfamilyfriend。
IhavenevertoldhimthatIdidn’tknowyou——thatwouldseemtooqueer！
Anyway，heinsistedonmygoingtoEurope。HesaidthatitwasanecessarypartofmyeducationandthatImustn’tthinkofrefusing。Also，thathewouldbeinParisatthesametime，andthatwewouldrunawayfromthechaperonoccasionallyandhavedinnertogetheratnice，funny，foreignrestaurants。
Well，Daddy，itdidappealtome！Ialmostweakened;ifhehadn’tbeensodictatorial，maybeIshouldhaveentirelyweakened。
Icanbeenticedstepbystep，butIWON’Tbeforced。HesaidI
wasasilly，foolish，irrational，quixotic，idiotic，stubbornchild（thoseareafewofhisabusiveadjectives;therestescapeme），andthatIdidn’tknowwhatwasgoodforme;Ioughttoletolderpeoplejudge。Wealmostquarrelled——Iamnotsurebutthatweentirelydid！
Inanycase，Ipackedmytrunkfastandcameuphere。IthoughtI’dbetterseemybridgesinflamesbehindmebeforeIfinishedwritingtoyou。Theyareentirelyreducedtoashesnow。
HereIamatCliffTop（thenameofMrs。Paterson’scottage）withmytrunkunpackedandFlorence（thelittleone）alreadystrugglingwithfirstdeclensionnouns。Anditbidsfairtobeastruggle！
Sheisamostuncommonlyspoiledchild;Ishallhavetoteachherfirsthowtostudy——shehasneverinherlifeconcentratedonanythingmoredifficultthanice-creamsodawater。
Weuseaquietcornerofthecliffsforaschoolroom——Mrs。Patersonwishesmetokeepthemoutofdoors——andIwillsaythatIfinditdifficulttoconcentratewiththeblueseabeforemeandshipsa-sailingby！
AndwhenIthinkImightbeonone，sailingofftoforeignlands——
butIWON’TletmyselfthinkofanythingbutLatinGrammar。
Theprepositionsaorab，absque，coram，cum，deeorex，prae，pro，sine，tenus，in，subter，subandsupergoverntheablative。
Soyousee，Daddy，Iamalreadyplungedintoworkwithmyeyespersistentlysetagainsttemptation。Don’tbecrosswithme，please，anddon’tthinkthatIdonotappreciateyourkindness，forIdo——always——always。TheonlywayIcaneverrepayyouisbyturningoutaVeryUsefulCitizen（Arewomencitizens？
Idon’tsupposetheyare。）Anyway，aVeryUsefulPerson。Andwhenyoulookatmeyoucansay，`IgavethatVeryUsefulPersontotheworld。’
Thatsoundswell，doesn’tit，Daddy？ButIdon’twishtomisleadyou。
ThefeelingoftencomesovermethatIamnotatallremarkable;
itisfuntoplanacareer，butinallprobabilityIshan’tturnoutabitdifferentfromanyotherordinaryperson。Imayendbymarryinganundertakerandbeinganinspirationtohiminhiswork。
Yoursever，Judy19thAugustDearDaddy-Long-Legs，Mywindowlooksoutontheloveliestlandscape——ocean-scape，rather——
nothingbutwaterandrocks。
Thesummergoes。IspendthemorningwithLatinandEnglishandalgebraandmytwostupidgirls。Idon’tknowhowMarionisevergoingtogetintocollege，orstayinaftershegetsthere。
AndasforFlorence，sheishopeless——butoh！suchalittlebeauty。
Idon’tsupposeitmattersintheleastwhethertheyarestupidornotsolongastheyarepretty？Onecan’thelpthinking，though，howtheirconversationwillboretheirhusbands，unlesstheyarefortunateenoughtoobtainstupidhusbands。Isupposethat’squitepossible;theworldseemstobefilledwithstupidmen;
I’vemetanumberthissummer。
Intheafternoonwetakeawalkonthecliffs，orswim，ifthetideisright。Icanswiminsaltwaterwiththeutmosteaseyouseemyeducationisalreadybeingputtouse！
AlettercomesfromMr。JervisPendletoninParis，ratherashortconciseletter;I’mnotquiteforgivenyetforrefusingtofollowhisadvice。However，ifhegetsbackintime，hewillseemeforafewdaysatLockWillowbeforecollegeopens，andifI
amveryniceandsweetanddocile，Ishall（Iamledtoinfer）
bereceivedintofavouragain。
AlsoaletterfromSallie。ShewantsmetocometotheircampfortwoweeksinSeptember。MustIaskyourpermission，orhaven’tIyetarrivedattheplacewhereIcandoasIplease？Yes，IamsureIhave——I’maSenior，youknow。Havingworkedallsummer，Ifeelliketakingalittlehealthfulrecreation;IwanttoseetheAdirondacks;IwanttoseeSallie;IwanttoseeSallie’sbrother——
he’sgoingtoteachmetocanoe——and（wecometomychiefmotive，whichismean）IwantMasterJervietoarriveatLockWillowandfindmenotthere。
IMUSTshowhimthathecan’tdictatetome。Noonecandictatetomebutyou，Daddy——andyoucan’talways！I’moffforthewoods。
JudyCAMPMCBRIDE，6thSeptemberDearDaddy，Yourletterdidn’tcomeintime（Iampleasedtosay）。Ifyouwishyourinstructionstobeobeyed，youmusthaveyoursecretarytransmittheminlessthantwoweeks。Asyouobserve，Iamhere，andhavebeenforfivedays。
Thewoodsarefine，andsoisthecamp，andsoistheweather，andsoaretheMcBrides，andsoisthewholeworld。I’mveryhappy！
There’sJimmiecallingformetocomecanoeing。Goodbye——sorrytohavedisobeyed，butwhyareyousopersistentaboutnotwantingmetoplayalittle？WhenI’veworkedallthesummerIdeservetwoweeks。Youareawfullydog-in-the-mangerish。
However——Iloveyoustill，Daddy，inspiteofallyourfaults。
Judy3rdOctoberDearDaddy-Long-Legs，BackatcollegeandaSenior——alsoeditoroftheMonthly。
Itdoesn’tseempossible，doesit，thatsosophisticatedaperson，justfouryearsago，wasaninmateoftheJohnGrierHome？
WedoarrivefastinAmerica！
Whatdoyouthinkofthis？AnotefromMasterJerviedirectedtoLockWillowandforwardedhere。He’ssorry，buthefindsthathecan’tgetuptherethisautumn;hehasacceptedaninvitationtogoyachtingwithsomefriends。HopesI’vehadanicesummerandamenjoyingthecountry。
AndheknewallthetimethatIwaswiththeMcBrides，forJuliatoldhimso！Youmenoughttoleaveintriguetowomen;youhaven’talightenoughtouch。
Juliahasatrunkfulofthemostravishingnewclothes——aneveninggownofrainbowLibertycrepethatwouldbefittingraimentfortheangelsinParadise。AndIthoughtthatmyownclothesthisyearwereunprecedentedly（istheresuchaword？）beautiful。IcopiedMrs。Paterson’swardrobewiththeaidofacheapdressmaker，andthoughthegownsdidn’tturnoutquitetwinsoftheoriginals，IwasentirelyhappyuntilJuliaunpacked。Butnow——IlivetoseeParis！
DearDaddy，aren’tyougladyou’renotagirl？Isupposeyouthinkthatthefusswemakeoverclothesistooabsolutelysilly？Itis。
Nodoubtaboutit。Butit’sentirelyyourfault。
DidyoueverhearaboutthelearnedHerrProfessorwhoregardedunnecessaryadornmentwithcontemptandfavouredsensible，utilitarianclothesforwomen？Hiswife，whowasanobligingcreature，adopted`dressreform。’Andwhatdoyouthinkhedid？
Heelopedwithachorusgirl。
Yoursever，JudyPS。Thechamber-maidinourcorridorwearsbluecheckedginghamaprons。
Iamgoingtogethersomebrownonesinstead，andsinktheblueonesinthebottomofthelake。IhaveareminiscentchilleverytimeIlookatthem。
17thNovemberDearDaddy-Long-Legs，Suchablighthasfallenovermyliterarycareer。Idon’tknowwhethertotellyouornot，butIwouldlikesomesympathy——
silentsympathy，please;don’tre-openthewoundbyreferringtoitinyournextletter。
I’vebeenwritingabook，alllastwinterintheevenings，andallthesummerwhenIwasn’tteachingLatintomytwostupidchildren。
Ijustfinisheditbeforecollegeopenedandsentittoapublisher。
Hekeptittwomonths，andIwascertainhewasgoingtotakeit;
butyesterdaymorninganexpressparcelcame（thirtycentsdue）
andthereitwasbackagainwithaletterfromthepublisher，averynice，fatherlyletter——butfrank！HesaidhesawfromtheaddressthatI
wasstillatcollege，andifIwouldacceptsomeadvice，hewouldsuggestthatIputallofmyenergyintomylessonsandwaituntilI
graduatedbeforebeginningtowrite。Heenclosedhisreader’sopinion。
Hereitis：
`Plothighlyimprobable。Characterizationexaggerated。
Conversationunnatural。Agooddealofhumourbutnotalwaysinthebestoftaste。Tellhertokeepontrying，andintimeshemayproducearealbook。’
Notonthewholeflattering，isit，Daddy？AndIthoughtIwasmakinganotableadditiontoAmericanliterature。Ididtruly。
IwasplanningtosurpriseyoubywritingagreatnovelbeforeIgraduated。IcollectedthematerialforitwhileIwasatJulia’slastChristmas。ButIdaresaytheeditorisright。
Probablytwoweekswasnotenoughinwhichtoobservethemannersandcustomsofagreatcity。
Itookitwalkingwithmeyesterdayafternoon，andwhenIcametothegashouse，IwentinandaskedtheengineerifImightborrowhisfurnace。Hepolitelyopenedthedoor，andwithmyownhandsIchuckeditin。IfeltasthoughIhadcrematedmyonlychild！
Iwenttobedlastnightutterlydejected;IthoughtIwasnevergoingtoamounttoanything，andthatyouhadthrownawayyourmoneyfornothing。Butwhatdoyouthink？Iwokeupthismorningwithabeautifulnewplotinmyhead，andI’vebeengoingaboutalldayplanningmycharacters，justashappyasIcouldbe。
Noonecaneveraccusemeofbeingapessimist！IfIhadahusbandandtwelvechildrenswallowedbyanearthquakeoneday，I’dbobupsmilinglythenextmorningandcommencetolookforanotherset。
Affectionately，Judy14thDecemberDearDaddy-Long-Legs，Idreamedthefunniestdreamlastnight。IthoughtIwentintoabookstoreandtheclerkbroughtmeanewbooknamedTheLifeandLettersofJudyAbbott。Icouldseeitperfectlyplainly——
redclothbindingwithapictureoftheJohnGrierHomeonthecover，andmyportraitforafrontispiecewith，`Verytrulyyours，JudyAbbott，’
writtenbelow。ButjustasIwasturningtotheendtoreadtheinscriptiononmytombstone，Iwokeup。Itwasveryannoying！
IalmostfoundoutwhomI’mgoingtomarryandwhenI’mgoingtodie。
Don’tyouthinkitwouldbeinterestingifyoureallycouldreadthestoryofyourlife——writtenperfectlytruthfullybyanomniscientauthor？
Andsupposeyoucouldonlyreaditonthiscondition：thatyouwouldneverforgetit，butwouldhavetogothroughlifeknowingaheadoftimeexactlyhoweverythingyoudidwouldturnout，andforeseeingtotheexacthourthetimewhenyouwoulddie。
Howmanypeopledoyousupposewouldhavethecouragetoreaditthen？orhowmanycouldsuppresstheircuriositysufficientlytoescapefromreadingit，evenatthepriceofhavingtolivewithouthopeandwithoutsurprises？
Lifeismonotonousenoughatbest;youhavetoeatandsleepaboutsooften。ButimaginehowDEADLYmonotonousitwouldbeifnothingunexpectedcouldhappenbetweenmeals。Mercy！Daddy，there’sablot，butI’monthethirdpageandIcan’tbeginanewsheet。
I’mgoingonwithbiologyagainthisyear——veryinterestingsubject;
we’restudyingthealimentarysystematpresent。Youshouldseehowsweetacross-sectionoftheduodenumofacatisunderthemicroscope。
Alsowe’vearrivedatphilosophy——interestingbutevanescent。Ipreferbiologywhereyoucanpinthesubjectunderdiscussiontoaboard。
There’sanother！Andanother！Thispenisweepingcopiously。
Pleaseexcuseitstears。
Doyoubelieveinfreewill？Ido——unreservedly。Idon’tagreeatallwiththephilosopherswhothinkthateveryactionistheabsolutelyinevitableandautomaticresultantofanaggregationofremotecauses。That’sthemostimmoraldoctrineIeverheard——
nobodywouldbetoblameforanything。Ifamanbelievedinfatalism，hewouldnaturallyjustsitdownandsay，`TheLord’swillbedone，’
andcontinuetosituntilhefelloverdead。
Ibelieveabsolutelyinmyownfreewillandmyownpowertoaccomplish——
andthatisthebeliefthatmovesmountains。Youwatchmebecomeagreatauthor！Ihavefourchaptersofmynewbookfinishedandfivemoredrafted。
Thisisaveryabstruseletter——doesyourheadache，Daddy？
Ithinkwe’llstopnowandmakesomefudge。I’msorryIcan’tsendyouapiece;itwillbeunusuallygood，forwe’regoingtomakeitwithrealcreamandthreebutterballs。
Yoursaffectionately，JudyPS。We’rehavingfancydancingingymnasiumclass。Youcanseebytheaccompanyingpicturehowmuchwelooklikearealballet。
Theoneattheendaccomplishingagracefulpirouetteisme——ImeanI。
26thDecemberMyDear，Dear，Daddy，Haven’tyouanysense？Don’tyouKNOWthatyoumustn’tgiveonegirlseventeenChristmaspresents？I’maSocialist，pleaseremember;
doyouwishtoturnmeintoaPlutocrat？
Thinkhowembarrassingitwouldbeifweshouldeverquarrel！
Ishouldhavetoengageamoving-vantoreturnyourgifts。
IamsorrythatthenecktieIsentwassowobbly;Iknititwithmyownhands（asyoudoubtlessdiscoveredfrominternalevidence）。
Youwillhavetowearitoncolddaysandkeepyourcoatbuttoneduptight。
Thankyou，Daddy，athousandtimes。Ithinkyou’rethesweetestmanthateverlived——andthefoolishest！
JudyHere’safour-leafcloverfromCampMcBridetobringyougoodluckfortheNewYear。
9thJanuaryDoyouwishtodosomething，Daddy，thatwillensureyoureternalsalvation？Thereisafamilyherewhoareinawfullydesperatestraits。Amotherandfatherandfourvisiblechildren——
thetwoolderboyshavedisappearedintotheworldtomaketheirfortuneandhavenotsentanyofitback。Thefatherworkedinaglassfactoryandgotconsumption——it’sawfullyunhealthywork——
andnowhasbeensentawaytoahospital。Thattookalltheirsavings，andthesupportofthefamilyfallsupontheoldestdaughter，whoistwenty-four。Shedressmakesfor$1。50aday（whenshecangetit）andembroiderscentrepiecesintheevening。Themotherisn’tverystrongandisextremelyineffectualandpious。
Shesitswithherhandsfolded，apictureofpatientresignation，whilethedaughterkillsherselfwithoverworkandresponsibilityandworry;shedoesn’tseehowtheyaregoingtogetthroughtherestofthewinter——andIdon’teither。Onehundreddollarswouldbuysomecoalandsomeshoesforthreechildrensothattheycouldgotoschool，andgivealittlemarginsothatsheneedn’tworryherselftodeathwhenafewdayspassandshedoesn’tgetwork。
YouaretherichestmanIknow。Don’tyousupposeyoucouldspareonehundreddollars？ThatgirldeserveshelpalotmorethanI
everdid。Iwouldn’taskitexceptforthegirl;Idon’tcaremuchwhathappenstothemother——sheissuchajelly-fish。
Thewaypeopleareforeverrollingtheireyestoheavenandsaying，`Perhapsit’sallforthebest，’whentheyareperfectlydeadsureit’snot，makesmeenraged。Humilityorresignationorwhateveryouchoosetocallit，issimplyimpotentinertia。I’mforamoremilitantreligion！
Wearegettingthemostdreadfullessonsinphilosophy——allofSchopenhauerfortomorrow。Theprofessordoesn’tseemtorealizethatwearetakinganyothersubject。He’saqueeroldduck;
hegoesaboutwithhisheadinthecloudsandblinksdazedlywhenoccasionallyhestrikessolidearth。Hetriestolightenhislectureswithanoccasionalwitticism——andwedoourbesttosmile，butIassureyouhisjokesarenolaughingmatter。
Hespendshisentiretimebetweenclassesintryingtofigureoutwhethermatterreallyexistsorwhetherheonlythinksitexists。
I’msuremysewinggirlhasn’tanydoubtbutthatitexists！
Wheredoyouthinkmynewnovelis？Inthewaste-basket。Icanseemyselfthatit’snogoodonearth，andwhenalovingauthorrealizesthat，whatWOULDbethejudgmentofacriticalpublic？
LaterIaddressyou，Daddy，fromabedofpain。FortwodaysI’vebeenlaidupwithswollentonsils;Icanjustswallowhotmilk，andthatisall。`Whatwereyourparentsthinkingofnottohavethosetonsilsoutwhenyouwereababy？’thedoctorwishedtoknow。
I’msureIhaven’tanidea，butIdoubtiftheywerethinkingmuchaboutme。
Yours，J。A。
NextmorningIjustreadthisoverbeforesealingit。Idon’tknowWHYIcastsuchamistyatmosphereoverlife。IhastentoassureyouthatI
amyoungandhappyandexuberant;andItrustyouarethesame。
Youthhasnothingtodowithbirthdays，onlywithALIVEDNESSofspirit，soevenifyourhairisgrey，Daddy，youcanstillbeaboy。
Affectionately，Judy12thJan。
DearMr。Philanthropist，Yourchequeformyfamilycameyesterday。Thankyousomuch！
Icutgymnasiumandtookitdowntothemrightafterluncheon，andyoushouldhaveseenthegirl’sface！Shewassosurprisedandhappyandrelievedthatshelookedalmostyoung;andshe’sonlytwenty-four。Isn’titpitiful？
Anyway，shefeelsnowasthoughallthegoodthingswerecomingtogether。
Shehassteadyworkaheadfortwomonths——someone’sgettingmarried，andthere’satrousseautomake。
`ThankthegoodLord！’criedthemother，whenshegraspedthefactthatthatsmallpieceofpaperwasonehundreddollars。
`Itwasn’tthegoodLordatall，’saidI，`itwasDaddy-Long-Legs。’
（Mr。Smith，Icalledyou。）
`ButitwasthegoodLordwhoputitinhismind，’saidshe。
`Notatall！Iputitinhismindmyself，’saidI。
Butanyway，Daddy，ItrustthegoodLordwillrewardyousuitably。
Youdeservetenthousandyearsoutofpurgatory。
Yoursmostgratefully，JudyAbbott15thFeb。
MayitpleaseYourMostExcellentMajesty：
ThismorningIdideatmybreakfastuponacoldturkeypieandagoose，andIdidsendforacupoftee（achinadrink）
ofwhichIhadneverdrankbefore。
Don’tbenervous，Daddy——Ihaven’tlostmymind;I’mmerelyquotingSam’lPepys。We’rereadinghiminconnectionwithEnglishHistory，originalsources。SallieandJuliaandIconversenowinthelanguageof1660。Listentothis：
`IwenttoCharingCrosstoseeMajorHarrisonhanged，drawnandquartered：helookingascheerfulasanymancoulddointhatcondition。’Andthis：`Dinedwithmyladywhoisinhandsomemourningforherbrotherwhodiedyesterdayofspottedfever。’
Seemsalittleearlytocommenceentertaining，doesn’tit？AfriendofPepysdevisedaverycunningmannerwherebythekingmightpayhisdebtsoutofthesaletopoorpeopleofolddecayedprovisions。
Whatdoyou，areformer，thinkofthat？Idon’tbelievewe’resobadtodayasthenewspapersmakeout。
Samuelwasasexcitedabouthisclothesasanygirl;hespentfivetimesasmuchondressashiswife——thatappearstohavebeentheGoldenAgeofhusbands。Isn’tthisatouchingentry？
Youseehereallywashonest。`TodaycamehomemyfineCamlettcloakwithgoldbuttons，whichcostmemuchmoney，andIprayGodtomakemeabletopayforit。’
ExcusemeforbeingsofullofPepys;I’mwritingaspecialtopiconhim。
Whatdoyouthink，Daddy？TheSelf-GovernmentAssociationhasabolishedtheteno’clockrule。Wecankeepourlightsallnightifwechoose，theonlyrequirementbeingthatwedonotdisturbothers——
wearenotsupposedtoentertainonalargescale。Theresultisabeautifulcommentaryonhumannature。Nowthatwemaystayupaslongaswechoose，wenolongerchoose。Ourheadsbegintonodatnineo’clock，andbynine-thirtythependropsfromournervelessgrasp。
It’snine-thirtynow。Goodnight。
SundayJustbackfromchurch——preacherfromGeorgia。Wemusttakecare，hesays，nottodevelopourintellectsattheexpenseofouremotionalnatures——
butmethoughtitwasapoor，drysermon（Pepysagain）。Itdoesn’tmatterwhatpartoftheUnitedStatesorCanadatheycomefrom，orwhatdenominationtheyare，wealwaysgetthesamesermon。
Whyonearthdon’ttheygotomen’scollegesandurgethestudentsnottoallowtheirmanlynaturestobecrushedoutbytoomuchmentalapplication？
It’sabeautifulday——frozenandicyandclear。Assoonasdinnerisover，SallieandJuliaandMartyKeeneandEleanorPratt（friendsofmine，butyoudon’tknowthem）andIaregoingtoputonshortskirtsandwalk’crosscountrytoCrystalSpringFarmandhaveafriedchickenandwafflesupper，andthenhaveMr。CrystalSpringdriveushomeinhisbuckboard。Wearesupposedtobeinsidethecampusatseven，butwearegoingtostretchapointtonightandmakeiteight。
Farewell，kindSir。
Ihavethehonourofsubscribingmyself，Yourmostloyall，dutifull，faithfullandobedientservant，J。AbbottMarchFifthDearMr。Trustee，TomorrowisthefirstWednesdayinthemonth——awearydayfortheJohnGrierHome。Howrelievedthey’llbewhenfiveo’clockcomesandyoupatthemontheheadandtakeyourselvesoff！Didyou（individually）everpatmeonthehead，Daddy？Idon’tbelieveso——
mymemoryseemstobeconcernedonlywithfatTrustees。
GivetheHomemylove，please——myTRULYlove。IhavequiteafeelingoftendernessforitasIlookbackthroughahazeoffouryears。
WhenIfirstcametocollegeIfeltquiteresentfulbecauseI’dbeenrobbedofthenormalkindofchildhoodthattheothergirlshadhad;butnow，Idon’tfeelthatwayintheleast。Iregarditasaveryunusualadventure。Itgivesmeasortofvantagepointfromwhichtostandasideandlookatlife。Emergingfullgrown，Igetaperspectiveontheworld，thatotherpeoplewhohavebeenbroughtupinthethickofthingsentirelylack。
Iknowlotsofgirls（Julia，forinstance）whoneverknowthattheyarehappy。Theyaresoaccustomedtothefeelingthattheirsensesaredeadenedtoit;butasforme——IamperfectlysureeverymomentofmylifethatIamhappy。AndI’mgoingtokeeponbeing，nomatterwhatunpleasantthingsturnup。I’mgoingtoregardthem（eventoothaches）asinterestingexperiences，andbegladtoknowwhattheyfeellike。`Whateversky’saboveme，I’veaheartforanyfate。’
However，Daddy，don’ttakethisnewaffectionfortheJ。G。H。
tooliterally。IfIhavefivechildren，likeRousseau，Ishan’tleavethemonthestepsofafoundlingasyluminordertoinsuretheirbeingbroughtupsimply。
GivemykindestregardstoMrs。Lippett（that，Ithink，istruthful;
lovewouldbealittlestrong）anddon’tforgettotellherwhatabeautifulnatureI’vedeveloped。
Affectionately，JudyLOCKWILLOW，4thAprilDearDaddy，Doyouobservethepostmark？SallieandIareembellishingLockWillowwithourpresenceduringtheEasterVacation。
Wedecidedthatthebestthingwecoulddowithourtendayswastocomewhereitisquiet。Ournerveshadgottothepointwheretheywouldn’tstandanothermealinFergussen。Dininginaroomwithfourhundredgirlsisanordealwhenyouaretired。
Thereissomuchnoisethatyoucan’thearthegirlsacrossthetablespeakunlesstheymaketheirhandsintoamegaphoneandshout。
Thatisthetruth。
Wearetrampingoverthehillsandreadingandwriting，andhavinganice，restfultime。Weclimbedtothetopof`SkyHill’
thismorningwhereMasterJervieandIoncecookedsupper——
itdoesn’tseempossiblethatitwasnearlytwoyearsago。Icouldstillseetheplacewherethesmokeofourfireblackenedtherock。
Itisfunnyhowcertainplacesgetconnectedwithcertainpeople，andyounevergobackwithoutthinkingofthem。Iwasquitelonelywithouthim——fortwominutes。
Whatdoyouthinkismylatestactivity，Daddy？YouwillbegintobelievethatIamincorrigible——Iamwritingabook。Istarteditthreeweeksagoandameatingitupinchunks。I’vecaughtthesecret。
MasterJervieandthateditormanwereright;youaremostconvincingwhenyouwriteaboutthethingsyouknow。AndthistimeitisaboutsomethingthatIdoknow——exhaustively。Guesswhereit’slaid？
IntheJohnGrierHome！Andit’sgood，Daddy，Iactuallybelieveitis——justaboutthetinylittlethingsthathappenedeveryday。
I’marealistnow。I’veabandonedromanticism;Ishallgobacktoitlaterthough，whenmyownadventurousfuturebegins。
Thisnewbookisgoingtogetitselffinished——andpublished！
Youseeifitdoesn’t。Ifyoujustwantathinghardenoughandkeepontrying，youdogetitintheend。I’vebeentryingforfouryearstogetaletterfromyou——andIhaven’tgivenuphopeyet。
Goodbye，Daddydear，（IliketocallyouDaddydear;it’ssoalliterative。）
Affectionately，JudyPS。Iforgottotellyouthefarmnews，butit’sverydistressing。
Skipthispostscriptifyoudon’twantyoursensibilitiesallwroughtup。
PooroldGroveisdead。Hegotsothathecouldn’tchewandtheyhadtoshoothim。
Ninechickenswerekilledbyaweaseloraskunkoraratlastweek。
Oneofthecowsissick，andwehadtohavetheveterinarysurgeonoutfromBonnyriggFourCorners。Amasaistayedupallnighttogiveherlinseedoilandwhisky。Butwehaveanawfulsuspicionthatthepoorsickcowgotnothingbutlinseedoil。
SentimentalTommy（thetortoise-shellcat）hasdisappeared;
weareafraidhehasbeencaughtinatrap。
Therearelotsoftroublesintheworld！
17thMayDearDaddy-Long-Legs，Thisisgoingtobeextremelyshortbecausemyshoulderachesatthesightofapen。Lecturenotesallday，immortalnovelallevening，maketoomuchwriting。
CommencementthreeweeksfromnextWednesday。Ithinkyoumightcomeandmakemyacquaintance——Ishallhateyouifyoudon’t！Julia’sinvitingMasterJervie，hebeingherfamily，andSallie’sinvitingJimmieMcB。，hebeingherfamily，butwhoisthereformetoinvite？
JustyouandLippett，andIdon’twanther。Pleasecome。
Yours，withloveandwriter’scramp。
JudyLOCKWILLOW，19thJuneDearDaddy-Long-Legs，I’meducated！Mydiplomaisinthebottombureaudrawerwithmytwobestdresses。Commencementwasasusual，withafewshowersatvitalmoments。Thankyouforyourrosebuds。Theywerelovely。
MasterJervieandMasterJimmiebothgavemeroses，too，butIlefttheirsinthebathtubandcarriedyoursintheclassprocession。
HereIamatLockWillowforthesummer——forevermaybe。Theboardischeap;thesurroundingsquietandconducivetoaliterarylife。
Whatmoredoesastrugglingauthorwish？Iammadaboutmybook。
Ithinkofiteverywakingmoment，anddreamofitatnight。AllI
wantispeaceandquietandlotsoftimetowork（interspersedwithnourishingmeals）。
MasterJervieiscomingupforaweekorsoinAugust，andJimmieMcBrideisgoingtodropinsometimethroughthesummer。
He’sconnectedwithabondhousenow，andgoesaboutthecountrysellingbondstobanks。He’sgoingtocombinethe`Farmers’National’
attheCornersandmeonthesametrip。
YouseethatLockWillowisn’tentirelylackinginsociety。
I’dbeexpectingtohaveyoucomemotoringthrough——onlyIknownowthatthatishopeless。Whenyouwouldn’tcometomycommencement，Itoreyoufrommyheartandburiedyouforever。
JudyAbbott，A。B。
24thJulyDearestDaddy-Long-Legs，Isn’titfuntowork——ordon’tyoueverdoit？It’sespeciallyfunwhenyourkindofworkisthethingyou’dratherdomorethananythingelseintheworld。I’vebeenwritingasfastasmypenwouldgoeverydaythissummer，andmyonlyquarrelwithlifeisthatthedaysaren’tlongenoughtowriteallthebeautifulandvaluableandentertainingthoughtsI’mthinking。
I’vefinishedtheseconddraftofmybookandamgoingtobeginthethirdtomorrowmorningathalf-pastseven。It’sthesweetestbookyoueversaw——itis，truly。Ithinkofnothingelse。
Icanbarelywaitinthemorningtodressandeatbeforebeginning;
thenIwriteandwriteandwritetillsuddenlyI’msotiredthatI’mlimpallover。ThenIgooutwithColin（thenewsheepdog）andrompthroughthefieldsandgetafreshsupplyofideasforthenextday。
It’sthemostbeautifulbookyoueversaw——Oh，pardon——Isaidthatbefore。
Youdon’tthinkmeconceited，doyou，Daddydear？
I’mnot，really，onlyjustnowI’mintheenthusiasticstage。
MaybelateronI’llgetcoldandcriticalandsniffy。No，I’msureIwon’t！ThistimeI’vewrittenarealbook。Justwaittillyouseeit。
I’lltryforaminutetotalkaboutsomethingelse。Inevertoldyou，didI，thatAmasaiandCarriegotmarriedlastMay？Theyarestillworkinghere，butsofarasIcanseeithasspoiledthemboth。
Sheusedtolaughwhenhetrampedinmudordroppedashesonthefloor，butnow——youshouldhearherscold！Andshedoesn’tcurlherhairanylonger。Amasai，whousedtobesoobligingaboutbeatingrugsandcarryingwood，grumblesifyousuggestsuchathing。
Alsohisnecktiesarequitedingy——blackandbrown，wheretheyusedtobescarletandpurple。I’vedeterminednevertomarry。
It’sadeterioratingprocess，evidently。
Thereisn’tmuchofanyfarmnews。Theanimalsareallinthebestofhealth。Thepigsareunusuallyfat，thecowsseemcontentedandthehensarelayingwell。Areyouinterestedinpoultry？
Ifso，letmerecommendthatinvaluablelittlework，200EggsperHenperYear。Iamthinkingofstartinganincubatornextspringandraisingbroilers。YouseeI’msettledatLockWillowpermanently。
IhavedecidedtostayuntilI’vewritten114novelslikeAnthonyTrollope’smother。ThenIshallhavecompletedmylifeworkandcanretireandtravel。
Mr。JamesMcBridespentlastSundaywithus。Friedchickenandice-creamfordinner，bothofwhichheappearedtoappreciate。Iwasawfullygladtoseehim;hebroughtamomentaryreminderthattheworldatlargeexists。PoorJimmieishavingahardtimepeddlinghisbonds。
The`Farmers’National’attheCornerswouldn’thaveanythingtodowiththeminspiteofthefactthattheypaysixpercent。
interestandsometimesseven。Ithinkhe’llendupbygoinghometoWorcesterandtakingajobinhisfather’sfactory。He’stooopenandconfidingandkind-heartedevertomakeasuccessfulfinancier。
Buttobethemanagerofaflourishingoverallfactoryisaverydesirableposition，don’tyouthink？Justnowheturnsuphisnoseatoveralls，buthe’llcometothem。
Ihopeyouappreciatethefactthatthisisalongletterfromapersonwithwriter’scramp。ButIstillloveyou，Daddydear，andI’mveryhappy。Withbeautifulsceneryallabout，andlotstoeatandacomfortablefour-postbedandareamofblankpaperandapintofink——whatmoredoesonewantintheworld？
Yoursasalways，JudyPS。Thepostmanarriveswithsomemorenews。WearetoexpectMasterJervieonFridaynexttospendaweek。That’saverypleasantprospect——onlyIamafraidmypoorbookwillsuffer。
MasterJervieisverydemanding。
27thAugustDearDaddy-Long-Legs，Whereareyou，Iwonder？
Ineverknowwhatpartoftheworldyouarein，butIhopeyou’renotinNewYorkduringthisawfulweather。Ihopeyou’reonamountainpeak（butnotinSwitzerland;somewherenearer）lookingatthesnowandthinkingaboutme。Pleasebethinkingaboutme。
I’mquitelonelyandIwanttobethoughtabout。Oh，Daddy，IwishIknewyou！Thenwhenwewereunhappywecouldcheereachotherup。
Idon’tthinkIcanstandmuchmoreofLockWillow。I’mthinkingofmoving。SallieisgoingtodosettlementworkinBostonnextwinter。Don’tyouthinkitwouldbeniceformetogowithher，thenwecouldhaveastudiotogether？IwouldwritewhilesheSETTLEDandwecouldbetogetherintheevenings。Eveningsareverylongwhenthere’snoonebuttheSemplesandCarrieandAmasaitotalkto。Iknowinadvancethatyouwon’tlikemystudioidea。
Icanreadyoursecretary’sletternow：
`MissJerushaAbbott。
`DEARMADAM，`Mr。SmithprefersthatyouremainatLockWillow。
`Yourstruly，`ELMERH。GRIGGS。’
Ihateyoursecretary。IamcertainthatamannamedElmerH。
Griggsmustbehorrid。Buttruly，Daddy，IthinkIshallhavetogotoBoston。Ican’tstayhere。Ifsomethingdoesn’thappensoon，Ishallthrowmyselfintothesilopitoutofsheerdesperation。
Mercy！butit’shot。Allthegrassisburntupandthebrooksaredryandtheroadsaredusty。Ithasn’trainedforweeksandweeks。
ThislettersoundsasthoughIhadhydrophobia，butIhaven’t。I
justwantsomefamily。
Goodbye，mydearestDaddy。
IwishIknewyou。
JudyLOCKWILLOW，19thSeptemberDearDaddy，SomethinghashappenedandIneedadvice。Ineeditfromyou，andfromnobodyelseintheworld。Wouldn’titbepossibleformetoseeyou？It’ssomucheasiertotalkthantowrite;andI’mafraidyoursecretarymightopentheletter。
JudyPS。I’mveryunhappy。
LOCKWILLOW，3rdOctoberDearDaddy-Long-Legs，Yournotewritteninyourownhand——andaprettywobblyhand！——
camethismorning。Iamsosorrythatyouhavebeenill;Iwouldn’thavebotheredyouwithmyaffairsifIhadknown。Yes，Iwilltellyouthetrouble，butit’ssortofcomplicatedtowrite，andVERYPRIVATE。
Pleasedon’tkeepthisletter，butburnit。
BeforeIbegin——here’sachequeforonethousanddollars。
Itseemsfunny，doesn’tit，formetobesendingachequetoyou？
WheredoyouthinkIgotit？
I’vesoldmystory，Daddy。It’sgoingtobepublishedseriallyinsevenparts，andtheninabook！YoumightthinkI’dbewildwithjoy，butI’mnot。I’mentirelyapathetic。OfcourseI’mgladtobeginpayingyou——Ioweyouovertwothousandmore。It’scomingininstalments。Nowdon’tbehorrid，please，abouttakingit，becauseitmakesmehappytoreturnit。Ioweyouagreatdealmorethanthemeremoney，andtherestIwillcontinuetopayallmylifeingratitudeandaffection。
Andnow，Daddy，abouttheotherthing;pleasegivemeyourmostworldlyadvice，whetheryouthinkI’lllikeitornot。
YouknowthatI’vealwayshadaveryspecialfeelingtowardsyou;
yousortofrepresentedmywholefamily;butyouwon’tmind，willyou，ifItellyouthatIhaveaverymuchmorespecialfeelingforanotherman？Youcanprobablyguesswithoutmuchtroublewhoheis。
IsuspectthatmylettershavebeenveryfullofMasterJervieforaverylongtime。
IwishIcouldmakeyouunderstandwhatheislikeandhowentirelycompanionableweare。Wethinkthesameabouteverything——
IamafraidIhaveatendencytomakeovermyideastomatchhis！
Butheisalmostalwaysright;heoughttobe，youknow，forhehasfourteenyears’startofme。Inotherways，though，he’sjustanovergrownboy，andhedoesneedlookingafter——
hehasn’tanysenseaboutwearingrubberswhenitrains。HeandI
alwaysthinkthesamethingsarefunny，andthatissuchalot;
it’sdreadfulwhentwopeople’ssensesofhumourareantagonistic。
Idon’tbelievethere’sanybridgingthatgulf！
Andheis——Oh，well！Heisjusthimself，andImisshim，andmisshim，andmisshim。Thewholeworldseemsemptyandaching。Ihatethemoonlightbecauseit’sbeautifulandheisn’theretoseeitwithme。
Butmaybeyou’velovedsomebody，too，andyouknow？Ifyouhave，Idon’tneedtoexplain;ifyouhaven’t，Ican’texplain。
Anyway，that’sthewayIfeel——andI’verefusedtomarryhim。
Ididn’ttellhimwhy;Iwasjustdumbandmiserable。Icouldn’tthinkofanythingtosay。AndnowhehasgoneawayimaginingthatIwanttomarryJimmieMcBride——Idon’tintheleast，Iwouldn’tthinkofmarryingJimmie;heisn’tgrownupenough。
ButMasterJervieandIgotintoadreadfulmuddleofmisunderstandingandwebothhurteachother’sfeelings。ThereasonIsenthimawaywasnotbecauseIdidn’tcareforhim，butbecauseIcaredforhimsomuch。Iwasafraidhewouldregretitinthefuture——
andIcouldn’tstandthat！Itdidn’tseemrightforapersonofmylackofantecedentstomarryintoanysuchfamilyashis。
Inevertoldhimabouttheorphanasylum，andIhatedtoexplainthatIdidn’tknowwhoIwas。ImaybeDREADFUL，youknow。
Andhisfamilyareproud——andI’mproud，too！
Also，Ifeltsortofboundtoyou。Afterhavingbeeneducatedtobeawriter，Imustatleasttrytobeone;itwouldscarcelybefairtoacceptyoureducationandthengooffandnotuseit。
ButnowthatIamgoingtobeabletopaybackthemoney，IfeelthatIhavepartiallydischargedthatdebt——besides，IsupposeIcouldkeeponbeingawriterevenifIdidmarry。Thetwoprofessionsarenotnecessarilyexclusive。
I’vebeenthinkingveryhardaboutit。OfcourseheisaSocialist，andhehasunconventionalideas;maybehewouldn’tmindmarryingintotheproletariatsomuchassomemenmight。Perhapswhentwopeopleareexactlyinaccord，andalwayshappywhentogetherandlonelywhenapart，theyoughtnottoletanythingintheworldstandbetweenthem。
OfcourseIWANTtobelievethat！ButI’dliketogetyourunemotionalopinion。YouprobablybelongtoaFamilyalso，andwilllookatitfromaworldlypointofviewandnotjustasympathetic，humanpointofview——soyouseehowbraveIamtolayitbeforeyou。
SupposeIgotohimandexplainthatthetroubleisn’tJimmie，butistheJohnGrierHome——wouldthatbeadreadfulthingformetodo？Itwouldtakeagreatdealofcourage。I’dalmostratherbemiserablefortherestofmylife。
Thishappenednearlytwomonthsago;Ihaven’theardawordfromhimsincehewashere。Iwasjustgettingsortofacclimatedtothefeelingofabrokenheart，whenalettercamefromJuliathatstirredmeallupagain。Shesaid——verycasually——that`UncleJervis’
hadbeencaughtoutallnightinastormwhenhewashuntinginCanada，andhadbeenilleversincewithpneumonia。AndIneverknewit。
Iwasfeelinghurtbecausehehadjustdisappearedintoblanknesswithoutaword。Ithinkhe’sprettyunhappy，andIknowIam！
Whatseemstoyoutherightthingformetodo？
Judy6thOctoberDearestDaddy-Long-Legs，Yes，certainlyI’llcome——athalf-pastfournextWednesdayafternoon。
OfCOURSEIcanfindtheway。I’vebeeninNewYorkthreetimesandamnotquiteababy。Ican’tbelievethatIamreallygoingtoseeyou——
I’vebeenjustTHINKINGyousolongthatithardlyseemsasthoughyouareatangibleflesh-and-bloodperson。
Youareawfullygood，Daddy，tobotheryourselfwithme，whenyou’renotstrong。Takecareanddon’tcatchcold。Thesefallrainsareverydamp。
Affectionately，JudyPS。I’vejusthadanawfulthought。Haveyouabutler？I’mafraidofbutlers，andifoneopensthedoorIshallfaintuponthestep。
WhatcanIsaytohim？Youdidn’ttellmeyourname。ShallIaskforMr。Smith？
ThursdayMorningMyVeryDearestMaster-Jervie-Daddy-Long-LegsPendleton-Smith，Didyousleeplastnight？Ididn’t。Notasinglewink。Iwastooamazedandexcitedandbewilderedandhappy。Idon’tbelieveIevershallsleepagain——oreateither。ButIhopeyouslept;
youmust，youknow，becausethenyouwillgetwellfasterandcancometome。
DearMan，Ican’tbeartothinkhowillyou’vebeen——andallthetimeIneverknewit。Whenthedoctorcamedownyesterdaytoputmeinthecab，hetoldmethatforthreedaystheygaveyouup。
Oh，dearest，ifthathadhappened，thelightwouldhavegoneoutoftheworldforme。Isupposethatsomedayinthefarfuture——
oneofusmustleavetheother;butatleastweshallhavehadourhappinessandtherewillbememoriestolivewith。
Imeanttocheeryouup——andinsteadIhavetocheermyself。
ForinspiteofbeinghappierthanIeverdreamedIcouldbe，I’malsosoberer。Thefearthatsomethingmayhappenrestslikeashadowonmyheart。AlwaysbeforeIcouldbefrivolousandcare-freeandunconcerned，becauseIhadnothingprecioustolose。
Butnow——IshallhaveaGreatBigWorryalltherestofmylife。
WheneveryouareawayfrommeIshallbethinkingofalltheautomobilesthatcanrunoveryou，orthesign-boardsthatcanfallonyourhead，orthedreadful，squirmygermsthatyoumaybeswallowing。Mypeaceofmindisgoneforever——butanyway，Inevercaredmuchforjustplainpeace。
Pleasegetwell——fast——fast——fast。IwanttohaveyouclosebywhereIcantouchyouandmakesureyouaretangible。Suchalittlehalfhourwehadtogether！I’mafraidmaybeIdreamedit。
IfIwereonlyamemberofyourfamily（averydistantfourthcousin）
thenIcouldcomeandvisityoueveryday，andreadaloudandplumpupyourpillowandsmoothoutthosetwolittlewrinklesinyourforeheadandmakethecornersofyourmouthturnupinanicecheerfulsmile。
Butyouarecheerfulagain，aren’tyou？YouwereyesterdaybeforeIleft。ThedoctorsaidImustbeagoodnurse，thatyoulookedtenyearsyounger。Ihopethatbeinginlovedoesn’tmakeeveryonetenyearsyounger。Willyoustillcareforme，darling，ifI
turnouttobeonlyeleven？
Yesterdaywasthemostwonderfuldaythatcouldeverhappen。
IfIlivetobeninety-nineIshallneverforgetthetiniestdetail。
ThegirlthatleftLockWillowatdawnwasaverydifferentpersonfromtheonewhocamebackatnight。Mrs。Semplecalledmeathalf-pastfour。
Istartedwideawakeinthedarknessandthefirstthoughtthatpoppedintomyheadwas，`IamgoingtoseeDaddy-Long-Legs！’Iatebreakfastinthekitchenbycandle-light，andthendrovethefivemilestothestationthroughthemostgloriousOctobercolouring。
Thesuncameupontheway，andtheswampmaplesanddogwoodglowedcrimsonandorangeandthestonewallsandcornfieldssparkledwithhoarfrost;theairwaskeenandclearandfullofpromise。
Iknewsomethingwasgoingtohappen。Allthewayinthetraintherailskeptsinging，`You’regoingtoseeDaddy-Long-Legs。’
Itmademefeelsecure。IhadsuchfaithinDaddy’sabilitytosetthingsright。AndIknewthatsomewhereanotherman——dearerthanDaddy——
waswantingtoseeme，andsomehowIhadafeelingthatbeforethejourneyendedIshouldmeethim，too。Andyousee！
WhenIcametothehouseonMadisonAvenueitlookedsobigandbrownandforbiddingthatIdidn’tdaregoin，soIwalkedaroundtheblocktogetupmycourage。ButIneedn’thavebeenabitafraid;
yourbutlerissuchanice，fatherlyoldmanthathemademefeelathomeatonce。`IsthisMissAbbott？’hesaidtome，andIsaid，`Yes，’soIdidn’thavetoaskforMr。Smithafterall。
Hetoldmetowaitinthedrawing-room。Itwasaverysombre，magnificent，man’ssortofroom。Isatdownontheedgeofabigupholsteredchairandkeptsayingtomyself：
`I’mgoingtoseeDaddy-Long-Legs！I’mgoingtoseeDaddy-Long-Legs！’
Thenpresentlythemancamebackandaskedmepleasetostepuptothelibrary。Iwassoexcitedthatreallyandtrulymyfeetwouldhardlytakemeup。Outsidethedoorheturnedandwhispered，`He’sbeenveryill，Miss。Thisisthefirstdayhe’sbeenallowedtositup。You’llnotstaylongenoughtoexcitehim？’
Iknewfromthewayhesaiditthathelovedyou——anIthinkhe’sanolddear！
Thenheknockedandsaid，`MissAbbott，’andIwentinandthedoorclosedbehindme。
ItwassodimcominginfromthebrightlylightedhallthatforamomentIcouldscarcelymakeoutanything;thenIsawabigeasychairbeforethefireandashiningteatablewithasmallerchairbesideit。AndIrealizedthatamanwassittinginthebigchairproppedupbypillowswitharugoverhisknees。BeforeIcouldstophimherose——rathershakily——andsteadiedhimselfbythebackofthechairandjustlookedatmewithoutaword。Andthen——
andthen——Isawitwasyou！ButevenwiththatIdidn’tunderstand。
IthoughtDaddyhadhadyoucometheretomeetmeorasurprise。
Thenyoulaughedandheldoutyourhandandsaid，`DearlittleJudy，couldn’tyouguessthatIwasDaddy-Long-Legs？’
Inaninstantitflashedoverme。Oh，butIhavebeenstupid！
Ahundredlittlethingsmighthavetoldme，ifIhadhadanywits。
Iwouldn’tmakeaverygooddetective，wouldI，Daddy？Jervie？
WhatmustIcallyou？JustplainJerviesoundsdisrespectful，andI
can’tbedisrespectfultoyou！
Itwasaverysweethalfhourbeforeyourdoctorcameandsentmeaway。
IwassodazedwhenIgottothestationthatIalmosttookatrainforStLouis。Andyouwereprettydazed，too。Youforgottogivemeanytea。Butwe’rebothvery，veryhappy，aren’twe？IdrovebacktoLockWillowinthedarkbutoh，howthestarswereshining！
AndthismorningI’vebeenoutwithColinvisitingalltheplacesthatyouandIwenttotogether，andrememberingwhatyousaidandhowyoulooked。Thewoodstodayareburnishedbronzeandtheairisfulloffrost。It’sCLIMBINGweather。Iwishyouwereheretoclimbthehillswithme。Iammissingyoudreadfully，Jerviedear，butit’sahappykindofmissing;we’llbetogethersoon。Webelongtoeachothernowreallyandtruly，nomake-believe。Doesn’titseemqueerformetobelongtosomeoneatlast？Itseemsvery，verysweet。
AndIshallneverletyoubesorryforasingleinstant。
Yours，foreverandever，JudyPS。Thisisthefirstlove-letterIeverwrote。Isn’titfunnythatIknowhow？
