been real homes to me. But there is no fear. She has a block of wood
she found in the blacksmith shop which she calls her "dear baby." A
spoke out of a wagon wheel is "little Margaret," and a barrel-stave is
"bad little Johnny."

Well, I must quit writing before you vote me a nuisance. With lots of
love to you,

Your sincere friend,
ELINORE RUPERT.




III

A BUSY, HAPPY SUMMER


_September 11, 1909._

DEAR MRS. CONEY,--

This has been for me the busiest, happiest summer I can remember. I
have worked very hard, but it has been work that I really enjoy. Help
of any kind is very hard to get here, and Mr. Stewart had been too
confident of getting men, so that haying caught him with too few men to
put up the hay. He had no man to run the mower and he couldn't run both
the mower and the stacker, so you can fancy what a place he was in.