sleep in the same tiny room with their own three children. Their
kitchen-dining-parlor apartment was more cluttered up and unaired
than any city tenement I ever saw, and the thermometer at eighty-
four. One could scarcely say they were living there; they were
rather COOKING. You may be sure they got no girl from us!

I have made one invariable rule--every other is flexible. No
child is to be placed out unless the proposed family can offer
better advantages than we can give. I mean than we are going to
be able to give in the course of a few months, when we get
ourselves made over into a model institution. I shall have to
confess that at present we are still pretty bad.

But anyway, I am very CHOOSEY in regard to homes, and I
reject three-fourths of those that offer.

LATER.


Gordon has made honorable amends to my children. His bag of
peanuts is here, made of burlap and three feet high.

Do you remember the dessert of peanuts and maple sugar they
used to give us at college? We turned up our noses, but ate. I
am instituting it here, and I assure you we don't turn up our
noses. It is a pleasure to feed children who have graduated from
a course of Mrs. Lippett; they are pathetically grateful for
small blessings.

You can't complain that this letter is too short.