I remain, sir,
Yours most graciously,
OPHELIA,
Queen of Denmark.
24th March,
maybe the 25th
Dear Daddy-Long-Legs,
I don't believe I can be going to Heaven--I am getting such a lot of
good things here; it wouldn't be fair to get them hereafter too.
Listen to what has happened.
Jerusha Abbott has won the short-story contest (a twenty-five dollar
prize) that the Monthly holds every year. And she's a Sophomore! The
contestants are mostly Seniors. When I saw my name posted, I couldn't
quite believe it was true. Maybe I am going to be an author after all.
I wish Mrs. Lippett hadn't given me such a silly name--it sounds like
an author-ess, doesn't it?
Also I have been chosen for the spring dramatics--As You Like It out of
doors. I am going to be Celia, own cousin to Rosalind.
And lastly: Julia and Sallie and I are going to New York next Friday
to do some spring shopping and stay all night and go to the theatre the
next day with 'Master Jervie.' He invited us. Julia is going to stay
at home with her family, but Sallie and I are going to stop at the
Martha Washington Hotel. Did you ever hear of anything so exciting?
I've never been in a hotel in my life, nor in a theatre; except once
when the Catholic Church had a festival and invited the orphans, but
that wasn't a real play and it doesn't count.
And what do you think we're going to see? Hamlet. Think of that! We
studied it for four weeks in Shakespeare class and I know it by heart.
I am so excited over all these prospects that I can scarcely sleep.
Goodbye, Daddy.
This is a very entertaining world.
Yours ever,
Judy
PS. I've just looked at the calendar. It's the 28th.
Another postscript.
I saw a street car conductor today with one brown eye and one blue.
Wouldn't he make a nice villain for a detective story?
7th April
Dear Daddy-Long-Legs,
Mercy! Isn't New York big? Worcester is nothing to it. Do you mean
to tell me that you actually live in all that confusion? I don't
believe that I shall recover for months from the bewildering effect of
two days of it. I can't begin to tell you all the amazing things I've
seen; I suppose you know, though, since you live there yourself.
But aren't the streets entertaining? And the people? And the shops?
I never saw such lovely things as there are in the windows. It makes
you want to devote your life to wearing clothes.
Sallie and Julia and I went shopping together Saturday morning. Julia
went into the very most gorgeous place I ever saw, white and gold walls
and blue carpets and blue silk curtains and gilt chairs. A perfectly
beautiful lady with yellow hair and a long black silk trailing gown
came to meet us with a welcoming smile. I thought we were paying a
social call, and started to shake hands, but it seems we were only
buying hats--at least Julia was. She sat down in front of a mirror and
tried on a dozen, each lovelier than the last, and bought the two
loveliest of all.