Daddy Long Legs

Opening day is a joyous occasion!

Good night, Daddy dear, and don't be annoyed because your chick is

wanting to scratch for herself. She's growing up into an awfully

energetic little hen--with a very determined cluck and lots of

beautiful feathers (all due to you).

Affectionately,

Judy

30th September

Dear Daddy,

Are you still harping on that scholarship? I never knew a man so

obstinate, and stubborn and unreasonable, and tenacious, and

bull-doggish, and unable-to-see-other-people's-point-of-view, as you.

You prefer that I should not be accepting favours from strangers.

Strangers!--And what are you, pray?

Is there anyone in the world that I know less? I shouldn't recognize

you if I met you in the street. Now, you see, if you had been a sane,

sensible person and had written nice, cheering fatherly letters to your

little Judy, and had come occasionally and patted her on the head, and

had said you were glad she was such a good girl--Then, perhaps, she

wouldn't have flouted you in your old age, but would have obeyed your

slightest wish like the dutiful daughter she was meant to be.

Strangers indeed! You live in a glass house, Mr. Smith.

And besides, this isn't a favour; it's like a prize--I earned it by

hard work. If nobody had been good enough in English, the committee

wouldn't have awarded the scholarship; some years they don't. Also--

But what's the use of arguing with a man? You belong, Mr. Smith, to a

sex devoid of a sense of logic. To bring a man into line, there are

just two methods: one must either coax or be disagreeable. I scorn to

coax men for what I wish. Therefore, I must be disagreeable.

I refuse, sir, to give up the scholarship; and if you make any more

fuss, I won't accept the monthly allowance either, but will wear myself

into a nervous wreck tutoring stupid Freshmen.

That is my ultimatum!

And listen--I have a further thought. Since you are so afraid that by

taking this scholarship I am depriving someone else of an education, I

know a way out. You can apply the money that you would have spent for

me towards educating some other little girl from the John Grier Home.

Don't you think that's a nice idea? Only, Daddy, EDUCATE the new girl

as much as you choose, but please don't LIKE her any better than me.

I trust that your secretary won't be hurt because I pay so little

attention to the suggestions offered in his letter, but I can't help it

if he is. He's a spoiled child, Daddy. I've meekly given in to his

whims heretofore, but this time I intend to be FIRM.