Dear Enemy

But at least I have started one most popular reform. Our daily bill

of fare has been increased, a change deplored by the cook as causing

trouble, and deplored by the rest of the staff as causing an immoral

increase in expense. ECONOMY spelt in capitals has been the guiding

principle of this institution for so many years that it has become a

religion. I assure my timid co-workers twenty times a day that, owing to

the generosity of our president, the endowment has been exactly doubled,

and that I have vast sums besides from Mrs. Pendleton for necessary

purposes like ice cream. But they simply CAN'T get over the feeling that

it is a wicked extravagance to feed these children.

The doctor and I have been studying with care the menus of the past, and

we are filled with amazement at the mind that could have devised them.

Here is one of her frequently recurring dinners:

BOILED POTATOES BOILED RICE BLANC MANGE

It's a wonder to me that the children are anything more than one hundred

and eleven little lumps of starch.

Looking about this institution, one is moved to misquote Robert

Browning.

"There may be heaven; there must be hell;

Meantime, there is the John Grier--well!"

S. McB.

THE JOHN GRIER HOME,

Saturday.

Dear Judy:

Dr. Robin MacRae and I fought another battle yesterday over a very

trivial matter (in which I was right), and since then I have adopted for

our doctor a special pet name. "Good morning, Enemy!" was my greeting

today, at which he was quite solemnly annoyed. He says he does not wish

to be regarded as an enemy. He is not in the least antagonistic--so long

as I mold my policy upon his wishes!

We have two new children, Isador Gutschneider and Max Yog, given to us

by the Baptist Ladies' Aid Society. Where on earth do you suppose those

children picked up such a religion? I didn't want to take them, but the

poor ladies were very persuasive, and they pay the princely sum of four

dollars and fifty cents per week per child. This makes 113, which makes

us very crowded. I have half a dozen babies to give away. Find me some

kind families who want to adopt.

You know it's very embarrassing not to be able to remember offhand how

large your family is, but mine seems to vary from day to day, like the

stock market. I should like to keep it at about par. When a woman

has more than a hundred children, she can't give them the individual

attention they ought to have.

Monday.

This letter has been lying two days on my desk, and I haven't found the

time to stick on a stamp. But now I seem to have a free evening ahead,

so I will add a page or two more before starting it on a pleasant

journey to Florida.