Dear Enemy

I must really get to work, without any further delay, upon the burning

question of new clothes for our girls.

With the highest esteem, I am, D'r Ma'am, Y'r most ob'd't and h'mble

serv't,

SAL. McBRIDE.

June 19th. My dearest Judy:

Listen to the grandest innovation of all, and one that will delight your

heart.

NO MORE BLUE GINGHAM!

Feeling that this aristocratic neighborhood of country estates might

contain valuable food for our asylum, I have of late been moving in

the village social circles, and at a luncheon yesterday I dug out a

beautiful and charming widow who wears delectable, flowing gowns that

she designs herself. She confided to me that she would have loved to

have been a dressmaker, if she had only been born with a needle in her

mouth instead of a golden spoon. She says she never sees a pretty girl

badly dressed but she longs to take her in hand and make her over. Did

you ever hear anything so apropos? From the moment she opened her lips

she was a marked man.

"I can show you fifty-nine badly dressed girls," said I to her, "and you

have got to come back with me and plan their new clothes and make them

beautiful."

She expostulated; but in vain. I led her out to her automobile, shoved

her in, and murmured, "John Grier Home" to the chauffeur. The first

inmate our eyes fell upon was Sadie Kate, just fresh, I judge, from

hugging the molasses barrel; and a shocking spectacle she was for any

esthetically minded person. In addition to the stickiness, one stocking

was coming down, her pinafore was buttoned crookedly, and she had lost a

hair-ribbon. But--as always--completely at ease, she welcomed us with a

cheery grin, and offered the lady a sticky paw.

"Now," said I, in triumph, "you see how much we need you. What can you

do to make Sadie Kate beautiful?"

"Wash her," said Mrs. Livermore.

Sadie Kate was marched to my bathroom. When the scrubbing was finished

and the hair strained back and the stocking restored to seemly heights,

I returned her for a second inspection--a perfectly normal little

orphan. Mrs. Livermore turned her from side to side, and studied her

long and earnestly.

Sadie Kate by nature is a beauty, a wild, dark, Gypsyish little colleen.

She looks fresh from the wind-swept moors of Connemara. But, oh, we

have managed to rob her of her birthright with this awful institution

uniform!

After five minutes' silent contemplation, Mrs. Livermore raised her eyes

to mine.

"Yes, my dear, you need me."

And then and there we formed our plans. She is to head the committee

on C L O T H E S. She is to choose three friends to help her. And they,

with the two dozen best sewers among the girls and our sewing-teacher

and five sewing machines, are going to make over the looks of this

institution. And the charity is all on our side. We are supplying Mrs.

Livermore with the profession that Providence robbed her of. Wasn't it

clever of me to find her? I woke this morning at dawn and crowed!