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?