hat I done what you said for me to do.
I closed my eyes up tight like granddaddy does when I say prayers, and I
saw little Smiles acliming that rough path, and walking along that rough
road you wrote about, but by the side of that long road I kept aseeing
beautiful little flowers what were fading and drooping and calling out
in tiny voices like baby chickens for Rose to keer for them. So doctor,
the picture did not scare me none.

The Lord give Joan of Arc (I know how to spell it now) a silver armor to
protect her, and I reckon the white nurse's dress that you give me is my
armor.

Now doctor I must tell you about little Lou and the wonderful doll you
sent to her. She was so funny when I give it to her that I got a chreek
in my side laughing. First thing, she held it up tight against her and
when it went Ma-a-a-like a calf, she dropped it quick and run and hide
under the bed. But pretty soon she crep out again and I showed her how
to make it shut its eyes.

Then she jumped around and cried. 'O Smiles, hit _kaint_ do them things
but hit _does_ do them.' Well, pretty soon, Judd Amos, her brother, come
in and, when he saw it in Lou's arms, his face got as black as a storm
cloud and he went for to take it away from her.

I just stepped in front of him, and said, 'Judd Amos, if you ever go for
to take that doll baby away from her, or even _touch_ it, I won't never
speak to you again.'

He was powerful mad with me, but he seen that I meant like I said, so
Lou can keep her doll. And what do you think she has named it? She has
named it Mike. Even Judd had to laugh a little when she said that was
the doll baby's name.

I am making baskets as fast as ever I can and Judd is going to take them
to the store at Fayville for me. I went down with him and seen the
storekeeper man myself last week, and he promised me to buy all that he
can from me.

Granddaddy shoots with your rifle gun most every day. He can hit a
string like he used to, but he would not shoot a apple off my head like
a man did in the book that had about Joan of Arc in it, although I
wanted him to.

I have ritten a piece of poetry like Mr. Eugene Fields did, and this is
it

The cold may make my lips turn blue,
But it can't freeze my love for you.

Your happy and loving little friend

Smiles.

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