that Hattie long ago saw a set of doll's dishes
in a toy shop window, and has ever since dreamed of possessing a set of
her own. The communion cup was not quite the same, but it answered.
Now, if our family had only had a little less religion and a little more
sense, they would have returned the cup, perfectly unharmed, and have
marched Hattie to the nearest toy shop and bought her some dishes. But
instead, they bundled the child and her belongings into the first train
they could catch, and shoved her in at our front door, proclaiming
loudly that she was a thief.

I am pleased to say that I gave that indignant deacon and his wife such
a thorough scolding as I am sure they have never listened to from the
pulpit. I borrowed some vigorous bits from Sandy's vocabulary, and sent
them home quite humbled. As for poor little Hattie, here she is back
again, after going out with such high hopes. It has an awfully bad moral
effect on a child to be returned to the asylum in disgrace, especially
when she wasn't aware of committing a crime. It gives her a feeling that
the world is full of unknown pitfalls, and makes her afraid to take
a step. I must bend all my energies now toward finding another set of
parents for her, and ones that haven't grown so old and settled and good
that they have entirely forgotten their own childhood.

Sunday.

I forgot to tell you that our new farmer is here, Turnfelt by name; and
his wife is a love, yellow hair and dimples. If she were an orphan,
I could place her in a minute. We can't let her go to waste. I have
a beautiful plan of building an addition to the farmer's cottage, and
establishing under her comfortable care a sort of brooding-house where
we can place our new little chicks, to make sure they haven't anything
contagious and to eliminate as much profanity as possible before turning
them loose among our other perfect chicks.

How does that strike you? It is very necessary in an institution as full
of noise and movement and stir as this to have some isolated spot where
we can put cases needing individual attention. Some of our children
have inherited nerves, and a period of quiet contemplation is indicated.
Isn't my vocabulary professional and scientific? Daily intercourse with
Dr. Robin MacRae is extremely educational.

Since Turnfelt came, you should see our pigs. They are so clean and pink
and unnatural that they don't recognize one another any more as they
pass.

Our potato field i