occupied in remaking the morals of the five orphans quartered
upon him that he hasn't caused any trouble at all.

The fire occurred early Saturday morning, and Sunday the ministers in
all the churches called for volunteers to accept in their houses one or
two children as guests for three weeks, until the asylum could get its
plant into working order again.

It was inspiring to see the response. Every child was disposed of within
half an hour. And consider what that means for the future: every one of
those families is going to take a personal interest in this asylum from
now on. Also, consider what it means for the children. They are finding
out how a real family lives, and this is the first time that dozens of
them have ever crossed the threshold of a private house.

As for more permanent plans to take us through the winter, listen to all
this. The country club has a caddies' clubhouse which they don't use in
winter and which they have politely put at our disposal. It joins our
land on the back, and we are fitting it up for fourteen children, with
Miss Matthews in charge. Our dining room and kitchen still being intact,
they will come here for meals and school, returning home at night all
the better for half a mile walk. "The Pavilion on the Links" we are
calling it.

Then that nice motherly Mrs. Wilson, next door to the doctor's,--she who
has been so efficient with our little Loretta,--has agreed to take in
five more at four dollars a week each. I am leaving with her some of the
most promising older girls who have shown housekeeping instincts, and
would like to learn cooking on a decently small scale. Mrs. Wilson and
her husband are such a wonderful couple, thrifty and industrious and
simple and loving, I think it would do the girls good to observe them. A
training class in wifehood!

I told you about the Knowltop people on the east of us, who took in
forty-seven youngsters the night of the fire, and how their entire house
party turned themselves into emergency nursemaids? We relieved them of
thirty-six the next day, but they still have eleven. Did I ever call Mr.
Knowltop a crusty old curmudgeon? I take it back. I beg his pardon.
He's a sweet lamb. Now, in the time of our need, what do you think that
blessed man has done? He has fitted up an empty tenant house on the
estate for our babies, has himself engaged an English trained baby nurse
to take charge, and furnishes them with the superior milk from his own
model