garments
for the children and their mothers. During her last summer she spoke of
this to a friend, as if apologizing for not working solely for our
soldiers, instead of indulging herself in doing what she did for her
own, who "seemed to like what she made for them." This is the only
self-indulgence that is mentioned in all the letters that have been read
in preparing this sketch. Remembering how large were her gifts to war
relief compared to what she ever spent for herself, one can think only
with delight that she had the pleasure of weaving so many loving
thoughts for those dearest to her into her last gifts to them.

The following shows a tact that often wins where criticism would lose:
"It was Maude's birthday yesterday ... two friends came to dinner. The
second maid had the misfortune to fall down, or rather turn her ankle
standing up, and she had to be put to bed. The cook is a good-natured
girl and she thought that she could wait on the table. I did not think
much of her ability, but thanked her, gave her a few instructions, and
told her to put on a white waist and wear a good white apron. Well I was
repaid for not showing any doubt to her, for she waited very well
indeed, and all went merry as a _birthday_ bell."

She does not hesitate to criticize herself, even to the point of placing
herself in a ridiculous light, one of the hallmarks never found on
small souls. For instance, she once wrote: "You will be interested in my
yesterday afternoon exploits. I started to crochet a white hand-bag,
like one that Mrs. S---- is making, and after I had done quite a lot, I
found a mistake away back and so went to work and took it out. Then I
thought I would fill one of my fountain pens, and when I thought that I
had been unusually expeditious and neat, I looked in the glass and found
my best white waist splashed up with the ink. Wasn't I a very
low-spirited woman! This morning I am trying to reduce the brilliant
color of the spots by putting on salt and lemon and putting in the sun,
but I know not if they will go, _but I consider them a disgrace to Alice
Cogswell Bemis_."

The letters give glimpses of many personal gifts that were so well
concealed from all except those to whom they were made. It is shown that
these were not given impulsively, but were carefully thought out and
almost invariably planned to meet what seemed to her a definite need.
For example: "I have told Mrs. Gregg about my plan for a trip for Gregg
and