dear daddy-long-legs,

you should see the way this college is studying! we've forgotten we

ever had a vacation. fifty-seven irregular verbs have i introduced

to my brain in the past four days--i'm only hoping they'll stay

till after examinations.

some of the girls sell their text-books when they're through with them,

but i intend to keep mine. then after i've graduated i shall have

my whole education in a row in the bookcase, and when i need to use

any detail, i can turn to it without the slightest hesitation.

so much easier and more accurate than trying to keep it in your head.

julia pendleton dropped in this evening to pay a social call,

and stayed a solid hour. she got started on the subject of family,

and i couldn't switch her off. she wanted to know what my

mother's maiden name was--did you ever hear such an impertinent

question to ask of a person from a foundling asylum? i didn't

have the courage to say i didn't know, so i just miserably plumped

on the first name i could think of, and that was montgomery.

then she wanted to know whether i belonged to the massachusetts

montgomerys or the virginia montgomerys.

her mother was a rutherford. the family came over in the ark,

and were connected by marriage with henry the viii. on her father's

side they date back further than adam. on the topmost branches

of her family tree there's a superior breed of monkeys with very

fine silky hair and extra long tails.

i meant to write you a nice, cheerful, entertaining letter tonight,

but i'm too sleepy--and scared. the freshman's lot is not a happy one.

yours, about to be examined,

judy abbott