dear enemy-第19章
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great deal of energy left； and we are getting to that point of nerves where we want to punch one another。
Sadie Kate has been acting like a little deildo they have feminine deils？ If not； Sadie Kate has originated the species。 And this afternoon Loretta Higgins hadwell； I don't know whether it was a sort of fit or just a temper。 She lay down on the floor and howled for a solid hour； and when any one tried to approach her； she thrashed about like a little windmill and bit and kicked。
By the time the doctor came she had pretty well worn herself out。 He picked her up； limp and drooping； and carried her to a cot in the hospital room； and after she was asleep he came down to my library and asked to look at the archives。
Loretta is thirteen； in the three years she has been here she has had five of these outbreaks； and has been punished good and hard for them。 The child's ancestral record is simple： 〃Mother died of alcoholic dementia； Bloomingdale Asylum。 Father unknown。〃
He studied the page long and frowningly and shook his head。
〃With a heredity like that； is it right to punish the child for having a shattered nervous system？〃
〃It is not；〃 said I； firmly。 〃We will mend her shattered nervous system。〃
〃If we can。〃
〃We'll feed her up on cod…liver oil and sunshine； and find a nice kind foster mother who will take pity on the poor little〃
But then my voice trailed off into nothing as I pictured Loretta's face； with her hollow eyes and big nose and open mouth and no chin and stringy hair and sticking…out ears。 No foster mother in the world would love a child who looked like that。
〃Why； oh； why；〃 I wailed； 〃doesn't the good Lord send orphan children with blue eyes and curly hair and loving dispositions？ I could place a million of that sort in kind homes； but no one wants Loretta。〃
〃I'm afraid the good Lord doesn't have anything to do with bringing our Lorettas into the world。 It is the devil who attends to them。〃
Poor Sandy！ He gets awfully pessimistic about the future of the universe； but I don't wonder； with such a cheerless life as he leads。 He looked today as though his own nervous system was shattered。 He had been splashing about in the rain since five this morning； when he was called to a sick baby case。 I made him sit down and have some tea； and we had a nice； cheerful talk on drunkenness and idiocy and epilepsy and insanity。 He dislikes alcoholic parents； but he ties himself into a knot over insane parents。
Privately； I don't believe there's one thing in heredity； provided you snatch the babies away before their eyes are opened。
We've got the sunniest youngster here you ever saw； his mother and Aunt Ruth and Uncle Silas all died insane； but he is as placid and unexcitable as a cow。
Good…by； my dear。 I am sorry this is not a more cheerful letter； though at this moment nothing unpleasant seems to be happening。 It's eleven o'clock； and I have just stuck my head into the corridor； and all is quiet except for two banging shutters and leaking eaves。 I promised Jane I would go to bed at ten。 Good night； and joy be wi' ye baith！
SALLIE。
P。S。 There is one thing in the midst of all my troubles that I have to be grateful for： the Hon。 Cy has been stricken with a lingering attack of grippe。 In a burst of thankfulness I sent him a bunch of violets。 P。S。 2。 We are having an epidemic of pinkeye。
May 16。 Good morning； my dear Judy！
Three days of sunshine； and the J。 G。 H。 is smiling。
I am getting my immediate troubles nicely settled。 Those beastly blankets have dried at last； and our camps have been made livable again。 They are floored with wooden slats and roofed with tar paper。 （Mr。 Witherspoon calls them chicken coops。） We are digging a stone…lined ditch to convey any further cloudbursts from the plateau on which they stand to the cornfield below。 The Indians have resumed savage life； and their chief is back at his post。
The doctor and I have been giving Loretta Higgins's nerves our most careful consideration。 We think that this barrack life； with its constant movement and stir； is too exciting； and we have decided that the best plan will be to board her out in a private family； where she will receive a great deal of individual attention。
The doctor； with his usual resourcefulness； has produced the family。 They live next door to him and are very nice people； I have just returned from calling。 The husband is foreman of the casting room at the iron works； and the wife is a comfortable soul who shakes all over when she laughs。 They live mostly in their kitchen in order to keep the parlor neat； but it is such a cheerful kitchen that I should like to live in it myself。 She has potted begonias in the window and a nice purry tiger cat asleep on a braided rug in front of the stove。 She bakes on Saturdaycookies and gingerbread and doughnuts。 I am planning to pay my weekly call upon Loretta every Saturday morning at eleven o'clock。 Apparently I made as favorable an impression on Mrs。 Wilson as she made on me。 After I had gone； she confided to the doctor that she liked me because I was just as common as she was。
Loretta is to learn housework and have a little garden of her own； and particularly play out of doors in the sunshine。 She is to go to bed early and be fed up on nice nourishing food； and they are to pet her and make her happy。 All this for three dollars a week！
Why not find a hundred such families； and board out all the children？ Then this building could be turned into an idiot asylum； and I； not knowing anything about idiots； could conscientiously resign and go back home and live happily ever after。
Really； Judy； I am growing frightened。 This asylum will get me if I stay long enough。 I am becoming so interested in it that I can't think or talk or dream of anything else。 You and Jervis have blasted all my prospects in life。
Suppose I should retire and marry and have a family。 As families go nowadays； I couldn't hope for more than five or six children at the most； and all with the same heredity。 But； mercy！ such a family appears perfectly insignificant and monotonous。 You have institutionalized me。
Reproachfully yours；
SALLIE McBRIDE。
P。S。 We have a child here whose father was lynched。 Isn't that a piquant detail to have in one's history？
Tuesday。 Dearest Judy：
What shall we do？ Mamie Prout does not like prunes。 This antipathy to a cheap and healthful foodstuff is nothing but imagination； and ought not to be countenanced among the inmates of a well…managed institution。 Mamie must be made to like prunes。 So says our grammar teacher； who spends the noonday hour with us and overlooks the morals of our charges。 About one o'clock today she marched Mamie to my office charged with the offense of refusing； ABSOLUTELY refusing； to open her mouth and put in a prune。 The child was plumped down on a stool to await punishment from me。
Now； as you know； I do not like bananas； and I should hate awfully to be forced to swallow them； so； by the same token； why should I force Mamie Prout to swallow prunes？
While I was pondering a course that would seem to uphold Miss Keller's authority； but would at the same time leave a loophole for Mamie； I was called to the telephone。
〃Sit there until I come back；〃 I said； and went out and closed the door。
The message was from a kind lady wishing to motor me to a committee meeting。 I didn't tell you that I am organizing local interest in our behalf。 The idle rich who possess estates in this neighborhood are beginning to drift out from town； and I am laying my plans to catch them before they are deflected by too many garden parties and tennis tournaments。 They have never been of the slightest use to this asylum； and I think it's about time they woke up to a realization of our presence。
Returning at teatime； I was waylaid in the hall by Dr。 MacRae； who demanded some statistics from my office。 I opened the door； and there sat
