January 10
Dear Daddy Longlegs:
I was so surprised to receive a Christmas gift from you!
I'm not used to getting Christmas presents.
You've already given me so many things. (Actually, everything I own!)
I really don't feel that I deserve anything extra.
But I do like your gift very much.
Do you want to know what I bought with the money?
1. A silver watch to help me get to classes on time
2. A book of poetry
3. A hot-water bottle to put in my bed at night
4. A heavy blanket. My room in the tower is cold!
5. Five hundred sheets of yellow paper. I'm going to start being an author pretty soon
6. A dictionary of synonyms to increase my vocabulary
7. A pair of silk stockings
I don't like to confess that I bought silk stockings.
But you must admit that I tell you everything.
I bought them for a petty reason.
Julia Pendleton often comes into my room to do geometry homework.
And she sits cross-legged on my couch, wearing beautiful silk stockings.
As soon as she returns from vacation, I'll go sit on her couch.
And you know what I'll be wearing—beautiful silk stockings!
So you see what a horrible person I am.
But you already knew I wasn't perfect.
I bet Mrs. Lippett made sure of that!
Meanwhile I'm pretending that my purchases were sent as gifts from my family.
That is, my imaginary family who lives in California.
The watch is from Father; the blanket is from Mother.
My grandmother sent the hot-water bottle.
(She's always worrying that I'll catch a cold in this weather.)
My little brother, Harry, sent the paper.
My sister, Isabel, gave me the stockings, and Aunt Susan wanted me to have the book.
Uncle Harry (little Harry is named after him) sent the dictionary.
He wanted to send chocolates, but I insisted on synonyms.
And now I will tell you what I've done over vacation.
Leonora Fenton is the freshman from Texas who's also staying in the dorm.
I like Leonora, but not as much as I like Sallie McBride.
(Of course, I like you best of all because you're my whole family rolled into one.)
Anyway, Leonora and I have taken long walks nearly every day.
A sophomore named Penelope came too.
One day we walked into town. That's four miles away!
"I'm starving!" I said when we finally reached town.
"So am I! Let's get something to eat," Leonora said.
Penelope pointed across the street.
"Over there is a restaurant where a lot of the college girls like to eat."
We went in and ordered our food.
We had broiled lobster (35 cents).
And for dessert we ate pancakes and maple syrup (15 cents).
Nourishing and cheap!
"Eating in a restaurant is so much fun!" Leonora said.
"Especially for me!" I said.
Then I almost blurted out that I'd grown up in the orphanage.
Instead I made a quick recovery.
"Because whenever I leave campus, I feel like an escaped convict."
"Me too!" Penelope agreed.
"You can't spend all your time in your room. That gets boring."
It's really hard for me not to tell people everything about myself.
If I didn't have you to tell things to, I'd burst!
Here's something else we did over vacation.
On Friday night we made molasses candy.
Several girls from other dorms joined us.
They hadn't gone anywhere for vacation either.
In the large kitchen inside our dorm, the chef wore a white hat and apron.
He handed out hats and aprons to everyone.
"Where did he get so many of these?" I said as I helped Leonora tie her apron.
She shrugged. "Who knows?"
Then we all turned into cooks.
We made a mess, but it was lots of fun.
"Let's take candy to the professors!" one of the older girls said.
So, still wearing our hats and aprons, we paraded through the halls to the faculty parlor.
We interrupted some professors, who were quietly reading.
But we left them sucking on molasses candy, sticky and speechless.
Vacation will be over in two days, and I'll be glad to see all the other girls again.
It's a little lonely with only nine people in a dorm built for four hundred.
I'd be happy except for one thing. Exams are next month!
Yours with love,
Judy
P.S. I hope it's okay to sign my letter that way.
I have to love somebody, and the choice is between you and Mrs. Lippett.
So I choose you!