University of Virginia Library

I have come up to the
study to answer you. Mrs. C.
& I had just read your (no, Koto's) letter.
As I left, I said "What shall I
say for you?"

"That I am on my knees."

It doesn't wholly express
her shame & sorrow & humili-
ation for forgetting to send those
measurements, but it helps.
Blamed if we don't forget every-
thing, it seems to me. We
live in shame; & yet are not
hardened. We feel as sharply

& blush as red as we used
to do in our earlier days
when we did remember
something now & then.
Koto is a saint — but we
knew that before; & don't
expect anything but saint-
liness out of her; she is
built that way, & it probably
comes in a manner easy
to her: but how is it you
don't fly out? Is the whole
family laying for canonization?

Indeed it was a shame
& a pity; but Mrs. Clemens
always has her hands so full
that I always think her excusa-

ble when she forgets a thing.
She is the only one in the
tribe who ever does remember.

We are hoping the dress
will get here in time, to-day.

I didn't forget to send
that lingo-letter; I merely
misunderstood Mrs. Clemens;
I thought she had concluded
to send it herself. I must
explain that "Tom" is a girl
— Daisy Warner — who plays
"Tom Canty" when the children
do the Prince-&-Pauper
private theatricals. Susy
is rather gushy, but I suppose

it's the natural thing for 14-
year-olders. They seem to run
a good deal to italics &
double adjectives; & even
then they appear to think they
have but coldly expressed
themselves.