Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster
30th September
Dear Daddy,
Are you still harping on that scholarship? I never knew a man soobstinate, and stubborn and unreasonable, and tenacious, andbull-doggish, and unable-to-see-other-people's-point-of-view, as you.
You prefer that I should not be accepting favours from strangers.
Strangers!--And what are you, pray?
Is there anyone in the world that I know less? I shouldn't recognizeyou if I met you in the street. Now, you see, if you had been a sane,sensible person and had written nice, cheering fatherly letters to yourlittle Judy, and had come occasionally and patted her on the head, andhad said you were glad she was such a good girl--Then, perhaps, shewouldn't have flouted you in your old age, but would have obeyed yourslightest wish like the dutiful daughter she was meant to be.
Strangers indeed! You live in a glass house, Mr. Smith.
And besides, this isn't a favour; it's like a prize--I earned it byhard work. If nobody had been good enough in English, the committeewouldn't have awarded the scholarship; some years they don't. Also--But what's the use of arguing with a man? You belong, Mr. Smith, to asex devoid of a sense of logic. To bring a man into line, there arejust two methods: one must either coax or be disagreeable. I scorn tocoax men for what I wish. Therefore, I must be disagreeable.
I refuse, sir, to give up the scholarship; and if you make any morefuss, I won't accept the monthly allowance either, but will wear myselfinto a nervous wreck tutoring stupid Freshmen.
That is my ultimatum!
And listen--I have a further thought. Since you are so afraid that bytaking this scholarship I am depriving someone else of an education, Iknow a way out. You can apply the money that you would have spent forme towards educating some other little girl from the John Grier Home.Don't you think that's a nice idea? Only, Daddy, EDUCATE the new girlas much as you choose, but please don't LIKE her any better than me.
I trust that your secretary won't be hurt because I pay so littleattention to the suggestions offered in his letter, but I can't help itif he is. He's a spoiled child, Daddy. I've meekly given in to hiswhims heretofore, but this time I intend to be FIRM.
Yours, With a mind, Completely and Irrevocably and World-without-End Made-up,
Jerusha Abbott
Dear Daddy,
Are you still harping on that scholarship? I never knew a man soobstinate, and stubborn and unreasonable, and tenacious, andbull-doggish, and unable-to-see-other-people's-point-of-view, as you.
You prefer that I should not be accepting favours from strangers.
Strangers!--And what are you, pray?
Is there anyone in the world that I know less? I shouldn't recognizeyou if I met you in the street. Now, you see, if you had been a sane,sensible person and had written nice, cheering fatherly letters to yourlittle Judy, and had come occasionally and patted her on the head, andhad said you were glad she was such a good girl--Then, perhaps, shewouldn't have flouted you in your old age, but would have obeyed yourslightest wish like the dutiful daughter she was meant to be.
Strangers indeed! You live in a glass house, Mr. Smith.
And besides, this isn't a favour; it's like a prize--I earned it byhard work. If nobody had been good enough in English, the committeewouldn't have awarded the scholarship; some years they don't. Also--But what's the use of arguing with a man? You belong, Mr. Smith, to asex devoid of a sense of logic. To bring a man into line, there arejust two methods: one must either coax or be disagreeable. I scorn tocoax men for what I wish. Therefore, I must be disagreeable.
I refuse, sir, to give up the scholarship; and if you make any morefuss, I won't accept the monthly allowance either, but will wear myselfinto a nervous wreck tutoring stupid Freshmen.
That is my ultimatum!
And listen--I have a further thought. Since you are so afraid that bytaking this scholarship I am depriving someone else of an education, Iknow a way out. You can apply the money that you would have spent forme towards educating some other little girl from the John Grier Home.Don't you think that's a nice idea? Only, Daddy, EDUCATE the new girlas much as you choose, but please don't LIKE her any better than me.
I trust that your secretary won't be hurt because I pay so littleattention to the suggestions offered in his letter, but I can't help itif he is. He's a spoiled child, Daddy. I've meekly given in to hiswhims heretofore, but this time I intend to be FIRM.
Yours, With a mind, Completely and Irrevocably and World-without-End Made-up,
Jerusha Abbott