The herald., 1922-05-25
PREFACE
Which Explains Thinqs

mo Marie. Everybody elSe cans me
N.Y. Marie. The rest Of my name is
Anderson =, -, ~, .
,,oss.current and a contradiction. That
!, Sarah says I'm that. (Sarah Is my
"A purse) She says she read It once
that the children of unlikes were al
roys n cross-current and a contradlc-
sor And my father and mother are
mikes and I'm the children. mat
!. I'm the child. I'm all there is. And
now I'm going 10 be a bigger cross
,r-ront and contradiction than ever,
for I'm going to live half the time with
u,.her and the other half with Father.
Motber will 60 TO Boston TO live. ana
Father will stay here-a divorce, you
know.
I'm terribly excited over it. None of
the other girls have got a divorce In
their families, and always did like TO
No different. Besides, IL ought 10 be
avfully interesting, more so than just
living along, common, with your father
and mother in the same house all the
ame-especially If it's been anything
like nv house with my father and
mother In II
That's why I've decided to make a
hook of it-that is, it really will be
book. only l shall have TO call II
diary on account of Father, you know.
Won't II be funny when l don't have TO
DO things on account of Father? And
Iwon't, of course, the six months I'm
living with Mother in Boston. But,
Oh my.-the six months I'm living
here with him-wnew! But, then, /
can stand 1t. l may even like 1t
some Anyhow, It'll be different. And
that's something.
Well. about making this into book.
As | started TO say. he wouldn't let
~. | know he wouldn't. He says
novels are a silly waste of time. If not
absolutely wicked. But, "A diary-oh
he loves diaries. He keeps one him
self. and he told me 1t would be an ex
celient and instructive discipline fol
me to do it, tOo-set down the weather
and what did every day.
The weather and what | did every
day, indeei! Lovely reading thai
would make. wouldn't 1t? Like this:
The sun shines this morning.
got up, ate my breakfast, went Il
school, came home, ate my dinner
played one hour over to Carrie Hey
woods, practiced on the piano on
hour. studied another hour. Take
with Mother upstairs in her room abou
the sunset and the snow on the tree:
Ate my supper. Was talked TO b.
. Father down in the library about in
proving myself and taking care not [
be light-minded and frivolous. Oh
meant like Mother, only he didn't sa
Il right out loud. You don't have
say some things right out in plat
words. you know) Then went to bed.
Just as II | was going to write III
novel like that Not much | am. BU
shall call it a diary. Oh, yes, / sha
call II diary-till | take ii to /
printed. Then / shall give it its tru
name-a novel. And I'm going TO re
the printer that I've left ii to him
make the spelling right, and put in a
Nose tiresOme little commas ar
periods and question marks that ever
body seems TO make such n fuss abOu
write the story part. | can't be e
pected to be bothered with looking I
now words are spelt, every five mi
utes, nor fussing over putting in
whole lot of foolish little dots al
dashes.
As II anybody who was reading d
story cared for that part! The story
the thing.
| love stories. I've written lots
Them for the girls, toO-litlle She
ones mean; not long one like Il
Is going TO be, of course. And II
oe so exciting to be living a story
s'eau OF reading it-Only when you
h'lhg story you can't peek over
ue back to see how it's all coming o
shan't like that part. Still. it may
al the more exciting. after all, not
Know what's coming.
IKE love stories the best. Fathe
eo'-Oh, lots of books In the libra
enu I've read stacks of them. eN
some OF the stupid Old histories 6
biographies. l had to read them wi
niere wasn't anything else to re
na' mere weren't many love stor
'io'hers got a few. though-lov
vnes-and some books of poetry,
ne little shelf in her room. Blu
read all those ages ago.
That's why I'm so thrilled over
new one-the one I'm living. me
TOR OF course this will be love st,
anerell be my love story in two
ee years, when grow up,
ane I'm waiting there's Fathers
~ Sanoh nays ,b,x .,,Ao,, 80