"'Dear Dr. Mac,
Truly I want to be a nurse like you told me about some day.'
"Well," commented the reader, "at least she starts right off with the business in hand, without any palavering.
"'And I reckon that even a little mountain girl like me can be one if she wishes hard enough and works hard, too.'
"Why," he interpolated again, "there doesn't seem to be any evidence of your weirdly wonderful spelling and grammar here."
"Go on," answered Donald, smiling slightly.
"'I reckon it will take me a long, long time to get education and earn all that money, but I can do it, Dr. Mac. I am sure I can do it. I told my grandfather all that I mean to do, and he won't try to stop me none. Of course he does not want for me to go away from him, but I explained that I had to, and of course that made it all right.
When you was telling us what those nurses done, something seemed like it went jump inside my heart, and straightways I know that the dear Lord meant for me to do it, too. I read a story once about a girl in france named Jone of Ark and I reckon I felt like she done when she see the angel.
I know I can do it, Dr. Mac, if you will help me a little bit like you promised. Most of all I figures I need a heap of book learning, and it is books I wants for you to get me. You know the books I need to have, Dr. Mac, and in this letter I am going to put $10.
It is an awful lot of money; but I reckon books cost a good deal, and you can bring me the change next summer, for I have not got no use for money here. Don't be afeared. It is my own money. It was in my father's pocket among the camp things granddaddy found, and there was some more. Grandfather, he kept it for me until I was a big girl and now I am keeping it for a rainy day, like the copy book says, although I don't think money would be much use to keep off the rain.