"Are you addressing the chair?" asked our president sternly. "If not, pray do so."
"Well, Mr. President, I want to study physiology and anatomy," said Dee. "And for the life of me I can't see what good ancient history and French would do me."
"And I want to be a writer, and it seems to me the best way to be one is—just to be one," I remarked.
"Exactly!" smiled Father.
"And now we want to talk over what is the best way for these girls to get what they want and still not be idle," said Mr. Tucker. "I should like to hear what our honored president has to say."
"Well, friends, this has kind of been sprung on me. I have been living in a kind of fool's paradise, thinking that maybe our girls knew enough to stop; but I see that I was wrong. Girls never know enough to stop. I'll let my third do whatever you let your two-thirds do, if it isn't too wild."
"But, Father, I am going to stay right here at Bracken with you! You know you need me."
"Of course I need you, but you don't think I need you any more than Tucker needs his daughters. You will settle down soon enough and now is the time to gather material for writing. Things make an impression on you now that wouldn't when you are older. One can put off writing longer than getting experience," and Father drew me down on the arm of his chair.
"Where do you think these monkeys should go to get these varied industries they are longing for, Tucker?"
"New York, I should say."