“I take only one violin lesson a week now, because, though you may find it hard to believe, I am really working too hard at school to go into Boston twice a week.  I practice every day and Arthur and I play together almost every evening.  Arthur is so changed and so jolly now.  He uses only one cane and says he means to walk without any soon.  He acts as if he couldn’t get enough of the boys and girls, and his father and mother look perfectly radiant whenever their eyes light on him.  He’s gone back to school, and he and Joe are making all sorts of plans about college.

“I suppose you never noticed that I didn’t tell you what Uncle Henry gave me for a Christmas present, or perhaps you thought he didn’t give me anything.  Well, he did give me one of the very nicest presents I ever had, and that was a course of lessons at a riding-school in Boston.  I was perfectly delighted, and I knew I shouldn’t have to ask you about it because you’ve always meant to have me learn to ride.  I’ve been going in every Wednesday since Christmas, taking a violin lesson first, and then meeting Uncle Henry to go to the riding-school.  He said he was so particular about borrowed articles that he would never let me go alone.  My, but it was hard at first, and I thought I never should learn to hold my whip and my reins and myself in the proper way.  I had such a darling horse, though, and it was such fun, that I couldn’t help sticking to it, and now the riding-master says that I really ride very well.

“A week ago Uncle Henry surprised me by buying the horse I’ve been riding and he’s out in the stable this very minute.  He thinks I’m quite ready to ride with him out here, and he’s coming home to lunch so that we can start off early this afternoon.  That last sentence sounds rather mixed.  Of course I mean that it’s the horse that’s in the stable, and it’s Uncle Henry, not the horse, who’s coming home to lunch.

“There, that cat is out of the bag and I feel better.  I suppose they’ll all laugh at me for telling, but I don’t care.  I thought at first it would be great fun to surprise you after I got over there, but I might have known I couldn’t keep such a lovely secret all that time.

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that Aunt Mary said her part of the present was to be my riding-habit, and the first time Arthur went into Boston he brought me the prettiest little riding-crop I’ve ever seen.

“Mercy!  My arm’s stiff from writing so much, and my little watch tells me that it’s almost lunch-time.  I never wrote such a long letter before and I do hope you’ll be properly grateful for it.  I’ve known you to complain of the shortness of my letters, but you can’t this time.

“With heaps of love to you, I am “Your faithfulest, lovingest chum,

“Ruth.”

“There!  The dearest of fathers ought to be satisfied with that,” thought Ruth as she slipped her letter into the envelope, sealed it and stamped it.  “Now for lunch and then my ride.”