Daddy-Long-Legs

1  
Baby Souls, Kings of the Future,
bearers of the Earth's great secrets
- waiting to cross the Threshold of Life.

2
Babies are a lot like flowers.
  Some are born into the
world nourished and cared for
amid beautiful surroundings.

3
While others see 
the light of day
from the sordid
atmosphere of
dump-heaps ---
stunted, crushed,
and fighting for
their very existence.

4
The late John Grier
made his millions
on convict labor.
Therefore he ran
his orphanage on
the same principles.

5
Mrs. Lippett,
the matron,
is this kind of
a little posie.

6
Pansy Gumph, the matron's 
right hand. The only
bloom we can liken her to
is (we offer our sincere
apologies) a STINK WEED.

7
The child of culture 
was christened
Angelina Gwendolin
Rosalind Wyckoff.

8
While the other ...

9
"Your name is Jerusha
       Abbott."

10
All orphans look 
alike from any 
angle. Exhibit A,
  rear view.

11
Jerusha has had 
  twelve years 
of being raised on 
the wholesale plan.

12
Jerusha Abbott, nicknamed
by her fellow prisoners,
"Judy."
	Mary Pickford.

13
Angelina Wyckoff -- petted,
   pampered and spoiled.

14
But poor Judy ...

15
"O the little birdies
   on the mountaintop
   -- far, far away."

16
The Great Prune Strike.

17
Three times a day the
orphans faced their 
common enemy, the prune.

18
"The lives of us orphants is
just one darn prune after
another!"

19
"Us boys is with you - -
starvation 'til we croak."

20
"P-R-U-N-E spells Prune
Eating them means our doom.
Life's too short and death
  too soon
To fill our tummies with the
  darn old Prune."

21
"Please, ma'am, we've dis-
solved not to eat no more
prunes."

22
"Swear you'll stick."

23
"Oh -- D---!!"

24
"How's, oh h---!!"

25
"Oooh - - I know a real
    nice dirty one."

26
Meanwhile the scabs ...

27
A gentleman who takes things easily.

28
"Please Mr. God, we
    want food."

29
"I didn't know He
  was so close."

30
As the empty hours go by.

31
"What's the matter with 
    that building?"

32
"Which one?"

33
"Let's go in before every-
   thing falls on us."

34
"You hang on here and I'll 
try and make the kitchen."

35
"Help yourselves -- take all 
     the jam you want."

36
Children are sometimes lent to 
us to bring God's message
to Earth. These little tots
   await His summons to
   return to the Fold.

37
The whispering chorus.

38
"From now on - I'm boss
- and them poor kids
don't have to take no more
baths - and kin have
pickles and ice cream
'bout seventy times a day."

39
"Apple Jack" - -

40
"All my life I've wanted to
slide down them bannisters."

41
Judy calls the monthly visit of
the trustees "Blue Wednesday.

42
Miss Prichard,
who is human
even though she
is a trustee.

43
"Such vanity!"

44
"Tain't vanity - it's a
      spit curl."

45
"I was only trying to make 
a depression on someone."

46
"Get Miss Angelina a
  drink of water."

47
"How do you work it?"

48
"What can a lady expect 
from an orphan who doesn't 
even know who her own 
mother was?"

49
"If you're a lady - I'm glad
my mother was an ash can."

50
"I want my mama."

51
"Judy, what is a mama?"

52
"A mama is something what 
 us orphants aint got."

53
"She's sick and will get 
   germs on my doll."

54
"The doctor says she aint
goin' to live long. Give her
a little lend of it - I'll
squish all the germs, honest
- I will!"

55
"Love it quick, you aint
going to have it long."

56
"She should be punished 
      severely."

57
Judy, - the
  example.

58
"GOD will punish little girls
who steal and will send 
them straight to a burning
hot - hell."

59
"As hot as this stove."

60
It's all very well to punish 
other people's children. But
it's a different matter when it
comes to punishing our own.

61
"Please, darling, do as
     mother asks."

62
"I won't get out of this car
until you promise to throw
that nasty little Judy Abbott
out into the street."

63
"Don't be harsh with her, 
dear, she is only express-
ing her individuality."

64
Far into the weary hours
of the night Judy watches
over the little one who
    wants her mama.

65
"I want my mama."

66
Out in the great unknown
the mother hears the call,
and comes with loving arms
to take her baby home.

67
The hot-house
rose, full blown.

68
"Mrs. Lippett says when I
dies God will put me in a
big fire 'cause I'se bad."

69
"He won't hurt you - God
loves little children."

70
"What's the matter, Bosco.
   Got a tummy ache?"

71
"Ain't nuthin' in there
       to ache."

72
To add to Judy's troubles,
  it is Blue Wednesday.

73
"He aint naked naturally
ma'am, it's only while I'm
mending his pants."

74
"Bosco must o' took it."

75
"He swallowed a bobbin."

76
"Gee! I lost my mouth 
        organ."

77
"If Bosco has fits, I'll
   be blamed for it."

78
"The rich new trustee has
arrived. If those young'uns
don't behave I'll skin-em-
alive."

79
"Why do people order
babies sent C.O.D.
and then don't take
them."

80
The only time the children see real
  food at the John Grier Home is
when it is being served to the trustees.

81
"Be quiet -- they may vote
to have our voices cut out."

82
"Stop it!! Mugsey what are
      you doing?"

83
"They called me a hippo-
potamus two years ago."

84
"Then why are you hurting 
       them now?"

85
"I never seed a pitcher of
     one 'til today."

86
"His naughty spirit must 
      be broken."

87
"Judy, they're goin' to
spank me on the spirit."

88
"You shant spank Freddie
for something I've done."

89
"Is this the way you show
your gratitude to the John
Grier Home -- by impu-
dence and rebellion?"

90
"We are grateful - but you
have robbed us of the joys
of childhood by your
charity without kindness."

91
Miss Prichard endeavors 
 to interest the new
  trustee in Judy.

92
"There's a bright little girl 
here. I hope you'll be in-
terested in sending her to 
college."

93
"She is quite a pretty 
    little thing."

94
"I hate girls -- especially
      pretty ones."

95
"Judy - you're wanted in
the tip-toe room - - Gee!!
I think they're goin' to hang 
you."

96
"The new trustee has of-
fered to send you to 
college."

97
"You are to ask no questions.
He does not care to see
you; write him once a
month about your progress
in college and he wishes
you to know him simply
as John Smith."

98
"Please, ma'am, the new
trustee is waiting to take
Miss Pritchard home."

99
"Can't I even thank him?"

100
"I'm going to call him my
dear Daddy-Long-Legs."

101
Five blocks away 
from the orphanage 
- with permission.

102
But - she forgot her ticket.

103
Home-sickness is a disease that
Judy escapes, because one
cannot very well be asylum-sick.

104
Julia Pendleton, whose forefathers
were one of the ten thousand 
 families who came over on 
       the Mayflower.

105
Sally McBride is
a true American
aristocrat -
Her father is
the millionaire
"Over-alls King."

106
"Judy, aren't you simply 
wild about Omar Khayham?"

107
"I've never tasted it."

108
"Why, Judy - - he was a
      great poet."

109
"Did you come from the
Massachusetts Abbotts?"

110
"I descended from a long
line of telephone people."

111
Headquarters of Dan Cupid, un-LTD,
       World Dominion.

112
"It's time Judy Abbott fell
in love -- attend to it im-
mediately."

113
Judy's first literary efforts ...

114
Julia's Uncle, Jarvis Pendleton,
who would give his riches
to anyone who would 
take his relatives too.

115
Sally's brother, Jimmie McBride,
    a Princeton freshman 
   who just hates himself.

116
"Don't introduce me to 
those silly college girls
- they bore me."

117
"Who is she?"

118
"WHO IS SHE?"

119
"You've certainly made a 
   mess of things."

120
"I'm sorry, but my arrow
went right through Jimmie
McBride and stuck in 
Jarvis Pendleton."

121
"You've probably started an-
other of those darn triangle 
things that will end in the
divorce court."

122
"Do you have to stand up 
   every time I do?"

123
"Yes, according to Hoyle."

124
"Why does Mrs. Pendleton
      ignore me?"

125
"She isn't sure of your social
position yet. Dad's millions
made her my friend for 
life."

126
Lock-Willow farm.

127
"I am Mrs. Semple. Mr.
Smith wrote me all about
you."

128
"Incubator chickens are like
orphanage children - no
mothers nor families -
they're just born."

129
"I come down here every 
summer to fish. Mrs. Semple
was my nurse."

130
"Won't we have a wonderful
- I - I mean won't YOU
have a wonderful time?"

131
Why did Judy put up her hair
 and lengthen her skirts?

132
Evidently there is one girl
 who doesn't bore Jimmie.

133
"I'm Jimmie McBride -
I've dropped in for the
summer."

134
"Hello - what's Foxy
Grandpa doing here?
I thought he was safe
in the Old Men's Home."

135
"He has a right to be here.
Mrs. Semple is his old 
nurse."

136
"Maggie Flynn is my old 
nurse but I don't spend my
summers with her."

137
? [giant question mark]

138
"Who owns that yaller car
      over thar?"

139
"The little fellar with the 
white beard you ran down 
in Podunk has come to -"

140
"Bein' the Mayor he wants
  you to hustle back!"

141
"Come again, Jimmie, when
you can't stay so long."

142
"My ambition is to write a 
book so that I can repay 
Daddy-Long-legs for my 
education."

143
Moon magic.

144
"I'd like a real home with 
lots of folks of my own to
love me."

145
"Judy - won't I do?"

146
"I've always wanted a grand-
mother - will you BE IT."

147
"Grandmother - I forgot 
the difference in our ages."

148
Good-bye is difficult to say.

149
"Mrs. Semple, what is love?"

150
"Love is a bad habit - it's
much safer to have the 
measles - they ain't near as
painful."

151
The publishers
   do not
appreciate the
tragedy of love

152
"I'll go and write another 
          one?"

153
Then comes 
the great 
inspiration.

154
What's the use of graduation
with honors, if you haven't a
family to share them with you?

155
"Are you my Daddy-
   Long-Legs?"

156
"Lord no! - I ain't nobody's
daddy - aint never been
married!"

157
Being a successful author
changes Judy's social stand-
ing. Even the doors of the
Pendleton Home open to her.

158
"It must be wonderful to 
   have ancestors."

159
"Miss Abbott, may I present 
      Miss Wyckoff?"

160
"I've had the pleasure -
      thank you."

161
   Angie devoted the 
   evening to making 
it pleasant (?) for Judy.

162
"Judy is the first girl whom
Uncle Jarvis has ever con-
sidered seriously."

163
"How common to marry an 
orphan - why, she might 
turn out to be ANYBODY'S
daughter!" 

164
"Judy Abbott is the finest 
girl I know - and the 
cleverest one, too!"

165
"I'm sorry, but the Directors' 
meeting lasted longer than 
I expected."

166
"Say, young man, your tail-
light's out. You'd better see
Judge White in the morning."

167
"I haven't seen you for 
    a whole year."

168
"I stayed away because of 
  something I learned."

169
"About me?"

170
"Yes - - I love you, Judy,
and I'll be your grandmother
- if I may be your hus-
band, too."

171
The big moment of Judy's life
is robbed of its joy, for her
soul is garbed in the hated
gingham of the orphanage.

172
"I understand."

173
"I can't stand this ancestral
morgue another minute!
Please, Jimmie, drive me
out to Lock-Willow."

174
Even the weather
   weeps in
   sympathy.

175
"I'm sorry, Jimmie, dear,
but I can't marry you -
you aren't grown up enough
for me."

176
Where there's no sense
there's no feeling.

177
Jarvis wanders
aimlessly for
hours, dazed by
his unhappiness.

178
Judy waits two weeks for 
permission -- then takes 
matters into her own hands.

179
  The Home of 
Daddy-Long-Legs.

180
"Mr. Smith has been seriously 
ill, but you may see him 
for a few minutes."

181
"Why, Jarvis Pendleton -
what are YOU doing here?"

182
"This is my home."

183
"Your home? Are you my
  Daddy-Long-Legs?"

184
"Yes - are you sorry?"

185
"You must have read 
  my last letter."

186
"I wasn't permitted to open
my mail until this morning
- since then I've read it
one thousand, three hundred
and two times - you darling!"

187
"You brute - never
speak to me again."

The End