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pronunciation. Allende's pronunciation is the whole thing, so I'd better explain. The first syllable "Mahk" is just like the "Mah" in Mah Jong with a K added to it, and he always accented the first syllable slightly more than the second, although both were accented in the Spanish way. Well, this used to tickle us all pretty much because "Mac" would pretend to be highly incensed by this vulgarism. Only a week ago, Allende added a syllable to his prodigy, thereby transforming it into a real masterpiece. The new standard name for Mac is now "Mahk Breeds," and a favorite remark when the current of conversation is running pretty low at the diner table now is, "Wonder where old Mahk Breeds is this evening." It was also threatened to insert this magic set of syllables into the remarks from the front row, thus surely precipitating disaster upon my head, but again they graciously spared me. I don't know if you can see the humor in these two things; I rather think you can at least sense the possibilities because your sense of humor and mine run along tracks quite nearly parallel. We can see humor in things that other people would see nothing in. Par example, the mere aspect of the brakeman on the B&M train last June.

[[underlined]] To Mother, March 19, 1926: [[/underlined]] Lenore was a great success in the play. She is naturally rather pale and wears her hair long and brushed back down across her temples, parted in the middle. It is dark brown and she wears it straight. She has an oval face. She's very simple and old-fashioned looking although she's as far from being really old-fashioned as any girl I've known, a most interesting girl. But last night her hair was marcelled and she was made up quite a bit. She looked just like a big French doll. Everyone was just raving about her, men, boys, girls, old ladies, everyone. To my mind, in a case like that where a girl can improve her appearance so tremendously by using a little rouge occasionally, I can't see why there's any harm in doing it just so long as she doesn't make it conspicuous. I always knew Lenore should be pretty, and occasionally she would have just the proper things on so she did, but usually she isn't. And yet examine her face as I would, I never could say just why. She ought to be and now I can see what she lacks, color, for with just a moderate amount, she's transformed into as stunning a thing as you ever looked at. Why, then, shouldn't she supply what Nature hasn't? I don't think she uses one bit of make-up ordinarily. I guess you enlightened me with regard to women's making up some, telling me they all do, or nearly all. And so the play was a marvelous success. I was congratulated upon being such a wonderful "girl." Lenore's guest said I reminded her of Syd Chaplin in "Charley's Aunt," although I honestly think I made a better girl than Syd who makes up into too much of an Amazon. ...... Ferella, Burns and I are going to "Rose Marie" this evening provided we can get seats. I want Ferella to see an American light opera and he wants to also.