noticed and said to Mother: "Gretl's mouth has been
frozen up from envy." That's all. But it was really
disgusting of him and now I know what line to take.

Just a moment for a word or two. The whole
Christmas Eve has gone to pot. A commissionaire
came with a bouquet for Dora and Father is fuming.
I wish I knew who sent it. I wonder if it was one
of those 2 officers? Of course Inspee says she has
not the ghost of an idea. What surprises me is that
Oswald has not given her away. All he said was:
I say, what a lark! But Father was down on him
like anything, "You hold your jaw and think of your
own beastly conduct." I didn't envy him; I don't
think much of Dora's looks myself, but apparently she
pleases _someone_. In the bouquet there was a poem
and Dora got hold of it quickly before Father had
seen it. It was awfully pretty, and it was signed:
One for whom you have made Christmas beautiful!
The heading is: "The Magic Season." I think
Dora's splendid not to give herself away; even to me
she declares she does not know who sent it; but of
course that may be all humbug. I think it really comes
from young Perathoner, with whom she's always
skating.

December 28th. I've had absolutely no time to
write. I got everything I wanted. Aunt Dora gave
both of us an opera glass in mother-of-pearl in a plush
case. We are going to all the school performances,
Father's arranged it; he has subscribed to _all_ the
performances during the school year 19-- to 19--.
I am so delighted for Frau Doktor M. will come too.
I do hope I shall sit next to her.

December 31st. To-day I wanted to read through
all I have written, but I could not manage it but in
the new year I really must write every day.

January 1st, 19--. I must write a few sentences
at least. For the afternoon we had been invited to
the Rydberg's the Warths were there and Edle von
Wernhoff!! I was just the same as usual with Lisel
but I would not say a word to R. They left before
us, and then Heddy asked me what was wrong between
me and R. He had said of me: Any one can
have the _black goose for me_. Then he said that any
one could take me in. I was so stupid that I would
believe anything. I can't think what he meant, for
he never took me in about anything. Anyhow I would
not let _him_ spoil new year's day for me. But Hella
is quite right for if the first person one meets on
January 1st is a common person that's a bad beginning.
The first thing this morning when I went out I met
our old postman who's always so grumpy if he's kept
waiting at the door. I looked the other way directly
and across the street a fine young gentleman was passing,
but it was no good for the common postman had
really been the first.

January 12th. I am so angry. _We_ mayn't go skating
any more because Inspee has begun to complain
again of her silly old ears and Mother imagines that
she got her earache last year skating. It's all right
to keep _her_ at home; but why shouldn't _I_ go? How
can _I_ help it when _she_ gets a chill so easily? In most
things Father is justice itself, but I really can't understand
him this time. It's simply absurd, only it's too
miserable to call it absurd. I'm in a perfect fury.
Still, I don't say anything.

February 12th. I have not written for a whole
month, I've been working so hard. To-day we got
our reports. Although I've been working so frightfully
hard, again I only got a 2 in Diligence. Frau
Doktor M. made a splendid speech and said: As
you sow, so you shall reap. But that's not always true.
In Natural History I did not know my lesson twice but
I got a 1, and in History I only did not know my
lesson once and I got Satisfactory. Anyhow Fraulein
V. does not like me because of that time when I
did not bow to her in the tram. That is why in January,
when Mother asked about me, she said: "She
does not really put her back into her work." I overheard
Father say: After all she's only a kid, but to-
day he made a frightful row about the 2 in Diligence.
He might have known why she gave me that. Dora,
_so she says_, has only ones, but she has not shown me
the report. I don't believe what I don't see. And
Mother never gives her away to me.

February 15th. Father is furious because Oswald
has an Unsatisfactory in Greek. Greek is really no
use; for no one uses Greek, except the people who
live in Greece and Oswald will never go there, if he
is going to be a judge like Father. _Of course_ Dora
learns Latin; but not for me thank you. Hella's report
is not particularly good and her father was in a
_perfect fury!!!_ He says she ought to have a better
report than any one else. She does not bother much