I have had a lazy month. Mrs. Moulton was delighted to have me back again,
and I was glad to rest after all my junketing. Just think, I was almost a
year in Germany!
Nina has had the measles, fortunately lightly; I was _garde malade_, and
stayed with her in her sick-room.
Howard goes to a day-school not far from the Rue de Courcelles every
morning, and comes home at two o'clock and shows with pride the book the
teacher gives him to show. They must mean it to be shown, otherwise so
much trouble would not be taken to make such lengthy and marvelous
accounts of his prowess, the numbers running up in the thousands, and
notations all through, such as _très bien, verbes sans faute_, and _dictés
parfaits_. He can repeat all the departments of France backward and
forward, and goes through the verbs, regular and irregular, like a
machine. The French love these irregular verbs, so irregular sometimes
that they border on frivolity. He has learned some rather inane patriotic
poetry, which he recites with a childish dramatic swagger.
This is about all they teach in this school; but the _rapports_ are
worth the money: they deceive the parents, making them believe their geese
are swans of the first water.