“Do you remember I said I’d never bathe in a scrimmagy mean little bath like that when you bought it? but you’re jolly glad to; whips of the places where we stop they haven’t got any bath-room. Won’t I have a fine old splash when I get home! I’ve got my travelling suit on and I’m not going to get undressed at all, so I’ll be ready to start in the [278] ]morning,—you never know when you’ll have to start. As soon as I wake—only I shall never go to sleep—I’m going up to the doctor’s to ask him to read in the shipping what day a ship goes from Hamburg. They have such lunatic papers here you can’t read for yourself and there are only women here, and they don’t understand ships.
“Alf the Mad.”
“Same old place.
“Next day.
“Hurresh, hurresh, hurresh! Ach! Gott! Himmel! (it’s not wicked to say those words here, even the ladies do). Himmel! Gott! Ach! Ach! There’s a boat goes on Thursday. The doctor wasn’t up when I got there, it was only half-past five, but I woke the coachman and he told me. It’s the Friederich der Grosse. Ach! ach! Gott! I’m nearly off my head. I’m going to pack up again to-day, it’ll make the time go, and I squashed things up a bit when I was hurrying last night. Then to-morrow we’ll be in the train, and next day off. Tra-la-la, tra-la-la, Hurresh!!
“Alf the Madder.”
“Wednesday.
“Dear Mother,
“Everything’s up. I don’t care what happens now. I’d just as soon die as anything. Grandfather said we’d go to the concert, and I couldn’t help going [279] ]in my brown suit,—it would have taken an awful time to unpack another, and he said why, and I said I’d packed the others up, and he was beastly horrid and snapped me up like anything and said he had no intention of going at all; he says we’ll go to that miserable Italy instead. I’m going up to the doctor’s to-night to try to set him on to him but I know it’ll be no go,—I’ll just have to go on stopping here always. I can’t believe it was only yesterday I was packing up that drum and things and now none of you’ll get them. It was such a stunning pipe too. Oh mother I’ll have to come home,—oh I can’t go on stopping here,—oh won’t you please write by next mail to Grandfather and say you can’t spare me any longer. Please don’t write,—cabel, I can’t wait mother dear.
“Alf.”