"7. A pen-wiper; one in the shape of an owl is the prettiest.
"8. Would have been a pocket-knife, but crossed out, because the Head says any fellow who gets a pocket-knife will have it confiscated.
"9. A pocket ink-stand. Kleist has one; you press a nob and it springs open. It's a jolly thing, and doesn't ink your trousers.
"10. Can't think of anything more except sweets. Lots of them, of course, because without sweets it wouldn't be Christmas.
"Ah, but I would like best of all to come home. Dear, dear mamma, why mayn't I? But if I really mustn't, I'll try and be good. But it makes me cry when I think about it. The boys don't tease me now, and I have to thank If. for that. Once they bullied me so, they made me bleed, but If., who is quite small, too, went for the big boys with his penknife, and it was confiscated, but they were awfully frightened. Please send lots and lots of lead soldiers; I want to give half to If. And now good-bye,
"From your loving son,
"Paul.
"Postscript--I shall be awfully pleased when my parcel comes."
This epistle arrived at Münsterberg addressed to Minna Huth on the Sunday before Christmas. Felicitas read it over and over again, and each time it brought tears to her eyes, but she refrained from despatching it to Ulrich, for as likely as not he would have started off at once to fetch the child home from Wiesbaden.
To make up for sinning against the boy, she collected an unreasonable number of expensive presents from the best toy-shops which were destined to ornament Paul's Christmas table. Two great packets had come from Berlin, from which she was making a selection, for in her motherly pride she wished to send the presents direct to her son and not to let them pass through other hands.