Harry R. Whitcomb.
Umatilla, Fla.
At School in Germany.
I am an American boy, from the city of New York, but already three years have gone by since I last passed the Narrows on my way to Europe. I shall never forget my feelings as I saw the last of the well-beloved coast, which I knew I should not again see for many years. I had previously been over Lake Ontario (and in my whole life I was never in a worse boat), and a good way up the St. Lawrence; but still it was a curious sensation to see nothing for days but sky and ocean. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my trip pretty well. I was not troubled by seasickness, and arrived, after a journey of seven days, at Southampton. I passed a week in London, which I was very anxious to visit, but after having seen some of it, my curiosity quickly subsided. It is not half as nice as New York. Then I went to Cologne viâ Flushing, Venlo, and from there to Stuttgart, the capital of the kingdom of Würtemberg, where I still live.
One often mentions the beautiful position of this town, and it has indeed many advantages which we do not find in other German cities. Among other things Stuttgart is especially noted for its good schools, and of these the "Realgymnasium," which I frequent, is probably the best. Contrary to the so-called "humanistischen gymnasium" we are taught only Latin, not Greek and Hebrew, but a great deal of mathematics. There are three departments: lower gymnasium, first to third classes (primary); middle gymnasium, fourth to sixth classes (grammar school); the higher gymnasium, seventh to tenth classes (college). Of these again, classes one to seven have each three parallel classes, viz., a, b, c. The three highest, VIII., IX., X., have only one class each.
Our general hours for lessons (I am now in the VII.), are, in winter, from 8, in summer, from 7-12, and from 2-5. That's pretty long, but still when we get home our work is not nearly done, for we have a good deal of work to do at home. With mathematics—that is, geometry, algebra, and physics, I get on very well, thanks to the good grounding I received in America, but Latin is in some sense my stumbling-block. Still, I already appreciate the beauty of Latin literature. French I read with perfect ease and pleasure. I could tell you a good deal more about school, but I fear to weary my readers, so I will only mention how our bodily education is cared for.
Thrice a week we have gymnastics, once swimming, four times fencing (with foils now, afterwards with bayonet and sabre), and we also play a good deal of football, which has begun to spread in Germany during the last three years, and which, by the wish of the Emperor, has been introduced into all the higher schools. Like many other classes mine has also formed an eleven, of which I am captain. Our school library is very good, consisting of about eight thousand books of the best German, English, French, Latin, Spanish, and Italian authors. These form ample amusement for our leisure hours. Our summer vacation lasts from July 25th till the 6th or 7th of September, Christmas holidays from December 23d until 5th or 7th of January. At Easter we have two and a half weeks.
I am, comparatively speaking, a recent member of the Order of the Round Table, but a very old reader of Harper's Young People. I myself have had it since 1887, and before me my brother took it for several years. The volume of 1880, in which, if I remember right, Moral Pirates and Who was Paul Grayson? (I think that was the name) was printed, is still in my possession. I have followed with great interest the stories of Mr. Kirk Munroe—the Mates, Fur-Seal's Tooth, Snow-Shoes and Sledges, Fire Rangers, Road Rangers, and Sea Rangers. Of Captain King's stories I prefer Cadet Days to Corporal Fred.
This is my first trial of a letter to Harper's Round Table, and I much doubt if it will pass muster, but I hope I shall be allowed to try again, and to be more successful then. I always read the letters and questions, and if I could be of any use to a member I would do so with the greatest pleasure.
Paul Loesey, R.T.F.
Stuttgart, Germany.
Plants that Live on Insects.
The plant known as the Drosera, or Sundew, is very curious, and is well worth watching, for it is what is called insectivorous. That is, it eats insects for food. Its leaves are covered with bristles, and on the end of each bristle is a drop of sticky secretion which, when the sun shines on it, looks like dew, hence the common name. But if a fly or other insect lights on the leaf, he gets caught. Then the outer bristles turn towards him, and at last, although it takes about twelve hours, the leaf folds around him. The plant takes all the nutriment from the insect's body, and opens, ready for another catch. It has been proved that a plant fed on animal food is more vigorous than a plant that is not. This Drosera is very common in wet meadows and on the shores of ponds. It has a more expert cousin, the Dionæa. This closes its leaf very quickly, and the insect has no chance to escape.
Lincoln W. Riddle.
Jamaica Plain.