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we sing the second verse after recollection. In the evening we sing the first or second verse of “Command Thy Ways.” Then, on Tuesday morning, we sing the 3rd and 4th verse of “God Is Faithful” and in the evening the 3rd and 4th verse of “Command” and so on, until the chorale is over. After prayers comes breakfast—a rather skimpy amount of milk, not that we get enough coffee to give anybody a stomachache either. In addition, each person gets 1½ rolls. My money is running out fast; had to pay 30 pfennigs for the famulus and bursar; 64 pfennigs for fire insurance at the seminary. Then one needs an enormous quantity of copy books, including three for Ovid alone! We have 41 hours of lessons a week, and that’s not counting the hours set aside for disputation and homework. But we also get opportunities to go outside—e.g., from 12:30 to 2 o’clock.
    I’d appreciate it a lot if at some point you could send me a batch of ordinary scratch pads. There are lots of things I cannot get my hands on here. I don’t have much money left, only spent 11 pfennigs on myself for beer once. Many things are very expensive here, and the famulus occasionally adds a surcharge to make up for his trouble. I can eat my fill at lunch and dinner, then there’s afternoon snack. Please do remember to send me as many scratch pads as possible, when convenient, of course. I can put the holes in them.
    I wasn’t exactly displeased to hear we shall not be having French for a while. There will be Hebrew lessons during the French periods. The teachers, particularly the tutors, are mostly very responsive when we have any questions or requests. In my next letter, if it amuses me, I shall describe for you our daily routine (not the timetable) at the seminary. Yesterday evening I had to draw on my supply of marmalade, and, lo and behold, almost everybody has one to three caches of preserves. They hadn’t yet dared own up to them. We’re getting better used to one another. I’m in the largest room (Hellas). In our room, we have the top student in the class, the second as well, also the treasurer, the librarian, and this week I am the “censor,” i.e., guardian of the honor code (until Saturday evening).
    Greetings and a kiss
    Â 
    February 14, 1892
    Many thanks for the package. I was feeling well when it arrived, and treated myself to those delicious items right away—not all by myself, a friend came to my aid (cf. Odyssey, beta 16).
    I think often of noble Polly, such a charming child. I’m glad to hear he’s well. Let’s hope he won’t be on the warpath come Easter. A special thanks to Hans and Marulla for the waffles; Mother should give each of them a special kiss from me!
    I’m feeling glad, cheerful, content! I find the atmosphere at the seminary very appealing. Especially the close, open relationship between pupil and teacher, but also the way the pupils relate to one another. Fights rarely last for very long. The other day I couldn’t understand some passages in Klopstock, so I went immediately to the tutor and asked him. Nothing much is at stake usually, but contacts like that forge a wonderfully solid bond; there’s no sense of constraint whatsoever. While in Göppingen, I was frequently ill-humored and incommunicative for days on end; there was certainly no common bond like that there, apart from the sheer drudgery. There was also considerable mockery of decency, willpower, ideals, etc.; here there’s none of that. Nobody dares make fun of art, science, etc. And what a splendid monastery! There is something rather special about discussing linguistic, religious, or artistic matters in one of those majestic cloisters. And it’s no longer just a case of two boys chattering: we really delve into the facts, generally ask the teachers questions, and read some relevant literature. I’d like to describe my fellow boarders; I’m sure