he care
taken of all externals. They noticed that Ivo was easily disgusted, and
often amused themselves by getting up a conversation at the table which
made it impossible for the poor boy to taste a morsel. At such times
his mother's arrangement with the stewardess was of the greatest
service to him.

Over-government always leads to circumventions of the law which the
supervisors are forced to wink at: some of these tricks are handed down
by a sort of secret tradition; others are invented with the occasion.
Ivo never took part in these irregularities, nor in the practical jokes
sometimes attempted to be played on the teachers and overseers. He was
quiet and retiring.

His letter to his parents gives a vivid picture of his state of mind.
It was as follows:--

"DEAR PARENTS, BROTHERS, AND SISTER:--I did not wish to write before I
had learned to feel at home here. Oh, I have lived through so much in
these three weeks that I thought I should die! Indeed, if I had not
been ashamed I would have run away and come back to you. I often
thought that I was just like the cow that father bought: she could not
eat any thing either until she had become accustomed to the rest of the
cattle. We have very good eating here,--meat every day except Friday,
and wine on Sunday. The stewardess is very kind to me. I cannot go to
see the landlady at the Vineyard, as we are not allowed to go to
taverns. We are kept strictly in all things:--we are not even permitted
to take half an hour's walk by ourselves after dinner. If I only had
wings, to come and fly over to you! What I like best is to walk in the
road by which we came here: then I think of the future,--when I shall
travel this road again in the holidays. It is very cold here, too.
Would you please send me a flannel jacket, dear mother, slashed with
green in front? I feel the cold much more here than when I used to go
to Horb: there I could do as I liked; here I don't seem to belong to
myself at all. Oh, my head is often so heavy with crying that I feel as
if I were going to be sick! But don't grieve about it, dear mother: all
will go on very well soon, and I am really in good health now: only I
must pour out my heart before you. I will study very hard, and then God
will make all things go rightly: I depend on Him, on our Savior, on the
holy mother of God, and on all the saints: others have gone through
with it all before me, and why should not I? Be happy among yourselves,
and love ea