"the Guardian Angel of our Love." Yes, that is what I am and always
shall be; for he really deserves it and Dora too is quite different
from what she used to be. Hella says one can see for oneself that love
ennobles; up till now she has always thought that to be mere poetical
fiction.

May 15th. Father said: I don't care much about these visits to the
Richters as long as that _young jackanapes_ is still there, but Mother
can't very well refuse. We shall wear our green coats and skirts with
the white blouses with the little green silk leaves for Dora does not
like to wear all white except in summer. And because the leaves on the
blouses are _clover leaves_, that is because of their meaning. We are
looking forward to it tremendously. I do hope Mother will be all right,
for she is in bed to-day. It's horrid being ill anyhow, but when being
ill interferes with other people's pleasure it's simply frightful.

May 16th. The day before yesterday was Mother's birthday; but it was not
so jolly as usual because Mother is so often ill; for a birthday present
I painted her a box with a spray of clematis, which looks awfully
chic. Dora gave her a book cover embroidered with a spray of Japanese
cherries, I don't know what Father gave her, money I think, because on
her birthday and name day he always hands her an envelope. But since
Mother is not well we were not very cheerful, and when we drank her
health at dinner she wiped her eyes when she thought we were not
looking. Still, it's not so dangerous as all that; she is able to go out
and doesn't look bad. I think Mother's awfully smart, she looks just as
well in her dressing gown as when she's dressed up to go out. Dora says
that if she had been made ill by her husband she would hate him and
would never let her daughters marry. That's all very well, but one ought
to be quite _sure_ that _that_ is why one has become ill. They say that
is why Aunt Dora doesn't like Father. Certainly Father is not so nice to
her as to other relations or to the ladies who some to see Mother. But
after all, Aunt Dora has no right to make _scenes_ about it to Father,
as Dora says she does. Mother's the only person with any right to do
that. Dora says she is afraid that it will come to Mother's having to
have an operation. Nothing would ever induce me to undergo an operation,
it must be horrible, I know because of Hella and the appendicitis. But
Dora says: "Anyone who's had five children must be used to tha