too of course I am frightfully glad.
Naturally I would much rather have her here; but unfortunately it's
impossible because of Mother. Dora thinks that Mother will have to have
another operation, but I don't believe it, for _such_ an operation can
only be done _once_. What I can't understand is why there should be
anything wrong with Mother if the operation was successful. Dora is
afraid that Mother has cancer, that would be horrible; but I don't
believe she has, because if one has cancer one can't recover.

February 23rd. It was heavenly at the Bruckners! Anneliese did not
come until 4, for they don't have dinner until 3. She wore a white
embroidered frock with black silk ribbons. Hella's mother kissed her
with tears in her eyes. For her mother really is in a sanatorium because
is suffering from _nervous_ disease. Anneliese is living with her uncle
and aunt. But she often cries because of her father and mother. Still,
she enjoyed herself immensely in the round games, winning all the best
prizes, a pocket comb and mirror, a box of sweets, a toy elephant, a
negro with a vase, and other things as well. I won a pen-wiper, a double
vase, a pencil holder, a lot of sweets, and a note book, Hella won a lot
of things too, and so did her two cousins and Jenny.

Then we had some music and Anneliese sang the Wacht am Rhein and a lot
of folk songs; her voice is as sweet as herself. She was fetched at 7, I
stayed till 8.

March 1st. To-morrow Hella and I have been in vised to Anneliese's. I am
so awfully glad. I shall ask Mother to let me wear my new theatre blouse
and the green spring coat and skirt. The temperature went up to 54
degrees to-day.

March 3rd. Yesterday we went to Anneliese's. She shares a room with her
cousin; she is only 11 and goes to the middle school, but she is a
nice girl I expected to find everything frightfully smart at Professor
Arndt's, but it was not so at all. They have only 3 rooms not
particularly well furnished. He has retired on a pension, Emmy is their
granddaughter, she lives with them because her father is in Galicia, a
captain or major I think. It was not so amusing as at Hella's. We played
games without prizes, and that is dull; it is not that one plays for the
sake of the prizes, but what's the use of playing if one does not win
anything? Then they read aloud to us out of a story book. But what Hella
and I found exasperating was that Anneliese's uncle said "Du" to us
both. For Hella is 14, a