ne la point
scandaliser sur la question, je m'embarrassai, et je fis une espece de
mensonge; cela me donna quelque repugnance a dire la Messe, mais je ne
laissai pas de la dire.

I do not advise _you_ to stop to play in the midst of your prayers, or
to tell "une espece de mensonge!" till you are as much of a saint as he
was. [5]

_Saturday, 26th._--Your letter and Mrs. Smith's came together this
afternoon. It is pleasant to hear from papa's old friends at Halle, and
he will be delighted, when he comes home from Chi Alpha, where he is
now. Lizzy B. called this afternoon; she wanted to open out her poor
sick heart to me. She quoted to me several things she says I wrote her a
few weeks ago, but I have not the faintest recollection of writing them.
That shows what a harum-scarum life I lead.

_March 31st._--We spent Tuesday evening at the Skinners. We had a
charming visit; no one there but Mrs. Sampson and her sister, and Dr. S.
wide awake and full of enthusiasm. We did not get to bed till midnight.
Mrs. ---- came this morning and begged me to lend her some money, as she
had got behindhand. I let her have five dollars, though I do not feel
sure that I shall see it again, and she wept a little weep, and went
away. A lady told cousin C. she had heard I was so shy that once having
promised to go to a lunch party, my courage failed at the last moment,
so that I could not go. I shall expect to learn next that my hair is
red.

_Monday, April 4th._--Your presents came Saturday while I was out. We
are all delighted with them, but I was most so, for two such darling
little vases were surely never before seen. M. had Maggie to spend
Saturday afternoon and take tea. She asked me if I did not make a
distinction between talent and genius, which papa thought very smart of
her. I read aloud to them all the evening one of the German stories by
Julius Horn. Mr. and Mrs. C. came in after church and I asked them to
stay to tea, which they did. After it was over, and we had had prayers,
we had a little sing, Mrs. C. playing, and among other things, sang a
little hymn of mine which I wrote I know not when, but which papa liked
well enough to have printed. If copies come to-day, as promised, I will
enclose one or two. After the singing papa and I took turns, as we could
snatch a chance from each other, in reading to them from favorite books,
which they enjoyed very much.

_April 9th._--We called on Mrs. H. M. Field yesterday, and I never s