streets?

Moritz.

No!——Don't tell me anything to-day, Melchior. I have Central America and Louis the Fifteenth before me. And then the sixty verses of Homer, the seven equations and the Latin composition.——I would fail in all of them again to-morrow. To drudge successfully I must be as stupid as an ox.

Melchior.

Come with me to my room. In three-quarters of an hour I will have the Homer, the equations and two compositions. I will put one or two harmless errors in yours, and the thing is done. Mamma will make lemonade for us again, and we can chat comfortably about propagation.

Moritz.

I can't——I can't chat comfortably about propagation! If you want to do me a favor, give me your information in writing. Write me out what you know. Write it as briefly and clearly as possible, and put it between my books to-morrow during recess. I will carry it home without knowing that I have it. I will find it unexpectedly. I cannot but help going over it with tired eyes——in case it is hard to explain, you can use a marginal diagram or so.

Melchior.

You are like a girl.——Nevertheless, as you wish. It will be a very interesting task for me.——One question, Moritz?

Moritz.

Hm?

Melchior.

Did you ever see a girl?

Moritz.

Yes!

Melchior.

All of her?

Moritz.

Certainly!

Melchior.

So have I!——Then we won't need any illustrations.

Moritz.

During the Schützenfest in Leilich's anatomical museum! If it had leaked out I should have been hunted out of school.——Beautiful as the light of day, and——oh, so true to nature!

Melchior.

I was at Frankfurt with Mamma last summer——Are you going already, Moritz?

Moritz.

I must work.——Good-night.

Melchior.

'Till we meet again.

SCENE THIRD.

Thea, Wendla and Martha come along the street arm in arm.

Martha.

How the water gets into one's shoes!

Wendla.

How the wind blows against one's cheeks!

Thea.

How one's heart thumps!

Wendla.

Let's go out there to the bridge. Ilse says the stream is full of bushes and trees. The boys have built a raft. Melchi Gabor was almost drowned yesterday.

Thea.

Oh, he can swim!

Martha.

I should think so, child!

Wendla.

If he hadn't been able to swim he would have been drowned!

Thea.

Your hair is coming down, Martha, your hair is coming down.

Martha.

Pooh!——Let it come down! It bothers me day and night. I may not wear short hair like you; I may not wear my hair down my back like Wendla; I may not wear bangs, and I must always do my hair up at home——all on account of my aunt!

Wendla.

I'll bring the scissors with me to-morrow to devotions. While you are saying, “Blessed are they who do not stray,” I will clip it off.

Martha.

For heaven's sake, Wendla! Papa would beat me black and blue, and Mamma would lock me up in the coal hole for three nights.

Wendla.

What does he beat you with, Martha?

Martha.

It often seems to me as if they would miss something if they didn't have an ill-conditioned brat like me.

Thea.

Why, girl!

Martha.

Are you ever allowed to put a blue ribbon through the top of your chemise?

Thea.

A pink ribbon! Mamma thinks a pink ribbon goes well with my big dark eyes.

Martha.

Blue suits me to a T!——Mamma pulled me out of bed by the hair. I fell with my hands out so on the floor.——Mamma prayed night after night with us——

Wendla.

In your place I should have run away long ago.

Martha.

There you have it! The reason I am going away!——There you have it!——They will soon see——oh, they will soon see! At least I shall never be able to reproach my mother——

Thea.

H'm, h'm.——

Martha.

Can you imagine, Thea, what Mamma meant by it?

Thea.

I can't——can you, Wendla?

Wendla.

I should simply have asked her.

Martha.

I lay on the floor and shrieked and howled. Then Papa came in. Rip——he tore off my chemise. Out of the door I went. There you have it!——I only wanted to get out in the street that way——

Wendla.

But that is not so, Martha.

Martha.

I froze. I was locked up. I had to sleep all night in a sack.

Thea.

Never in my life could I sleep in a sack!

Wendla.

I only wish I could sleep once for you in your sack.

Martha.

If only one weren't beaten!

Thea.

But one would suffocate in it!

Martha.

Your head is left outside. It's tied under your chin.

Thea.

And then they beat you?

Martha.

No. Only when there is special occasion.

Wendla.

What do they beat you with, Martha?

Martha.

Oh, with anything that is handy.——Does your mother think it's naughty to eat a