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Following is the continuation from the last Newsletter of the journal of Billings Grinnell Almy. (See introduction in Newsletter No. 85, January 1996.)
My first vacation. Holiday. Installation of new Rector. Took advantage of the occasion for a 30 mile bicycle ride with Chase and S.S. In afternoon studied German and kept it up till midnight.
Worked on philosophical vocabulary all forenoon. In afternoon read Dr. Wolfe's article in Am. Jour. Psy. On size of $, 50¢, 25¢, etc. After classes continued work on German vocabulary until midnight, one hour out for supper only. Seem to think I can notice an improvement in understanding the lectures.
Read the news and only worked a little on the grammar in the forenoon. In afternoon read again in laboratory about three hours.
Studied in morning, late to lecture on account of a freak in my watch which lost 5 minutes in a ½ hour while I was loitering along looking in shop windows waiting for class time. Turned the "Uhr" over to the man I bought it of in afternoon. Rained all afternoon. Only a few minutes in the laboratory.
Did little in forenoon. Finished up a letter and sent home. Lost without the time. Understood two lectures a little better but third took a "back set".
Breakfasted with four letters and two newspaper packages. Took all morning to read. Lecture and lab. 11-1. Review of physics of refraction reflection explanation of current reveners spectroscope etc. In afternoon had my measure taken for a genuine German suit. In evening had a lot of fun over nothing. Rolling plate, snapping the plate etc.
Once more rejoiced by finding letter and back numbers of Hesperians. Read again all forenoon. In afternoon and evening wrote. At supper had a good chance to use my German and learn more. All left but the family Fraulein Eicholt and myself. So I got a chance to talk an be talked to more than I had for weeks before.
Read the newspapers apropos peace commission, Dreyfus affair and French-English war complications. In afternoon made arrangements for beginning as subject in the laboratory. Thought I understood much better than on Saturday. First talk with German students in arranging this work. Before had not talked much with any of the other students.
Nearly froze waiting for fire. Understood morning lecture good comparatively but afternoon lectures both poorly understood. Feeling kind of blue again. I won't go out to listen to election returns tonight Something unusual for me. By the way I didn't vote either, just thought of that. Finished copying three sets of lectures after supper.
Read up on German philosophy. Got along pretty well. In afternoon had my first experiment in the laboratory. Not at all satisfied with the German style as I saw it today. German lectures very slowly improving in clearness. Told talk more easily followed than formerly. So some improvement but very slow.
Went round to read election news. First reports indicate an even stand off. Republicans gain and loose (sic), Democrats loose and gain. Yesterday and today are so misty that at times one can hardly see across the street. In afternoon classes as usual and in evening a funny time learning Germans how to play "Snap and Catch `em". Wrote a letter to Frank long about midnight.
Election reports favor Republicans - a terrible rumor from Nebraska. Republicans by 40,000. A very meandering lecture in zoology. Find it hard to keep attention on lectures. After about ½ hour I find myself thinking of other things. Arrangements for a second laboratory period.
Slept late read N.Y. Herald and to Mentz laboratory division. Got my German suit. Two sizes too big all around - room to grow. Little cloudy and gloomy in afternoon. "Kant" lecture not particularly interesting. My second German haircut. The man left me more or less bald headed.
A beautiful day but I had several lectures to write. I got part of one written before church time. Went to Christian Endeavor for a change.
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