beginning of letter missing

six Germans in the room & none could speak one word of English when I had said about three sentences I was at the end of my German and could simply smile and tell Clara what I wanted to say—it was a very embarassing place for both Clara and me—yet the Baroness is so sweet that I enjoyed it. I, also, have activities, Sue. One of them consists in lying abed, mornings, until I am shoveled out. After breakfast I lie slippered & comfortable on the sofa, with a pipe, & read the meagre telegrams in the German paper & the general news in Galignani’s Messenger; & about 11 o’clock bundle up in furs & tramp a mile to my den, which is in the 3d story of a dwelling. The pleasant old German Fraŭ, comes in & builds a fire & talks admirat admiringly about the weather,—no matter how villainous it may be,—because the Creator made it. I find my rubbish of the yesterday all cleaned away, & everything in apple-pie order. The Fraŭ gives me a good roasting occassionallyⒶemendation, & occasionally she freezes me,—but in all cases she means well.

In the main hall of her house is a great placard, nailed to the wall by the government. I read it yesterday, & learned the following: The government requires that the halls & stairways of all houses must shall be well cleaned every day; the “wash” must not be hung outside the house to dry, (or inside, I’ve forgotten which—it was a badly mixed German sentence, anyway;) it is forbidden to discharge ashes or and other clogging & uncl substances into the sewer-ducts; no box, barrel, or other obstruction may be permitted to clutter the sidewalk; the stoves & fire-places must be kept in safe condition, & the monthly (or more frequent) visits of the fire-inspectors must be assisted by the householderⒶemendation; The house door must be locked by at 10 P.M., & not opened again until 5 in A.M. in summer & 6 in winter; the windows must have shutters, & these shutters must be fastened at night; it is forbidden to throw handbills & circulars in at the door; music-practising, noisy amusements & noisy companies are forbidden, after 10 P.M; & barking dogs at all times; the name, age, nationality, occupation, & religion, of new lodgers must be reported at police headquarters, together with such lodgers’ intentions as to length of stay, & what they came to Munich for; & finally, in the biggest kind of letters, “Beggars, Tramps & Peddlers are absolutely forbidden.”

When Munich passes a law, she “means business;” she carries it into practice—hence this is a mighty quiet & comfortable kind of a town.