Sentence-forming is still very imperfect: _is smoke_ means "that is
smoke" and "there is smoke"; and _kommt Locomotiwe_ stands for "da kommt
eine oder die Locomotive" (There comes a, or the, engine). At sight of
the bath-tub, however, the child says six times in quick succession _Da
kommt kalt Wasser rein, Marie_ (Cold water is to go in here, Mary). He
frequently makes remarks on matters of fact, e. g., _warm out there_. If
he has broken a flower-pot, a bandbox, a glass, he says regularly, of
his own accord, _Frederick glue again_, and he reports faithfully every
little fault to his parents. But when a plaything or an object
interesting to him vexes him, he says, peevishly, _stupid thing_, e. g.,
to the carpet, which he can not lift; and he does not linger long over
one play. His occupation must be changed very often.
The imitations are now again becoming less frequent than in the past
months, and expressions not understood are repeated rather for the
amusement of the family than unconsciously; thus, _Ach Gott_ (Oh God!)
and _wirklich grossartig_ (truly grand). Yet the child sometimes sings
in his sleep, several seconds at a time, evidently dreaming.
The pronunciation of the "sch," even in the favorite succession of
words, _Ganzes Batalljohn marss_ (for "marsch") _eins_, _zwei_, is
imperfect, and although no person of those about him pronounces the
"st" in "Stall, stehen" otherwise than as "scht," the child keeps
persistently to _S-tall_, _s-tehen_.
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