15 NOVEMBER 1913, Page 33

[To THE EDITOR or THE "SPECTATOR."]

SIR,—What grace can be more brief, pithy, and reverent than that of the German peasant :—

"Komm, Herr Jean, sei unser Gast, Und segne was Du uns bescheret hast."

("Come, Lord Jesus, be our Guest, and bless what Thou halt provided for us.") When we were little children we often played " keeping house " with our dolls, and always insisted upon their saying " grace " both before and after meals. I do not know the origin of the rhymes, but these are what our good old nurse taught us:—

Before food ; " Grace in the parlour, Grace in the hall, Grace in the kitchen, Or Grace not at all."

After food : " We thank little fishes For filling our dishes- ' A bout, a bout, k bout.' "

Cheriton, Wilton Park Road, Shanklin.