. ▁If ▁a ▁student ▁could ▁not ▁r attle ▁off ▁whether ▁a ▁word ▁was ▁d ative ▁or ▁ab l ative , ▁or ▁what ▁length ▁the ▁v owel ▁was ▁in ▁sc ansion , ▁she ▁might ▁say , ▁imp at ient ly , ▁" Life ▁is ▁full ▁of ▁dec isions !" ▁She ▁had ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁o ath s , ▁" H ell ' s ▁b ells !" ▁being ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁mil der ▁ones . ▁When ▁she ▁was ▁introduced ▁at ▁a ▁sym pos ium ▁at ▁Chap el ▁Hill , ▁she ▁said , ▁" The ▁rum ors ▁of ▁my ▁ret irement ▁are ▁greatly ▁ex agger ated ," ▁par ap hr asing ▁Mark ▁Tw ain . ▁At ▁a ▁post - const ruction ist ▁lecture ▁she ▁attended , ▁she ▁reported , ▁" I ▁understood ▁every ▁word ▁but ▁not ▁a ▁single ▁sentence ." ▁She ▁did ▁not ▁sh y ▁away ▁from ▁explaining ▁ racy ▁port ions ▁of ▁Ju ven al , ▁Mart ial ▁or ▁O vid . ▁" Don ' t ▁comp lain " ▁she ▁translated ▁lo os ely ▁in ▁one ▁instance , ▁with ▁a ▁broad ▁w ink ▁to ▁the ▁young ▁men ▁in ▁the ▁class , ▁" about ▁your ▁girl ▁having ▁another ▁sweet heart ▁on ▁the ▁side ; ▁she ▁might ▁teach ▁you ▁a ▁trick ▁or ▁two ." ▁When ▁she ▁died , ▁her ▁wish ▁was ▁to ▁have ▁" a ▁splendid ▁me al " ▁prepared ▁and ▁spread ▁before ▁her ▁on ▁her ▁death bed ▁( a ▁scenario ▁from ▁Sen eca ). ▁She ▁was ▁happy ▁to ▁write ▁letters ▁of ▁reference ▁for ▁teaching ▁jobs ,