▁at ▁home ▁and ▁read ▁literary ▁class ics . ▁With ▁only ▁self - ed uc ation , ▁she ▁learned ▁to ▁speak ▁fl uent ▁Italian ▁and ▁French ▁and ▁pract iced ▁German ▁and ▁Greek . ▁ ▁Ad oles c ence ▁ ▁Ad oles c ence ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁comfort ▁and ▁happiness ▁for ▁Gar rett . ▁She ▁felt ▁un com fort able ▁with ▁the ▁Victor ian ▁expect ations ▁of ▁women ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁and ▁was ▁also ▁un com fort able ▁with ▁the ▁attitude ▁towards ▁sex ▁in ▁her ▁family . ▁Every ▁family ▁member ▁avoided ▁sex - related ▁topics ▁on ▁purpose , ▁and ▁she ▁had ▁to ▁teach ▁herself ▁about ▁pub ert y . ▁ ▁Gar rett ▁showed ▁interests ▁in ▁business ▁and ▁managed ▁her ▁personal ▁business ▁matters ▁by ▁herself ▁during ▁this ▁time ▁period . ▁Given ▁a ▁week ly ▁allow ance ▁of ▁five ▁to ▁ten ▁dollars ▁per ▁week , ▁she ▁kept ▁record ▁of ▁all ▁exp enses ▁in ▁her ▁not ebook . ▁Besides , ▁she ▁kept ▁all ▁the ▁letters ▁from ▁her ▁relatives ▁and ▁friends , ▁including ▁Julia ▁and ▁Elizabeth . ▁ ▁Gar rett ▁also ▁kept ▁a ▁di ary , ▁which ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁her ▁by ▁the ▁phil anth rop ist ▁and ▁long time ▁friend ▁of ▁the ▁Gar ret ▁family , ▁George ▁Pe ab ody , ▁the ▁respect able ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁Pe ab ody ▁Institute ▁and ▁George ▁Pe ab ody ▁Library ▁in ▁Baltimore . ▁ ▁After ▁leaving ▁school , ▁Gar rett ▁continued ▁to ▁learn ▁from ▁her ▁father ▁about ▁commerce ▁and ▁the ▁operation ▁of ▁a ▁rail road ▁company , ▁later ▁serving