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A  PIETIST  OF  THE  NAPOLEONIC 
WARS   AND   AFTER 


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JLJY  permission  o/  /rei/ierr  von  /loAen/tan    of  JVu 


A    PIETIST    OF    THE 

NAPOLEONIC    WARS 

AND  AFTER 

THE    LIFE    OF 
COUNTESS    VON    REDEN 

BY  ELEONORE,  PRINCESS  REUSS 

^1 

AUTHORISED    TRANSLATION 

BY  MRS.  CHARLES  EDWARD  BARRETT-LENNARD 
AND   M.   W.   HOPER 

WITH   AN   INTRODUCTORY  NOTE  BY  ROBERT  S.  RAIT 

AUTHOR  OF  "  THE  LIFE  OF  LORD  GOUGH,"  ETC. 


LONDON 

JOHN   MURRAY,  ALBEMARLE   STREET,  W. 

1905 


PRINTED  BY 

HAZELL,  WATSON  AMD  VINEY,  LD. , 
LONDON  AND  AYLESBURT. 


TO 

THE   REVERED   MEMORY 
OF 

ELEONORE,    PRINCESS    REUSS 


INTRODUCTORY     NOTE 


READERS  of  Sir  John  Seeley's  "  Life  and  Times 
of  Stein  "  may  recollect  something  of  a  Count 
von  Reden  who  figures  in  Seeley's  pages,  and  in 
Pertz's  "  Das  Leben  des  Ministers  Freiherrn  vom 
Stein,"  in  which  is  embodied  Stein's  Autobiography. 
The  name  of  Reden  recalls  one  of  the  real  friendships 
of  Stein's  life,  a  friendship  unbroken  from  early  youth 
till  the  death  of  Reden  in  iSis.1  They  met  at  Got- 
tingen  about  1775,  and  found  a  bond  of  union  in  their 
interest  in  England;  for  Stein  was  engaged  in  the 
study  of  English  history  and  politics,  while  Reden 
was  interested  in  English  country  life  and,  as  became 
a  landowner  in  a  mining  district,  in  English  methods 
of  mining.  In  1776,  while  Stein  was  still  at  Gottingen, 
Reden  paid  a  visit  to  England,  to  investigate  these 
topics.  The  Government  of  George  III.  had,  in  the 
preceding  year,  entered  into  its  unfortunate  struggle 

1  Seeley,  by  a  slip  of  the  pen,  represents  Reden  as  Hanoverian 
Ambassador  at  Rome  in  1823.  The  words  in  Pertz  are,  "Seines 
Gfittingen  Freundes,  Fritz  von  Reden  des  spatern  Hannoverschen 
Ministers  in  Regensburg,  Carlsruhe,  Rom,  und  Berlin."  This  occurs 
in  a  passage  referring  to  the  year  1823,  and  Seeley  misread  it  and 
described  Reden  as  at  Rome  in  that  year. 

vii 


viii  INTRODUCTORY   NOTE 

with  the  American  colonies,  and  had  secured  for 
the  English  army  the  aid  of  a  German  contingent. 
Among  the  soldiers  who  served  in  North  America 
was  a  General  von  Riedesel,  Freiherr  zu  Eisenach, 
whose  wife  and  children  followed  him  to  the  New 
World.  On  her  way  from  Brunswick  to  America, 
Frau  von  Riedesel  spent  a  few  months  in  England, 
and  von  Reden  was  informed  of  the  fact.  With  the 
ready  sympathy  which  was  part  of  his  nature,  he 
went  to  Portsmouth  to  place  at  her  disposal  his 
knowledge  of  the  language  and  the  people.  Among 
the  children  who  accompanied  their  mother  was 
Fritze  von  Riedesel,  a  fair-haired  child  of  two :  she 
was  destined  to  become,  twenty-six  years  later,  the 
wife  of  von  Reden ;  and  her  own  personality  was  so 
remarkable  that  she  has  found  a  biographer  in 
Princess  Reuss,  whose  work,  adapted  and  abridged, 
is  now  given  to  the  English  public  by  Mrs.  C.  E. 
Barrett-Lennard.  Her  knowledge  at  once  of  German 
history  and  of  German  life,  and  her  acquaintance 
with  the  province  of  Silesia,  the  scene  of  the  story, 
and  with  the  modern  representatives  of  the  families 
who  figure  in  it,  render  her  unusually  qualified  for 
the  task.  The  work  of  translation  has  been  ably 
shared  by  Miss  M.  W.  Hoper. 

For  English  readers  there  are  three  main  points 
of  interest  in  the  Life  of  Countess  Reden.  As  a  child 
Fritze  von  Riedesel  witnessed  some  of  the  melancholy 
incidents  of  the  American  war,  and  shared  in  the 
disappointments  and  chagrin  of  the  campaign.  The 
hatred  which  that  unfortunate  struggle  provoked  is 


INTRODUCTORY   NOTE  ix 

illustrated  by  these  memoirs,  although,  like  her 
future  husband,  the  child  loved  the  English  name 
and  stoutly  supported  the  British  cause.  Her  bio- 
grapher relates  an  amusing  anecdote  of  the  child- 
hood of  the  heroine — a  too  loyal  desire  to  join 
her  seniors  in  doing  honour  to  Queen  Charlotte 
led  to  lamentable  results.  Some  friendships  formed 
in  the  course  of  these  American  experiences  lasted 
for  many  years ;  of  these  the  most  notable  was  an 
intimacy  with  General  Clinton,  who  for  three  years 
was  Commander-in-Chief. 

With  the  return  of  the  family  to  Germany  the 
interest  of  the  story  ceases  for  a  time,  although  there 
are  some  pleasant  glimpses  of  family  life  a  century 
ago. 

The  thirteen  years  of  her  married  life  bring  Fritze 
von  Riedesel,  now  Countess  Reden,  into  touch  with 
the  great  events  of  the  Napoleonic  era.  Her  letters 
tell  of  swift  changes  on  the  map  of  Europe,  of  the 
disappearance  of  duchies  and  electorates.  "  The 
Emperor  has  left  Dresden,  and  tordre  du  jour,  dated 
from  Dresden,  says  in  plain  black  and  white  that 
Hesse,  Brunswick,  and  Fulda  shall  cease  to  exist.  .  .  . 
The  Princess  of  Orange  is  calm,  but  utterly  crushed." 
This  was  in  1807.  Soon  followed  the  dismissal  of 
the  Count  von  Reden  from  his  post  as  Minister  of 
Mines,  and  in  December,  1808,  Stein  himself  was 
outlawed  by  Napoleon.  It  was  to  the  home  of  the 
Redens,  at  Buchwald,  that  the  great  minister  fled,  and 
from  it  he  made  his  way  across  the  Austrian  frontier. 
The  Countess,  unknown  to  her  husband,  followed 


x  INTRODUCTORY   NOTE 

Stein  and  Reden  in  their  flight.  Better  days  were 
in  store;  but  von  Reden  was  now  an  old  man,  and 
he  was  crushed  by  the  calamities  of  his  fatherland. 
A  fortnight  after  hearing  the  good  news  of  the  victory 
of  the  allies  at  Waterloo,  he  died,  leaving  his  wife 
to  over  thirty  years  of  widowhood. 

It  is  during  her  widowhood  that  the  religious 
interest  of  the  life  of  Countess  von  Reden  becomes 
most  marked.  She  and  her  husband  had  been  active 
in  the  interests  of  the  Bible  Society,  to  which  the 
Countess  now  devoted  a  large  portion  of  her  time. 
These  years  are  almost  devoid  of  the  public  interest 
which  marked  the  period  of  her  marriage,  but  at  the 
end  of  her  life  the  Countess  became  connected  with 
a  remarkable  experiment.  A  colony  of  Evangelical 
Protestants  migrated  from  the  Zillerthal  in  the  Tyrol 
to  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Reden  estates  at 
Buchwald.  They  were  the  descendants  of  early 
Protestants,  and  generation  after  generation  had 
secretly  preserved  the  reformed  faith,  in  spite  of  an 
outward  conformity  to  Roman  Catholicism.  About 
1820  they  were  affected  by  a  new  movement, 
and  their  acknowledgment  of  their  real  views, 
while  not,  indeed,  entailing  persecution  in  the  old 
sense,  involved  them  in  many  unpleasant  conse- 
quences. They  could  neither  be  married  nor  buried 
with  Christian  rites,  and  socially  they  were  out- 
casts. Remembering  a  similar  migration  a  century 
earlier,  they  asked  help  of  Frederick  William  III.  of 
Prussia,  who  arranged  for  their  settlement  in  Silesia, 
under  the  charge  of  the  Countess  Reden.  The 


INTRODUCTORY   NOTE  xi 

difficulties  that  arose  and  their  solution  form  the 
subject  of  the  later  pages  of  this  book.  The  accom-  ! 
plishment  of  this  important  scheme  brought  the  \ 
Countess  into  more  direct  connection  with  the  Court, 
and  adds  another  incidental  interest  to  her  biography 
in  the  pictures  which  she  gives  of  the  simple  Court 
life  of  the  Prussian  Royal  Family  under  Frederick 
William  III.  and  his  successor.  In  addition  to  these 
points,  at  which  the  Life  of  the  Countess  Reden 
touches  historical  episodes,  there  runs  throughout  the 
whole  of  the  book  a  constant  religious  and  domestic 
interest,  which  will  appeal  to  all  who  like  to  know 
how  a  great  German  lady  lived  and  prayed  and 
ruled  her  household  and  managed  her  property  and 
her  garden  a  hundred  years  ago. 

ROBERT  S.  RAIT. 

NEW  COLLEGE,  OXFORD. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER   I 

PAGE 

GIRLHOOD  AND  YOUTH  (1774-1802)    .          ..         .          .        I 


CHAPTER   II 
MARRIED  LIFE  (1802-1815)  .          .          *          .          .          .39 

CHAPTER    III 

FIRST    YEARS    OF   WIDOWHOOD   AND   WORKING    AND 

SUFFERING  IN  THE  SERVICE  OF  GOD  (1815-1829)    IO8 

CHAPTER   IV 

NEW  JOYS  AND  CONSOLATIONS  (1829-1837)        ;          .162 

CHAPTER  V 
NEW  TASKS  (1837-1840)        .          .          ...          .   220 

CHAPTER  VI 
FRIENDSHIP  WITH   THE  KING  (1840-1847)  .          .   28l 

CHAPTER   VII 
THE   LAST  YEARS   (1847-1854) 339 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


FRITZE,    CAROLINE,    AND   AMERICA    VON    RIEDESEL     ....    FrontispitCC 

Facing  p. 

SCHLOSS    WERNIGERODE,    IN    THE    HARTZ    MOUNTAINS          ....  22 

AUGUSTE     VON     RIEDESEL,      AFTERWARDS     COUNTESS      REUSS,      WIFE     OF 

HEINRICH    XLIV 32 

QUEEN    LUISE    OF    PRUSSIA 46 

FREIHERR    VOM    UNO   ZUM    STEIN 58 

FRIEDRICH    WILHELM,    COUNT   VON    REDEN 104 

SCHLOSS    BUCHWALD .  IO6 

THE   ABBEY    AT     BUCHWALD,    WHERE    COUNT   AND     COUNTESS   VON    REDEN 

ARE    BURIED IOO 

MARLINE    VON    RIEDESEL    ZU    EISENACH,     AFTERWARDS     FREIFRAU     VON 

ROTENHAU 112 

FIELD-MARSHAL    COUNT   VON    GNEISENAU Il6 

THE    PAVILION    AT    BUCHWALD,    BUILT    BY    COUNT    VON    REDEN    IN    1804     .  132 

FISCHBACH,    IN  THE  RIESENGEBIRGE,  SILESIA,  RESIDENCE    OF    PRINCE   AND 

PRINCESS   WILHELM 132 

MARIANNE,     PRINCESS    WILHELM     OF     PRUSSIA,      A     PRINCESS     OF     HESSE 

HOMBURG 134 

HEINRICH    XXXVIII.    REUSS .  I^O 

COLONEL     HENRY     CLINTON,     GRANDSON     OF     SIR    HENRY     CLINTON,     COM- 
MANDER-IN-CHIEF   DURING   THE    AMERICAN    REVOLUTIONARY   WAR     .  140 

PRINCESS     ELISA     RADZIWILL,    GRANDDAUGHTER     OF     PRINCE     FERDINAND 

HOHENZOLLERN,    AND    GREAT-NIECE   OF    FREDERICK    THE    GREAT            .  IOO 

FRIEDRICH    WILHELM    IV.,    KING    OF    PRUSSIA,    AS    CROWN    PRINCE      .             .  26O 

HEINRICH    LXXIV.    REUSS  ("  HENLY  "),  COUNTESS    REDEN*S    NEPHEW              .  348 

ELEONORE,    PRINCESS   REUSS,  SECOND   WIFE    OF   HEINRICH    LXXIV.  REUSS.  358 

XV 


A    PIETIST 

OF    THE    NAPOLEONIC    WARS 
AND    AFTER 


N 


CHAPTER    I 

GIRLHOOD   AND  YOUTH 
1774 — I8O2 

O  traveller  visiting  the  Riesengebirge  will  leave 
the  district  without  going  to  see  the  hand- 
some Church  of  the  Redeemer  at  Wang,  splendidly 
situated  high  among  the  mountains.  At  the  northern 
entrance  of  the  churchyard  is  a  monument  which 
cannot  fail  to  attract  the  notice  of  the  passers-by. 
It  is  a  marble  tablet  with  a  profile  portrait  beautifully 
executed  in  relief;  above  this  is  a  head  of  Christ 
painted  upon  a  gold  ground ;  and  beneath  these  a 
spring  flows  from  the  rock  into  a  stone  basin.  The 
inscription  upon  it  runs  thus: 

JOHANNE   JULIANE    FRIEDERIKE   GRAFIN    VON    REDEN, 

by  birth  Freiin  von  Riedesel  zu  Eisenach, 

widow  of  Graf  von  Reden,  Minister  of  State, 

born  at  Wolfenbiittel,  May  12,   1774, 

died  at  Buchwald,  May  14,  1854. 

A  faithful  and   humble  disciple  of  God  her  Saviour, 

i 


2  GIRLHOOD   AND  YOUTH  [1760 

faithful  in  small  things,  and  persevering  in  great, 
the  same  alike  to  high  and  low,  a  mother  to  the 
poor,  and  a  refuge  for  all  who  needed  advice  and 
nelp.  She  was  a  supporter  of  the  institution  for 
rescue  work  at  Schreiberau,  and  a  friend  to  the 
Zillerthal  settlers  who  emigrated  on  account  of  their 
faith.  In  the  year  1815  she,  with  her  husband, 
founded  the  Bible  Society  in  Silesia,  which  she  con- 
tinued to  manage  until  her  death.  She  revived  the 
circulation  of  the  Hirschberg  Bible  which  had  been 
sadly  forgotten ;  and  by  her  advice  the  ancient  church 
of  Wang,  in  Norway,  was  saved  from  destruction  and 
re-erected  in  this  place  as  a  parish  church  for  the 
mountaineers.  In  the  year  1848,  when  she  was 
seventy-four  years  old,  she  was  forced  to  fly,  for  a 
time,  from  tnose  who  were  so  much  indebted  to 
her  for  bodily  and  spiritual  benefits,  but  she  requited 
their  conduct  with  renewed  signs  of  her  affection,  and 
changed  many  hearts ;  she  was  to  the  dwellers  both 
in  mountain  and  valley  a  shining  light  of  the  Evan- 
gelical creed.  To  her  hath  the  Lord  fulfilled  all  the 
promises  which  He  makes  to  them  who  fear  Him. 
For  Him — strife  and  tribulation  ;  in  Him — victory  and 
salvation.  King  Friedrich  Wilhelm  IV.,  honoured 
by  her  never-to-be-forgotten  friendship,  dating  from 
the  beginning  of  the  century,  erected  this  monu- 
ment to  her  as  a  mark  of  his  undying  affection  and 
gratitude  in  the  year  1856. 

Friedrich  Adolf  von  Riedesel,  Freiherr  zu  Eisenach, 
father  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  met  his  future 
wife,  Friederike  von  Massow,  in  the  year  1760,  she 
being  at  that  time  only  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  he 
a  captain  in  a  hussar  regiment  in  the  service  of  the 
Duke  of  Brunswick.  After  an  engagement  of  two 
years,  the  marriage  took  place  on  December  21,  1762. 
The  wedding  was  celebrated  at  Duke  Ferdinand's 
head-quarters,  the  Duke  and  his  officers  attending.  On 
January  16,  1767,  the  first  child,  Hermann,  was  born, 
who,  however,  lived  only  eleven  months.  A  daughter 
born  in  1770  also  died  before  she  was  a  year  old. 


1777]  VOYAGE   TO   AMERICA  3 

Another  daughter  was  born  in  August,  1771,  and  named 
Auguste;  and  the  second  daughter  who  survived, 
Johanne  Juliane  Friederike  (Fritze),  the  subject  of 
the  following  pages,  was  born  on  May  12,  1774. 

In  March,  1776,  Major-General  von  Riedesel  left 
Brunswick  and  sailed  from  Stade  for  America.  The 
news  of  the  birth  of  another  daughter  reached  him 
just  before  he  sailed.  Two  months  later  Frau  von 
Riedesel  set  out  with  her  three  children  to  join 
him,  crossing  from  Calais  to  Dover,  and  arriving  in 
London  on  June  i.  Circumstances  prevented  her 
making  the  voyage  in  the  autumn,  as  she  had 
intended,  so  she  passed  the  winter  partly  in  London 
and  partly  in  Bristol.  Count  Reden  was  in  England 
at  that  time,  investigating  English  methods  of  mining 
and  agriculture.  On  hearing  that  the  wife  of  a 
German  officer  was  in  the  country,  on  her  way  to 
join  her  husband  in  America,  he  went  to  Portsmouth 
and  offered  to  serve  her  in  any  way  in  his  power. 
It  was  there  he  first  saw  Fritze,  then  an  intelligent, 
fair-haired  little  girl,  of  whom  he  made  a  great  pet ; 
nor  did  he  ever  forget  her,  the  child  who  was  one 
day  to  become  his  wife. 

Frau  von  Riedesel  and  her  children  sailed  from 
Portsmouth  on  April  15,  and  reached  Quebec  on 
June  11,  1777.  Little  Fritze,  even  at  this  early  age, 
showed  signs  of  those  strong  religious  instincts  which 
characterised  her.  She  always  remembered  to  pray 
for  her  father  when  she  went  to  bed,  and  once,  after 
saying,  "  I  wish  to  see  my  dear  papa  soon,"  she  was 
asked  how  she  would  pray  for  him  when  with  him. 
She  replied,  "  I  shall  pray  to  God  every  day  never 
to  let  us  be  parted  from  him  again." 

General  von  Riedesel  met  his  family  at  Chambly 
but,  owing  to  his  military  duties,  he  could  only  remain 


4  GIRLHOOD  AND   YOUTH  [1777 

with  them  for  two  days,  and  they  did  not  finally 
[bin  him  till  August.  Later  the  brave  wife  shared 
all  the  hardships  of  war  with  her  husband,  following 
the  German  contingent  of  the  British  army  until 
the  end  of  the  campaign,  when  they  were  made 
prisoners  at  Saratoga.  Frau  von  Riedesel  gave  many 
proofs  of  her  courage  and  kindness,  and  was  as- 
siduous in  nursing  the  sick.  Sometimes  she  was 
subject  to  very  serious  dangers,  as,  for  example, 
on  one  occasion  when  the  fighting  was  so  danger- 
ously near  their  house  that  General  von  Riedesel 
decided  to  remove  his  family  to  what  seemed  a  safer 
place.  She  writes : 

The  children  and  I  were  hardly  seated  in  the 
chaise  before  I  saw  five  or  six  men  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Hudson  deliberately  aim  at  us.  I  flung  the 
children  almost  involuntarily  down  to  the  bottom 
of  the  chaise  and  myself  on  top  of  them,  just  as  the 
rascals  fired.  An  English  soldier  behind  us  had  his 
arm  shattered,  and  a  frightful  cannonade  began  after 
we  reached  the  house,  so  that  we  were  obliged  to 
take  refuge  in  the  cellar,  where  I  sat  in  a  corner  by 
the  door,  with  the  children's  heads  in  my  lap.  Three 
English  officers  who  had  been  slightly  wounded  were 
also  down  there,  and  each  one  of  them  promised  to 
take  a  child  with  him  on  his  horse  in  case  we  should 
be  obliged  to  fly. 

And  a  horse  stood  ready  saddled  for  Frau  von 
Riedesel  also. 

The  capitulation  took  place  on  October  17,  and 
General  von  Riedesel  sent  for  his  family  to  stay  with 
him  in  the  American  camp.  General  Skuyler  received 
them  with  great  kindness,  and  invited  them  all  to 
stay  at  his  house  at  Albany.  Thence  they  were  sent 
to  Boston,  where  the  Riedesels  were  assigned  very 
unpleasant  quarters. 


]     QUEEN   CHARLOTTE'S   BIRTHDAY       5 

In  spite  of  the  dirt,  our  officers  celebrated  the 
Queen  of  England's  birthday,  and  a  good  deal  of  wine 
was  drunk.  Gustchen  and  Fritze  noticed  that  the 
supply  was  kept  under  the  staircase,  so  they  sat 
by  the  door  and  toasted  the  Queen  till  their  little 
heads  could  bear  no  more.  Fritze  became  very 
feverish  and  had  convulsions,  much  to  my  alarm, 
until  I  discovered  the  cause,  and  then,  of  course, 
I  scolded  them  both.  They  said  that  they  had  done 
it  for  the  King  and  Queen. 

In  the  winter  of  1778-9  Frau  von  Riedesel  went 
with  the  army  to  Virginia,  and  her  diary  tells  how 
one  evening,  after  many  difficulties,  they  reached  the 
house  of  a  woman  who  was  so  intensely  patriotic 
that  she  refused  to  let  them  have  any  food,  till 
Caroline  seized  her  by  the  hand  and  said  in  English, 
"  Good  woman,  I  am  very  hungry."  This  was  irre- 
sistible, so  she  took  the  child  into  the  house  and 
gave  her  an  egg.  "  No,"  said  the  child ;  "  I  have  two 
sisters."  The  woman  was  touched,  and  gave  her  three 
eggs,  saying,  "  I  am  angry  with  myself  for  doing 
this,"  but  she  did  not  stop  until  she  had  given  them 
bread  and  milk  and  potatoes.  Their  provisions  gave 
out  again  before  the  end  of  their  journey,  and  the 
ill-will  of  the  people  was  so  great  that  they  could 
get  nothing  more  to  eat.  At  last  Frau  von  Riedesel 
got  a  bit  of  bread  from  a  carter  which  was  bitten 
all  round  the  edge.  She  gave  a  piece  to  Caroline, 
but  the  child  said,  "  My  sisters  are  hungrier  than 
I  am  "  ;  and  the  others  refused  it,  that  the  youngest 
might  eat  it  all.  Their  mother  divided  it  between 
them,  while  tears  rolled  down  her  face. 

In  February  they  arrived  at  Colle,  in  Virginia, 
where  they  stayed  for  six  months.  General  von 
Riedesel  felt  the  capitulation  deeply,  but  he  was,  of 
course,  in  no  way  responsible  for  it.  After  some 


6  GIRLHOOD   AND   YOUTH  [1782 

moving  about,  Frau  von  Riedesel  followed  her  husband 
to  New  York.  General  Clinton,  the  Commander-in- 
Chief  of  the  British  forces,  had  a  country  house  near 
the  town,  and  offered  it  to  the  Riedesels  during  their 
sojourn.  They  passed  a  pleasant  winter  in  New 
York,  receiving  much  kindness  from  the  English 
residents  there.  An  army  chaplain,  Herr  Mylius, 
lived  with  them  as  tutor  to  the  children. 

The  fourth  daughter  was  born  on  March  7,  1780, 
and  named  America ;  but  when  writing  to  her  mother, 
Frau  von  Riedesel  always  called  her  Wilhelmine, 
knowing  how  scandalised  her  mother  would  be  at 
such  an  outlandish  name.  They  spent  the  summer 
at  General  Clinton's  country  house,  and  a  lifelong 
friendship  was  established  between  the  two  families. 

In  the  autumn  General  von  Riedesel  and  other 
officers  were  exchanged,  and  the  Riedesels  were  sent 
to  Canada  in  the  summer  of  1781.  They  took  a  house 
at  a  place  called  Sorel,  where  the  fifth  daughter  was 
born  on  November  i,  1782,  and  named  Canada. 
The  General  was  away  from  home  at  the  time,  and 
Fritze,  then  eight  years  old,  wrote  to  announce  the 
event  to  her  grandmother.  The  letter  runs  as 
follows  : 

DEAR  GRANDMOTHER  AND  GRACIOUS  MADAM, — 

A  great  event  has  happened  in  our  house, 
which  I  have  the  honour  to  announce  to  you.  Our 
mamma  has  been  confined,  and,  by  God's  grace,  has 
rejoiced  us  all  by  giving  us  a  little  sister  on  Novem- 
ber i ;  but  as  our  dear  papa  is  away,  I  have  been 
told  to  write  to  you,  for  the  last  ship  which  will  sail 
this  year  is  just  about  leaving.  I  know  that  you  will 
share  our  joy.  I  have  the  honour  to  assure  you,  with 
great  respect,  that  I  am,  my  honoured  grandmother, 
Your  humble  granddaughter, 

FRITZE  VON  RIEDESEI,. 


1785-8]      THE   RETURN    TO   GERMANY  7 

The  handwriting  is  clear  and  good,  but  the  style  is 
rather  that  of  Pastor  Mylius  than  that  of  a  child  of 
eight.  This  last  baby  only  lived  six  months. 

The  Riedesels  sailed  from  America  in  August,  1783, 
and  reached  Germany  by  the  end  of  September. 
After  their  return  they  lived  occasionally  at  the  old 
family  home  at  Lauterbach,  but  General  von  Riedesel's 
military  duties  kept  them  chiefly  at  Brunswick. 

Mademoiselle  Genevois,  a  Swiss  lady,  was  engaged 
as  governess  to  the  children,  and  she  soon  became 
one  of  the  most  cherished  friends  of  the  family. 

In  1785  the  long-desired  son  was  born,  and  was 
named  George.  The  youngest  child,  Charlotte,  was 
born  in  1788. 

Fritze  grew  apace  in  her  happy  home,  under  the 
eyes  of  her  careful  mother  and  noble  father.  She 
received  a  thoroughly  sound  education,  and  learnt  to 
be  useful  at  an  early  age.  We  know  nothing  of  the 
development  of  her  religious  life,  except  the  fact  that 
she  was  confirmed,  probably  at  Brunswick,  on  Palm 
Sunday,  1788.  Writing  many  years  later  about  this 
event,  she  says : 

It  is  the  most  beautiful  moment  of  one's  life,  and 
I  remember  as  vividly  as  if  it  were  to-day  when  I 
publicly  owned  my  Lord,  and  vowed  to  be  faithful 
to  Him  for  the  rest  of  my  life.  That  was  fifty-two 
years  ago. 

In  1788  General  von  Riedesel  was  quartered  at 
Mastricht.  His  brother  Johann  Conrad  von  Riedesel 
was  also  in  the  service  of  the  Duke  of  Brunswick, 
and  in  command  of  a  dragoon  regiment  stationed 
at  Mastricht.1  His  wife,  by  birth  a  Countess  von 

1  According  to  a  treaty  between  the  Duke  of  Brunswick  and  the 
Stadtholder  of  the  Netherlands,  General  von  Riedesel  was  in  command 
of  some  of  the  Duke's  troops  stationed  at  Mastricht. — E.  R. 


8  GIRLHOOD   AND   YOUTH  [1788 

Hompesch,  was  not  a  favourite  with  her  nieces,  who 
often  made  fun  of  her,  but  their  cousin  Dorette 
became  a  sister  to  them  and  a  lifelong  friend.  The 
family  spent  the  summer  at  Spa,  where  they  met 
their  friend  General  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  who  was 
travelling  on  the  continent  with  his  daughter  Harriot, 
his  two  sons  William  and  Henry,  and  his  sister 
Mrs.  Carter.  General  Clinton  appears  to  have  placed 
one  of  his  sons  in  the  service  of  the  Duke  of 
Brunswick.1 

The  following  letters,  written  by  Fritze  von  Riedesel 
at  this  time,  are  a  remarkable  proof  of  her  sound 
judgment  even  at  the  early  age  of  fourteen  : 

1  Sir  Henry  Clinton's  second  son,  the  second  Sir  Henry,  served  in 
the  Brunswick  Regiment  for  nearly  a  year — 1788-9 — from  private  to 
lieutenant,  his  father  having  known  the  Duke  of  Brunswick. 

Miss  Harriot  Clinton,  daughter  of  General  Sir  Henry  Clinton, 
afterwards  Mrs.  Harry  Chester,  kept  a  diary  during  her  stay  abroad, 
which  is  now  in  the  possession  of  her  great-nephew,  the  Rev.  W.  O. 
Clinton,  of  Padworth,  Reading,  from  which  these  extracts  are  taken. 
It  contains  careful  notes  of  each  day's  occurrence  and  the  frequent 
visits  interchanged  with  the  Riedesels.  The  spelling,  particularly  of 
proper  names,  is  rather  quaint. 

Saturday,  \6th. — Genl.  R.  breakfasted  with  us.  Madame  R.  and 
daughters  set  off  for  Mastricht. 

Monday,  i8/A. — Genl.  R.  left  us  at  4  o'clock  in  the  Morning. 

Tuesday,  October  7,  Mastricht. — We  left  Aix  at  12  and  arrived  at 
Mastricht  at  5.  My  brothers  rode  all  the  way.  Madame  Reidesel  and 
the  Genl.  and  all  his  family  supped  with  us. 

Monday,  igtk. — We  rode  and  drank  tea  with  Madame  Redhesel.  I 
went  with  them  to  see  the  church  opposite  to  their  House  which  was 
very  finely  illuminated  for  a  Burial.  .  .  . 

Sunday,  ibth. — Madame  de  Reidesel  came  to  see  us  in  the  Morning. 
We  went  with  Madame  and  Madlle.  Reidesel  to  drink  Tea  with  Lady 
Knowles. 

September,  1789,  Wednesday. — We  left  Aix  at  half-past  nine,  arrived 
at  Giilpip  by  half-past  12.  Eat  brown  bread  and  butter.  Genl.  de 
Reidesel  met  us  on  Horseback.  My  father  rode  his  eschelin  to 
Mastricht.  We  got  there  after  3,  dined  and  supped  with  Genl.  de  R., 
slept  at  the  Helmet  Grande  Place,  disturbed  all  night  with  Rats  and 
Mice. 

Saturday,  qth. — Genl.  and  Madame  Reidhersel  and  Daughters  break- 
fasted with  us.  I  rode  afterwards  with  the  eldest  on  the  Chaussee. 

Sunday,  \oth. — Genl.  and  Madame  Reidhersel  here  in  the  Morning. 
Genl.  Riedhersel  and  Family  drank  Tea  with  us. 


1788]     THE   ARRIVAL   OF   THE   DEPUTIES        9 

The  whole  town  is  given  up  to  balls  and  other 
festivities  in  honour  of  our  high  and  mighty  States- 
General.  You  must  know  that  the  seven  Dutch 
provinces  send  two  Presidents  every  year  to  settle 
affairs  of  State. 

She  then  describes  the  entrance  of  the  Deputies 
into  the  town  : 

In  a  superb  coach  drawn  by  six  magnificent  horses 
followed  by  six  dragoons,  and  their  ladies  also  entered 
the  town  in  a  coach  covered  with  gold,  which  was 
built  in  Paris,  and  was  also  drawn  by  six  horses. 

Fritze  seems  to  have  been  present  at  the  receptions 
and  suppers,  and  freely  expresses  her  opinion : 

These  Deputies  give  themselves  great  airs,  but 
they  wish  to  do  honour  to  their  provinces,  and  they 
take  great  trouble  to  show  every  courtesy  to  the  people. 
Herr  van  Devent  is  tall  and  handsome,  and  detests 
oppression.  His  wife  is  so  much  like  our  Duchess 
in  face,  voice,  manner,  walk,  and  English  style  of 
dress,  that  I  need  not  say  anything  more  about  her. 
Herr  von  Borstell  is  very  rich,  and  his  back  is  exactly 
like  Herr  von  Hohneck's,  but  in  front  he  is  like  Herr 
von  Lessing.  Frau  von  Borstell  is  very  handsome 
and  agreeable,  and  both  dress  in  very  good  taste. 

MASTRICHT,  September  28,  1788. 

The  Stadtholder,  who  has  been  expected  for  some 
time,  rejoiced  the  town  by  appearing  on  Monday 
at  six  in  the  afternoon.  The  dragoons  rode  out  to 
meet  and  escort  him  into  the  town.  A  salute  was 
fired,  and  all  the  troops  marched  to  the  sound  of 
music  and  singing.  The  town  was  illuminated  with 
wax  candles,  which  is  not  the  fashion  with  us.  The 
next  day  papa  commanded  the  troops  at  a  great  review, 
and  mamma  gave  a  luncheon  in  a  large  marquee  in 
the  garden.  There  was  a  parade  in  the  afternoon. 
My  aunt  offered  the  Prince  nothing,  however,  hot, 
cold,  wet,  or  dry.  Wednesday  morning  was  much 
the  same,  except  that  the  Prince  was  entertained  by 
the  Walloon  and  Baden  regiments.  The  manoeuvres 
on  Thursday  were  superb,  and  mamma  entertained 


io  GIRLHOOD   AND   YOUTH  [1789 

the  Prince  again.  There  was  a  large  assembly  at 
the  Town  Hall  in  the  evening,  and  mamma  and 
Auguste  had  supper  with  the  Prince.  He  was  to 
have  left  the  next  day,  but  was  indisposed,  so  he  is 
remaining  until  to-morrow.  His  suite  consists  of 
three  gentlemen — du  Moulin,  Bentheim,  and  Monte- 
squieu. The  people  in  the  street  have  been  shouting 
"  Orange  Boven,"  all  day,  and  the  beggars  are  wearing 
the  cockade  on  the  chance  of  gaining  something  by  it. 
The  Prince  of  Hesse,  a  brother  of  the  Landgrave 
of  Cassel,  has  been  appointed  Governor  of  this  town 
lately.  He  is  a  cousin  of  the  Stadtholder's,  and  he 
and  his  wife,  attended  by  their  suite,  hastened  here 
on  Thursday  to  see  him.  I  have  seen  them  both, 
and  I  do  not  see  anything  striking  in  his  appearance ; 
but  he  is  sensible  and  good-hearted,  though  rather 
coarse.  All  unite  in  praise  of  the  Princess.  She 
was  brought  up  in  Paris,  and  speaks  the  most 
modern  and  fashionable  French.  She  is  tall,  hand- 
some, and  majestic,  and  her  figure  is  beautiful.  Her 
manner  is  very  gracious  and  kind,  and  she  makes  a 
charming  and  agreeable  impression  at  once.  She  is 
twenty-three,  and  has  a  son  a  year  old.  Her  three 
ladies-in-waiting  seem  very  nice.  General  Clinton — 
whom  we  met  with  his  sister,  daughter,  and  sons  at 
Spa — is  here  during  these  gaieties,  and  is  going  to 
Brussels  in  a  fortnight.  I  wish  you  could  see  them 
all,  for  you  would  like  them. 

January  26,  1789. 

I  am  not  one  of  those  cold-hearted  friends  to  whom 
it  is  a  matter  of  indifference  whether  she  receives  her 
letters  a  fortnight  sooner  or  later ;  so  when  the  first 
post-day  passes  without  a  letter  from  you,  I  am  sad ; 
on  the  second,  I  am  impatient ;  on  the  third,  I  am 
cross ;  and  on  the  fourth,  I  complain.  Thus  I  live 
from  the  day  I  post  my  letter  till  I  receive  an  answer, 
so  you  must  not  be  surprised  at  the  touchiness  of 
my  last.  Write  to  me  oftener,  lest  I  retaliate. 

There  was  a  subscription  ball  and  supper  on  the 
Prince  of  Orange's  birthday.  The  ladies  were  invited 
with  such  a  flourish  of  trumpets,  and  the  words  bal 
pare  were  mentioned.  We  were  told  to  be  very 
smart,  and  papa  desired  us  to  dress  in  our  best, 
before  he  left  for  The  Hague.  We  went  at  eight 


1790]  TOUR   IN    HOLLAND  n 

o'clock,  and  just  fancy  our  surprise  to  find  an  ugly, 
dirty  little  room,  and  all  the  ladies  in  every-day 
gowns !  And  this  was  "  full  dress."  We  stayed  till 
ten  o'clock,  and  on  our  return  home  we  determined 
never  to  be  deceived  again  by  the  words  bal  pare, 

December,  1789. 

My  Harriot  arrived  at  Nice  after  many  dangers. 
Only  think  of  oranges  being  in  bloom  and  that  it 
is  too  hot  for  fires!  Ah,  if  I  were  only  Harriot! 
But  then  I  should  not  know  you,  nor  be  writing 
to  you,  nor  love  you.  Oh  no ;  I  will  be  Fritze,  and 
live  in  tiresome  Mastricht,  which  is  truly  unbearable 
in  winter. 

Papa  and  mamma,  mademoiselle  and  my  sisters, 
send  their  kind  remembrances  to  you ;  and  I,  who 
will  not  be  Harriot,  so  that  I  may  know  and  love 
you  and  write  to  you,  have  the  pleasure  of  calling 
myself  your  ever  loving  and  sincere  friend, 

FRITZE. 

In  July,  1790,  Fritze,  who  was  then  sixteen  years  old, 
had  the  pleasure  of  making  a  little  tour  in  Holland. 
She  writes  of  visits  to  the  Town  Hall,  the  Reform- 
atory, the  Admiralty,  and  the  harbour  at  Amsterdam. 

We  visited  an  old  sailor  here  who  showed  us 
various  models  of  instruments  for  navigation,  and 
gave  us  most  interesting  explanations  about  them 
all.  He  himself  is  the  inventor  of  some  of  them, 
which,  he  said,  though  not  of  much  value,  had  been 
the  means  of  saving  life,  and  as  he  said  it,  his  eyes 
shone  with  tears.  Is  not  such  a  man  as  great  as 
Alexander  the  Great,  who  was  a  destroyer  of  life? 
Yes,  and  I  honour  him  far  more  than  I  honour  that 
monarch. 

The  whole  family  stayed  several  months  at  Lauter- 
bach  in  the  summer  of  1791.  General  von  Riedesel 
had  intended  to  retire  from  the  service,  owing  to 
increasing  ill  health  ;  but  the  times  were  full  of  anxiety 
and  uncertainty,  and  there  was  some  doubt  whether 
the  troops  would  remain  at  Mastricht  or  return  to 


12  GIRLHOOD   AND   YOUTH  [1791 

Brunswick.  The  beginning  of  the  French  Revolution 
stirred  the  minds  of  all  thinking  people,  and  many 
of  the  best  people  were  in  sympathy  with  it,  never 
dreaming  of  the  horrors  and  awful  loss  of  life  that 
were  to  follow. 

Fritze  was  her  father's  secretary  at  Lauterbach,  and 
the  time  she  spent  with  him  in  his  study  was  a 
pleasure  for  her  to  recall  in  after-years.  The  family 
life  was  a  charming  one.  The  gifted  daughters 
pursued  various  studies  in  art  and  science,  and  Fritze 
began  at  a  very  early  age  to  show  a  love  for  collecting. 
As  she  got  older  she  developed  a  great  taste  for 
botany,  and  was  a  most  industrious  collector  of 
botanical  specimens  all  her  life.  There  is  a  pretty 
character-sketch  of  the  daughters  written  by  their 
mother  about  this  time  : 

Auguste  is  an  angel,  and  is  really  and  truly  pious. 
Every  day  she  reads  something  to  strengthen  her 
faith,  and  she  is  earnest  in  prayer.  Her  purse  is 
always  open  to  the  poor,  and  she  loves  to  do  good 
in  secret.  I  never  appear  to  notice  her  work,  but 
what  a  pleasure  it  is  for  her  mother,  loving  her  as  I 
do,  to  hear  the  poor  ask  after  "  our  Fraulein."  At  the 
end  of  the  month  her  purse  is  always  empty.  Fritze, 
though  an  excellent  girl,  has  not  the  same  gentleness 
and  charm  :  she  is,  perhaps,  more  brilliant  and  better 
informed,  and  has  more  mind,  which  she  is  not  averse 
to  showing;  but  she  will  get  over  this.  She  has 
improved  very  much  since  Auguste  has  been  engaged, 
and  she  is  trying  to  be  gentler  and  more  amiable.  In 
the  one  it  is  nature,  in  the  other  it  is  education  and 
example.  Caroline  has  a  warm  heart,  and  is  gentle 
and  anxious  to  do  all  the  good  she  can,  but  her 
delicate  health  does  not  permit  much  exertion.  She 
accomplishes  more  slowly,  especially  when  it  is  a 
matter  of  memory ;  but  I  hope  she  will  fulfil  my 
earnest  wish,  which  j.s  that  she  may  become  a  second 
Auguste. 

America  is  very  much  like  Fritze  ;  she  has  the  same 
vivacity,  the  same  memory,  and  the  same  industry. 


1790          AUGUSTE'S   ENGAGEMENT  13 

Do  you  not  think  me  very  fortunate,  and  besides  all 
this,  to  have  the  best  of  husbands,  who  is  still  the 
same  tender  friend  as  at  first  ?  And  this  after  twenty 
years  of  married  life.  It  is  not  fair  to  leave  out  Lotte 
and  George,  who  are  not  by  any  means  unsatisfactory 
children. 

This  charming  picture  was  written  to  Auguste's 
fiance,  Count  Heinrich  XLIV.  of  Reuss,  of  the  younger 
branch  of  that  house.  The  engagement  had  taken 
place  while  the  family  were  at  Lauterbach,  and  it  was 
an  event  of  mingled  joy  and  sorrow,  to  Frau  von 
Riedesel  especially,  who  was  so  passionately  devoted 
to  her  eldest  daughter  that  the  thought  of  separation 
from  her  was  intolerable,  and  she  became  quite  ill. 
Fritze  felt  it  also,  but  she  accepted  the  situation,  and 
was  able  to  feel  cordially  towards  her  future  brother- 
in-law,  even  if  she  had  to  part  from  her  sister.  He,  in 
in  his  turn,  showed  his  appreciation  of  her  friendliness 
and  her  kindness  to  his  two  little  sons,  his  children 
by  his  first  marriage.  On  his  return  home  the  family 
went  as  far  as  Frankfort  with  him,  where  the  wedding 
preparations  were  to  be  made.  While  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood they  visited  the  Prince  of  Hesse  at  Rum- 
penheim,  and  their  relations  the  Prince  of  Isenburg's 
family  at  Offenbach.  Fritze  was  greatly  interested 
in  seeing  some  factories  at  Frankfort-on-the-Main. 
She  writes  from  Lauterbach  : 

LAUTERBACH,  September,  1791. 

The  first  days  of  Auguste's  engagement  were  not 
only  very  trying,  they  were  simply  dreadful  to  me, 
and  when  her  birthday  came,  and  I  thought  that  it 
was  the  last  she  would  spend  in  the  home  of  her 
girlhood,  and  that  the  next  would  be  passed  far  from 
us  all,  where  we  should  not  be  able  to  see  and  em- 
brace her,  I  was  so  much  upset  that  I  was  quite  ill  for 
two  days.  I  am  ashamed  of  my  weakness,  but  I  felt 
really  beside  myself.  Even  now,  I  have  to  keep 


I4  GIRLHOOD   AND   YOUTH  [1791 

saying  to  myself,  "  Gustchen  is  really  happy,  and 
indeed  how  could  she  help  being  so,  with  such  a  man 
as  Count  Reuss  ?  "  to  prevent  myself  from  being  utterly 
wretched.  But  I  lose  more  by  her  marriage  than  any 
one  else,  and  I  love  my  sister  so  much,  I  think  I  may 
be  allowed  some  sadness  at  times. 

The  wedding  took  place  in  May,  and  Fritze  writes 
to  a  friend  : 

MASTRICHT,  May  25,  1791. 

Dear  Auguste  and  my  sense  of  duty  both  together 
inspire  me  to  send  you  an  account  of  the  wedding,  so 
here  it  is  in  a  few  words,  for  my  dearest  friend. 
Count  Reuss  arrived  at  Aachen  on  the  loth,  but 
etiquette  forbidding  his  appearance  in  public  until 
after  the  wedding,  he  could  only  come  to  us  quite 
quietly  for  a  few  hours  that  same  day.  We  all  drove 
to  Falkenburg  on  the  i2th,  which  was  my  birthday. 
We  were  accompanied  by  my  uncle  and  aunt,  Dorette 
and  Carl,  General  Warnstadt,  Colonel  Hille,  Banse, 
and  the  military  chaplain,  StOter.  It  is  a  little  town 
some  two  hours  from  Mastricht,  and  there  we  met 
the  !Count  with  his  children  and  their  tutor.  The 
wedding  took  place  soon  after  our  arrival,  and  the 
chaplain's  address  was  very  good.  You  can  better 
imagine  our  feelings  than  I  can  describe  them  ;  my 
mother  especially  felt  it  keenly,  but  she  soon  re- 
covered her  self-control,  and  was  quite  calm  for  the 
rest  of  the  day.  We  were  at  table  for  two  hours,  and 
then  went  for  a  walk,  though  the  weather  was  not  at 
all  propitious.  Charlemagne  used  to  be  very  fond  of 
Falkenburg,  and  spent  many  summers  there  with  his 
daughter  Emma.  There  is  a  very  fine  view  from  the 
ruins  of  his  large  castle,  which  are  on  a  high  hill. 
The  place  is  associated  with  the  love-story  of  Emma 
and  the  private  secretary,  Eginhard.  Our  walk  was 
cut  short  by  the  rain,  so  we  hurried  back.  We  were 
sorry  to  leave  the  pretty  little  town  after  tea,  and 
reached  home  two  hours  later.  Music  greeted  the 
bridal  pair  as  they  entered  the  house,  which  mamma 
had  had  prettily  decorated  and  illuminated.  We 
danced,  or  rather  jumped  about,  till  supper.  We  have 
been  overwhelmed  with  dances,  dinners,  and  suppers, 
and  all  sorts  of  festivities  ever  since,  and  we  have  not 


AUGUSTE'S   WEDDING  15 

been  alone  for  a  single  day.  We,  ourselves,  have 
given  several  small  dinners  and  dances,  as  well  as 
four  large  dinner  parties.  This  gay  life  does  not  suit 
your  friend  in  the  least,  but  it  will  be  exchanged  in  a 
few  days  for  one  still  more  gay,  for  I  am  g9ing  to 
Brussels  next  Monday  with  the  bridal  pair,  taking  my 
maid,  of  course.  I  shall  stay  six  or  eight  days,  and 
we  intend  to  see  Antwerp,  etc.,  returning  by  way  of 
Aachen,  where  my  father  and  mother  are  to  meet  us. 
I  am  looking  forward  to  having  a  pleasant  time, 
although  our  route  will  lie  through  the  theatre  of 
war. 

The  family  spent  the  summer  at  Spa,  where  Fritze 
went  out  a  good  deal.  Frau  von  Riedesel  had  not 
quite  recovered  her  usual  health,. her  complete  re- 
covery having  been  retarded  by  her  sorrow  at  parting 
from  her  daughter. 

Fritze  writes  in  September  : 

Every  one  is  getting  married,  but  I  doubt  whether 
each  is  engaged  to  the  right  person.  I  am  very  busy 
embroidering  a  cloth  which  is  much  admired.  The 
pattern  is  very  simple,  a  wreath  of  cornflowers  with 
a  few  bouquets  of  the  same  done  in  coloured  wools. 
I  have  returned  from  a  fortnight's  visit  to  our  old 
friend  Herr  von  Reischach,  at  his  place  Alten  Bilsen. 
He  is  a  Knight  of  the  Teutonic  Order. 

You  may  like  an  account  of  my  visit.  I  used  to 
rise  and  go  out  in  the  garden  at  half-past  six,  and  I 
spent  the  hour  and  a  half  before  breakfast  with  a 
friend  in  looking  for  plants  for  our  herbarium.  We 
were  rather  a  large  party  at  breakfast ;  and  we  sat  at  a 
big  table  afterwards  looking  at  sketches  and  drawings 
till  eleven  o'clock,  when  we  went  to  our  own  rooms  to 
read,  write,  or  sew  till  we  dressed  for  the  two-o'clock 
dinner.  We  went  out,  or  played  billiards,  or  read  the 
newspaper  till  tea  at  six,  and  then  had  another  walk. 
We  young  folks  did  fancy  work,  played  the  piano, 
and  read,  but  I  particularly  enjoyed  the  music.  The 
servants  joined  us  either  in  the  vocal  or  instrumental 
part.  We  took  a  stroll  in  the  garden  after  supper, 
and  then  went  to  bed,  arranging  to  meet  again  as 
early  in  the  morning  as  possible. 


16  GIRLHOOD   AND  YOUTH  [1792 

General  von  Riedesel  and  his  family  spent  the  late 
winter  with  Auguste  in  Berlin.  Her  two  stepsons, 
Heinrich  LX.  (called  Schock)  and  Heinrich  LXIII. 
(called  Harry),  soon  became  much  attached  to  their 
young  aunt,  who  had  a  warm  affection  for  them  all 
their  lives.  Auguste's  first  child,  Heinrich  LXX.,  was 
born  April  23,  and  was  known  in  the  family  always 
by  the  name  of  Septi. 

During  her  stay  in  Berlin  Fritze  took  part  in  a  little 
masquerade  at  her  uncle's  house  in  celebration  of  his 
birthday.  It  was  on  that  occasion  that  she  made  the 
acquaintance  of  her  future  husband,  Count  Friedrich 
Wilhelm  von  Reden,  Minister  of  the  Mining  Depart- 
ment. Writing  of  this  meeting  later,  she  says : 

Reden  came  to  Berlin  in  March,  and  I  recollect 
meeting  him  at  my  uncle's  birthday  party  on  the  ipth. 
I  saw  him  for  the  first  time  on  that  never-to-be-for- 
gotten day,  but  he  had  seen  and  made  much  of  me 
when  I  was  a  tiny  child  at  Portsmouth,  and  he  said 
that  he  had  never  forgotten  me.  I  distinctly  remember 
his  coming  into  the  room  with  my  uncle.  I  was  nine- 
teen, and  I  had  no  idea  that  I  made  any  impression  on 
that  grave  and  honoured  man  as  I  offered  him  flowers 
in  my  role  of  flower-girl.  I  also  recollect  that  when 
he  singled  me  out  with  a  request  for  a  dance,  I 
accepted  without  any  particular  pleasure,  and  with 
my  wonted  sedateness ;  still  less  did  I  dream  that  he 
would  never  forget  the  blonde  girl  who  had  hardly 
addressed  a  word  to  him,  and  that  henceforth  he 
would  follow  her  with  his  counsel  and  blessings. 
Neither  had  I  the  least  notion  that  he  fancied  I  con- 
sidered him  too  old  to  dance,  and  that  for  that  reason 
he  never  danced  again.  Everything  was  ordered 
by  God's  great  mercy,  and  I  shall  ever  praise  Him 
for  it  with  a  grateful  heart.  Nine  years  afterwards  I 
became  to  him  what  I  hope  and  believe  I  became  in 
heart  and  mind  at  that  first  meeting.  Such  a  union  as 
ours  was  made  in  heaven,  where  God  grant  we  may 
meet  again,  never  to  be  parted  any  more.  The  next 
time  I  saw  him  was  at  the  china  factory,  but  it  was 


1792]  THE   FRENCH   EMIGRANTS  17 

only  for  a  moment,  as  he  was  engaged.  His  quiet 
smile  and  glance,  that  of  a  connoisseur,  have  always 
remained  in  my  memory.  There  was  something  in 
him  which  inspired  confidence,  and  I  never  lost  the 
feeling  that  he  was  truly  noble. 

Freiherr  von  der  Reck  lived  in  the  flat  below  that 
of  Count  Reuss  in  Leipziger  Strasse,  in  a  house 
which  is  now  the  War  Office.  Frau  von  der  Reck 
and  the  young  Countess  Reuss  soon  became  warm 
friends,  and  the  young  daughters,  who  were  just 
growing  up,  became  intimate  with  the  Riedesel 
sisters. 

The  war  with  France  was  the  one  absorbing 
thought  with  every  one ;  but  as  things  remained 
quiet  at  Mastricht,  General  von  Riedesel  was  able 
to  spend  the  winter  at  Lauterbach. 

Fritze  was  with  her  sister  in  1794,  and  in  August 
the  first  daughter  was  born.  The  Brunswick  troops 
were  ordered  home  in  the  spring  of  1795,  and  General 
von  Riedesel  was  in  command  at  Brunswick.  He 
occupied  the  official  residence  in  the  Bohlweg.  His 
family  were  at  Lauterbach  for  a  time,  and  then  in 
Berlin  with  Countess  Reuss,  and  later  on  with 
her  at  Trebschen,  the  Count's  country  home  in  the 
Neumark. 

They  saw  a  great  deal  of  the  French  at  Brunswick, 
and  also  at  Blankenburg,  where  they  passed  several 
summers.  Among  the  friends  whose  names  come 
down  to  us  are  those  of  Melanie  and  Zoe  de 
Montjoie,  Adelaide  Champignolle,  and  Mademoiselle 
de  Monsoreau,  who  afterwards  became  Countess  de 
la  Ferronays.1 

Many   intellectual    men    sought    the    acquaintance 

1  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Augustus  Craven,  author  of  the  "  R€dt  d'une 
Sffiur."— M.  B.-L, 


i8  GIRLHOOD   AND   YOUTH  [1796 

of  Fritze  von  Riedesel,  and  in  after-years  she  often 
spoke  of  the  advantage  such  intercourse  had  been 
to  her,  particularly  that  of  a  Major  Schwarz,  the 
son  of  the  Pastor  of  Wendhausen,  near  Brunswick. 
He  had  been  aide-de-camp  to  General  von  Riedesel, 
and  after  that  became  tutor  to  the  young  Prince 
of  Wied.  Both  Fritze  and  Major  Schwarz  were 
interested  in  botany,  but  in  his  correspondence  he 
touches  upon  many  other  subjects,  such  as  philosophy, 
history,  and  politics. 

Countess  Reuss  and  her  children  joined  the  family 
at  Blankenburg  Castle,  which  had  been  lent  to 
Baron  von  Riedesel  by  the  Duke  of  Brunswick,  in 
the  summer  of  1796,  and  she  was  with  them  in  the 
autumn  at  Brunswick,  where  her  second  daughter, 
Caroline,  was  born  in  November. 

In  September  they  all  paid  a  visit  to  the  Countess's 
brother-in-law  Count  Heinrich  XXXVIII.,  at  Stons- 
dorf,  a  beautifully  situated  place  in  the  Riesengebirge, 
the  highest  mountains  in  Germany.  In  the  society 
of  this  pious  man,  so  well  known  in  the  religious 
circles  of  the  time,  and  in  that  of  his  accomplished 
wife,  Jenny,  a  daughter  of  Freiherr  von  Fletcher, 
Fritze  was  in  an  atmosphere  of  true  and  living 
Christianity,  the  tone  of  which  was  utterly  different 
from  that  in  which  she  had  been  brought  up.  The 
Countess  appears  to  have  made  a  particularly  deep 
impression  upon  her,  and  her  life  of  Christian  en- 
deavour among  the  dependents  on  her  Saxon  estates 
filled  the  impressionable  Fritze  with  admiration,  and 
the  influence  of  this  good  woman  on  her  later  life 
is  unmistakable.  Stonsdorf  is  in  the  beautiful  valley 
of  Hirschberg,  nearly  five  miles  from  Count  Reden's 
place,  Buchwald.  When  in  England  Count  Reden 
had  seen  and  admired  very  much  some  of  the  great 


1796]          FIRST  VISIT   TO   BUCHWALD  19 

country  seats,  and  had  been  interested  in  the  agri- 
cultural methods  employed  in  that  country,  and  he 
laid  out  his  own  place  in  the  style  of  an  English 
park.  He  enhanced  its  natural  beauty  by  clearing, 
planting,  and  laying  out  the  ground  with  perfect 
taste,  had  summer-houses  erected,  placed  seats  where 
exquisite  views  were  to  be  had,  and  in  the  course 
of  years  he  had  created  an  ideally  perfect  country 
home.  All  this  was,  however,  the  work  of  his  leisure 
hours,  for  his  great  work  was  in  the  mining  districts 
of  Silesia.  In  his  philanthropic  schemes  he  at  once 
found  himself  in  sympathy  with  his  neighbours  at 
Stonsdorf,  though  without  sharing  the  tone  of  their 
religious  opinions,  which  were  what  in  England 
would  be  called  extremely  Evangelical.  It  was  at 
Stonsdorf  that  he  again  met  Fritze.  Writing  of  this, 
she  says : 

Count  Reden  dined  at  Stonsdorf  the  day  after  our 
arrival,  and  he  was  most  charming,  though  rather 
grave.  Everything  he  says  and  does  shows  how 
truly  benevolent  and  noble  he  is.  I  could  not  help 
seeing  that  he  watched  me  a  great  deal,  and  my  en- 
thusiasm over  the  mountain  scenery  gratified  him. 
I  also  noticed  a  certain  expression  in  his  eyes  and 
about  his  mouth,  which  in  after-years,  I  learnt  to 
know  and  which  always  made  me  happy ;  but  how 
could  I  have  imagined  myself  as  becoming  the  chief 
object  of  his  life? 

We  all  took  a  walk  after  dinner  and  were  caught 
in  a  shower,  so  many  of  the  party  hurried  indoors, 
but  he  waited  with  us,  and  made  himself  most 
interesting. 

He  certainly  made  a  great  impression  on  me,  for  his 
manner  and  style  were  quite  unlike  any  other  that  I 
had  ever  seen  before.  He  invited  all  the  party  to 
spend  the  day  at  Buchwald,  and  a  wonderful  day  that 
1 3th  of  September  was  to  me.  I  hardly  ever  re- 
member feeling  such  admiration  for  anything  as  I  felt 
on  seeing  my  dear  Buchwald  for  the  first  time ;  there 
was  such  a  sense  of  well-being  and  comfort  about 


20  GIRLHOOD   AND  YOUTH  [1796 

it,  that  my  admiration  was  very  much  enhanced. 
I  had  never  seen  anything  lovelier  nor  more  attractive, 
and  somehow  I  felt  the  better  for  having  been  to 
such  a  perfect  place.  Count  Reden  told  me  after- 
wards how  much  my  raptures  had  gratified  him,  and 
that  the  conviction  of  having  done  a  really  fine  work 
came  from  my  praise  and  spurred  him  on  to  further 
improvements.  He  was  a  delightful  host  and  most 
attentive  to  us  all.  The  large  rooms  were  beautifully 
furnished,  and  there  were  some  fine  steel  engravings 
in  the  study.  Dinner  was  good,  but  rather  long. 
Our  host  took  my  sister  Reuss,  her  brother-in-law 
and  Countess  Jenny,  and  myself  for  a  walk,  and 
showed  us  a  building  he  was  having  put  up  for  the 
sheep,  and  we  were  taken  across  the  lake  to  see 
the  fine  view  from  the  other  side  and  a  pretty  spring 
there.  We  had  coffee  with  the  rest  of  the  party 
on  the  balcony.  I  was  so  charmed  with  everything 
that  I  left  with  regret,  and  was  sorry  to  say  good- 
bye to  Count  Reden,  who  was  leaving  home  the  next 
day.  He  led  us  through  the  park  where  the  finest 
views  were  to  be  seen,  but  he  let  us  find  them  out 
for  ourselves,  which  made  us  enjoy  them  all  the 
more.  Our  carriage  met  us  at  the  mill.  All  vied 
with  each  other  in  praises  of  this  charming  man, 
and  I  did  not  lose  a  word  that  was  said ;  but  the 
things  they  considered  peculiar  in  him  were  just 
those  which  made  him  so  distinguished,  in  my 
opinion,  and  so  superior  to  others.  It  would  be  as 
difficult  to  imitate  him  as  it  would  be  for  him  to 
be  like  other  people;  he  chooses  his  own  line  and 
keeps  to  it  from  high  motives,  and  because  he  knows 
that  it  is  right. 

Fritze  made  numerous  additions  to  her  botanical 
collection  during  her  stay  in  the  Riesengebirge,  and 
her  mother  records  that  she  found  two  hundred 
specimens  of  mosses  and  plants  that  were  new  to 
her,  and  that  she  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  a 
professor,  who  had  given  her  a  great  deal  of  help  in 
her  botanical  work. 

From  Stonsdorf  they  went  to  Trebscheri.  The  long 
stay  of  the  French  on  their  property  in  Hesse  seems 


1798]  JOURNEY  TO   TREBSCHEN  21 

to  have  obliged  the  Riedesel  family  to  exercise  a  good 
deal  of  economy,  and  the  energetic  Fritze  set  about 
acquiring  a  practical  knowledge  of  many  things  while 
with  her  sister,  learning  the  mysteries  of  soap  and 
candle  making,  while  Caroline  learned  how  to  get 
up  linen.  In  November  the  whole  party  went  to 
Berlin  for  Frau  von  Riedesel  to  see  her  mother. 
Friedrich  Wilhelm  II.  died  while  they  were  there, 
and  Fritze  and  Caroline  were  taken  to  see  the  funeral 
by  their  uncle  Herr  von  Massow.  They  returned 
to  Brunswick  after  Christmas. 

Fritze  paid  a  visit  to  Auguste  in  April,  1798,  and 
saw  Count  Reden  again.  She  writes  of  this  in  after- 
days  : 

I  only  saw  him  once  in  Berlin,  when  he  took 
me  in  to  dinner  at  Herr  von  Lenthe's,  one  of  the 
Ministers  of  State.  He  made  himself  most  agreeable. 
It  struck  me  as  odd  to  meet  him  a  week  later,  on 
May  4,  when  we  were  on  our  journey,  via  Kopenick 
and  Rudersdorf.  He  reached  Steinhovel  a  few  hours 
after  us.  He  and  my  sister  had  arranged  it.  I  was 
very  much  pleased  at  the  reception  accorded  him  by 
my  aunt  and  the  rest  of  the  family.  I  had  no  idea 
that  he  cared  for  me  then ;  but  I  tried  to  win  his 
approbation,  and  I  dreaded  his  disapproval,  and  was 
feeling  more  and  more  drawn  to  him.  I  was  up  at 
five  the  next  morning  and  out  in  the  garden,  and  who 
should  appear  but  my  uncle  and  Count  Reden,  for 
my  uncle  wished  his  advice  in  some  gardening  matters. 
He  was  extremely  agreeable  and  so  kind  and  con- 
siderate. We  continued  our  journey  to  Trebschen 
by  way  of  Drehnow,  and  Reden  his  through  Malzdorf. 
He  arrived  an  hour  after  us.  He  was  charmed  with 
Trebschen  and  also  with  its  lovely  hostess,  and  he 
deserved  well  of  her  friendship.  My  brother-in-law 
and  Auguste  showed  him  over  the  farm  buildings, 
took  him  into  the  garden,  etc.  The  next  day,  accord- 
ing to  my  usual  custom,  I  was  up  and  out  in  the 
garden  at  six  o'clock,  and  he  was  also  there,  but  he 
made  me  feel  quite  at  ease  by  his  kind  manner.  I 


22  GIRLHOOD   AND   YOUTH  [1798 

remember  all  he  said,  and  had  he  asked  me  to  marry 
him  then,  I  should  have  become  his  happy  wife  four 
years  sooner  than  I  did.  But  his  great  humility  and 
nis  forty-six  years  against  my  twenty-four  held  him 
back.  It  was  not  to  be  then ;  and  perhaps  my  desire 
to  win  his  approval  spurred  me  on  to  try  to  attain 
better  things,  and  I  thank  God  for  it.  The  whole 
day  was  given  to  making  plans  for  the  garden,  and 
when  they  were  completed,  Trebschen  became  another 
place,  and  a  source  of  great  interest  to  my  dear  sister. 
The  next  morning,  May  10,  Reden  left,  but  I  did  not 

?o  for  my   early   stroll   in   the  garden,  and  instead, 
sat  by  my  window  and  wrote.     He  left  at  five,  and 
when   he  saw  me  at   the  window  he   said  good-bye 
with  a  sad  smile. 


Fritze  returned  home  in  July,  and  spent  the 
summer  with  her  family  at  Blankenburg  Castle.  She 
enjoyed  the  fine  scenery  to  the  uttermost,  and  there 
was  no  lack  of  occupation  and  interests  in  her  life : 
she  kept  up  her  botanical  studies,  and  was  as  eager 
in  collecting  specimens  as  ever. 

She  saw  a  great  deal  of  the  French  emigrants, 
especially  of  Marshal  Puysegur,  a  Chevalier  Montliv- 
rault,  and  the  Champignolles,  as  well  as  the  neigh- 
bouring society,  among  whom  were  the  Asseburgs 
and  Bentheims.  But  her  special  friends  were  the 
Stolberg  family  of  Wernigerode.  That  was  a  friend- 
ship for  time  and  eternity.  She  wrote  in  her  diary  at 
that  time  about  a  visit  to  them  : 

August  13. — The  much-wished-for  meeting  took 
place.  The  gentlemen  rode,  and  we  four  drove  with 
my  mother  and  the  Chevalier.  We  went  through 
Heimburg  and  Benzingerode,  passing  the  two  obser- 
vatories, which  I  should  have  liked  to  have  gone  up. 
Suddenly  we  had  a  magnificent  view  of  the  castle 
above  the  town,  and  of  the  Brocken.  This  is  one 
of  the  most  superb  views  I  know,  and  if  the  heat  had 
not  been  so  intense,  I  should  have  begged  to  stop 
and  make  a  hasty  sketch  of  it.  We  drove  slowly  up 


1798]  VISIT  TO   WERNIGERODE  23 

the  mountain,  which  is  much  higher  than  ours,  but 
not  more  steep.  The  castle  is  a  regular  lumber-room, 
surrounded  by  dirty  little  buildings,  which  make  it  look 
clumsy.  The  Count  received  us  with  the  greatest 
kindness,  and  took  us  to  the  Countess,  with  whom 
were  all  the  family.  A  rather  stiff  quarter  of  an  hour 
followed,  but  we  thawed  in  due  course.  The  winning, 
attentions  of  Countess  Luise  charmed  me  greatly, 
and  helped  to  set  us  at  our  ease. 

The  arrival  of  our  friend  Adelaide  and  her  pleasure 
at  meeting  her  cousin  unexpectedly  brightened  us 
up,  and  I  soon  felt  at  home  in  that  interesting  house- 
hold. The  Chevalier  was  made  to  sing,  which  every 
one  enjoyed ;  and  then  came  dinner,  and  we  all 
became  natural  and  at  our  ease.  After  dinner  we 
went  to  the  young  Countesses'  room,  from  the  window 
of  which  the  view  is  very  fine  of  both  valley  and 
mountain.  We  could  see  Wolfenbiittel  and  Bruns- 
wick distinctly  through  the  telescope.  We  had  a 
drive  down  to  the  park  after  that,  our  party  filling 
five  carriages.  It  is  a  great  attraction.  The  road 
is  good  and  laid  out  in  terraces,  so  that  one  can 
drive  the  whole  length  and  not  lose  the  view.  Every 
tiny  valley,  every  meadow,  and  every  arbour  and 
bench  is  dedicated  to  some  member  of  the  Stolberg 
family  or  to  their  friends,  and  thus  each  spot  has  its 
own  special  interest. 

August  1 6. — The  Stolbergs  spent  the  day  with  us. 
They  came  one  and  all ;  but  it  rained  so  incessantly 
we  could  not  leave  the  castle  for  a  moment.  How- 
ever, we  tried  to  make  up  for  this  in  other  ways,  and 
managed  very  well.  They  asked  to  see  our  fancy 
work  and  drawings,  and  we  liked  them  more  and  more, 
and  enjoyed  our  talk  together,  so  I  am  glad  that  the 
visit  was  not  a  complete  failure.  I  think  Countess 
Luise  would  charm  every  one,  for  she  seems  to 
unite  sweetness  and  gaiety,  and  her  two  sisters  are 
also  pleasant,  though  they  cannot  compare  with  her. 
Friederike  is  pretty,  Marie  is  rather  grave,  and  all 
three  are  good. 

Frau  von  der  Reck  and  her  children  made  an  agree- 
able addition  to  the  party.  Eberhardine,  wfho  was 
thirteen  years  old,  mentions  in  her  diary  how  she 


24  GIRLHOOD   AND   YOUTH  [1799 

helped  Fritze  cook  dinner  one  day  when  the  cook 
had  a  holiday. 

The  Riedesels  made  a  little  tour  in  Thiiringia  to 
visit  some  of  their  property  near  Sondershausen, 
Erfurt,  Weimar,  Gotha,  and  lastly  the  General's 
favourite  place,  Neuenhof,  near  Eisenach. 

Auguste's  fourth  child,  Heinrich  LXIV.  (called 
Henly  in  the  family),  was  born  at  Brunswick  on 
November  i. 

Fritze  gave  herself  up  entirely  to  her  home  duties 
at  this  time,  nursing  her  sister,  looking  after  the 
children,  assisting  her  mother  in  housekeeping  for 
the  large  family,  and  acting  as  her  father's  secretary. 

In  the  spring  she  had  an  eventful  meeting  with 
Count  Reden  to  which  there  is  some  allusion  in 
her  diary : 

Count  Reden  was  in  Berlin  for  three  months. 
He  got  to  know  my  sister  very  well  and  to  think 
most  highly  of  her.  He  may  have  given  her  some 
idea  of  his  hopes  and  intentions  when  he  left  in 
April,  and  he  arrived  at  Brunswick  on  the  i$th  loaded 
with  letters  and  parcels  for  us.  One  was  for  my 
father — a  letter  in  which  Auguste  told  him  about  the 
Count  and  the  lasting  impression  his  beloved  child 
had  made  on  him,  but  she  did  not  know  whether  he 
would  have  the  courage  to  speak  or  not.  I,  who 
had  no  idea  of  this,  noticed  that  my  dear  father  was 
more  than  usually  gentle  and  kind  to  me.  I  noticed, 
too,  that  our  guest  paid  me  marked  attention — indeed, 
hardly  took  his  eyes  from  me.  He  stayed  to  tea  and 
went  to  the  play  with  some  of  the  family,  but  I  had 
to  go  to  Court  with  my  father  and  mother.  He  spent 
the  next  day  with  us  to  celebrate  our  dear  Genevois's 
birthday,  sitting  between  us  at  table  and  making 
himself  most  agreeable.  But  he  felt  that  he  ought 
to  go  without  speaking,  for  he  doubted  whether  I 
could  make  the  sacrifice  of  giving  up  my  happy  home 
for  him,  and  where  I  seemed  so  indispensable.  He 
thought  he  could  offer  me  nothing  in  return  for  such 
a  sacrifice.  So,  to  our  surprise,  he  left  quite  suddenly 


i8oo]    DEATH  OF  GENERAL  VON  RIEDESEL    25 

about  six  o'clock  that  evening.  When  he  said  good- 
bye, saying  a  few  kind  and  pleasant  words,  which 
I  rather  felt  than  heard,  his  face  wore  an  expression 
impossible  to  describe.  He  took  leave  of  no  one  else, 
except  my  father  and  mother.  I  understood  him  for 
the  first  time,  and  had  some  difficulty  in  maintaining 
my  self-control.  I  was  deeply  touched,  and  raised 
in  my  own  estimation.  I  resolved,  with  God's  help, 
to  be  all  that  he  thought  me,  and  thus  more  worthy 
of  him.  There  are  no  words  that  really  express  what 
the  true  sympathy  and  union  between  two  souls  is; 
it  is  a  holy  feeling  only  to  be  spoken  of  to  the  object 
of  one's  love. 

In  January,  1800,  General  von  Riedesel  died  very 
suddenly.  Fritze,  writing  later,  says  : 

It  was  the  first  deep  sorrow  I  had  known,  and  I 
shall  never  forget  it.  I  can  hear  his  last  words  as 
they  fell  from  his  dear  lips,  "  Lord  Jesus,  be  merciful 
to  my  sins,"  and  they  will  always  be  a  comfort  to  me 
to  remember. 

The  year  began  very  sorrowfully,  for  I  had  just 
lost  my  best,  my  dearest  friend,  the  object  of  my 
devoted,  filial  affection.  I  did  not  imagine,  in  my 
deep  grief,  that  I  could  ever  lose  more.  My  brother- 
in-law  Reuss  invited  us  to  his  home  in  Berlin,  and 
escorted  us  there  about  the  beginning  of  February. 
Count  Reden  had  arrived  a  few  days  before  us,  and 
often  called  on  us,  showing  us  all  the  kindest  sym- 
pathy. He  often  told  me  afterwards  how  much 
touched  he  was  at  seeing  me  in  my  deep  mourning, 
surrounded  by  strangers,  looking  so  crushed  and  pale, 
and  how  drawn  he  felt  towards  me.  I  did  not  often 
leave  my  little  room,  and  saw  very  little  of  him ;  but 
his  sympathy  was  one  of  the  few  things  that  was  a 
comfort  to  me,  and  I  missed  him  greatly  when  he  left 
town. 

February  22. 

We  are  alone  in  the  morning,  and  callers  only 
come  between  five  and  seven  o'clock.  I  do  not 
care  to  be  with  any  one  outside  the  family  except 
Frau  yon  der  Reck,  who  understands  me  so  well, 
and  with  her  I  can  talk  and  weep.  I  often  go  down 


26  GIRLHOOD   AND   YOUTH  [1800 

to  her  when   there  are  visitors  whom  I  do  not  feel 
inclined  to  see. 

Frau  von  Riedesel  went  to  Trebschen  with  her 
family  in  June.  The  place  soon  became  a  second 
home  to  them. 

FRITZE  TO  DORETTE 

TREBSCHEN,  June  22,  1800. 

We  are  at  this  dear  place  once  more,  where  we 
used  to  be  so  happy.  I  always  sat  with  my  father, 
and  my  heart  was  filled  with  gratitude  to  him  for 
bringing  us  to  stay  with  Auguste,  and  now  we  are 
brokers-hearted.  There  is  not  a  corner  of  the  house 
nor  a  spot  in  the  garden  that  do  not  recall  him  to 
mind,  nor  one  in  which  I  have  not  seen  him.  God, 
O  my  God,  is  it  possible  that  I  am  never  to  see  him 
again  ?  Yes,  if  He  gives  me  strength  to  bear  my 
sorrow  like  a  Christian,  and  to  live  according  to  His 
will,  I  shall  see  him  in  that  other  land.  I  can't  tell 
you  how  I  love  Trebschen,  and  prefer  to  be  here 
rather  than  anywhere  else.  My  father  was  much 
loved  here ;  he  never  came  without  doing  good  to 
some  one,  and  every  one  speaks  of  him  with  kindness. 

July  6. 

The  children  often  talk  about  you.  They  are  as 
sweet  and  interesting  as  ever.  They  and  the 
pastor's  daughter  have  been  helping  Lotte  and  me 
gather  camomile.  We  picked  the  flowers,  which  are 
now  drying,  for  Auguste's  medicine  chest.  Six 
months  ago  to-day,  dear  Dorette ! — oh !  these  six 
months  will  be  a  lifelong  memory. 

Frau  von  Riedesel  took  a  flat  in  Leipziger  Strasse 
opposite  that  of  her  son-in-law,  and  Fritze  went  to 
Berlin  in  October  to  get  it  ready  for  the  family. 
Eberhardine  von  der  Reck  writes  : 

November  n. 

The  Riedesels,  Count  Bernstorff,  and  several  others 
came  in  this  evening.  I  am  glad  that  the  Riedesels 
are  more  cheerful  before  strangers  than  they  were  last 
winter,  when  they  gave  themselves  up  to  grief  and 


i8oi]  WINTER   IN   BERLIN  27 

would  look  at  no  one,  still  less  speak  to  any  one. 
America  is  now  so  extremely  beautiful  that  every  one 
is  struck  by  her  appearance. 

Eberhardine  became  deeply  attached  to  Fritze,  who 
was  eleven  years  her  senior.  Her  diary  contains 
remarks  about  Count  Reden,  and  how  on  one  occa- 
sion, when  he  dined  at  the  Palace,  the  lovely  Queen 
Luise  wore  an  iron  necklace  which  he  had  presented 
to  her. 

Fritze  writes  : 

We  lived  very  quietly,  and  chiefly  among  our  intimate 
friends.  Count  Reden  called  soon  after  we  came 
to  town,  and  my  sad  and  quiet  manner  touched  him. 
I  felt  more  strongly  than  ever  that  he  understood 
me  better  than  any  one  else,  and  I  showed  him  that 
I  appreciated  it.  His  judgment  was  more  to  me  than 
that  of  all  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  I  felt  his  expres- 
sion of  approval  to  be  a  high  reward  for  me.  He 
was  not  well  this  spring,  and  feared  that  he  might  be 
less  so  in  the  summer,  and  he  hesitated  to  link  my 
youth  to  his  age.  He  was  so  really  humble,  he  never 
allowed  me  to  see  him  other  than  as  a  warm  friend, 
he  who  was  so  unspeakably  dear  to  me.  I  fully 
understood  him,  but  I  could  only  be  silent.  He 
confided  in  no  one,  and  his  superiority  to  every 
one  else  and  his  noble  character  filled  my  heart  to 
overflowing.  On  March  2,  my  sister  Caroline's 
birthday  party,  he  involuntarily  expressed  his  feelings 
quite  plainly  in  a  thousand  tender  ways,  which  I 
noticed  with  concealed  emotion.  And  so  matters 
remained,  and  we  parted — we  two  who  had  come  so 
near  to  one  another,  and  yet  were  so  far  off.  That 
was  the  last  time  he  went  home  alone. 

To  COUNTESS  JENNY  REUSS  l 

BERLIN,  April  12,  1801. 

The  remembrance  of  all  your  kindness  is  very 
sweet  to  me,  and  it  has  flattered  my  vanity  also. 

1  The  letters  to  Countess  Jenny  and  most  of  those  to  Dorette 
were  in  French. — E.  R. 


28  GIRLHOOD   AND  YOUTH  [1801 

I  should  not  wish  to  be  altogether  unworthy  of  your 
friendship,  and  I  wish  I  could  show  my  gratitude  other 
than  by  words.  America  became  engaged  to  Count 
Bernstorff  a  fortnight  ago,  and  I  feel  sure  that  her 
chief  object  in  life  is  to  fulfil  her  duties  and  to  find 
in  them  her  happiness.  We  see  Count  Reden  fairly 
often,  and  his  society  is  delightful  to  those  who 
take  the  trouble  really  to  know  him.  You,  I  know, 
judge  au  fond,  which  is  the  only  way  to  judge  any 
one  worth  thinking  about.  He  often  asks  after  you, 
and  I  frequently  speak  to  him  of  you  both,  for  no 
one  can  take  a  greater  interest  in  hearing  of  you 
than  he.  His  health  is  better  now.  You  know  our 
plans  as  to  going  to  Doberan.  I  have  never  fancied 
a  watering-place,  but  perhaps  this  one  will  become 
a  source  of  pleasure  to  me  if  it  does  mamma,  Auguste, 
and  Caroline  any  real  good.  Caroline  has  been 
ailing  all  the  winter,  and  we  have  been  anxious 
about  her. 

Where  are  you,  my  dear,  good  friend — thinking 
of  going  to  Stonsdorf?  I  recall  my  stay  there  with 
so  much  pleasure,  and  that  visit  to  Buchwald.  Count 
Reden  has  made  some  changes  there,  and  I  believe 
that  those  at  Stonsdorf  are  not  less  striking.  I 
have  experienced  the  truth  of  your  words,  that  the 
strength  one  seeks  from  God  is  far  higher  than 
all  human  comfort.  It  alone  can  give  us  consolation 
and  peace. 

May  17. 

I  have  just  come  from  Cunersdorf,  where  I  found 
refreshment  both  for  mind  and  heart.  I  have  a 
great  admiration  for  Frau  von  Friedland  and  for  all 
that  she  has  undertaken,  and  for  the  wonders  she  has 
accomplished  in  agricultural  matters,  and  I  love  her 
for  all  the  good  she  does.  Her  farm  is  extraordinarily 
well  managed  and  under  such  beautiful  cultivation. 
The  barns  and  stables  are  immense.  Her  night 
watches  and  worries  have  their  reward.  In  short, 
I  enjoyed  myself  and  felt  happy  in  admiring  and 
seeing  what  a  woman  can  do.  You,  dear  Countess, 
have  given  me  this  feeling  more  than  once,  if  I  may 
venture  to  say  so,  and  for  this  reason  I  have  told 
you  of  the  pleasure  which  Auguste  and  my  brother- 
in-law  and  1  have  just  had. 


i8oi]  THE   "R"   COLONY  29 

Frau  von  Friedland,  who  was  well  known  for  the 
splendid  way  in  which  she  managed  her  property, 
and  the  great  improvements  she  had  made  on  it, 
won  Fritze's  sincere  admiration,  and  there  was  a 
close  friendship  between  her  and  her  daughter  Frau 
von  Itzenplitz.  These  friends  were  also  intimate 
with  the  "  R "  colony,  as  the  Riedesels,  Recks,  and 
Reuss  families  called  themselves.  Herr  von  Lowen- 
stein's  family,  who  were  from  Livonia,  and  the 
Rosenstiels,  also  belonged  to  this  circle.  Herr  von 
Rosenstiel  was  a  Privy  Councillor  and  in  the  Finance 
Department  of  State,  and  Director  of  the  State 
Porcelain  Manufactory.  He  was  a  neighbour  of 
Count  Reuss's.  In  his  family  the  old  Christian 
customs  had  been  kept  up  since  the  Reformation. 
Once  when  there  was  a  revival  of  belief  and  much 
talk  of  the  duty  and  blessing  of  family  prayers,  old 
Herr  von  Rosenstiel  said,  "  I  have  always  observed 
it,  but  I  have  not  talked  about  it."  One  of  his 
daughters  married  the  celebrated  printer  Spener, 
and  another  was  the  wife  of  Herr  von  Karsten,  who 
was  in  the  State  Department  for  Mines.  The  "  R " 
colony  also  belonged  to  the  Court  circle,  where 
Count  and  Countess  Reuss  were  favourites,  and 
the  Countess  presented  her  sisters.  She  was  con- 
sidered to  bear  a  strong  likeness  to  the  beautiful 
Queen  Luise.  Septi  Reuss  and  Carl  von  der  Reck 
were  playfellows  of  the  little  Princes,  the  Crown 
Prince  and  his  brother  Prince  Wilhelm,  and  their 
cousin  Prince  Friedrich.  The  young  Princes  were 
sometimes  brought  to  play  at  Count  Reuss's  house 
with  the  children,  and  Fritze,  with  her  warm  heart 
and  capacity  for  finding  some  interest  in  every  person 
and  in  everything,  won  the  Crown  Prince's  affections, 
and  retained  them  until  her  death. 


30  GIRLHOOD   AND   YOUTH  [1801 

FROM  THE  CROWN  PRINCE'S  TUTOR,  HERR  DELBRUCK 

MADAM, — 

I  am  glad  to  have  this  opportunity  of 
writing  to  you.  How  shall  I  begin  other  than  by 
acknowledging  my  grateful  and  sincere  appreciation 
of  the  society  which  I  enjoyed  in  your  home  circle  ? 
I  shall  never  forget  the  privilege  of  being  admitted 
to  it,  and  the  impression  made  upon  me  and  my 
young  Prince  is  all  the  greater  because  it  was  un- 
expected. You  all,  but  you  especially,  my  dear  lady, 
have  made  a  great  impression  upon  the  Crown 
Prince.  You  have  shown  him  how  to  feel  an  interest 
in  things  outside  his  own  circle,  and  how  to  love 
and  respect  these  things.  This  may  be  a  help  in  his 
development  at  an  impressionable  age.  You  are 
constantly  in  his  thoughts,  and  he  frequently  talks  of 
the  Riedesel,  Reuss,  and  Reck  families.  He  repeatedly 
speaks  of  the  last  evening  he  was  with  you,  and  of 
Fraulein  Caroline's  kindness  to  him.  Without  being 
reminded  by  me  on  Sunday,  he  counted  twenty-nine 
beans  into  the  little  basket,  and  he  takes  out  one 
every  day,  wishing  that  it  was  the  last  one.  He 
told  the  Queen  at  once  that  you  were  all  coming 
here,  and  he  went  into  some  of  the  newly  furnished 
rooms  of  the  castle  on  Sunday,  and  said  that  the 
Reusses  and  Riedesels  must  occupy  them.  He  is 
quite  well,  and  keeps  his  brothers  and  sisters  alive 
with  his  gaiety.  Spring  suits  him,  and  he  is  as 
blooming  as  a  rose  and  as  frisky  as  a  young  colt. 
His  only  companion  hitherto  has  been  his  brother 
Wilhelm,1  who  seems  to  me  the  personification  of 
simplicity  and  sincerity.  We  spend  five  or  six 
hours  out  of  doors  every  day,  chiefly  at  Sans  Souci. 
Life  in  the  country  is  very  refreshing  after  the  rush 
of  Berlin.  The  recollection  of  you  and  yours  is  very 
delightful  to  me. 

America  and  Count  Bernstorff  were  married  in 
Berlin  in  June,  and  Frau  von  Riedesel  and  her  family 
went  to  Doberan  immediately  after  the  wedding. 

Fritze  writes  about  her  state  of  mind  at  this  time : 

Count  Reden's  health  was  not  strong,  and  I  could 

1  Wilhelm  I.,  Kaiser  of  Germany. — M.  B.-L. 


i8oi]  SUMMER  AT   DOBERAN  31 

hardly  conceal  my  feelings  from  my  family.  It 
seemed  to  me  at  such  moments  that  it  would  be  an 
enviable  thing  to  be  able  to  act  as  nurse  to  this 
good  man  ;  I  would  willingly  have  left  everything 
to  restore  him  to  health  by  my  care  and  devotion, 
but  this  he  could  not  imagine.  On  the  day  before 
he  left  Berlin  in  April,  I  had  inscribed  this  sentiment 
on  the  only  letter  which  I  had  ever  received  from 
him  :  "  C'est  le  seul  homme  au  monde  auquel  je  ne 
refuserais  pas  1'echange  de  ma  liberte  contre  le 
devoir  doux  et  consolant  de  le  rendre  heureux  par 
mes  soins  et  mon  attachement."  And  I  who  would 
have  been  proud  and  happy  to  have  devoted  myself 
to  him  as  his  loving  nurse,  was  to  become  his  com- 
panion, his  only  trusted  friend,  his  all.  Oh,  how 
wonderful  are  God's  ways,  and  how  blessed  for  those 
who  blindly  give  themselves  to  Him  as  His  own 
children  ! 

From  Doberan  Frau  von  Riedesel  went  to  Bruns- 
wick, where  Fritze,  who  was  always  to  be  depended 
upon,  had  the  sad  duty  of  breaking  up  the  household, 
and  packing,  and  making  arrangements  for  the  sale 
of  things.  The  mornings  in  the  lonely  rooms  were 
inexpressibly  trying,  but,  in  her  unselfish  devotion, 
she  gladly  spared  her  mother  the  painful  duty.  Sad 
memories  were  also  awakened  at  Lauterbach. 


To  COUNTESS  JENNY  REUSS 

September. 

You  will  have  heard  from  Auguste  that  our  in- 
valids derived  far  more  good  from  Doberan  than 
we  expected,  and  for  which  we  are  most  thankful. 
Caroline  and  mamma  are  quite  well,  and  my  brother- 
in-law  feels  rejuvenated,  while  Auguste  has  visibly 
recovered.  We  appreciate  and  love  the  Baltic  to 
the  uttermost.  Lite  was  quiet  there,  but  very 
pleasant,  in  spite  of  the  holiday  makers  and  the  whirl. 
We  bathed,  walked,  spent  our  mornings  in  draw- 
ing, and  our  afternoons  in  nice  little  outings  in 
the  neighbourhood.  We  went  to  the  public  room, 
a  large  marquee,  occasionally,  where  the  world 


32  GIRLHOOD  AND   YOUTH  [1801 

assembled,   but   the   style   of  people  collected  there 

was  bad,  with  some    exceptions,   however,   as  there 

always    are    in    every    place,    and    we  made  some 
pleasant  acquaintances. 

BERLIN,  December  7,  1801. 

I  cannot  tell  you  how  much  I  appreciate  your 
friendship,  and  how  very  much  touched  I  am  by  it. 
It  does  me  good,  and  yet  I  am  afraid  of  being  self- 
satisfied  and  vain  if  I  give  myself  up  to  its  charm,  and 
if  I  did,  I  should  be  the  first  to  condemn  myself. 
The  approbation  of  the  crowd  is  rarely  Just,  so  it 
does  not  affect  me.  I  disbelieve  in  it.  But  what  a 
difference  is  the  praise  that  comes  from  those  I 
love  and  revere.  There  is  nothing  in  the  world  I 
would  not  do  to  earn  it,  nor  would  any  sacrifice  be 
too  great  to  deserve  it.  Indeed,  I  reproach  myself 
for  wishing  to  do  all  for  those  I  love  and  nothing 
for  others.  .  .  . 

Your  kind  and  flattering  preference  for  the  "  R's  " 
has  made  me  recall  to  mind  all  the  R's  I  know,  and 
I  find  that  there  are  hardly  any  whom  I  do  not 
respect,  and  few  whom  I  do  not  love. 

On  returning  to  Berlin  in  November,  Fritze  lived 
almost  exclusively  in  the  circle  of  her  intimate  friends, 
though  it  was  impossible  to  withdraw  entirely  from 
the  ordinary  social  duties.  Caroline's  rather  serious 
illness  prevented  their  attendance  at  Court  till 
January  3,  when  they  were  commanded  by  the 
Queen  to  take  part  in  a  quadrille  at  one  of  the 
Court  balls. 

Eberhardine  von  der  Reck  writes  : 

Fritze  shrinks  rather  from  the  waste  of  time  than 
from  the  expense  of  the  ball,  for  she  turns  every 
moment  to  account  either  for  herself  or  for  others. 

Caroline  undertook  to  arrange  Fritze's  costume  for 
the  quadrille,  in  which  she  was  to  appear  as  Aurora. 
The  rehearsal  took  place  at  the  Princess  of  Hesse's, 
and  lasted  from  six  in  the  afternoon  till  one  in  the 


AUGUSTE   VON    RIEDESEL,    AFTERWARDS    COUNTESS    REUSS,    WIFE   OF 
HEINRICH    XLIV. 

(By  Schroder.    By  kind  permission  of  Princess  Reuss,  Heinrich  XXIV.  of  Kostrils.) 

[To  face  p.  32. 


1 802]  THE   COURT   BALL  33 

morning.      The     next    rehearsal    was    at    Princess 
Ferdinand's.      We   have  a  description  of  the   dress 

from  Eberhardine's  pen : 

BERLIN,  March  23. 

Aurora  was  remarkably  beautiful.  She  wore  a 
gold-and-white  turreted  crown  set  richly  with  jewels. 
Her  dress  was  white  muslin  with  gold  and  silver 
embroidery,  and  the  short  sleeves  were  also  em- 
broidered, below  which,  down  to  the  wrist,  was  a 
tight-fitting,  flesh-coloured  material.  Some  Aurora- 
coloured  drapery,  trimmed  with  silver  lace  and  with 
an  embroidered  sun  in  each  corner,  fell  over  the 
dress,  and  was  gathered  together  by  a  blue  scarf 
fastened  with  diamonds.  Reddish  wings  were  on  the 
shoulders  at  the  back.  It  was  the  most  appropriate 
costume  there,  and  the  whole  effect  very  pretty. 

Fritze  writes  about  this  time : 

Count  Reden  arrived  in  Berlin  at  the  end  of 
January,  and  came  to  see  my  sister  and  us  as  often 
as  possible,  but  less  after  I  had  to  take  part,  by  the 
Queen's  express  commands,  in  the  quadrille.  It  upset 
my  usual  way  of  life,  and  was  all  the  more  trying  as 
I  noticed  that  Count  Reden  did  not  approve  of  it. 
Now  it  so  happened  that  the  ball  was  on  his  birthday  ; 
and  though  my  celebrated  costume  was  a  success, 
the  result  for  me  was  the  early  retirement  from  the 
ball  of  the  only  person  whose  approbation  I  cared 
for.  He  looked  depressed,  and  did  not  appear 
amongst  us  for  some  days.  But  after  that,  I  went 
out  less,  and  lived  more  according  to  my  own  taste, 
so  he  recovered  his  spirits,  and  was  more  agreeable 
than  ever  and  more  lovable.  He  hardly  ever  left 
me  when  we  met  in  society.  At  Count  Hauwitz's 
we  made  a  bet  about  green  beans,  which  I  lost,  so  I 
had  to  give  him  the  famous  cup  now  so  dear  to  me. 

Fritze's  bet  was  that  at  that  season,  April,  there 
were  no  green  beans.  Count  Reden,  who  was  well 
up  in  the  modern  gardening  of  that  day,  asserted  the 
contrary.  The  cup  had  a  green  bean  painted  on  it, 
and  was  used  by  him  every  day  till  his  death. 

Fritze's  allusions  to  him  in  her  letters  ceased, 

3 


34  GIRLHOOD   AND   YOUTH  [1802 

unfortunately,  about  this  time.  He  must  have  gathered 
courage  from  her  manner,  and  friends  also  encouraged 
him,  for  he  resolved  to  ask  her  the  all-important 
question.  He  wrote  to  her  at  the  end  of  April 
telling  her  of  his  devotion,  but  setting  before  her 
the  disadvantages  of  uniting  her  youth  to  his  fifty 
years  and  frail  health,  instead  of  marrying  some 
vigorous  young  man.  Fritze,  in  her  thoughtful  way, 
considered  it  well  and  talked  it  over  with  her  sister 
Countess  Reuss,  who  had  desired  the  marriage  for 
a  long  time,  and  had  written  to  her  father  on  the 
subject  in  1799.  She  now  showed  Fritze  his  answer, 
in  which  he  said : 

C'est  le  seul  homme  au  monde  pour  lequel  je 
pourrai  me  resoudre  de  me  separer  de  ma  fille 
bien  aimee,  sur  que  c'est  le  seul  qui  pourrait  la 
rendre  heureuse. 

"  These  lines,"  said  Fritze,  "  made  me  send  him 
my  glad  acceptance  on  May  2."  They  certainly 
helped  her  to  decide,  though  her  heart  had  spoken 
to  her  long  before  this.  Looking  back  on  this  period, 
she  wrote  : 

It  is  well  for  one  at  such  a  time  to  be  decided 
and  not  to  feel  a  moment's  uncertainty,  and  to  go 
forward  simply  to  accept  the  happiness  that  is  offered 
to  one,  as  I  did  on  that  second  of  May.  Every  one 
was  convinced  of  the  sterling  worth  of  the  man  and  of 
his  noble,  loving  heart,  which  was  so  entirely  devoted 
to  me. 

Eberhardine  von  der  Reck  writes  : 

We  had  hardly  got  home  before  Caroline  Riedesel 
came  in  with  an  anxious  face.  I  had  noticed  a  sort 
of  restlessness  in  the  whole  family  yesterday,  which 
was  now  explained  by  Caroline's  announcement  of 
Fritze's  engagement  to  Count  Reden.  We  were  less 
surprised  than  we  were  last  year  by  America's  en- 
gagement, for  we  had  long  seen  what  was  coming, 
and  had  desired  it.  Fritze  had  herself  confided  in 


1802]  FRITZE'S    ENGAGEMENT  35 

mamma  yesterday  just  like  a  child,  but  she  had  only 
accepted  him  late  in  the  evening,  at  Count  Reuss's 
house.  She  is  very  happy,  and  the  whole  family  are 
satisfied  with  her  choice.  Dear,  good  Caroline  is 
very  happy  about  it,  though  she  shows,  without 
knowing  it,  how  much  she  will  miss  her  sister's 
companionship.  Her  eyes  filled  with  tears  when  she 
spoke  of  it.  Fritze  came  in  shortly  after  her,  and 
received  our  good  wishes  with  that  sweetness  which, 
you  who  know  her  so  well,  will  readily  understand. 
We  shall  lose  a  great  deal  when  she  marries,  we  who 
have  been  so  much  together,  for  circumstances  will 
necessarily  keep  us  more  or  less  separated,  though 
I  know  that  she  will  always  feel  just  the  same  to- 
wards us.  Her  home  will  be  in  Berlin  in  the 
winter ;  and  when  personal  intercourse  is  impossible, 
we  must  correspond  with  one  another.  Count  Reden 
dined  at  Count  Reuss's,  and  called  on  us  in  the 
afternoon;  full  of  his  happiness.  He  declares  that  it 
was  papa  who  made  him  speak,  though  he  has  longed 
to  do  so  for  years,  and  only  held  back  for  fear  lest 
he  should  be  unable  to  make  her  happy.  We  were 
all  at  the  Bernstorffs'  later  on,  and  were  treated  just 
as  if  we  were  members  of  the  family,  and  mamma 
was  congratulated  as  well  as  Frau  von  Riedesel.  The 
engagement  will  be  announced  to-morrow. 

Eberhardine  also  writes  that  Fritze  stood  god- 
mother to  America's  first  child.  Count  Reden  was 
obliged  to  leave  town  on  the  eighth,  four  days  before 
Fritze's  birthday ;  but  he  returned  in  a  few  days,  on 
hearing  from  Fritze  of  the  grave  condition  of  his 
uncle  Herr  von  Heynitz,  who  died  on  the  i6th. 
Count  Reden  succeeded  him  as  Minister. 

To   DORETTE 

BERLIN,  May  4,  1802. 

I  shall  be  happy  in  doing  my  duty  in  making  a  good 
man  also  happy.  He  has  loved  me  for  five  years,  but 
never  spoke,  lest  he  might  not  be  able  to  give  me  the 
happiness  he  thought  I  ought  to  have,  so  he  preferred 
being  miserable  himself.  I  understand  and  respect 
his  motives.  Every  one  seems  to  love  him.  Caroline 


36  GIRLHOOD   AND   YOUTH  [1802 

and  Auguste  are  angelic  to  me ;  the  former  seems 
happy,  and  Auguste  sees  the  desire  of  her  heart 
fulfilled.  My  beloved  mother  knows  that  my  happi- 
ness is  bound  up  in  that  of  Count  Reden,  and  she  also 
knows  that  in  him  she  has  a  son.  He  is  old  and 
delicate,  so  I  shall  have  the  sacred  duty  of  making 
myself  indispensable  to  him.  If  I  can  but  preserve 
his  precious  life,  how  grateful  his  friends  will  be ! 
He  left  town  on  Government  business  yesterday, 
and  I  am  glad  to  be  alone  to  receive  the  congratu- 
lations that  pour  in,  whether  they  are  sincere  or 
not.  You  guessed  everything  long  ago,  but  I  dared 
not  speak.  I  have  suffered  a  great  deal,  but  God 
has  supported  me. 

May  n. 

I  am  very  anxious  about  Count  Reden's  uncle 
Herr  von  Heynitz,  who  is  dangerously  ill,  I  fear, 
and  his  nephew  is  away.  He  sent  for  me  on  Tuesday, 
and  received  me  as  if  I  were  his  daughter.  We 
were  both  very  much  agitated,  and  he  said  as  he 
embraced  me  :  "  I  bless  my  niece :  may  she  be  the 
happy  companion  of  our  good  Reden ! 

I  was  very  sad  when  I  saw  Auguste  off  for 
Trebschen  yesterday.  She  is  indeed  an  angel  upon 
earth,  and  I  do  not  know  any  one  who  is  really  so 
perfect  as  she.  You  can  fancy  the  stream  of  visitors 
we  are  having  now.  I  try  to  receive  them  all  with 
pleasure  and  without  embarrassment.  I  wish  them  to 
see  that  I  prefer  Count  Reden  to  any  one  else  in  the 
world,  though  he  is  fifty  years  old. 

To  COUNTESS  JENNY  REUSS 

I  am  going  to  marry  Count  Reden  to  show  you  that 
I  consider  it  my  solemn  duty  to  be  happy  by  making 
him  happy.  You  were  his  confidante,  and  I  long  to 
see  you,  not  only  to  tell  you  the  thousands  of  things 
with  which  my  mind  and  heart  are  filled,  but  also  to 
assure  you  that  I  am  calmly  looking  forward  to  what 
awaits  me  in  the  future.  I  know  that  my  father 
wished  me  to  marry  the  Count,  thinking  him  the  one 
man  suited  to  me.  Neither  his  age  nor  his  health 
frighten  me,  and  the  hope  of  having  increased  duties 
to  perform  gives  me  real  delight.  After  all,  is  it  not 
the  willing,  happy  fulfilment  of  duty  which  makes 


1 802]    THEATRICALS  AT  THE  RADZIWILLS'    37 

life  a  happiness  ?  I  love  and  respect  him  as  my  best 
friend,  and  I  hope  that  he  will  always  remain  so.  I 
am  glad  to  give  my  family  such  a  connection  :  he 
won  their  esteem  long  ago.  In  short,  I  am  peacefully 
trusting  in  God,  Who  has  led  me  so  safely  till  now, 
and  there  is  not  one  thought  to  darken  the  future. 
I  hope  to  spend  a  great  deal  of  that  future  with  my 
family.  But  nothing  can  be  decided  as  to  the  time 
of  our  marriage'  till  the  King  returns  from  Prussia. 
Report  says  that  Count  Reden  is  to  succeed  Minister 
Heynitz,  and  if  there  be  any  truth  in  the  rumour,  he 
will  be  obliged  to  be  in  Berlin  most  of  the  time.  I 
do  not  permit  myself  to  wish  for  anything ;  but  I  do 
not  deny  that  Buchwald  plays  a  great  part  in  my 
future  happiness,  and  I  delight  in  the  thought  of 
being  near  Stonsdorf. 

Eberhardine  von  der  Reck  writes  : 

May  17. 

I  was  with  Fritze  this  morning,  and  found  her 
busy  writing  letters.  You  can't  think  how  many 
she  has  to  write  to  friends  and  acquaintances,  and 
yet  she  does  not  neglect  one  of  her  other  duties, 
and  she  is  with  her  mother  and  sisters  and  with  us 
just  the  same  as  ever.  We  were  invited  to  a  picnic 
at  the  Riedesels'  for  this  evening.  Fritze  asked  us  in 
the  morning,  saying  that  she  wished  Count  Reden 
to  look  upon  us  all  as  members  of  the  family. 

To  DORETTE  ,. 

May  24. 

It  is  not  yet  settled  who  is  to  succeed  Herr 
von  Heynitz  in  the  Ministry.  Count  Reden  wrote 
to  me  this  morning  that  he  had  been  appointed 
provisionally  Chief  of  the  Mining  and  Smelting 
Works  and  Director  of  the  Porcelain  Factory.  He 
is  certain  to  retain  these  offices ;  but  I  hope  he  will 
not  be  appointed  Minister  or  Excellency,  for  in  that 
case  he  will  be  tied  here,  and  the  sedentary  life 
would  not  suit  him  at  all. 

There  were  private  theatricals  at  the  Radziwills'  on 
Thursday,  and  a  Court  ball  yesterday,  but  mamma 
let  me  off  from  going  to  the  ball,  as  I  preferred 
spending  the  time  with  Frau  von  Heynitz.  If  my 
company  was  any  pleasure  to  her,  I  am  amply  re- 
warded, I  saw  her  the  day  before  yesterday  for 


38  GIRLHOOD   AND  YOUTH  [1802 

the  first  time  since  her  husband's  death,  and  I  was 
deeply  moved. 

COUNT  REDEN  TO  HIS  STEWARD  AT  BUCHWALD 

BERLIN,  May  21,  1802. 

You  will  be  surprised  at  getting  another  letter  from 
me  from  this  place,  and  still  more  at  my  being 
detained  here.  It  is  caused  by  the  death  of  the 
Minister  von  Heynitz,  my  never-to-be-forgotten  chief 
and  friend.  And  you  will  be  still  more  surprised 
that  I  am  bringing  a  pretty  and  charming  lady  home 
with  me,  a  wife  much  younger  than  I  am.  She  is 
as  good  and  kind  and  clever  as  all  the  good  people 
at  Buchwald  and  Quirl  deserve.  I  cannot  forego  the 
pleasure  of  making  this  announcement  myself,  and 
I  trust  that  it  will  be  a  happy  event  for  you  all,  and 
especially  for  Bormann.1  This  will  stir  you  all  up 
to  have  things  ready  for  such  a  dear,  kind  mistress. 
You  may  tell  the  news  to  every  one,  particularly  to 
Herr  and  Frau  Hoffmann,  and  to  both  the  pastors. 

REDEN. 

To   DORETTE 

TREBSCHEN,  August  i. 

Why  aren't  you  here  to  sympathise  with  me,  my 
dear  Dorette?  You  would  see  how  busy  I  am  with 
preparations  for  to-morrow,  when  Count  Reden  is 
expected.  I  am  to  become  his  wife  on  the  pth.  We 
shall  leave  dear,  peaceful  Trebschen  on  the  i2th,  and 
the  parting  from  my  family  will  be  only  for  a  few 
days,  as  they  all  leave  here  for  Stonsdorf  on  the  i5th. 
Then  I  hope  to  have  them  for  three  or  four  weeks, 
and  I  also  hope  that  our  new  household  will  please 
them.  If  you  knew  Count  Reden,  dear  Dorette,  you 
would  honour  him  as  he  deserves.  People  consider 
him  peculiar  because,  when  in  Berlin,  he  mixes  a 
good  deal  in  the  unfashionable  set,  which  is  infinitely 
better  than  the  other  one,  for  it  is  simple  and  highly 
cultivated.  He  himself  is  distinguished  by  great 
simplicity,  and  does  not  consider  a  thing  good  just 
because  it  belongs  to  the  great  world.  It  is  just  this 
in  him  which  attracted  Auguste,  and  has  made  her, 
ever  since  she  has  been  in  Berlin,  specially  single 
him  out  and  cultivate  his  acquaintance.  He  and  the 
Reusses  have  been  intimate  friends  for  a  long  time. 
1  The  housekeeper.— E,  R, 


CHAPTER  II 

MARRIED   LIFE 
1802 — 1815 

VON  RIEDESEL  became  the  happy, 
wife  of  Count  Reden  at  Trebschen  on  August 
9,  1802.  It  was  her  sister  Auguste's  birthday,  and 
ten  years  before  she  had  been  married  on  Fritze's 
birthday.  The  whole  family  were  present.  The 
bride  wore  an  embroidered  white  gown,  as  is  noted 
in  the  list  of  her  trousseau,  which  contained  twenty 
white  gowns  besides  the  wedding-dress,  and  two 
white  dimity  riding-dresses.  Among  the  few  coloured 
clothes  was  a  grey  cotton  gown  to  be  worn  when 
going  down  the  mines. 

The  newly  married  couple  left  Trebschen  for  Buch- 
wald  a  few  days  later,  and  a  large  number  of  poems 
has  been  preserved  both  in  print  and  in  manuscript, 
written  for  the  occasion  of  their  arrival  home.  The 
young  wife  wrote  to  her  much-loved  neighbour 
Countess  Jenny  Reuss,  at  Stonsdorf,  shortly  after 
her  arrival : 

BUCHWALD,  August,  I802. 

I  am  so  happy  to  feel  that  you  are  my  beloved 
friend  in  every  circumstance  of  my  life,  and  I  feel 
doubly  the  charm  of  my  arrival  here,  and  my  delight- 
ful reception,  since  your  good  wishes  have  reached 
me.  You  know  that  one  great  attraction,  perhaps 
the  greatest  here,  is  the  nearness  to  Stonsdorf.  I 
appreciate  it  to  the  fullest,  as  you  will  see  by  my 
acceptance  of  your  kind  invitation.  All  my  people 

39 


40  MARRIED   LIFE  [1802 

are  to  arrive  at  your  house  on  Thursday.  When  I 
left,  they  were  all  well  and  impatient  to  start.  My 
husband  is  well,  and  God  grant  that  he  may  keep  so, 
and  that  I  may  be  all  that  he  has  a  right  to  expect 
in  the  wife  he  has  chosen.  I  long  for  the  time  to 
come  when  I  may  embrace  you  and  the  Thirty-eighth,1 
also,  if  you  will  permit  me.  I  cannot  say  how  eagerly 
I  am  looking  forward  to  seeing  you. 

Your  devoted 

FRITZE  VON  REDEN. 

To  DORETTE 

BUCHWALD,  AugtfSt2Sl,  l8o2. 

MY  DEAR  DORETTE, — 

How  often  have  I  sat  down  to  write  to 
you,  and  have  then  been  called  away  by  the  thou- 
sand things  which  demand  attention  in  a  new  house- 
hold. I  have  been  married  a  fortnight,  but  how 
much  happiness  have  I  not  had !  We  were  two  days 
on  our  journey  here,  and  whenever  we  stopped  for 
the  night,  my  husband  went  off  to  all  sorts  01  places 
on  business,  such  as  foundries  and  stone  quarries, 
and  to  see  all  kinds  of  people,  artists,  etc.,  and  I 
went  with  him.  He  is  adored  by  his  subordinates, 
and  he  deserves  their  devotion.  The  whole  of 
Saturday  and  Sunday  after  our  arrival  were  passed 
in  a  constant  round  of  festivities.  The  people  made 
all  manner  of  preparations  to  mark  their  sympathy 
with  him  in  his  happiness.  There  were  surprises, 
processions,  addresses,  songs,  and  different  kinds  of 
local  entertainments,  illuminations,  and  dancing.  I 
have  received  no  less  than  twenty-three  poems.  In 
short,  I  shall  not  forget  August  14  and  15  The 
festivities  closed  with  the  Kupferberg  procession.  It 
consisted  of  three  hundred  miners,  who  marched  ten 
miles  to  do  honour  to  their  chief.  It  was  a  really 
impressive  scene.  They  wore  their  usual  mining 
suits  and  carried  their  lamps  as  they  marched  to  the 
music  of  their  own  band.  They  brought  me  a  myrtle 
wreath,  and  which  you  shall  see  some  day.  I  was 
at  Stonsdorf  with  the  Thirty-eighths2  on  the  i;th,  to 
await  the  arrival  of  my  people.  The  day  was  charm- 

1  Heinrich  Reuss  the  Thirty-eighth. — M.  B.-L. 

*  Count  and  Countess  Heinrich  Reuss  the  Thirty-eighth.  — 


1 802]      FIRST   SUMMER   AT   BUCHWALD          41 

ing  and  a  very  happy  one.  I  was  there  again  on  the 
1 8th  ;  and  on  the  i9th  they  all  dined  with  us,  and 
I  did  the  honours  of  my  new  home  to  the  best  of 
my  ability.  They  seemed  delighted  with  Buchwald, 
which  is  indeed  an  earthly  paradise.  I  went  to  the 
Schneekoppe  with  my  sisters  on  the  2oth,  and  which, 
thanks  to  Reden's  care  and  forethought,  was  less 
fatiguing  than  usual.  Mamma  and  my  sisters  have 
been  staying  with  us  since  the  23rd,  to  the  great 
happiness  of  Reden  and  your  Fritze.  He  is  an  ideal 
husband,  and  a  second  lather,  protector,  and  friend 
to  me.  I  am  indeed  proud  and  happy  to  be  the  wife 
of  such  a  man.  He  has  done  such  worlds  of  good 
here  among  the  people,  and  contributed  so  much  to 
their  well-being  and  happiness.  I  wish  I  could 
write  more,  but  we  have  such  a  houseful  that  I  have 
no  more  time.  We  have  twenty-eight  to  dinner 
to-day,  and  the  guests  are  beginning  to  arrive. 

BUCHWALD,  September  2,  1802. 
DEAR  DORETTE, — 

How  I  wish  you  were  with  me  !  Every 
one  loves  Buchwald,  and  feels  at  home  here.  There 
is  so  much  I  should  like  to  say,  or  rather  I  need 
not  say,  since  you  can  follow  your  Fritze  with  your 
loving  eyes  and  see  and  feel  all  that  I  cannot  write, 
for  I  really  have  not  a  single  moment  to  myself,  as 
Caroline  can  tell  you.  I  am  nearly  always  taken  up 
by  visitors,  who  come  and  go  every  day.  They  like 
being  in  my  own  room,  and  it  is  a  gem  of  a  sitting- 
room,  though  it  is  a  sort  of  public  passage.  But  I 
keep  my  writing-table  there.  I  don't  allow  myself  to 
get  impatient,  for  I  am  glad  people  like  to  be  with 
me.  When  I  have  a  moment,  there  are  household 
duties  to  be  seen  to.  There  is  hardly  enough  house- 
linen  for  so  many  guests,  so  I  have  my  hands  full 
buying  it,  cutting  it  out,  and  arranging  it.  Then  I 
have  accounts  to  keep  ;  in  a  word,  my  duties  are  real 
and  numerous  and  take  up  every  moment  of  my  time, 
but  I  enjoy  them  all  the  same.  I  have  had  my  beloved 
Auguste  here,  and  all  sorts  of  distinguished  visitors, 
including  the  Duke  of  Mecklenburg  and  the  Duchess 
of  Holstein.  There  will  be  a  change  on  the  zoth, 
as  Reden  and  his  clerks  are  going  to  Waldenburg, 
where  the  coal-mines  are  which  he  started. 


42  MARRIED   LIFE  [1802 

MALEPANE,  UPPER  SILESIA,  October  7. 

It  was  impossible  to  write  to  you  from  Breslau, 
for  I  was  busy  with  my  husband's  affairs,  while 
he  was  buried  in  his  office.  I  turned  the  house 
out  from  top  to  bottom,  went  through  the  inventory, 
decided  what  things  should  be  sent  to  Buchwald  and 
what  to  Berlin,  and  you  can  fancy  that  at  last  there 
was  not  a  spot  left  for  me  to  write  in.  The  officials 
received  me  on  my  arrival  here  at  Breslau.  We 
were  escorted  from  one  place  to  another  by  the 
Inspector  and  the  other  clerks.  My  husband  stopped 
at  the  warehouses  and  iron-works,  and  everywhere 
there  were  good  wishes  for  "  Frau  Chief  of  the 
Mines."  At  length  we  arrived  at  Malepane  in  time 
for  dinner,  where  we  were  received  by  thirty  officials 
in  gala  dress,  and  we  were  lodged  very  comfort- 
ably in  a  nice  little  country  house.  As  soon  as  the 
complimentary  speeches  were  over,  I  made  myself 
at  home  in  one  corner  of  the  room  with  books, 
papers,  and  needlework,  while  Reden's  secretary 
opened  his  desk  and  took  out  the  notices,  petitions, 
etc.  My  admirable  maid  aired  the  bedding  which 
we  had  brought  with  us,  and  everything  was 
arranged  before  my  husband  came  in.  I  have  done 
very  little  reading,  because  I  have  been  going  about 
from  one  smelting-house  to  another.  For  two  days 
we  have  had  any  amount  of  fireworks,  illuminations, 
and  music,  and  we  had  our  names  poured  out  at  our 
feet  in  glowing  iron.  I  have  even  been  to  a  foundry 
which  is  two  miles  from  this  place,  and  my  husband 
was  pleased  to  have  his  wife  go  with  him.  The  head 
clerk's  wife  attends  to  meals,  and  our  dinners  are 
enormous.  We  have  tea  with  the  assistants  in  the 
evening.  I  work  and  talk  with  them  all  meanwhile. 
We  have  our  own  confidential  talk  when  we  retire, 
for  Reden  shares  his  inmost  thoughts  with  his  wife, 
and  thus  your  Fritze's  real  happiness  is  founded  on 
complete  trust,  respect,  and  love. 

KREUTZBURG  FOUNDRY,  October  9. 

The  farmer's  daughters  received  us  and  scattered 
flowers  before  us.  We  are  lodged  in  a  little  thatched 
cottage,  and  are  very  comfortable.  We  went  to  the 
smelting-works  yesterday,  and  then  my  husband  had 
a  good  deal  of  business  with  his  clerks,  while  I  read 


1 802]  IN   BERLIN   AS   A   BRIDE  43 

and  sewed.  I  am  very  happy,  and  I  know  that  you 
will  sympathise  with  me  wnen  I  tell  you  that  twenty- 
two  years  ago,  before  Reden  entered  the  service  of 
Prussia,  the  country  about  here  was  nothing  but 
a  swamp.  He  discovered  mines,  and  set  disused 
ones  going  again,  built  the  smelting-works,  and  the 
cottages,  which  are  now  filled  with  respectable 
working  people,  and  for  twenty  miles  the  whole 
district  is  prosperous  and  happy.  They  are  as 
devoted  to  my  husband  as  if  he  were  their  father, 
and  whenever  he  comes  amongst  them,  they  gather 
around  him,  their  eyes  full  of  grateful  tears.  He  is 
indeed  thankful  to  have  been  able  to  have  done  what 
he  has.  Hardly  one  hundred  thalers  used  to  be  spent 
in  the  whole  place  in  a  year,  and  now  the  trade  is 
400,000  thalers.  It  is,  however,  the  result  of  twenty- 
two  years  of  hard  work  and  noble  self-sacrifice. 

In  November  the  Redens  went  to  Berlin.  Eber- 
hardine  von  der  Reck  writes  : 

BERLIN,  November  27,  1802. 

I  can't  describe  my  delight  at  seeing  my  good 
Fritze  again.  She  received  us  all  with  her  usual 
warmth,  and  is  looking  very  well,  seems  happy, 
and  is  very  busy.  Count  Reden  does  not  look  as 
well  as  I  should  like  to  see  him,  but  he  is  very 
happy.  One  sees  none  but  bright  faces.  We  begin 
a  thousand  conversations  and  break  off  because  we 
have  so  much  to  say.  She  has  a  charming  home, 
and  it  is  very  cosy  and  comfortable.  They  have 
people  to  dinner  nearly  every  day,  sometimes  a  good 
many  at  a  time. 

COUNTESS  REDEN  TO  COUNTESS  JENNY  REUSS 

BERLIN,  December  12,  1802. 

We  arrived  all  right,  and  I  was  so  happy  to  see 
the  whole  colony,  and  find  them  well.  You  will 
understand  my  pleasure  in  being  with  all  those  who 
are  so  dear  to  me,  and  in  seeing  what  a  lively  interest 
my  husband  takes  in  them  all.  He  has  been  very 
busy  since  he  arrived,  but  his  work  suits  him,  and 
the  rapidity  with  which  he  gets  through  with  it  fills 
me  with  admiration.  My  dear  neighbour,  I  am  quite 
beside  myself  with  delight  at  the  thought  of  all  the 


44  MARRIED   LIFE  [1803 

pleasures  in  store  for  me  on  the  second  floor,  if  you 
do  decide  to  take  it.  I  made  my  first  appearance 
in  the  great  world  yesterday.  We  do  not  intend  to 
live  in  a  whirl.  I  have  been  most  kindly  received,  and 
do  not  desire  more.  I  have  never  sought  for  my  real 
pleasures  outside  of  my  own  people  and  home. 

Eberhardine  von  der  Reck  writes  : 

BERLIN,  January  2,  1803. 

We  went  to  the  Riedesels',  where  Fritze  was  dressing 
to  go  to  Court.  Caroline  dressed  her,  with  my  help. 
She  put  a  heron's  feather  in  her  hair,  with  two  black 
lace  lappets  which  hung  down  behind.  The  dress 
was  very  becoming  to  her.  It  was  of  white  satin 
richly  trimmed  with  beautiful  point  lace.  There 
were  thirty  yards  of  satin  and  the  same  of  lace. 

Eberhardine  writes  again : 

We  had  tea  at  Countess  Reuss's  to  meet  all  the 
family  in  celebration  of  Count  Reden's  birthday, 
and  you  can  imagine  how  many  good  wishes  were 
showered  upon  him,  for  you  know  how  much  our 
whole  circle  love  and  appreciate  him.  A  deputation  of 
miners  was  announced,  and  Septi  with  his  two  eldest 
brothers,  the  two  Riedesels,  George,  and  a  cousin,  all 
wearing  costumes  borrowed  from  the  miners,  marched 
in  with  safety-lamps  in  their  hands.  They  each 
brought  him  something  symbolical  of  his  life's  work, 
and  among  other  gifts  was  a  very  beautiful  drawing 
of  the  King's  Foundry.  The  overseer  wrote  that  one 
of  the  furnaces  built  by  Count  Reden  had  been  doing 
as  much  work  as  it  could  possibly  do,  the  yield  of 
iron  ore  a  week  being  one  thousand  pounds.  This 
was  delightful  news  for  the  Count,  and  the  whole 
idea  worthy  of  his  wife.  After  this  scene,  the  Buch- 
wald  school-children  entered,  led  by  their  teacher, 
Herr  Rosel,  and  played  their  part  to  perfection.  The 
children  who  took  part  in  this  scene  were  Caroline 
and  Carl  von  der  Reck  and  the  little  Reusses,  and 
they  came  in  carrying  all  sorts  of  presents,  and 
Herr  Rosel  made  us  all  laugh  by  his  witticisms. 
Countess  Reuss  had  not  been  so  bright  since  her 
illness.  We  left  at  nine,  but  only  to  give  Count 
Reden  a  surprise,  for  on  his  return  home,  he  and 
his  wife  found  us  all  there,  as  well  as  Frau  Rosenstiel 


1 803]  A    HAPPY   BIRTHDAY  45 

and  her  daughters,  the  Speners,  and  Herr  Karsten. 
Count  Reden  was  as  much  pleased  as  surprised  to 
see  us,  for  he  had  had  no  suspicion  of  our  intention. 

BERLIN,  May  12. 

This  is  Countess  Reden's  birthday,  and  I  went  to 
offer  her  my  good  wishes.  It  is  the  happiest  one 
she  has  had  since  her  father's  death.  Her  surround- 
ings are  all  of  the  pleasantest,  and  I  hope  that  they 
will  long  continue  so.  ...  We  got  up  a  picnic  this 
morning  with  the  Reusses,the  Riedesels,and  ourselves, 
thirty  in  all,  and  not  a  stranger  in  the  party.  We 
dined  in  the  large  hall,  and  then  had  tea  in  the  Redens' 
new  flat.  Count  Reden  had  had  the  two  rooms  we 
were  in  furnished  as  a  surprise  for  his  wife.  There 
were  some  deficiencies,  as,  for  instance,  no  tumblers, 
which  could  not  be  found ;  but  we  drank  water  out 
of  a  cup,  and  had  great  fun. 

In  July  Count  Reden  was  appointed  Minister  of 
Mines.  Eberhardine  von  der  Reck  writes  : 

This  appointment  will  be  very  delightful  for  them 
both.  His  position  as  chief  of  a  department,  without 
being  Minister,  was  not  satisfactory,  for  it  did  not 
give  him  sufficient  prestige  with  his  subordinates. 

Again  Eberhardine  von  der  Reck  writes  : 

BERLIN,  December  7,  1803. 

My  father  and  mother  and  I  dined  at  Count  Reden's, 
and  we  were  a  party  of  thirteen.  The  furnished 
rooms  are  very  pretty,  especially  Count  Reden's 
study,  which  had  an  open  fire  and  was  most  com- 
fortable in  this  cold  weather. 

Later  on  Eberhardine  writes  about  a  pleasant 
evening  with  her  friends,  and  of  having  seen  a  beauti- 
ful English  book  of  prints  on  the  laying  out  of  gardens, 
and  also  some  fine  specimens  of  Viennese  porcelain, 
which  the  Count  had  got  as  models.  Luise  Stolberg 
spent  several  weeks  in  Berlin  in  the  winter  of  1804, 
and  her  diary  contains  a  notice  of  her  visit : 

Wednesday,  February  i. — Countess  Reden  took  me 


46  MARRIED   LIFE  [1803 

to  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Institute,  and  I  was  glad  of  it, 
for  a  more  beautiful  picture  could  not  have  been 
presented  to  my  eyes,  than  the  one  I  saw  in  kind- 
hearted  Dr.  Eschke's  little  room,  where  he  was 
surrounded  by  those  unfortunate  deaf  and  dumb 
children,  for  whom  he  has  done  so  much.  Countess 
Reden  had  often  been  there.  She  has  the  tact  to 
bring  out  each  person's  special  gift,  and  she  was  her 
own  sweet  self  there.  She  looked  at  the  children's 
slates  covered  with  sums,  and  spoke  to  each  child. 

Friday,  February  10. — We  dined  at  the  Redens' — an 
excellent  dinner.  The  centre  piece  was  most  ap- 
propriate for  a  miner :  it  consisted  of  nothing  but 
obelisks  and  bowls  of  marble  and  agate. 

Saturday,  February  11. — Count  and  Countess  Reden 
called  for  me  at  seven,  and  they  seemed  much 
gratified  that  I  had  asked  them  to  present  me,  and 
he  said  in  his  dry  manner,  "  I  am  very  glad  that  you 
are  coming  out  in  this  way,  for  I  always  thought  you 
would  like  to  do  so  under  the  wing  of  some  one  from 
Silesia."  The  assembly  was  at  Count  Haugwitz's,1 
who  lives  at  the  other  end  of  the  town.  There  was 
a  great  throng  of  carriages — the  porter  counted  over 
a  hundred ;  but  we  were  kept  an  unnecessary  half- 
hour  in  ours.  We  reached  the  courtyard  at  last,  and 
found  it  lighted  by  a  great  many  lamps.  Most  people 
have  only  two  over  the  entrance.  It  was  easy  enough 
to  move  about  the  first  room,  but  we  had  to  struggle 
through  the  second  as  best  we  could.  Count  Reden 
took  me  on  his  arm,  and  his  wife  brought  up  the 
rear,  and  so  we  worked  our  way  through  the 
crowd  till  we  fortunately  caught  sight  of  Christian, 
who,  seeing  our  difficulty,  laid  hold  of  Count  Pletten- 
berg,  a  broad-shouldered  man,  and  by  pushing  him 
forward  a  line  was  made  for  us  to  pass  down,  and  thus, 
after  some  trouble,  we  reached  the  room  in  which 
the  Queen  was  dancing.  But  we  were  no  better  off 
in  there,  and  were  squeezed  and  squeezed  till  Count 
Reden  said,  "  We  can't  stay  here.  Would  you  rather 
go  to  the  Orangery  ?  "  It  was  very  prettily  arranged 

1  Christian  Heinrich  Carl,  Count  von  Haugwitz  (born  1750,  died 
1832),  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  whose  policy  was  to  draw  Prussia 
and  France  into  closer  connection.  Seeley  says  of  him  that  "  he  may 
be  called  the  Ruin  of  Prussia." — M.  B.-L. 


1803]    A  BALL  AT  COUNT  VON  HAUGWITZ'S    47 

as  a  winter  garden,  and  the  decorations  were  done 
in  both  natural  and  artificial  flowers.  The  centre 
was  made  into  a  little  room,  in  the  middle  of  which 
an  orange  tree  stood,  surrounded  by  a  circular  table 
for  the  royalties.  Everything  was  decorated  with 
flowers,  even  the  bonbons  hanging  in  tiny  baskets 
from  the  tree.  The  whole  effect  was  charming. 
There  Countess  Reden  took  the  lead,  and  led  us  to 
a  sofa  where  the  Olympian  goddesses  were  resting 
after  the  dance.  As  soon  as  the  Queen  saw  us  she 
came  towards  us  and  asked  after  the  Hochbergs,  and 
if  I  would  like  to  dance.  Then  she  played  with 
Countess  Reden's  deliciously  fragrant  fan  before  she 
returned  to  her  seat ;  but  turning  round  again  and 
laying  her  hand  so  confidingly  on  mine  that  I  felt 
like  embracing  the  gracious  being,  she  asked  if  I 
would  like  to  be  presented  to  the  Princesses  ?  I 
replied  that  it  was  what  I  desired  and  had  intended 
to  ask.  Countess  Reden  added  that  we  had  not 
presumed  to  be  presented  in  her  presence.  "That 
does  not  matter,"  said  the  Queen ;  "  there  is  Fraulein 
Kannewurf  and  also  Fraulein  Estorff  who  may  present 
you  to  the  Princesses."  Thus  authorised,  Fraulein 
Kannewurf  presented  me  to  Princess  Wilhelm ; l 
but  when  we  came  to  the  Electoral  Princess,2 
Fraulein  Estorff  was  too  nervous  to  present  me,  so 
Countess  Reden  struggled  through  the  crowd  to  ask 
Frau  von  Gundlach  to  do  so,  leaving  me  with  Frau 
von  Constant,  with  whom  I  was  fortunately  acquainted. 
Then  Frau  von  Gundlach  came  and  presented  me 
to  her  Princess,  who  is  the  picture  of  woe,  and  looks 
old  and  wretched.  Matters  were  far  worse  when  I 
was  presented  to  the  Hereditary  Princess  of  Orange, 
for  when  the  desired  moment  came,  and  I  was  just 
replying  to  her,  down  fell  her  chignon,  and  she  had 
hardly  time  to  fasten  it  up  again,  before  she  had 
to  take  her  place  in  the  dance.  She  and  the  Queen 
danced  beautifully ;  indeed,  the  Queen's  figure  is  so 
slight  it  is  a  pleasure  to  watch  her.  I  was  next 
presented  to  the  Hereditary  Stadtholder's  wife  at  the 
card-table,  but  it  was  impossible  to  get  near  Princess 
Ferdinand  and  Princess  Luise.  At  length  Countess 

1  Wife  of  the  King's  brother,  a  Princess  of  Hesse  Homburg. — M.  B.-L. 
*  Sister  of  the  King,  married  to  the  Elector  of  Hesse  Cassel. — M.  B.-L. 


48  MARRIED   LIFE  [1804 

Reden  wanted  to  get  a  flower  from  below,  and  her 
husband,  my  faithful  cavalier,  led  me  after  her.  But 
I  got  no  farther  than  the  door,  for  the  ladies  of  the 
Court  had  seated  themselves  around  the  orange  tree. 
Countess  Voss  1  sat  near  the  door,  and  shook  hands 
with  me,  and  asked  me  if  I  had  been  presented  to  the 
Princesses.  Meanwhile,  Countess  Reden  had  been 
fortunate  enough,  with  the  help  of  the  Electoral 
Prince,  to  get  a  large  bunch  of  flowers,  and  after  she 
had  divided  it  we  left  the  dreadful  crowd. 

Countess  Reden  writes  : 

March   5. 

The  whole  world  has  gone  mad  about  the  grand 
masked  ball  that  is  to  take  place  on  the  i4th.  I  was 
invited  to  dance  in  the  Queen's  quadrille,  but  have 
begged  to  be  excused  from  leaving  my  husband  so 
much  alone,  as  I  should  have  to  do  for  three  weeks, 
and  I  should  lose  so  much  time  which  certainly  cannot 
be  made  up.  So  I  shall  not  leave  my  pleasant  life,  for 
those  who  do  not  take  part  in  the  quadrille  have 
no  rehearsals  to  attend. 

March  23. 

This  is  a  day  of  rejoicing,  for  on  it  the  best  of 
husbands  was  born.  Reden  is  fifty-two  to-day,  and  is 
happy  in  his  fifty-two  years,  which  have  been  devoted 
to  the  good  of  others. 

Eberhardine  von  der  Reck  writes  of  an  impromptu 
dance  at  Count  Reuss's  in  celebration  of  the  day,  the 
five  families,  Reuss,  Riedesel,  Reden,  Reck,  and  Bern- 
storff  making  up  the  party,  and  each  one  bringing 
some  dish  to  the  feast.  She  writes  again  : 

We  spent  the  evening  at  the  Redens',  where  Privy 
Councillor  Thaer2  and  a  certain  Johannes  Miiller, 
besides  ourselves,  made  up  the  party.  We  had  supper 
at  three  tables  in  the  hall,  the  parents  sitting  at  the 

1  Countess  Voss,  Oberhofmeisterin  of  the  Prussian  Court,  where 
she  had  lived  about  seventy  years.  She  was  the  centre  of  the  Court, 
and  stood  in  a  kind  of  maternal  relation  to  Queen  Luise. — M.  B.-L. 

*  Thaer,  born  1752,  died  1828.  He  was  an  authority  on  agricultural 
affairs,  and  author  of  "  Principles  of  Rational  Agriculture."  He  founded 
an  agricultural  college. — M.  B.-L. 


1 804]  A   FRIEND'S   ENGAGEMENT  49 

centre  table,  the  children  at  one  of  the  side  tables,  and 
the  grown-up  people  at  the  third  table.  It  was  very 
gay  at  our  table  till  eleven  o'clock,  when  we  left. 
Count  Reden  has  a  delightful  flat,  for  though  the 
rooms  are  small  and  low,  they  are  furnished  with  so 
much  taste  that  they  are  charming.  And  they  have 
all  sorts  of  artistic  things  to  add  grace  and  style,  and 
the  tone  of  the  house  is  as  unconstrained  and  agree- 
able as  possible.  Countess  Reden  is  never  happier 
than  in  seeing  her  guests  pleased.  She  often  gives 
large  dinner  parties,  and  has  friends  to  dinner  nearly 
every  day.  This  evening  we  had  the  Riedesels, 
Reusses,  Redens,  and  Bernstorffs  with  us,  thirty  in 
all,  and  you  can  imagine  what  a  quantity  of  tea  is 
drunk  on  these  occasions,  and  a  kettleful  of  water 
does  not  suffice  for  all  the  tea-drinking  brothers  and 
sisters,  for  it  is  the  favourite  drink  of  the  five  families. 
When  tea  is  over,  we  generally  sit  and  talk.  The 
party  is  too  large  for  general  conversation  or  reading 
aloud,  ages  and  tastes  are  too  different,  and  the  book 
that  would  be  interesting  and  useful  to  each  one  of 
the  party  has  yet  to  be  written.  I  should  like  to 
know  all  the  many  topics  that  are  discussed  on  such 
evenings.  Some  of  us  talk  about  science,  some  on 
belles  lettres,  others  discuss  art,  taste,  economy,  physics, 
ethics,  and  fashions ;  and  I  can't  tell  you  how  fast  the 
time  flies  at  these  gatherings. 

All  the  friends  were  interested  in  the  engagement  of 
Ernestine  von  der  Reck,  a  younger  sister  of  Eber- 
hardine,  to  Count  Constantin  Stolberg,  which  took 
place  in  the  spring  of  1805.  Count  Constantin  in- 
herited the  estate  of  Jannowitz,  near  Hirschberg,  some 
years  later,  thus  becoming  the  near  neighbour  of 
Count  and  Countess  Reden. 

Count  Reden's  property  suffered  severely  in  the 
summer  from  the  terrible  floods,  and  the  Countess 
writes  of  them  : 

Buchwald  has  suffered  very  much,  and  the  country 
about  Glatz  still  more.  My  husband  has  now  to  pay 
for  the  repairs  which  are  being  done,  and  he  sets  me 
an  example  in  bearing  everything  without  complaint, 


50  MARRIED   LIFE  [1804 

trying  to  make  me  see  that  all  evils  permitted  by  God 
cease  to  be  evils,  and  that  at  some  future  day  we  shall 
understand  why  they  are  permitted  if  we  but  en- 
deavour to  follow  Him.  We  shall  be  able  to  make 
good  the  amount  we  have  lost  through  the  floods 
by  economy  and  some  self-denial  in  luxury. 

Count  and  Countess  Reden  stayed  with  their  friend 
Countess  von  Itzenplitz  at  Cunersdorf  in  July.  This 
estate  had  been  under  the  wise  management  of  Frau 
von  Friedland,  Countess  von  Itzenplitz's  mother,  who 
had  died  the  year  before.  From  Cunersdorf  the 
Redens  went  to  Linum  and  Fehrbellin  to  see  the  turf 
pits,  and  were  back  at  Buchwald  in  August  in  time 
to  entertain  a  houseful  of  friends  and  relations. 
Frau  von  Riedesel  with  her  family,  her  brother, 
Baron  von  Massow  and  his  family,  were  guests  there, 
as  well  as  Countess  Reuss. 

About  this  time  Count  Reden  built  a  pavilion  in  the 
style  of  a  Greek  temple  from  which  a  fine  view  of 
the  Riesengebirge  was  to  be  seen.  It  was  a  surprise 
for  his  wife,  and  it  bore  this  inscription :  "  Coniugi 
dulcissimae.  F.W.  Comes  Reden,  1804,"  over  the  front. 
The  entrance  was  at  the  back,  and  there  were  rooms 
right  and  left  of  the  door  which  were  fitted  up  with 
books,  busts,  and  astronomical  instruments,  and  fur- 
nished according  to  the  fashion  of  the  day.  There 
was  also  a  tiny  kitchen,  and  cupboards  filled  with 
a  tea-service.  The  superb  view  was  from  the  front, 
and  a  shady  path  from  the  house  led  over  slightly 
rising  ground  to  it.  The  Countess  used  it  constantly 
throughout  her  life. 

The  family  paid  a  flying  visit  to  Count  Magnis 
at  Glatz,  where  the  scenery  is  very  fine,  and  their 
visit  was  prolonged  by  Countess  Reuss's  illness,  and 
which  detained  them  all  at  his  hospitable  house  for 
a  long  time, 


1804]  AUGUSTE'S   ILLNESS  51 

To     DORETTE 

TARNOWITZ,  October 8,  1804. 

My  time  and  thoughts  while  at  Eckersdorf  were 
entirely  absorbed  by  our  dear  invalid.  The  doctor 
handed  over  a  good  many  things  to  me  to  attend  to, 
in  the  way  of  preparing  compresses  and  drinks.  We 
passed  througn  a  bad  time,  and  my  heart  was  torn 
with  anxiety.  I  left  on  September  29,  with  a  sad 
heart,  though  Auguste  was,  thank  God  !  convalescent 
then,  but  very  weak.  I  hope  the  fine  weather  will 
soon  permit  her  to  return  to  Trebschen.  I  live  in 
thought  at  Eckersdorf.  My  only  time  of  recreation 
is  at  breakfast  and  in  the  evening,  when  I  am  alone 
with  my  husband.  He  is  very  busy.  He  is  my 
comfort,  support,  and  guide,  and  I  constantly  tell 
myself  that  this  world  would  indeed  be  a  paradise 
if  it  were  inhabited  by  beings  as  perfect  as  he  is. 
I  thank  God  every  day  that  I  am  his  best  friend  as 
he  is  mine. 

I  left  Eckersdorf  on  the  29th  with  my  maid  and 
the  groom  ;  reached  Gleiwitz  by  tea-time  the  next 
evening,  after  travelling  all  day  and  night.  I  was 
upset  into  a  deep  ditch  in  the  night,  and  had  to  pass 
two  hours  out  in  the  open  air  until  we  could  get  help. 
I  luckily  got  off  with  nothing  worse  than  a  fright, 
and  arrived  here  towards  six  o'clock  on  October  i, 
being  met  by  George  and  all  the  officials.  Reden  was 
too  much  agitated  to  ride  out  to  meet  me  in  the  pre- 
sence of  all  the  others,  so  he  waited  for  me  indoors. 
You  can  imagine  our  meeting.  I  cried  for  joy  at  all 
the  tender  things  he  said  to  me.  I  have  hardly  stirred 
from  my  little  room  since  I  came,  except  to  go  to  the 
smelting-house  or  ride  with  my  husband. 

The  circle  of  friends,  who  were  so  closely  united, 
met  again  in  Berlin  in  November.  They  found 
Countess  Reuss  very  ailing.  She  struggled  against 
her  illness,  and  did  all  she  could  for  the  pleasure  of 
those  dear  to  her.  They  would  not  acknowledge, 
even  to  themselves,  how  ill  she  was,  and  kept  on 
hoping  for  her  recovery,  and  the  usual  round  of 
social  duties  began, 


52  MARRIED   LIFE  [1805 

Eberhardine  von  der  Reck  writes  of  an  impromptu 
dance  at  Count  Reden's  on  New  Year's  Eve  : 

BERLIN,  December  31,  1804. 

We  arrived  rather  early,  but  by  degrees  a  large 
party  assembled,  and  soon  separated  for  cards  or 
dancing.  It  was  a  charming  party,  and  we  danced 
till  supper,  and  again  afterwards  until  we  were 
stopped  by  the  trumpets  announcing  the  New  Year. 
Then  the  night  watchman,  whom  they  had  called  in, 
blew  his  horn,  and  I  was  amused  at  all  the  party 
wishing  one  another  a  happy  New  Year.  We  were 
all  grateful  to  the  Redens  for  giving  us  such  a  delight- 
ful evening.  She  has  a  rare  talent  for  putting  every 
one  at  ease,  and  for  anticipating  every  one's  wants. 
For  instance,  if  some  lady  seems  chilly,  a  shawl  is 
immediately  at  hand,  or  if  there  is  a  draught,  a 
screen  is  placed  to  intercept  it.  In  fact,  there  is 
nothing  she  fails  to  think  of. 

Berlin  society  was  less  gay  in  the  winter  of 
1804-5,  owing  to  the  death  of  the  King's  mother.1 
The  friends  saw  each  other  at  small  gatherings,  but 
there  were  no  large  parties. 

Countess  Reden  sat  to  the  sculptor  for  her  bust, 
and  Eberhardine  kept  her  company  during  the 
sittings.  Eberhardine  writes  : 

March  i^rd,  1805. 

My  sisters  and  I  drove  to  the  Iron  Foundry  at 
the  Oranienburg  Gate,  where  Fritze  celebrated  her 
husband's  birthday. 

We  had  been  there  nearly  a  year  ago  with  Countess 
Reden  for  the  first  time,  and  since  then  it  has  been 
quite  finished.  There  is  an  island  in  the  River  Spree 
at  the  back  of  the  house.  The  garden  was  laid  out 
last  spring,  and  has  got  on  excellently.  The  river  is 
deep  enough  for  the  boats  from  Silesia  to  unload 
their  iron  and  coals  at  the  warehouse  landing,  which 
is  most  convenient  and  a  great  saving  of  expense. 
We  saw  over  the  place  and  returned  to  the  house 
for  luncheon. 

1  Princess  Friederike  Luise  of  Darmstadt,  second  wife  of  Friedrich 
Wilhelm  II.— M.  B,-L. 


1 8os]    COUNTESS  REDEN'S  LACE  INDUSTRY    53 

BERLIN,  May  7. 

My  sister  and  I  went  to  the  children's  party  at  the 
Redens',  and  it  was  a  pleasure  to  see  them  dance : 
they  tried  to  do  their  best.  The  Crown  Prince1 
especially  distinguished  himself  by  his  pleasant 
manner,  and  every  one  was  charmed  with  him.  He 
is  developing  rapidly  both  in  mind  and  body.  I 
noticed  this  particularly  on  Friday  at  the  Iron 
Foundry,  for  his  observations  about  all  he  saw,  and 
his  many  questions,  with  his  delight  at  everything, 
struck  me  especially.  The  weather  was  glorious,  so 
we  were  able  to  walk  on  the  island,  which  is  just 
beginning  to  show  some  green,  and  is  very  pretty. 
We  also  saw  some  of  the  smelting  done  out  of  doors. 

Count  and  Countess  Reden,  taking  George  von 
Riedesel  with  them,  went  to  see  the  salt-works  at 
Schonebeck,  Halle,  etc.  The  Countess  established  a 
little  lace  industry  at  Schonebeck  for  the  children  of 
the  salt-workers,  secured  purchasers,  gave  something 
towards  its  support  herself,  and  helped  it  with  her 
advice. 

To  COUNTESS  REUSS  (AUGUSTE) 

SCHONEBECK. 

I  have  got  on  fairly  well  with  my  work,  and  I  very 
much  enjoy  doing  something  every  day  with  my 
writing,  knitting,  tapestry,  and  three  different  sorts 
of  embroidery,  and  thus  time  flies,  too  fast  for  all 
I  have  to  do.  I  look  after  the  housekeeping  here 
also.  The  Minister  Struensee  never  paid  the  people, 
and  the  result  is  great  disorder.  Four  hundred 
thalers  were  spent  in  one  week,  but  now  matters  are 
different.  My  husband  pays  his  own  expenses,  and 
as  I  keep  the  books  and  money  when  we  travel,  I 
make  a  point  of  being  very  exact  about  every  item. 
I  give  my  orders  to  the  cook  every  day.  We  were 
with  Herr  von  Stein2  for  the  first  three  days,  and 
notwithstanding  the  pasties,  cakes,  and  such  things, 
the  food  was  not  good,  and  yet  we  paid  thirty-six 
thalers  for  three  dinners  and  three  small  suppers. 

1  Afterwards  Friedrich  Wilhelm  IV. 

'  Herr  von  Stein,  of  Breslau,  a  son  of  Goethe's  friend  Frau  von 
Stein.— M.  B.-L. 


54  MARRIED   LIFE  [1805 

Now  I  order  simple  dishes,  have  six  people  to  dinner 
every  day,  and  pay  half  the  sum.  It  was  necessary 
to  settle  our  way  of  living  at  once  on  coming  here, 
for  we  shall  be  a  week  here  twice  every  year. 

HALLE,  June  21,  1805. 

We  left  Schonebeck  on  the  i;th,  and  reached 
Stassfurt  towards  evening.  The  three  miles' 1  drive 
was  delightful ;  the  land  is  good  and  under  excellent 
cultivation.  Stassfurt  is  an  ugly  little  town,  but  the 
salt-works  outside  the  gate  are  tne  perfection  of  neat- 
ness. The  weather  was  cold  and  windy,  so  I  could  not 
be  out  of  doors  much.  We  had  received  innumerable 
messengers  concerning  the  disturbances  here,  in 
Wettin,  and  in  Aschersleben,  which  had  been  caused 
by  the  dearness  of  bread  at  Halle.  The  people  had 
withstood  the  military,  and  had  destroyed  the  houses 
of  three  corn-chandlers,  and  we  were  told  that  we 
dare  not  venture  to  come,  except  incognito.  How 
little  they  knew  my  husband,  to  fancy  that  he  would 
be  intimidated,  or  use  any  disguise !  What  had  we  to 
fear  ?  We  arrived  at  two  o'clock,  driving  on  a 
beautiful  road  through  well-cultivated  country,  which 
impresses  one  with  its  prosperity.  There  were  many 
fruit  trees,  and  we  passed  a  good  many  villages.  It 
is  quiet  here  at  present,  but  cavalry  has  been 
requisitioned.  The  price  of  bread  has  fallen ;  but 
what  is  of  moment  to  us  is  that  our  people  at  Halle 
are  quiet  and  welcomed  us  with  warm  expressions 
of  attachment.  They  came  to  me  this  morning  with 
eggs  boiled  in  salt  water,  and  they  then  performed 
some  swimming  feats  in  our  honour,  springing  sixty 
feet  down  into  the  hall.  It  was  a  horrible  sight  to 
witness,  and  I  could  not  look  at  them. 

HALLE,  June  22. 

We  left  Halle  at  two  o'clock  to  dine  with  Herr 
Reichard  at  Giebichenstein,  and  from  there  we  drove 
to  the  Saltzke,  which  my  husband  intends  to  make 
navigable.  We  are  going  to  return  to-morrow  evening, 
and  leave  Halle  for  good  the  day  after  to-morrow, 
or  Wednesday,  of  which  I  shall  be  very  glad,  for 
the  narrow  streets  and  want  of  fresh  air  stifle  me. 

1  A  German  mile  is  about  four  and  three-quarters  English  miles. 
— M.  B.-L. 


1 8os]          LITTLE   HEINRICH'S   DEATH  55 

Besides,  I  am  in  constant  anxiety  about  my  dear 
husband,  who  has  been  suffering  lately,  and  feels 
weak  and  feverish  at  night.  He  seems  better  to-day, 
and  will  be  able  to  keep  to  our  plans  for  the  journey. 

ROTHENBURG,  June  26. 

I  can  scarcely  tell  you  how  pleased  I  was  to  get 
your  letter.  Four  pages  of  your  handwriting  quite 
overcame  me,  and  I  threw  myself  on  my  husband's 
breast  exclaiming,  "  Guste  has  written  me  four  pages," 
and  then  I  burst  into  tears,  as  I  always  do  when 
my  heart  is  full  of  happiness.  If  only  our  own  darling 
little  Heinrich  were  free  from  fever,  he  would  regain 
his  strength.  My  dear  husband  is  better.  The  day 
we  spent  at  Giebichenstein  in  the  warm,  sunny  garden, 
and  the  next  day  by  the  Saltzke,  where  he  was  out 
driving,  riding,  and  walking  about  from  the  early 
morning,  did  him  a  great  deal  of  good.  We  stayed 
all  night  at  Brechwitz-on-the-Saale,  at  the  house  of 
two  old  business  men  about  two  miles  from  Halle. 
They  are  very  nice  people.  The  younger  man  is 
fifty-nine  years  old,  and  the  old  one  is  seventy-two. 
The  servants  were  with  the  younger  man  at  school 
when  he  was  twelve  years  old,  and  the  cook  has  been 
in  their  service  for  thirty-six  years,  and  still  cooks  in 
the  old  fashion.  The  whole  household  interested  and 
amused  me  very  much. 

To  HER  SISTER  (COUNTESS  REUSS)  ON  THE  DEATH  OF 
HER  CHILD 

I  have  no  words  to  express  what  your  letter  is  to 
me.  Yes,  you  know  how  I  loved  your  Heinrich,  and 
that  all  your  children  are  as  dear  to  me  as  if  they 
were  my  own,  and  take  the  place  of  those  God  has, 
for  wise  reasons,  denied  to  me.  But  Heinrich  was 
the  dearest  of  all,  and  I  clung  to  him  with  a  mother's 
love.  I  was  proud  of  his  intelligence  and  progress. 
Just  think  of  his  patience  in  suffering.  I  never  knew 
anything  more  perfect  at  his  age.  I  so  rejoiced  at 
the  thought  of  what  his  future  would  be.  ...  He 
was  such  a  fine  child.  God  grant  that  your  other 
children  may  be  spared  to  you  and  your  husband 
and  to  us  all.  We  will  try  to  soften  your  grief,  and 
you  yourself  will  try  also  for  our  sakes. 


56  MARRIED   LIFE  [1805 

Countess  Reuss  died  in  Berlin  on  November  21, 
and  Eberhardine  von  der  Reck  writes  of  this  time : 

Countess  Reden  does  not  go  out  at  all,  but  devotes 
herself  entirely  to  the  children. 

To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

DEAR,  DEAREST  FRIEND, — 

If  I  could  only  have  a  talk  with  you  about 
this  sorrowful  time,  and  weep  with  you ! — but  write,  I 
cannot.  What  days  we  have  lived  through !  .  .  . 
You  know  what  we  have  lost,  and  you  feel  for  us. 
You  know  how  precious  beyond  all  others  our 
Auguste  was  to  us,  and  how  changed  life  is  without 
her.  My  whole  soul  was  wrapped  up  in  her,  and 
I  cannot  say,  my  dear  friend,  how  desolate  and 
forsaken  I  feel !  You  know,  too,  how  I  shall  devote 
myself  to  Auguste's  children ;  indeed,  you  will  of 
course  expect  this  of  me,  and  I  pray  God  to  give  me 
His  blessing  and  strength  for  the  duty.  But  who 
can  replace  a  mother?  She  was  unique  in  all  that 
was  good — unique  in  her  patience,  courage,  and  sweet 
temper.  Dear,  dear  Auguste! 

The  death  of  the  English  statesman  William  Pitt, 
whom  every  one  knew  to  be  Napoleon's  greatest 
opponent,  was  deeply  felt,  and  the  future  looked 
very  dark. 

General  Sir  Henry  Clinton  was  in  Berlin  in  February, 
and  the  Riedesels  and  Redens  saw  a  good  deal  of 
him.  Old  associations  were  revived  and  new  ties  were 
made. 

Eberhardine  von  der  Reck  writes  : 

February. 

The  celebrated  Humboldt1  is  constantly  at  the 
Redens'  house,  and  they  are  very  much  fascinated  by 
him.  They  give  a  dinner  every  Friday  to  him  and  a 

1  Alexander,  Baron  von  Humboldt,  Prussian  philosopher  and 
naturalist,  a  great  traveller,  and  author  of  the  "  Cosmos " ;  born 
1769,  died  1859.— M.  B.-L. 


1 8os]         HERR   DELBRUCK'S   LETTER  57 

few  learned  men,  whom  he  names,  such  as  Karsten,1 
Klaproth,2  Wildenow,  Ancillon,3  and  others.  A  few 
outsiders  are  also  invited,  and  the  dinners  are  most 
interesting. 

Again,  in  April,  Eberhardine  writes  of  an  expedition 
to  Riidersdorf : 

We  drove  to  the  stone-quarry  and  looked  with 
admiration  at  Count  Reden's  work  there.  Two  years 
ago  there  was  nothing  at  all  done,  and  it  cost  six 
thousand  thalers  a  year  to  transport  the  stone  there, 
and  now  it  only  costs  one  hundred  thalers.  We  went 
on  to  see  the  Reden  extension  works,  and  there  we 
all  got  into  five  English  trollies,  which  were  fastened 
together,  and  which  ran  so  easily  on  iron  rails  that 
one  horse  could  draw  eight  hundredweight.  It"  took 
us  about  eight  minutes  to  reach  the  end  of  the  line. 
The  work  is  still  being  carried  on.  The  horse  was 
harnessed  to  the  last  trolly  on  our  return.  We 
ended  the  proceedings  by  going  on  the  Heynitz 
canal,  also  Count  Reden's  work,  and  which  he  has 
named  after  that  fine  old  man. 

In  May  the  Countess  received  a  letter  from  Herr 
Delbriick,  tutor  to  the  young  Princes.  He  solicited 
her  aid  for  a  paper  which  he  had  begun  to  bring 
out  in  the  previous  April,  called  The  Prussian 
Home  Friend,  which  he  hoped  would  exercise  a  good 
influence  on  the  public.  The  King  and  Queen  had 
read  it  with  interest,  and  he  wished  to  raise  it  to 
the  position  of  a  national  paper,  "  for  we  need  some- 
thing to  touch  the  public  mind."  He  mentioned  his 
own  contributions,  and  begged  her  for  an  article,  and 
especially  for  some  correct  account  of  the  institution 
(probably  the  lace-school  which  the  Countess  had 

1  Franz  Christian  Joseph  Karsten,  writer  on  agricultural  affairs ; 
born  1751,  died  1829. — M.  B.-L. 

3  Martin  Heinrich  Klaproth,  chemist,  published  "  Chemical  Dic- 
tionary"; born  1743,  died  1817. — M.  B.-L. 

3  Johann  Peter  Friedrich  Ancillon,  Prussian  statesman  and  his- 
torian; born  1766,  died  1837. — M.  B.-L. 


58  MARRIED   LIFE  [1806 

established  at  SchOnebeck)  "which  your  Excellency 
patronises."  He  also  desired  some  facts  about  the 
salt-works.  In  another  letter  he  thanked  her  for 
her  contribution,  and  said  that  such  articles  were 
of  value  to  the  paper. 

Every  one  was   moved   by  the  threatening  aspect 
of  public  affairs,  for  the  time  was  a  stirring  one. 


COUNTESS  REDEN  TO  HER  SISTER  CAROLINE 

July  29. 

I  have  hardly  had  any  time  for  writing  since  I  have 
been  so  much  taken  up  with  my  Ministers.  Stein's 
appreciation  of  our  valley  is  very  delightful  to  me, 
and  he  is  now  quite  at  home  with  us.  The  beauties 
of  nature  are  such  a  pleasure  to  him  that  it  does  me 
good  to  see  it,  and  he  appreciates  Reden  just  as 
much  as  every  one  else  does.  I  am  so  glad  to  have 
brought  about  this  meeting  between  the  two  old 
friends.  We  had  visits  from  the  Privy  Councillor 
and  the  Councillor  of  War  yesterday,  followed  by 
Count  Carmer  and  Herr  Vogt,  the  Landrath,1  and 
ever  so  many  others.  Hoym2  came  about  eleven 
o'clock.  There  was  a  conference,  and  then  dinner 
at  half-past  twelve,  as  Count  Hoym  had  to  leave 
about  three  o'clock. 

We  took  our  fourteen  guests  out  boating  till  about 
five  o'clock,  and  drove  through  the  wood  afterwards, 
which  is  always  crowded  when  we  return,  twenty- 
one  carriages  from  Warmbrunn  alone.  I  took  Frei- 
herr  Stein  to  see  the  school-children's  garden  at 
Quirl,  and  to  the  school  and  several  cottages,  and 
he  was  greatly  interested  in  all  the  industries  there. 
We  intend  to  look  over  the  factories  at  Schmiedeberg, 
and  then  go  to  Kupferberg,  and  have  tea  on  the  Birk- 
berg  in  the  evening.  He  is  charmed  with  everything, 
and  is  so  delightful  to  Reden  that  I  am  constantly 
congratulating  myself  on  having  got  him  here. 

1  A  Landrath  is  an  official  of  the  Home  Office,  and  has  a  fixed  position. 
His  duties  partly  correspond  to  those  of  a  sheriff  and  an  under- 
sheriff  in  England. — M.  B.-L. 

*  Count  Hoym,  Minister  for  Silesia. — E.  R. 


usul 


i8o6]  RUMOURS   OF  WAR  $9 

August  13. 

We  heard  to-day  that  the  troops  at  Bunzlau  have 
orders  to  march.  Where  ?  Why  ?  No  one  knows. 
The  Rumford  soup-kitchen  is  progressing ;  the  large 
boiler  was  fitted  into  the  wall  to-day,  and  it  is  large 
enough  to  hold  soup  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  people. 

August  1 6. 

The  fresh  news  as  to  the  probability  of  war,  and 
that  men  and  horses  are  already  requisitioned,  and 
the  lamentations  at  the  failure  of  the  rye  harvest, 
owing  to  the  rain,  altogether  depressed  us  exceed- 
ingly yesterday.  Still,  one  must  make  the  best  of 
things,  and  not  trouble  one's  guests  with  one's  own 
anxieties.  The  Reden  menage  take  counsel  together, 
and  then  decide  what  is  best  to  be  done.  After 
matters  are  thus  settled,  courage  returns  to  me,  and 
I  feel  ashamed  of  having  been  weak,  and  I  try  to 
conquer  my  forebodings.  The  great  thing  is  unity 
of  purpose,  and  we  have  that,  thank  God ! 

August  24. 

This  was  the  great  day  for  the  trial  of  the  Rumford 
soup-kitchen  method,  and  I  was  very  well  satisfied 
with  the  result. 

KONIGSHUTTE,  September  26. 

You  should  have  seen  me  to-day  in  a  charming 
white  gown  at  the  baptism  of  Herr  Wedeling's  child ! 
You  know  how  I  love  babies,  and  how  much  I 
enjoyed  holding  it  for  half  an  hour.  It  is  named 
Fritze.  Reden  told  Herr  Wedeling  that  he  had  been 
appointed  Councillor  of  Mines,  and  that  his  son-in-law 
had  also  been  promoted,  doing  so  in  his  own  kind 
way,  which  certainly  wins  every  one's  heart.  I  say 
nothing  of  how  much  we  are  absorbed  by  political 
questions  ;  and  although  we  get  news  three  times  a 
week,  it  never  seems  enough.  What  times  these  are ! 
I  do  not  write  in  detail  about  public  affairs,  for  I  am 
not  sure  whether  I  ought  to  venture  to  do  so  or  not. 
But  I  am  sure  that  you  agree  with  me  in  praying  God 
to  give  a  favourable  turn  to  events,  so  that  the  face 
of  Europe  may  be  changed. 


60  MARRIED   LIFE  [1806 

To  HER  SISTER 

TARNOWITZ,  September  30. 

We  had  a  charming  reception  here,  dear  Caroline, 
and  I  owe  you  an  account  of  it.  I  was  rather  sur- 
prised that  only  Boscamp  and  the  chairman  of  the 
court  came  to  meet  us  at  Konigshutte,  and  at  the  first 
shaft  thirty  men  were  drawn  up  on  our  arrival, 
wearing  their  mining-smocks  and  carrying  their  safety- 
lamps.  It  was  a  new  sight  to  me,  and  as  we  ap- 
proached the  office  I  heard  the  beating  of  a  drum  and 
music  alternately.  It  was  really  a  fine  thing  to  see 
these  seventy  men  belonging  to  the  works,  arrayed 
in  their  uniform  to  receive  us.  When  the  music 
stopped,  there  was  a  silence.  They  all  showed  the 
pleasure  they  felt  at  seeing  my  husband  again,  and 
it  touched  me  exceedingly.  Then,  with  waving 
banners,  the  entire  procession  retired,  without  any 
demonstration  whatever,  merely  expressing  their  good 
wishes.  The  beautiful  banner l  was  unpacked  to-day. 
It  is  really  splendid  and  costly,  and  the  embroidery 
admirable.  The  lettering  is  quite  unique,  and  the 
silver-work  a  masterpiece  of  brightness  and  glossi- 
ness, and  it  is  made  up  on  such  good  material.  My 
husband  is  the  noblest  of  miners,  so  the  banner  of 
his  company  ought  to  be  fine.  You  know  I  must 
hide  it  from  every  eye  till  the  festival — so  I  shall 
give  it  to  the  foreman  to  carry.  He  always  manages 
the  work  on  the  Stollen.2 

We  arranged  the  programme  in  strict  privacy 
yesterday.  Reden  has  prepared  his  address,  and  it 
is  beautiful.  I  am  also  to  say  a  few  words  on  pre- 
senting the  banner,  and  I  am  more  alarmed  than 
he  is.  God  will  help  and  prompt  me.  We  are 
still  having  the  most  beautiful  weather,  and  I  do  hope 
it  will  continue,  for  the  sake  of  the  army.  Can  one 
think  of  anything  else? 

MALEPANE,  October  12. 

No  fresh  news  from  Berlin.  Contradictory  reports 
from  Breslau  on  the  7th,  and  one  does  not  know  what 
to  believe.  We  have  beaten,  and  we  have  been 
beaten.  God  grant  it  may  be  the  former!  Every 

1  Which  had  been  ordered  by  her  sister  Caroline. — M.  B.-L. 

2  These  are  the  canals  in  the  mines. — M.  B.-L. 


i8o6]  DEATH  OF  PRINCE  LOUIS  FERDINAND  61 

one  unites  in  saying  that  Prince  Louis  :  fell  a  victim 
to  his  own  bravery.  I  cannot  say  what  a  deep 
sorrow  this  last  event  has  been  to  me.  If  I  only 
knew  that  you  had  got  off  safely ! 

To  fill  up  the  measure  of  sorrow,  it  is  said  that 
there  has  been  a  battle  not  far  from  Schweinfurt, 
hardly  eight  miles  from  you.  Oh  !  God  grant  mamma 
gets  safely  back.  I  assure  you  that  Reden  shares 
my  anxiety. 

Things  in  Berlin  were  very  different  from  what 
they  had  been  in  the  spring,  when  Count  and  Countess 
Reden  left.  The  following  letters  are  addressed  to 
Countess  von  Itzenplitz,  at  her  country  home,  Cuners- 
dorf,  and  were  sent  by  a  faithful  clerk  or  servant 
who  often  went  to  Berlin  with  country  produce  and 
carried  back  news,  and  thus  many  things  were  written 
which  Countess  Reden  would  not  have  ventured  to 
send  by  post. 

BERLIN,  October  25,  1806. 

MY  DEAR  FRIEND, — 

That  affairs  would  not  be  all  right,  I,  of 
course,  knew ;  but  I  could  never  have  anticipated 
finding  the  real  condition  so  bad.  There  are  shoals 
of  strangers  here — town  is  said  to  be  quite  full,  one 
knows  not  how  or  whence.  It  is  said  that  the  greater 
number  of  them  simply  pass  through  town  on  their 
way  to  Frankfort.  You  ask  if  Bernau  is  a  fortress, 
and  about  Magdeburg,  etc.  It  is  by  their  means  that 
we  are  to  be  routed  and  destroyed.  Please  keep  our 
servants  a  little  longer.  If  we  remain  here,  we  will 
write  and  tell  you  when  they  had  better  come.  But 
the  horses  must  remain  in  any  case,  or  they  will  be 
requisitioned.  I  can  offer  you  my  mother's  flat,  and 
you  will  be  doing  her  a  kindness  by  taking  it,  for  then 
it  will  be  safe.  An  officer  is  quartered  there  now,  and 
the  landlady  looks  after  him.  Come  soon,  dear  friend, 
and  let  us  often  be  together.  Intercourse  with  friends 
is  the  one  consolation  just  now.  Things  are  fairly 
quiet  so  far ;  and  there  are  very  few,  indeed  no 
soldiers  quartered  in  our  street. 

1  Prince  Louis  Ferdinand  of  Prussia  (born  1772)  fell  at  the  battle 
of  Saalsfeldt,  October  10,  1806.— M.  B.-L. 


62  MARRIED   LIFE  [1806 

October  27,  n   p.m. 

1  could  not  write  before  to  you,  my  dear  friend,  as 
we  have  gone  through  a  thousand  anxieties  to-day, 
though  we  have  not  had  any  disagreeable  experiences. 
First  we  heard  of  the  arrival  of  our  men ;  then  that 
they  were  assembling  before  the  Town  Hall,  and  are 
still  doing  so.  I  wish  very  much  that  you  were  here, 
for  it  is  certainly  safer  than  being  quite  alone  in  the 
country.  We  could  comfort  and  support  one  another. 
We  beg  you  to  keep  the  cream-coloured  horses  a  few 
days  longer.1  If  the  road  on  here  is  safe — and  of  this 
your  wise  Carl  Gradig  will  be  the  best  judge — we  shall 
expect  you  to  send  on  the  servants.  Carl  says  it  is 
not  safe  yet.  Remember  me  to  Macquet;  she  must 
keep  calm.  We  wish  your  husband  were  here  as 
well  as  you.  One  can  say  so  many  things  that  one 
may  not  write.  I  should  like  to  have  you  here  so 
very  much :  do  come  with  our  servants  ;  they  can 
act  as  your  escort.  The  bag  could  be  sent  by 
some  opportunity  later  on ;  but  my  husband's  dress 
coat  must  be  taken  out  and  sent  and  also  my  canvas- 
work.  •  Prince  Hatzfeldt  has  been  out  of  office  since 
Monday.  How  many  changes  there  are  ;  but  God  will 
guide  everything  for  the  best,  and  may  He  bring  us 
soon  together! 

November  5. 

We  have  General  Milhard,  a  colonel,  and  two  aides- 
de-camp,  and  fourteen  others  in  the  suite,  forty- 
one  horses,  and  three  carriages  quartered  on  us.  I 
say  with  you,  my  dear  friend,  may  God  grant  us 
patience  and  courage,  and  may  He  keep  our  dear 
ones  safe  !  The  French  are  now  at  Posen,  and  Silesia 
is  for  the  moment  free  ;  but  what  a  future  is  before 
us !  I  live  in  terror  of  Silesia  passing  away  from 
Prussia;  and  if  that  should  happen,  think,  my  dear 
friend,  of  the  poor  Redens,  and  their  Elysium.  The 
last  news  is  that  the  French,  under  Mortier,2  have 
overrun  the  Electorate  of  Hesse,  disarmed  the  army, 
and  that  the  Elector  and  his  son  are  fugitives.  The 

1  Count  Reden  always  drove  Hanoverian  cream-coloured  horses.— 
E.  R. 

2  Edouard  Adolphe  Casimir  Joseph  Mortier,  Due  de  Tre'vise,  Mar- 
shal of   France,   born    1760,    killed    by  Fieschi's    infernal    machine, 
1835.— M.  B.-L. 


1806]  THE   FRENCH    IN   BERLIN  63 

Duke  of  Brunswick  has  been  robbed  of  his  Duchy, 
and  deputies  have  been  sent  here  from  Brunswick. 
We  see  prisoners  every  day,  and  God  knows  how 
one's  heart  aches  for  them  !  A  thousand,  thousand 
thanks  for  all  the  things  you  have  sent  us,  and 
which  are  a  real  blessing  at  this  time.  Cunersdorf 
is  our  mere  nourriciere  now  in  all  sorts  of  ways,  and 
I  shall  take  advantage  of  your  kind  permission,  and 
ask  you  for  the  things  I  need,  and  I  will  give  you 
a  week's  notice.  When  you  have  a  chance,  please 
send  me  a  few  geese  for  our  household,  and  a  sack 
of  wheat  flour,  if  it  is  obtainable. 


To  CAROLINE  VON  RIEDESEL 

BERLIN,  November  5. 

DEAREST  CAROLINE, — 

It  is  your  turn  for  a  letter  to-day,  and 
I  have  a  good  opportunity  of  sending  it  by  the 
two  Hammersteins,  who  are  going  to  Hildesheim 
on  parole,  after  having  been  nursed  by  me  while 
they  were  prisoners. 

We  are  all  right,  but  longing  for  peace.  We  still 
have  ever  so  many  people  quartered  on  us,  the 
burden  of  which  our  landlord  bears,  but  we  share 
expenses.  There  are  seventeen  horses,  two  generals, 
two  other  officers,  five  privates,  two  coachmen,  a 
valet,  and  a  secretary.  We  have  cleared  out  and 
arranged  the  whole  floor  below  this  one ;  but  we  all 
have  to  endure,  and  I  pray  God  to  grant  me  courage 
beyond  my  expectations.  Just  fancy,  I  was  alone 
in  the  house  when  the  rude  aide-de-camp  came  for 
quarters,  and  I  had  to  put  him  into  good  humour 
before  I  arranged  matters  with  him.  Constantin 
Stolberg  has  been  wounded  in  the  head,  and  is  in 
hospital  at  Stettin.  Marie  B.  has  fled  with  her 
mother,  because  she  was  afraid  of  the  consequences 
of  her  unbridled  tongue  last  winter.  We  women 
should  bear  and  be  silent,  and  the  young  men  also. 
Reden  is  at  Prince  Ferdinand's,  which  will  show  you 
that  everything  is  going  on  in  the  old  way.  Farewell ! 
My  prisoners  are  coming,  and  I  wish  to  give  them 
luncheon,  and  to  put  up  some  food  for  their  journey. 


64  MARRIED   LIFE  [1806 

To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

BERLIN,  November  12. 

DEAR  FRIEND, — 

I  would  give  a  good  deal  to  have  you 
near  me  now;  you  would  raise  my  courage,  which 
is  very  low  this  evening,  for,  sad  to  relate,  my 
husband  is  far  away.  The  Emperor's  aide-de-camp 
General  Corbineau  was  sent  to  him  to-day  about 
eleven  o'clock,  and  not  finding  him  here,  went  to 
the  office  for  him,  as  the  Emperor1  wished  him 
to  drive  with  his  aide-de-camp  to  Spandau,  and 
perhaps  to  Rathenow,  concerning  the  complaints  of 
the  salt-boatmen  and  others  who  are  now  in  custody 
and  will  not  be  released  till  the  employes  have 
been  paid  fifty  Friedrich  d'or.  Reden  pointed  this 
out  to  Clarke,2  who  wishes  to  do  what  is  right  in 
the  matter,  and  explained  it  to  the  Emperor,  who 
now  desires  the  question  gone  into  by  his  aide-de- 
camp and  my  husband.  Reden,  of  course,  went  with 
pleasure,  because  he  hoped  to  be  able  to  help  in 
several  pressing  matters.  I  only  saw  him  for  a 
moment  before  Corbineau  returned  in  a  carriage 
with  post-horses,  and  I  looked  after  him  very  sadly 
as  he  drove  off,  accompanied  only  by  Frenchmen. 
It  is  eight  o'clock,  and  I  am  impatiently  expecting 
him  back. 

You  shall  have  four  hundred  and  fourteen  dried 
plants  by  the  first  opportunity.  Humboldt  is  much 
pleased  with  his  lot. 

The  rich  men  here  in  Berlin  were  summoned  to 
the  Town  Hall,  Reuss  being  one  of  them,  for  things 
are  again  in  a  most  critical  condition,  and  they  have 
each  one  of  them  to  supply  and  be  responsible 
for  certain  sums  of  money.  Princess  Sacken  has 
to  provide  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand 
reichthalers,  Count  Redern  fifty  or  sixty  thousand, 
my  brother-in-law  three  hundred  thousand,  and  so  on. 
They  petitioned  against  it  to-day,  so  we  must  wait 
and  see  what  will  happen  next.  There  is,  thank  God, 
comforting  news  from  Stein.  Knuth  writes  to  us 
to-day  that  a  certain  Councillor  of  War,  a  Herr 

1  Napoleon.— M.  B.-L. 

1  Henri  Jacque  Guillaume  Clarke,  Due  de  Feltre,  statesman  and 
marshal  of  France,  born  1765,  died  1818. — M.  B.-L. 


1806]          THE   FRENCH    OCCUPATION  65 

Koppe,  saw  him  at  Stettin  on  the  evening  of  the 
26th.  He  was  still  wearing  cloth  shoes,  but  no 
longer  troubled  by  the  gout.  He  is  busy  and  cheer- 
ful, even  lively.  The  bad  news  of  an  earlier  date  was 
when  his  health  was  in  a  really  serious  condition. 

The  fine  buck  which  you  sent  has  been  very  useful 
to  nine  sets  of  people,  and  they  all  send  their  best 
thanks  to  you.  You  are  indeed  a  tower  of  strength 
in  time  of  need.  ...  I  had  a  good  deal  of  fun  in 
dividing  it.  The  first  and  last  numbers  of  the 
Hamburg  Gazette  were  burned  to-day,  but  three  parts 
were  secured.  They  only  contained  an  announce- 
ment of  a  French  victory,  and  the  taking  of  three 
ships.  You  are  looking  after  the  poor  prisoners  at 
Cunersdorf,  and  the  Recks,  Rosenstiels,  and  I  are 
doing  the  same  here  ;  their  numbers  are  increased 
every  day,  and  they  are  lodged  in  the  drill-house 
of  the  china-factory.  To  be  able  to  help  and  comfort 
others  is  the  only  consolation  one  has  now. 

To  CAROLINE  VON  RIEDESEL 

BERLIN,  November  15. 

Reden  attended  a  Council  of  State  held  by  the 
Emperor,  and  he  was  present  at  another  presided 
over  by  the  Chief  of  the  Treasury,  General  Esteve, 
yesterday.  We  had  a  young  man  working  here  under 
my  husband's  directions  from  nine  o'clock  until  mid- 
night. How  hard  the  times  are !  And  yet  it  is  a 
comfort  that  Reden  still  keeps  his  department,  and 
that  he  can  still  be  of  use  in  helping  others  to  get 
their  salaries.  We  are  hoping  for  a  speedy  peace. 
There  is  a  report  that  the  Emperor  is  going  away 
to-day,  but  I  do  not  know  where  he  is  going. 

To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

BERLIN,  November  26. 

You  know,  dear  friend,  that  the  Emperor  is  gone, 
and  with  him  disappear  the  generals,  the  guards, 
etc.,  and  now  we  are  expecting  Bernadotte's  corps 
of  sixteen  thousand,  qui  fileront  par  Berlin,  as  they 
say ;  but  God  save  you  from  a  similar  experience ! 
After  that  is  over,  perhaps  we  shall  be  able  to  breathe 
freely  again,  though  the  absorbing  question  at  present 
is,  where  has  the  Emperor  gone  ?  Some  say  to  meet 
the  King ;  others,  that  he  has  gone  to  meet  the  Russians 

5 


66  MARRIED    LIFE  [1806 

who  are  approaching ;  and  others,  again,  say  that  he 
is  on  his  way  to  Bohemia  to  find  the  Austrians,  who  are 
reported  to  have  declared  war  against  him.  May  God 
order  all  for  the  best,  and  give  us  peace — universal 
peace  !  Some  people  think  that  Duroc  arrived  yester- 
day evening,  but  I  doubt  it. 

Uncle  Massow  has  been  here  for  a  few  days,  and 
it  was  unfortunate  that  Berthier  had  already  left, 
for  when  he  was  here  thirty  years  ago  he  was  loaded 
with  kind  attentions  by  my  uncle,  which  he  ought  to 
remember  now. 

I  did  not  send  for  the  calf,  for  ho  one  has  been 
quartered  on  us  since  yesterday  morning,  and  it  would 
be  too  much  for  our  own  use.  The  Recks  will  also 
be  rid  of  those  who  are  with  them  now  in  another 
thirty-six  hours,  and  a  good  thing  too.  Count  Reuss 
had  a  colonel  with  him  again. 

I  heard  from  my  mother  a  fortnight  ago,  and  she 
had  not  had  a  word  from  us  since  October  6.  Our 
poor  dear  mother  !  Five  thousand  Wurtemburg  troops 
passed  through  Trebschen  and  took  all  the  horses 
and  a  great  deal  of  forage.  Their  expenses  there 
only  for  coffee,  sugar,  wine,  etc.,  amounted  to 
two  hundred  reichthalers ;  but  they  behaved  well. 
The  plunderers  paid  no  attention  to  Clarke's  ordre  de 
surete,  and  wished  to  tear  it  up.  We  do  not  know 
anything  about  our  dear  Buchwald,  and  no  news  can 
be  got  from  Silesia  further  than  Sagan.  God  will 
help  us  yet.  Trust  in  Him,  for  it  is  only  by  courage 
ana  submission  that  we  can  rise  above  all  that  weighs 
us  down  now.  The  future  often  seems  dark  and 
dreary  enough,  and  then  a  sudden  gleam  of  light 
shines  through  the  clouds.  We  are  longing  for  the 
peace  which  seems  so  far  off.  How  will  it  all  end  ? 
The  seventh  Army  Corps  passed  through  Berlin, 
and  Prince  Ponte  Carvo  leaves  this  evening.  Murat 
and  Talleyrand  are  also  on  the  eve  of  following  the 
Emperor.  Meanwhile  there  are  swarms  of  foreign 
princes  in  town  who  declare  that  they  must  and  will 
speak  with  Buonaparte.  The  Elector  of  Saxony 
has  been  here  since  yesterday,  poor  man !  I 
have  had  letters  from  my  mother  at  last,  dated  the 
22nd,  and  am  thankful  that  she  had  had  three  from 
me  on  the  i8th  and  igth.  Everything  is  quiet  in 
her  neighbourhood. 


i8o6]  THE   WAR  67 

To  CAROLINE  VON  RIEDESEL 

December  6. 

Mamma  may  quite  safely  allow  George  to  come 
here,  for  are  not  the  armies  of  all  nations  here  ?  No 
one  thinks  of  any  private  interests  nowadays,  for  the 
public  ones  absorb  every  thought. 

December  10. 

I  gave  a  mattress  to  Director  Dupont,  for  I  wish 
these  Frenchmen  to  be  grateful  to  me,  and  I  do  not 
wish  to  be  under  any  obligation  to  them.  You  know 
that  has  always  been  the  feeling  of  our  family,  and 
I  find  it  answers  admirably. 

December  18. 

We  all  desire  a  real  peace,  but  we  ought  not  to 
conclude  one  now.  If  only  we  can  but  keep  Silesia  ! 
They  say  that  our  good  King  has  grown  ten  years 
older,  and  that  he  is  always  out  and  about  in  all 
weather.  The  discipline  of  the  army  is  good,  and 
it  was  very  much  needed.  I  had  a  fright  yesterday 
evening  about  nine  o'clock,  when  a  policeman  arrived 
with  a  letter  for  me  from  the  President,  and  I  did 
not  know  what  to  think  at  first.  It  was  a  very  flatter- 
ing invitation  to  examine  all  the  reports,  and  make 
notes  from  them  concerning  the  plans  for  feeding 
four  thousand  poor  people,  and  to  make  inquiry  as 
to  the  best  methods  of  cooking  the  food.  You  must 
help  me  with  it. 

December. 

I  have  only  about  fifty  thalers'  worth  of  lace  left  to 
send  away,  and  when  that  is  disposed  of  I  shall  have 
got  rid  of  all  my  orders,  and  then  I  shall  set  about 
having  more  made.  The  French  may  torment  and 
impoverish  me,  but  they  cannot  deprive  me  of  the 
happiness  I  derive  from  this  work.  I  am  just  cor- 
recting the  catalogue  of  the  plants  and  seeds  from 
Buchwald.  I  have  in  these  three  years,  and  almost 
without  outlay,  got  so  far  with  this  branch  of  work 
as  to  have  a  printed  catalogue  of  fourteen  hundred 
and  sixty-two  trees,  bushes,  plants,  and  seeds,  and 
this  year  it  has  brought  in  thirty-one  thalers,  and 
the  whole  realised  is  some  six  hundred  thalers,  which, 
with  God's  blessing,  will  be  a  success  and  a  great 
pleasure  to  my  husband.  I  am  delighted  with  our 


68  MARRIED   LIFE  [1806 

joint  plans  for  housekeeping,  one  day  with  you,  the 
next  with  us — an  arrangement  by  which  we  shall  be 
able  to  save  a  great  deal,  and  need  spend  only  a 
thousand  thalers  in  four  months.  Troops  from 
Wurzburg  and  Baden  passed  through  town  yester- 
day. How  distressing  for  Germans  to  be  fighting 
against  Germans  !  The  hopes  of  peace  are  fainter 
than  ever.  Do  come  soon.  I  will  meet  you  at 
Potsdam  and  drive  you  here  with  the  four  cream- 
coloured  horses. 

December  24. 

If  the  newspapers  are  to  be  believed,  the  troops 
which  were  to  have  been  sent  to  Berlin  have  been 
ordered  elsewhere — via  Gottingen,  Duderstadt,  etc. 
We  know  that  those  we  love  and  honour  are  at 
Konigsberg  and  well,  and  that  little  Carl  is  slowly 
recovering.  The  deputies  from  Posen  and  Hanover 
returned  home  yesterday.  They  dined  with  us,  and 
seem  fairly  satisfied,  as  they  have  received  assurances 
about  the  restoration  of  their  Governments  ;  but  when 
will  that  happen? 

To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

December  26,  Evening. 

The  horses  are  here,  but  not  a  word  from  you,  dear 
friend,  and  that  pleases  neither  my  head  nor  heart.  I 
was  sorry  not  to  have  thanked  you  sooner  for  the 
eggs,  butter,  and  fowls.  The  gourmands  who  partook 
o?  those  delicacies  enjoyed  them  very  much,  my  uncle 
Massow  being  one  of  the  number,  and  he  drank  the 
health  of  the  dear  friend  at  Cunersdorf.  Ever  so 
many  things  have  occurred  during  the  past  few  days. 
Prince  August  Ferdinand l  was  sent  to  France  on 
Wednesday  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  under  the 
escort  of  two  officers.  The  Prince's  destination  is 
Nancy,  and  Tauentzien's 2  is  Bitsch.  It  has  been  re- 
peatedly asserted  that  the  Prince  has  done  nothing 
whatever,  nor  been  mixed  up  in  any  sort  of  intrigue, 
but  the  order  is  direct  from  the  Emperor,  and  is  not 
aimed  at  him  personally.  Stein  was  ill  in  bed  till  the 
nth,  but  he  is  better  again  now.  He  has  to  take 

1  Son  of  Friedrich  the  Great's  brother  Ferdinand. 
*  Third  son  of  Friedrich  Wilhelm  III.  (born  1801,  died  1883),  grand- 
father of  H.R.H.  the  Duchess  of  Connaught.— M.  B.-L. 


1 8o;]          PRINCE   AUGUST   ARRESTED  69 

office  temporarily.  There  are  very  few  troops 
quartered  on  people  now,  and  those  from  Wtirtzburg 
and  Baden  merely  passed  through  town  yesterday. 

To  CAROLINE 

December. 

Prince  August  and  General  Tauentzien1  are  both  sent 
to  France.  The  Prince  was  arrested  at  three  in  the 
morning,  and  it  terrified  his  mother  dreadfully.  She 
got  up  and  never  left  him  till  he  was  in  the  carriage ; 
she  obtained  leave  for  Herr  von  Clausewitz  to  go 
with  him,  as  well  as  his  valet,  and  for  him  to  take 
various  necessary  articles.  We  spent  the  evening 
with  the  old  Prince  and  Princess,2  but  there  were  very 
few  people  from  the  Court  there.  I  did  all  I  could  to 
distract  and  amuse  them,  and  so  did  Reden,  and  we 
had  some  measure  of  success,  for  which  we  were 
thanked.  They  both  stand  very  high  in  my  estimation 
now.  The  Prince's  firmness  and  resignation  are  really 
admirable.  The  Duke  of  Weimar  is  going  to  Posen, 
and  thence  to  Warsaw  (where  Napoleon  is  at  present), 
he  having  made  his  peace.  Happy  journey  to  him ! 
He  spent  yesterday  with  us,  ana  it  was  amusing  the 
way  1  was  treated,  as  if  I  were  a  princess,  certainly 
without  any  seeking  on  my  part.  The  good  and 
honest  men  are  always  sought  out  in  times  of  need, 
and  my  husband  is  one  of  those  who  well  understands 
how  to  offer  advice  and  consolation. 

January  4. 

There  is  a  little  cabal  against  our  soup.3  Less  of  a 
mixture  is  desired,  so  we  are  going  to  try  other 
receipts,  such  as  leaving  out  the  barley,  and  making 
soup  chiefly  out  of  potatoes,  of  which  there  are  a  large 
quantity.  I  go  to  it  at  eight,  and  don't  get  home  until 
two  o'clock,  so  you  can  imagine  how  I  have  to  hurry, 
though  I  get  up  early  to  attend  to  the  thousand  and 
one  things  which  have  to  be  seen  to  in  a  household. 
I  fall  asleep  from  fatigue  in  the  evening.  I  do  trust 
that  my  lace  industry  will  not  be  interfered  with 
when  peace  is  established.  Even  when  it  is  once 

1  Friedrich  Bogislaw  Emanuel,  Count  Tauentzien  von  Wittenberg, 
Prussian  General,  born  1760,  died  1824. — M.  B.-L. 

*  Prince  and  Princess  Ferdinand. 

3  The  Rumford  soup-kitchen,  which  Countess  Reden  had  just  opened. 
— M.  B.-L. 


70  MARRIED   LIFE  [1807 

settled,  how  much  trouble  and  how  many  sad  moments 
we  shall  have  to  pass  through  !  How  sad  it  will  be  to 
be  separated  from  the  provinces,  so  to  speak,  and 
from  the  friends  we  have  known  and  loved  ! 

The  soup-kitchen  succeeds  wonderfully,  and  I  see 
brighter  faces. 

Have  I  told  you  that  you  will  see  the  beautiful 
Brandenburg1  Gate  without  the  horses?  Old 
Langhaus  is  quite  broken  by  the  loss. 

There  is  a  report  that  there  has  been  a  great 
encounter  between  the  Russians  and  the  French,  but 
no  one  really  knows  the  result. 

To  COUNTESS  JENNY  REUSS 

BERLIN,  March  15,  1807. 

The  free  soup-kitchen  is  more  and  more  of  a  success, 
and  over  six  thousand  persons  are  fed  every  day, 
and  others  follow  our  example  and  add  bread  to  the 
portions  of  soup.  We  had  a  great  dinner  at  the 
factory  on  the  roth,  which  was  a  real  pleasure  to  us ; 
and  in  the  evening  we  had  all  the  "  R's "  from 
Leipziger  Strasse,  and  we  enjoyed  it  very  much  with 
music  and  surprises.  Stonsdorf  and  Buchwald  are 
perfectly  quiet  just  now.  I  keep  my  courage  up ;  and 
indeed  how  can  a  Christian  ever  lose  it,  when  he 
prays  that  all  things  may  be  ordered  by  God  ?  I  hope 
for  better  times,  though  I  prepare  myself  with 
patience  and  resignation  for  the  bad  ones  still  in  store 
for  us,  for  when  was  human  life  quite  free  from  ills  ? 
Our  friend  Freiherr  vom  Stein  passed  through  Berlin 
on  his  way  home  to  Nassau.  We  treated  him  as 
the  miser  does  the  treasure  which  is  to  be  torn 
from  him.  But  I  hope  that  he  is  not  lost  to  us  for 
ever,  and  that  we  snail  see  him  again.  He  could 
be  of  no  more  use  at  present,  and  his  health  must 
be  the  first  consideration. 

The  trying  winter  and  part  of  the  summer  passed 
away  and  still  Count  and  Countess  Reden  were  in 

1  The  Brandenburger  Thor  is  at  the  end  of  the  famous  avenue  or 
street  in  Berlin  called  Unter  den  Linden,  and  the  celebrated  Car  of 
Victory,  in  copper,  by  Schadow,  stood  on  top.  This  Napoleon  carried 
off  to  France.  On  its  restoration  the  horses  were  placed  facing  the 
town,  not  as  formerly,  towards  the  Tiergarten.— M.  B.-L. 


i8o;]  TREATY   OF   TILSIT  71 

Berlin.  The  Count  seems  to  have  had  a  great  deal 
of  official  business,  and  the  Countess  was  much 
occupied  with  her  family,  friends,  house,  and  the  poor, 
while  all  the  time  their  hearts  were  filled  with  anxiety 
for  their  King  and  Fatherland. 

To  COUNTESS  JENNY  REUSS 

BERLIN,  July  14,  1807. 

Yes,  we  have  peace  at  last,  thank  God ! — at  all 
events,  peace  was  signed  on  the  pth  between  France 
and  Russia,  and  it  was  made  public  to-day.  We  are 
in  hopes  of  hearing  this  evening  that  it  was  ratified 
on  the  ipth.  Napoleon  left  Tilsit1  on  the  i2th,  and 
is  returning  to  Paris  by  way  of  Dresden.  What  will 
be  the  conditions  of  peace,  and  how  many  dear  and 
valued  interests  will  my  poor  husband  be  obliged 
to  resign  ?  Oh !  dear  friend,  I  have  kept  up  my 
courage  till  now,  because,  by  the  blessing  of  Provi- 
dence, no  more  blood  has  been  shed;  but  I  am  antici- 
pating what  the  peace  may  take  from  us,  and  what 
will  be  left.  After  all  these  frightful  struggles  you 
will  feel  for  and  with  me.  Is  there  a  province  in 
Prussia  which  contains  no  memorial  of  my  husband's 
zeal  and  ability?  Are  they  not  all  deeply  interesting 
and  precious  to  him?  And  will  not  my  heart  be 
torn  at  seeing  the  reward  and  satisfaction  of  his 
approaching  old  age  wrenched  from  him  ?  And 
tnen  the  question  arises  whether  or  not  we  shall 
be  able  to  retain  Silesia  and  the  works  on  the  Elbe. 
I  am  only  writing  to  you  about  all  -this,  for  you  will 
understand  me.  The  Almighty  will  guide  us,  and 
I  rely  upon  Him. 

To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

July  20,  Evening. 

The  telegraph  will  have  told  you  all,  dear  friend. 
We  are  terribly  crushed.  The  map  of  our  former 
state  is  kept  on  the  table,  and  we  tell  ourselves,  with 
sorrowful  hearts,  how  rich  and  happy  we  once  were, 
and  how  poor  now !  You  will  grieve  with  us  for 

1  Treaty  of  Tilsit  between  Prussia  and  France  (when  Prussia  ceded 
half  her  territory),  July,  1807,  and  also  between  France  and  Russia. — 
M.  B.-L. 


72  MARRIED   LIFE  [1807 

the  unfortunate  King,  and  will  not  bitterly  reproach 
him,  as  so  many  are  doing.  You  will  be  distressed 
for  our  misfortunes,  and  for  my  poor  husband,  who 
has  sacrificed  so  much  in  Westphalia,  on  the  Elbe, 
and  in  the  Harz,  as  well  as  his  rest  and  health. 
For  the  next  three  months  he  will  not  have  a  day's 
rest,  and  he  can  never  feel  as  happy  again  after 
seeing  everything  torn  from  him.  And  that  is  the 
reward  of  his  old  age !  I  try  to  be  calm  when  he 
is  by,  but  my  heart  is  wrung  for  him  and  for  all 
the  other  noble  sufferers.  May  God  spare  him  to 
me  !  Ah,  how  wretched  he  looks  to-day !  How  I  wish 
I  could  take  all  the  burden  of  trouble  that  awaits 
him  upon  myself!  The  terms  of  the  Convention  have 
been  published,  and  I  will  have  them  copied  for  you 
to-morrow.  The  news  to-day  is  still  worse.  The 
Emperor1  has  left  Dresden,  and  lordre  dujour,  dated 
from  Dresden,  says  in  plain  black  and  white  that 
Hesse,  Brunswick,  and  Fulda  shall  cease  to  exist 
as  states,  and  their  rulers  are  retired  with  a  pension, 
so  to  say.  The  Princess  of  Orange  is  calm,  but 
utterly  crushed.  She  and  her  sister  of  Hesse  received 
letters  to-day  from  the  King.  Borgstedt  and  Beyme 
are  to  be  the  new  Ministers,  and  Schulenburg  sets 
off  on  Thursday ;  you  can  fancy  how  beside  himself 
he  is.  Are  not  the  articles  of  the  peace  maddening? 
I  can't  write  or  even  speak  about  them.  It  is  now 
half-past  ten,  and  my  husband  is  at  Esteve's.  He 
keeps  rushing  about  trying  to  save  what  he  can. 
Karsten  was  deeply  depressed,  for  he,  as  well  as 
many  others,  has  lost  nis  entire  sphere  of  work. 
There  are  four  secret  articles  in  the  treaty  of  peace 
which  we  shall  not  know  at  present.  Stettin  is  to 
have  a  garrison  of  six  thousand  troops  till  Novem- 
ber i,  according  to  the  treaty. 

July  21,  Morning. 

Reden  did  not  learn  anything  from  Esteve,  but  was 
assured  by  him  that  we  shall  keep  Hanover,  but 
not  all  on  the  other  side  of  the  Elbe.  Oh  the  Elbe ! — 
the  Elbe ! 

July  29. 

We  have  had  some  happy  moments  in  the  last 
two  days,  for  peace  is  certain,  and  the  armistice  has 

1  Napoleon. 


1 8o;]  LONGING  FOR   PEACE  73 

been  signed  for  four  weeks.  In  a  word,  one  is  filled 
with  hope. 

Clarke  told  my  husband  several  times  yesterday 
that  N.  speaks  of  the  King  with  respect.  The  Queen 
is  at  Memel  with  all  her  children,  but  it  is  not  known 
where  the  King  is.  Letters  from  Memel  say :  "  The 
Queen  is  here,  and  intends  to  remain.  The  King 
was  here.  We  are  all  well,  and  things  are  going 
on  all  right." 

Kalckreuth  is  negotiating  for  us,  so  we  hear  from 
Clarke.  My  husband  went  from  him  to  all  our 
Princesses  with  messages  of  peace,  and  had  ample 
opportunity  of  observing  their  different  expressions 
of  feeling,  their  pleasure  or  the  reverse.  The  word 
Peace,  Paix,  Friede,  sounds  better  than  any  other 
word ;  but  it  is  my  heart  and  not  my  head  which 
speaks,  and  which  thanks  God  that  no  more  Prussian 
blood  is  spilt,  and  I  don't  trouble  my  head  about 
anything  else.  Human  happiness  is  worth  more  than 
honour,  although  to  deserve  honour  and  to  receive 
it  is  noble  and  glorious. 

It  is  reported  that  the  Poles  have  made  war  on 
Austria,  and  that  Napoleon  will  support  them. 
Chacun  a  son  tour;  but  it  is  a  base  project! 

What  will  Sweden  do?  What  can  be  the  reason 
of  Napoleon's  wishing  to  hasten  peace?  Will  the 
Turkish  evenements  be  known  in  Russian  head- 
quarters? How  much  there  is  to  wish  for!  What 
chaos  everything  is  in  !  We  must  talk  matters  over ; 
it  is  too  distracting  to  write  about  them. 

The  Count  and  Countess  were  at  Buchwald  in 
August,  and  while  there  they  received  a  great  shock. 
All  the  Ministers  were  dismissed,  including  Count 
Reden,  and  his  devoted  wife  felt  the  injustice  most 
acutely.  She  sympathised  with  her  friends  the 
Recks  deeply,  as  their  father  was,  of  course,  among 
the  Ministers  who  were  out  of  office. 

To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

BUCHWALD,  September  n. 

I  must  tell  you,  dear  friend,  that  we  are  very  glad 
to  be  here,  and  we  are  very  grateful  that  God  grants 


74  MARRIED   LIFE]  [1807 

us  this  mercy.  I  never  look  at  my  husband  without 
being  touched  at  his  pleasure  in  having  his  old  friends 
about  him,  and  his  blackcoats1  come  hither  daily. 
Not  a  day  passes  without  our  haying  from  four  to 
six  friends  and  neighbours  dropping  in  to  see  us. 
My  greenhouses  are  full,  my  table  well  supplied  with 
guests,  the  weather  is  good,  though  a  bit  cold,  and 
we  have  a  landscape  that  we  are  never  weary  of 
admiring. 

September  12. 

I  had  got  so  far,  yesterday,  dear  friend,  when  I 
was  interrupted  by  breakfast,  and  then  the  post  came 
in.  Peace  and  unity  are  with  us  and  will  remain 
with  us ;  but  how  many  different  feelings  disturbed 
us  yesterday !  Not  Reden.  What  a  man  he  is,  and 
what  a  noble  mind  he  has !  I,  and  every  one  about 
me,  feel  ready  to  worship  him ;  and  that  he  should 
be  misunderstood  and  be  rendered  miserable  by  the 
loss  of  his  six  thousand  miners,  to  whom  he  has  been 
more  than  a  father,  and  that  he  should  see  them 
ruined  and  dismissed  because  they  cannot  be  paid, 
is  terrible.  No  one  will  understand  that  he  could 
and  would  serve  without  pay,  and  that  he  has  served 
till  now  merely  for  the  honour  of  the  thing,  and 
because  he  knows  himself  to  be  of  use  and  to  be 
doing  good.  He  did  not  send  in  his  resignation, 
thank  God !  as  so  many  others  did,  but  kept  on  at  his 
work.  He  said  last  night,  "  I  am  thankful  for  the 
peaceful  life  here  ;  it  is  a  reward  for  having  acted  justly 
and  honourably."  He  only  thinks  of  his  department 
with  regretful  sadness,  and  he  would  never  have  given 
it  up  voluntarily,  so  it  has  been  torn  from  him.  The 
future  cannot  cause  us  any  anxiety,  for  we  live  in 
continual  preparation  for  it,  so  far  as  we  possibly 
can,  and  we  are  doing  good  to  the  utmost  limit  of 
our  means.  The  royal  decree  is  but  just  in  making 
mention  of  my  husband's  zeal  and  of  all  that  he 
accomplished  ;  but  of  what  use  are  fine  phrases  when 
the  act  itself  is  what  it  is  ?  I  grieve  for  the  poor 
King — he  means  well ;  but  no  one  could  envy  the 
feelings  of  those  who  surround  him. 

BUCHWALD,  September  14,  1807. 

Best  of  friends,  you  will,  I  know,  freely  forgive  us 
Miners. — E.  R. 


1 8o;]    TO   MEET   FREIHERR   VOM   STEIN       75 

for  arranging  to  meet  Stein  at  your  house  on  the 
1 8th  or  1 9th  ?  We  shall  leave  home  to-morrow  evening, 
and  will  be  with  you  for  certain  on  the  i8th,  and  it  is 
a  pleasure  and  a  comfort  to  come  to  you.  We  propose 
staying  one  day  and  night,  and  returning  to  our  peace- 
ful Buchwald.  It  just  occurs  to  me  that  perhaps 
you  may  be  at  Jerchel ; 1  but  we  rely  so  much  on  your 
kindness  that  we  venture  to  go  to  Cunersdorf  all 
the  same.  I  am  leaving  a  houseful  who  are  quite 
dismayed  at  our  going. 

CUNERSDORF,  September  17,  Six  o'clock,  Evening. 

We  made  such  a  rapid  journey  that  we  arrived 
about  four  o'clock,  and  were  received  with  great 
kindness  by  Fraulein  Hagen  and  Mademoiselle  Calve, 
and  are  here  comme  chez  nous.  I  learn  from  your  letter 
that  you  are  going  to  the  Altmark  on  Tuesday  evening. 
We  were  shocked  by  the  news  of  Stein's  being  ill  at 
Brandenburg,  and  we  are  hoping  for  particulars  from 
Dziembowsky,2  whom  we  expect  to-morrow.  We 
intend  to  send  the  valet  with  letters  to  him  to-night, 
and  if  he  is  able  to  come  soon,  we  shall  await  him 
here,  for  we  are  sure  that  our  dear  good  friend  will 
kindly  permit  us  to  do  so.  Perhaps  we  might  see 
you  also.  I  wish  to  see  you  very  much,  but  I  greatly 
fear  the  fatigue  would  be  too  much  for  you.  Do  not 
be  worried  about  me ;  my  husband  is  calm  and  com- 
posed, and  so  am  I,  which  the  wife  of  such  a  man 
ought  to  be.  We  are  anxious  to  get  back  to  Buchwald 
as  soon  as  possible,  where  the  Reusses  and  other 
kind  friends  are  impatient  for  our  return. 

CUNERSDORF,  September  19,  Evening. 

I  was  not  mistaken  about  Stein,  and  I  was  sure 
that  he  would  come  to  meet  us  here.  He  wrote 
yesterday  evening  from  Berlin,  and  expects  to  reach 
Cunersdorf  at  mid-day  on  the  2ist,  on  his  way  to 
West  Prussia.  We  have  settled  everything  with 
Dziembowsky.  Stein  is  to  have  the  upper  rooms, 
which  are  to  be  heated  to-morrow.  I  am  writing  in 
your  room,  at  your  dear  mother's  writing-table,  and 
here  we  shall  discuss  matters.  I  generally  sit  here. 
We  are  to  have  meals  in  your  husband's  room,  the 
six  of  us.  I  feel  quite  at  home,  and  poured  out  coffee 

1  An  estate  of  Countess  Itzenplitz's  in  the  Altmark. — E.  R. 
*  He  became  Countess  von  Itzenplitz  s  son-in-law. — E.  R. 


76  MARRIED   LIFE  [1807 

for  the  Bavarian  officers l  to-day ;  and  we  dined  with 
them  yesterday,  at  our  own  desire,  for  we  ought  not 
to  give  extra  trouble,  and  besides,  it  is  politic  to  be 
polite  to  them,  and  win  their  goodwill  for  us  all.  We 
nave  la  belle  conversation,  and  get  on  very  well  to- 
gether. .  .  .  My  husband  will  be  more  at  ease  if  he 
succeeds  in  doing  something  for  his  miners.  .  .  . 
We  are  overwhelmed  with  kindness  and  attention, 
and  I  must  say  again  that  I  could  not  be  more  a 
mon  aise  in  my  own  house.  We  lunch  in  the  library 
about  ten  o'clock,  and  then  I  write,  read,  or  chat  witn 
the  ladies,  after  which  I  go  to  your  room  and  write 
at  your  desk — it  is  more  homelike  there,  and  so  cosy. 
We  dine  about  one  o'clock,  and  have  tea  at  six,  and 
supper  in  your  husband's  room  at  nine,  your  ladies 
and  ourselves,  for  they  do  not  care  to  have  it  with 
the  Bavarian  officers. 

Everything  is  as  quiet  and  nice  as  possible,  and  I 
cannot  say  how  much  I  wish  you  were  here. 

September  22. 

I  am  writing  to  thank  you,  my  dear  friend,  for  all 
the  kindness  I  have  received  and  enjoyed  so  much 
while  here.  I  am  writing  at  your  desk,  where  I  have 
written  so  many  heartfelt  lines,  and  where  Stein  has 
also  written.  I  could  not  have  been  so  happy  any- 
where else  so  far  from  Buchwald  as  I  have  been  here. 
Stein  has  just  left.  We  were  so  thankful  to  find  him 
so  well  and  so  much  stronger  than  we  expected.  His 
eye  is  also  better.  He  is  making  a  great  sacrifice,  and 
gives  due  weight  to  what  the  consequences  may  be. 
He  agrees  with  us  entirely.  He  was  much  moved  at 
parting.  May  God  bless  and  guide  him  !  .  .  .  Stein 
brought  Rosenstiel  and  Frau  von  Pochhammer  with 
him.  They  are  calling,  and  we  must  go,  Farewell, 
dearest  and  best  of  friends. 

BUCHWALD,  September  30,  1807. 

You  will  be  pleased  that  Stein  and  my  husband  met 
again.  We  gladly  travelled  the  seventy-two  miles, 
and  we  have  returned  very  much  easier  in  mind  by 
the  good  news.  When  one  seeks  nothing  for  oneself, 
and  only  strives  for  the  good  of  others,  the  object  is 
much  more  quickly  attained,  and  we  feel  that  we  have 
placed  the  interests  of  our  dear  miners  in  the  best 

1  Officers  of  the  enemy  quartered  at  Cuneradorf. — E.  R. 


1807]  MEETING  WITH   STEIN  77 

possible  hands,  which  is  a  constant  source  of  satisfac- 
tion and  consolation  to  my  husband.  He  said  to  me 
yesterday,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  "  They  do  a  great 
deal,  those  faithful  people,  and  I  deserve  some  affec- 
tion from  them  ;  but  they  give  me  more  than  I  deserve, 
God  bless  them  ! "  And  I  do  say  that  the  good  state 
of  feeling  which  exists  in  his  department  is  due  to 
him.  I  am  glad  not  to  have  been  mistaken  in  our 
miners.  ...  I  wish  to  show  you  a  letter  written  to 
Stein  by  the  Society  of  Miners,  for  you  to  lay  it 
before  the  King.  My  husband  must  not  know  any- 
thing about  it.  I  have  not  altered  it  at  all.  It  is  a 
comfort  and  satisfaction  to  me.  They  are  as 
sincere  as  children  mourning  for  the  loss  of  a  father. 
...  I  wish  you  could  have  seen  Stein.  He  will  do 
a  great  deal  for  our  poor  country,  and  he  seems  to 
me  a  very  great  and  noble  man  and  a  good  one. 
He  has  given  my  husband  some  papers  that  will 
really  immortalise  him.  I  pray  that  uod  will  spare 
him  to  his  country. 

We  have  people  quartered  on  us  still,  but  they  are 
to  be  sent  to  Poland  next  week.  .  .  .  This  out-of-the- 
way  spot  is  a  real  paradise.  We  are  going  to  dine  at 
Warmbrunn  to-day ;  it  will  be  a  rather  stiff  party, 
but  one  must  be  friendly  with  one's  neighbours,  and 
stand  well  with  them. 

COUNT  REUSS  xxxvm.  TO  HIS  WIFE 

STONSDORF,  September  26. 

Reden  has  accomplished  his  object  and  had  the 
desired  meeting  with  Stein  at  Cunersdorf.  Stein 
does  not  get  on  at  all  with  Beyme,  who  is  Cabinet 
Councillor.  The  Minister's  dismissal  was  entirely 
Beyme's  doing,  and  Stein  intends  to  bring  the  matter 
forward,  and  make  the  inquiry  a  condition  of  his 
acceptance  of  office  again.  But  he  has  been  warned 
by  Keden  and  other  friends  and  by  some  one  in 
Prussia,  who  has  described  the  state  of  things  and  our 
poor  dear  King's  mind  towards  him.  He  is  the  only 
man  who  can  redress  the  great  errors  that  have  been 
made,  if  he  can  manage  to  see  the  King.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  our  dear  Reden  will  be  in  office  again.  I 
hope  so  more  than  ever,  now  that  I  know  what  he 
has  done  and  suffered  from  pure  patriotism  in  these 


78  MARRIED   LIFE  [1808 

troubled  times.  He  came  near  being  sent  by  the 
French  to  France.  It  is  all  the  more  distressing  to 
be  rewarded  by  ingratitude,  and  my  admiration  for 
this  excellent  man  Tias  increased  since  I  have  heard 
him  talk  of  the  affair. 

October. 

Reden  has  had  news  of  Stein's  safe  arrival  at  Memel 
on  the  3rd,  and  of  his  long  conference  with  the  King 
on  the  4th,  after  which  he  was  appointed  Minister  of 
State  with  the  fullest  powers  in  all  departments.  He 
expressly  desired  that  his  conference  with  the  King 
should  be  quite  private  and  without  witnesses. 
Beyme,  the  Cabinet  Councillor,  has  another  post,  and 
so  has  his  follower  Klewitz.  The  dear  Redens  were 
very  gay  when  they  were  here  yesterday.  We  were 
at  Stangenbusch  in  the  morning,  and  I  fixed  upon  the 
site  for  the  tower,  which  I  did  because  I  fancied  that 
it  would  be  interesting  to  dear  Reden.  I  think  his 
design  will  please  you. 

The  Royal  Proclamation  published  in  the  Berlin 
Gazette  on  the  27th  is  causing  dissatisfaction,  though 
it  does  not  come  into  force  until  1810.  It  concerns 
the  revolts  in  the  Prussian  provinces,  and  I  too  am 
disappointed  that  Stein  has  signed  a  paper  which  was 
drawn  up  by  Beyme,  and  we  are  uneasy  because 
Beyme  is  to  remain  with  the  King  while  he  is  in 
Prussia. 

Countess  Reden  writes  to  Countess  Jenny  Reuss 
after  a  visit  to  her  at  Jankendorf,  in  the  Lansitz,  con- 
cerning various  commissions  which  she  had  under- 
taken to  attend  to  in  Berlin : 

BERLIN,  February  3,  1808. 

MY  DEAR  COUNTESS, — 

I  must  tell  you  that  I  brought  many 
good  and  sweet  thoughts  away  with  me  from 
Jankendorf.  Both  my  husband  and  I  enjoyed  our 
visit,  and  we  promise  ourselves  the  pleasure  often. 
We  are  now  settled  down  amongst  our  friends.  On 
Wednesdays  and  Saturdays  the  colony  come  to  us, 
a  party  of  from  twenty-six  to  thirty  persons.  I  try 
to  introduce  some  variety  into  our  entertainments, 
and  we  read  aloud,  books  old  and  new,  have  music, 
and  Reden  and  his  other  self  try  their  best  to  make 


i8o8]     DEATH   OF   FRAU   VON   RIEDESEL       79 

things  agreeable,  and  we  manage  to  have  very  lively 
evenings.  Time  seems  to  fly  very  fast  this  winter, 
and  it  will  be  very  sad  when  the  time  comes  for  us  all 
to  part,  especially  from  the  dear  Recks. 

A  sadder  parting  was  at  hand.  Baroness  von 
Riedesel  died  in  Berlin  on  March  23.  There  are  no 
letters  nor  diaries  of  this  time  extant,  and  we  have, 
therefore,  no  particulars  concerning  this  event. 

The  household  in  Berlin  was  broken  up,  and  the 
Redens  were  at  Buchwald  in  May. 

Countess  Reden's  brother  was  married  to  his 
cousin  Caroline  von  Riedesel  on  the  Countess's 
birthday,  May  12,  and  the  young  couple  spent  part  of 
the  summer  at  Buchwald,  where  were  also  the  Recks, 
who  were  almost  members  of  the  family,  and  other 
guests. 

Count  and  Countess  Reden  gave  names  to  the 
various  parts  of  the  park  and  to  the  arbours  and  seats 
in  the  garden  in  memory  of  different  friends  and 
relations ;  thus  one  was  Mother's  Seat,  another 
Sister's  Walk,  others,  Stein's  Oak,  Kater's  Path, 
Quarante  Quatre  (after  the  Countess's  brother-in-law 
Heinrich  XLIV.),  and  another  seat  was  named  after  a 
Major  Kessel,  a  frequent  guest  at  Buchwald. 

One  day  that  year,  when  the  Countess  was  busy 
with  her  flowers,  she  saw  the  gardener  pass  with 
a  gentleman.  He  looked  like  an  Englishman,  and 
she  asked  him  in  English,  "  Is  this  your  first  visit 
to  this  part  of  the  country?"  Greatly  surprised  at 
being  addressed  in  his  own  language,  he  replied  that 
he  had  been  having  the  pleasure  of  making  some 
sketches  in  the  neighbourhood.  The  Countess  looked 
at  them  and  saw  that  they  were  by  no  insignificant 
artist.  She  was  dressed  very  plainly,  and  it  never 
occurred  to  the  gentleman  that  she  was  the  Countess, 


80  MARRIED   LIFE  [1808 

although  he  saw  that  she  was  not  a  servant.  To 
make  sure,  he  asked  the  name  of  the  lady  for  whom 
the  pavilion  had  been  built,  and  who  the  builder  was. 
"  You  may  see  him,  if  you  will  come  and  dine," 
she  said.  He  accepted  the  invitation,  and  introduced 
himself  as  James  Riddell,  from  Scotland.  On  returning 
to  the  house  she  told  her  husband  about  the  invitation 
she  had  just  given,  knowing  well  his  predilection  for 
England  and  the  English.  He  was  pleased,  but  some 
of  the  guests  then  staying  with  them  feared  that  he 
might  be  a  spy,  a  not  unnatural  suspicion  in  those 
uncertain  times.  All  anxieties  were  set  at  rest, 
however,  when  a  handsome  English  travelling-carriage, 
with  servants  in  livery,  drove  up  to  the  door  at 
dinner-time.  The  Count  received  his  guest  with 
great  cordiality,  and  the  proper  introductions  took 
place  to  the  rest  of  the  party.  Instead  of  a  short 
visit,  he  remained  two  weeks,  and  a  lifelong  friend- 
ship was  thus  made.1 

1  LETTER  FROM  SIR  JAMES  RIDDELL  TO  GEORGE  JACKSON,  ESQ., 
AFTERWARDS  SlR  GEORGE  JACKSON,  BRITISH  MINISTER  AT 
BERLIN 

BRUSSELS,  September  28,  1808. 
MY  DEAR  FRIEND, — 

You  have  been  wondering,  I  dare  say,  what  has  become  of 
me.  Know  then,  that  after  making  a  longer  stay  in  Vienna  than  I 
had  intended  to  do  on  taking  leave  of  you  and  the  hospitalities  of 
Berlin,  I  set  off  for  Silesia,  meaning  to  make  a  tour  of  it,  and  to  reach 
Dresden  in  a  fortnight.  The  great  kindness  of  new  friends — old  ones 
of  yours — changed  all  my  plans.  We  often  talked  of  you,  and  more 
perfectly  amiable  people  than  Count  and  Countess  Reden,  Count  and 
Countess  Bernstorff,  and  the  Demoiselle  Riedesel,  it  has  never  been 
my  happiness  to  meet  with.  Their  residence,  Buchwald,  is  in  the 
lovely  valley  of  that  name,  the  most  beautiful  part  of  Silesia.  Art  and 
Nature  have  combined  in  producing  the  utmost  perfection  of  the 
picturesque  and  the  beautiful.  It  is  perhaps  the  only  place  I  ever 
saw  where  it  appeared  to  me  that  nothing  could  be  added  or  taken 
away  without  doing  injury  to  it.  I  passed  a  fortnight  with  these 
charming  families  with  no  less  profit  than  pleasure,  and  took  leave  of 
them  with  regret.* 

*  From  the  "  Diaries  and  Letters  of  Sir  George  Jackson/'  edited  by 
his  wife. — M.  B.-L. 


1 809]  STEIN   BANISHED  81 

Napoleon  declared  Freiherr  vom  Stein  to  be  an 
outlaw  in  December,  1808,  and  he  was  obliged  to 
leave  Berlin  in  great  secrecy  on  January  6,  1809, 
and  on  the  9th  he  arrived  quite  unexpectedly  at 
Buchwald,  having  travelled  night  and  day,  via  Sagan 
and  Bunzlau  and  Lowenberg,  to  seek  concealment 
at  the  house  of  his  friend.  He  was  received  with 
the  warmest  sympathy,  and  his  friends  did  all  they 
possibly  could  for  him  ;  but  he  was  not  safe  there. 
Warrants  were  out  for  his  capture,  and  would  soon 
be  in  every  hand,  while  there  was  a  French  garrison 
at  Hirschberg.  He  had  heard  one  read  while  he 
was  waiting  for  horses  at  an  inn  at  Ziebingen,  and 
the  description  of  his  "grand  nes"  made  him  un- 
pleasantly aware  of  it,  and  of  the  fact  that  his  fur 
cap  did  not  conceal  it.  Then  he  was  well  known 
at  Buchwald,  having  visited  there  before.  So  Count 
Reden  assembled  his  household,  and  said  that  he  was 
sure  that  none  of  them  would  be  faithless  to  him 
and  to  his  friend.  In  the  meantime  Frau  von  Stein 
sent  her  husband  a  passport  which  she  had  obtained 
from  the  Austrian  Ambassador,  and  strongly  urged 
him  to  cross  the  frontier  as  speedily  as  possible. 
Count  Gessler,1  an  old  friend,  who  was  both  wise 
and  capable  of  self-devotion,  sought  him  out  at 
Buchwald  that  he  might  share  his  fate.  Count  Reden 

1  Ernst  Moritz  Arndt  says  of  Gessler:  "He  was  a  friend  of  KOrner 
and  Schiller ;  his  acquirements,  his  intelligence  and  wit  could 
not  but  be  extolled  by  all  who  knew  him ;  his  German  heart  and 
noble,  devout  spirit  I  was  to  learn  more  and  more  to  appreciate  till  the 
day  of  his  death.  He  was  an  early  friend  of  Stein's,  and  knew  how 
to  play  with  him  as  no  one  else  did ;  indeed,  Stein  would  not  have 
allowed  any  one  else  to  play  with  him  so.  Stein  loved  and  esteemed 
him  much,  and  yet  their  talk  was  an  eternal  quarrelling  and  carping. 
No  doubt  this  is  often  a  way  with  people  who  have  had  merry  days 
together  in  youth,  partly  from  habit,  partly  for  remembrance'  sake. 
In  this  petty  teasing  and  carping  Gessler,  more  quiet  and  more  witty, 

6 


82  MARRIED   LIFE  [1809 

accompanied  them  over  the  Schmiedeberg  Pass, 
probably  in  disguise,  until  they  reached  the  Austrian 
frontier,  the  whole  journey  being  made  in  sleighs. 
Count  Reden  would  not,  of  course,  consent  to  his 
wife  making  one  of  the  party,  but  she  was  unwilling 
for  her  husband  to  run  into  danger  alone. 

The  miller  who  lived  near  the  house  was  a  faithful 
and  reliable  man,  and  from  him  she  engaged  a  small 
one-horse  sleigh  with  his  son  to  drive  it.  It  stood 
ready  behind  the  shrubbery  till  the  gentlemen  drove 
off,  when  Countess  Reden,  wrapped  in  shawls  and 
furs,  so  as  to  be  unrecognisable,  got  in  and  followed 
the  other  sleigh,  only  coming  up  to  it  when  they  were 
close  to  the  frontier.  Count  Reden  exclaimed  with 
pleasure  when  he  saw  her,  and  Stein  congratulated 
him  on  his  brave  wife.  In  later  years  the  Countess 
often  related  the  incident  with  beaming  eyes. 

It  was  easy  for  Count  Reden,  who  was  well  known 
and  highly  respected  in  Silesia,  to  obtain  the  means 
for  his  friends  to  continue  their  flight.  He  and  his 
brave-hearted  wife,  of  whose  courage  he  was  proud, 
returned  home,  and  he  experienced  no  unpleasantness 
from  the  French  for  the  part  he  had  taken  in  Stein's 
fleeing  the  country. 

FREIHERR  VOM  UND  ZUM  STEIN  TO  COUNT  REDEN 

TRAUTENAU,  January  16,  1809. 

The  carriage  has  just  appeared  and  we  are  pre- 
paring to  continue  our  journey,  with  renewed  feelings 
of  affection  and  gratitude  to  our  good  hosts  in  the 
valley  of  Buchwald,  and  we  are  calmly  looking 
forward  to  the  future,  indifferent  to  the  servile  minds 

generally  got  the  better ;  he  knew  how  to  play  with  the  lion  like 
a  gadfly  who  bites  his  muzzle  till  he  roars  again  ;  it  amused  him  to 
awake  for  a  moment  the  wrath  of  the  Titan  to  whose  might  and 
greatness,  nevertheless,  he  paid  due  homage "  (Seeiey's  "  Life  and 
Times  of  Stein,"  vol.  ii.  p.  324).— M.  B.-L. 


1 809]  LETTER   FROM    STEIN  83 

whose  lies  about  us  are  filling  the  daily  papers. 
Every  honest  man  should  strive  to  keep  alive  a  love 
of  truth  and  freedom  among  those  about  him,  especi- 
ally among  the  young  should  he  be  indefatigable  in 
sowing  the  good  seed.  The  bad  carry  with  them 
the  germs  of  failure,  and  will  never  succeed.  We 
hope  to  be  in  Prague  to-morrow  morning,  and  I  will 
write  to  you  from  there.  Farewell,  my  good  friends  ; 
be  happy,  and  be  assured  of  my  faithful  attachment. 

Countess  Reden  writes : 

ST.  GEORGE'S  DAY,  April  23. 

My  husband  is  well,  but  he  is  often  dissatisfied 
with  the  progress  of  things  on  the  estate,  though 
after  such  storms  one  does  not  hope  for  returns. 
The  awful  taxes,  the  supplies  for  the  fortresses,  the 
silver  duty,  the  rise  in  wages,  absorb  all  that  is  made. 
A  few  things  pay,  however,  and  agriculture  is 
encouraging,  and  the  sheep  still  more  so,  while  the 
cows  are  visibly  improving.  The  losses  I  replace 
with  calves  of  a  special  breed,  and  which  are  a  great 
success.  I  can  manage  the  feeding  of  the  cattle, 
but  I  intend  to  decrease  the  number  of  our  live  stock, 
instead  of  letting  it  increase,  and  thus  I  try  to  improve 
the  breeds  by  giving  them  better  and  more  food. 
My  husband  leaves  the  management  of  all  this  to  me, 
I  acting  under  the  advice  of  the  steward.  Our  days 
slip  by  as  if  they  were  hours,  so  filled  are  they  with 
occupations.  I  get  up  at  five  and  go  to  bed  at  half- 
past  ten,  and  I  generally  succeed  in  accomplishing 
the  work  in  hand.  I  keep  up  my  botanical  studies, 
and  read  English  with  Reden.  We  are  hardly  ever 
quite  alone,  and  we  get  all  the  news.  We  are  in  an 
interesting  place,  and  hear  a  good  deal,  and  I  am 
thankful  that  so  far  all  the  news  has  been  good.  Of 
course  you  will  know  some  things  which  do  not 
reach  us.  I  congratulate  you,  dear  Caroline,  on 
George's  birthday,  and  I  shall  celebrate  the  day  in 
my  own  way,  and  am  already  busy  with  my  prepara- 
tions for  it.  I  am  going  to  give  my  household, 
gardeners,  and  others,  a  supper,  and  before  supper 
they  are  to  have  a  lottery  with  one  hundred  tickets 
and  twenty-four  prizes,  that  is,  a  prize  for  each 
person,  and  all  the  blanks  are  to  be  cakes.  Though 
the  things  are  only  trifles,  they  will  give  pleasure, 


84  MARRIED   LIFE  [1809 

and  I  intend  to  distribute  them  myself,  and  afterwards 
we  shall  drink  my  brother's  health.  They  are  to 
have  a  dance  at  nine  o'clock.  I  think  that  when  the 
master's  house  is  made  attractive,  the  servants  are 
not  so  likely  to  seek  pleasures  elsewhere.  Our  fore- 
fathers acted  upon  this  principle,  and  they  had  good 
and  faithful  servants. 

MY  DEAR  CAROLINE, — 

As  God  has  given  me  all  the  happiness 
and  all  else  that  I  could  possibly  desire,  I  cannot 
prove  to  you  that  I  am,  as  you  assert,  a  con- 
tented woman,  for  I  have  far  more  than  I  deserve. 
What  a  husband  I  have,  a  treasure  not  to  be  replaced 
by  anything  the  world  possesses !  And  what  a 
brother  and  sisters  I  have !  and  I  have  besides, 
Buchwald  and  good  servants,  with  means  to  provide 
for  them,  and  friends  who  are  really  in  sympathy 
with  me.  And  those  whom  I  have  lost  I  shall,  with 
God's  grace,  find  again  some  day,  and  never  be  parted 
from  them  any  more.  It  is  true  that  my  husband 
has  been  most  unjustly  treated  ;  but  had  he  not  been 
so  treated,  we  should  not  now  be  enjoying  this  place, 
for  he  would  have  had  to  share  the  rate  of  the 
unfortunate  Government,  and  not  be  able,  as  he  has 
hitherto  been,  to  spread  abroad  the  happiness  which 
he  is  still  doing.  It  is  true  that  we  had  an  income 
of  21,000  thalers,  which  is  reduced  to  8,000;  the 
difference  is  great,  but  are  we  less  contented  ?  Don't 
we  see  here  every  one  who  cares  to  come  to  us, 
just  as  gladly  as  we  used  to  do?  Is  our  table  less 
tastefully,  if  less  richly  served  ?  Is  not  the  loss  of 
show  made  up  for?  and  is  not  my  husband  setting 
a  good  example  of  wise  and  prudent  management, 
and  finding  means  to  undertake  all  the  improvements 
that  are  necessary  ?  Dearest  Caroline,  I  do  not 
know  whether  it  is  so  or  not,  but  it  seems  to  me 
that  we  get  on  better  on  8,000  thalers  than  we  did 
on  21,000,  and  I  have  not  a  moment's  uneasiness  on 
the  subject. 

Spring  and  summer  at  Buchwald  were  busy  times, 
and  as  Countess  Reden  understood  the  management 
of  things,  she  was  able  to  give  personal  attention  to 


i8io]  COUNTRY   LIFE  85 

the  gardening  as  well  as  to  indoor  matters.  Her 
journal  contains  every  detail  concerning  both  house- 
keeping and  out-of-door  work.  It  notes  when  a  sow 
has  a  litter,  or  when  the  cabbage  is  planted,  wheat 
sown,  or  horseradish  seed  put  in,  when  the  orange- 
trees  are  set  out,  and  how  the  peas,  iris,  aquilegia, 
etc.,  are  in  full  bloom.  She  writes : 

We  have  sown  the  glebe  meadow  with  grass 
seed,  and  have  sown  flax  seed  on  the  Pfaffen- 
grund ;  the  home  meadow  required  eighteen  mowers, 
and  was  all  mown  by  evening — splendid  hay  ! 

The  sheep-shearing  began,  and  I  was  present  nearly 
all  day.  The  results  are  fairly  good.  We  were  in 
the  Pfaffengrund.  There  is  a  great  difference  be- 
tween the  Pomeranian  geese  and  the  young  ones 
we  have. 

The  Countess  was  greatly  pleased  at  the  birth  of 
a  daughter  to  her  brother's  wife.  It  was  baptized 
Marie  Caroline,  but  was  always  called  Marline.  She 
became  the  darling  of  her  aunt's  heart. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

July. 

Thank  God  that  you  are  the  happy  mother  of  a 
healthy  child.  God  bless  mother,  father,  and  daughter 
with  His  best  blessing,  and  grant  me  the  delight  of 
seeing  your  happiness !  How  glad  I  am  to  be  her 
godmother !  and  I  feel  that  your  trusting  me  to  be 
this  is  a  call  from  heaven. 

The  usual  busy  life  went  on  throughout  the  winter. 
At  Christmas  the  Countess  gave  her  husband  two 
yoke  of  oxen,  a  proof  of  the  economy  demanded  by 
the  times,  both  in  the  giver  and  receiver. 

JOURNAL 

January  29,  1810. — Roses,  lilies-of-the-valley,  yellow 
daffodils,  hyacinths,  are  in  the  room.  We  have  two 
hundred  of  frisky  lambs. 

February  4. — The  hens  are  beginning  to  lay. 


86  MARRIED   LIFE  [1810 

March  7. — A  little  chicken  was  hatched  in  the 
Pfaffengrund. 

March  10. — Blasting  is  being  done  on  the  road  to 
the  Birkberg  for  Thaer's  monument. 

March  23. — A  happy  day  for  every  one  at  Buchwald. 
Glorious  weather.  Carrots,  radishes,  and  cress  for 
dinner.  Fresh  beans  for  Reden  at  supper.  We  have 
sown  every  variety  of  corn  in  the  small  field,  three 
ounces  of  each  kind. 

April  8. — Caroline  planted  fifty  wild  roses  around 
the  observatory  and  Shepherd's  Seat.  The  ponds 
have  been  stocked.  Hepaticas  are  in  bloom. 

April  12. — My  beloved  husband  went  for  an  hour's 
drive,  for  the  first  time  since  his  accident. 

May  8. — The  peas  and  beans  are  growing  rapidly. 
Buchwald  has  never  been  in  greater  luxuriance,  nor 
more  delightful  and  replete  with  real  charm. 

The  journal  mentions  here  and  elsewhere  that  the 
small  cornfield  was  kept  for  experiments  in  growing 
all  sorts  of  grain,  home  and  foreign. 

May  12. — Happy  day !  We  drove  to  the  observatory 
by  the  new  road  through  the  wood.  The  Teufels- 
born-Hiibel  looks  as  if  it  had  been  made  by  the  hand 
of  a  fairy,  and  is  a  delightful  resort,  with  its  seats 
overlooking  the  beautiful  views,  the  trout  ponds,  and 
the  majestic  trees.  Friederike's  Island  has  been  laid 
out  and  planted,  and  seats  set  up.  A  delightfully  cosy 
room  has  been  built  in  the  Pfaffengrund,  and  I  was  as 
usual  overwhelmed  with  every  sort  of  loving  attention. 
I  was  presented  with  a  tiny  donkey  by  my  sisters, 
and  with  two  beehives  from  Muhlmann  [the  butler], 
and  a  fine  young  goat  from  Stonsdorf. 

May  17. — The  cattle  were  let  out  into  the  fields. 
The  thunder-storm  has  done  a  good  deal  of  damage 
to  fields,  meadows,  roads,  and  bridges,  and  it  has 
caused  a  great  deal  of  extra  work  ;  but  one  is  thankful 
that  so  much  was  left  uninjured. 

Countess  Reden  writes  : 

I  shall  never  forget  the  night  of  the  24th  and  the 
following  morning.  The  sight  of  the  destruction 
was  dreadful,  and  our  poor  people  at  Quirl  suffered 
terribly.  We  have  consoled  and  helped  them  as 


i8io]  SEVERE  THUNDERSTORM  87 

much  as  we  could,  and  in  doing  this  we  found  comfort 
and  encouragement  for  our  own  losses  and  mishaps, 
which  are  chiefly  in  our  favourite  parts.  But  really, 
the  resignation  of  the  people  prevents  us  from  grieving 
over  our  own  troubles.  Their  patience  is  most  ex- 
emplary. All  these  worries  are  bad  for  my  husband 
in  his  state  of  health,  and  I  do  admire  his  patience, 
but  I  suffer  very  much  on  his  account.  His  cough 
and  weak  digestion  cause  me  more  anxiety  than 
everything  else,  and  the  cold  of  the  last  few  weeks 
tries  him  greatly.  The  entire  change  in  the  Ministry 
has  not  surprised  so  much  as  it  has  pleased  us. 
Beyme's  retirement  is  certainly  a  great  mercy,  and 
the  whole  of  Silesia,  where  he  is  hated,  rejoiced.  It 
does  not  make  any  change  in  pur  position.  My 
husband  might  be  drawn  into  advising  his  party,  and 
he  would,  of  course,  help  wherever  he  could ;  but 
voila  tout! 

Buchwald  was  filled,  as  usual,  with  very  many 
guests  in  the  summer.  President  Schuckmann  was 
there,  and  had  a  great  deal  to  say  about  his  tobacco 
planting,  and  Count  Reden  was  induced  to  try  it. 

To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

December  i. 

I  like  and  esteem  Hardenberg,  but  the  friend  at 
Prague  is  dearer  to  me  [Stein].  There  are  few 
such  men  as  he.  Correspondence  with  him  is  a  real 
pleasure — he  has  such  a  grasp  of  things,  and  he  is 
so  single-minded,  while  his  rare  power  of  expression 
makes  his  beautiful  letters  quite  incomparable.  He 
writes  twice  a  week.  I  do  nope  that  public  affairs 
will  soon  improve,  and  that  he  will  be  again  free 
from  care  and  at  his  ease. 

Count  and  Countess  Reden  and  the  Countess's  two 
sisters  went  to  Berlin  in  February,  1811. 

Several  changes  had  taken  place  among  the  circle 
of  their  intimate  friends.  Luise  von  der  Reck  was 
married  to  Count  Anton  Stolberg  of  Wernigerode, 
and  Countess  Reden's  particular  friend  among  the 
von  der  Reck  sisters,  Eberhardine,  had  married  Count 


88  MARRIED   LIFE  [1811 

Henrich  Stolberg,  the  eldest  son  of  Christian  Fried- 
rich,  the  head  of  the  Wernigerode  family. 

In  April  Count  and  Countess  Reden  were  again 
at  home  and  absorbed  in  the  work  of  their  farms 
and  garden. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

BUCHWALD,  April,  1811. 

I  am  able  to  give  you  a  good  account  of  my 
husband.  His  cough  is  rather  less,  and  he  rides  a 
good  deal,  and  is  very  busy  and  full  of  life.  We  saw 
many  new  things  in  Berlin,  and  made  some  very 
agreeable  acquaintances,  a  few  of  whom  will  perhaps 
come  and  see  us  here.  Professor  Lichtenstein  was 
very  interesting  in  his  accounts  of  a  five  years'  stay 
in  Africa.  But  life  in  Berlin  is  all  hurry,  and  I 
could  not  have  stood  it  long. 

Buchwald  was  full  of  visitors  during  the  summer 
of  181 1,  including  Count  Reuss  XLIV.  and  his  children, 
and  Count  Reden's  sister  and  her  children.  The 
appearance  of  a  comet  induced  the  party  to  devote 
a  good  deal  of  time  to  astronomy.  They  lived  an 
out-of-door  life  to  a  great  extent,  often  dining  in 
the  salon  (a  summer-house  in  the  park  which  had 
been  furnished  both  for  comfort  and  use).  The  bench 
outside,  called  the  Mother's  Seat,  was  one  of  the 
Countess's  favourite  places,  and  they  all  enjoyed  the 
orange-room  on  the  sunny  side  of  the  little  house, 
where  the  oranges  were  kept  in  winter.  In  the 
kitchen  garden  close  by  a  part  of  it  was  set  apart 
for  the  cultivation  of  medicinal  herbs.  In  the  park 
beyond  there  was  another  summer-house,  which  was 
also  often  used. 

To  DORETTE 

We  returned  from  Dresden  on  August  10,  where 
we  had  gone  with  my  sister-in-law,  Frau  von  Mtinch- 
hausen.  .  .  .  We  brought  our  niece  Luise  von 


i8i2]  THE  BLOCKADE  OF  THE  CONTINENT  89 

Miinchhausen  back  with  us  for  a  long  stay.  She 
is  an  interesting  girl  of  fourteen,  not  brilliant  nor 
accomplished,  but  genial,  sympathetic,  lively,  and 
good.  She  has  plenty  of  brains,  and  gets  on  so 
rapidly  with  her  studies  under  my  tuition  that  I  feel 
well  rewarded. 

She  was  a  pleasant  pupil  and  companion  to  her 
aunt,  whose  journal  mentions  reading  Schiller's 
tragedies  with  her  in  the  afternoon,  and  Humboldt's 
"Across  Mexico"  in  the  morning. 

The  companionship  of  our  dear  Reuss  children 
for  five  weeks  was  excellent  for  her.  Her  elder 
brother  is  in  the  mining  department,  two  miles  from 
us,  and  he  often  comes  over  to  be  coached  by  his 
uncle.  I  am  enchanted  with  my  nieces  Auguste  and 
Linchen ;  they  are  indeed  children  upon  whom  rests 
their  mother's  blessing. 

The  blockade  of  the  continent  at  that  time  made 
the  price  of  sugar  so  high  as  to  render  it  almost  im- 
possible to  buy,  and  Countess  Reden  tried  to  replace 
it  in  various  ways.  She  made  a  syrup  from  maize, 
but  it  contained  too  small  an  amount  of  sugar  to 
be  of  much  use ;  then  she  tried  pumpkin,  and  finally 
beetroot.  This  proved  by  far  the  best,  and  its  culti- 
vation the  most  useful,  as  the  leaves  could  be  used 
for  fodder.  The  sugar  industry  on  the  continent  dates 
from  this  period. 

In  spite  of  her  many  occupations,  Countess  Reden 
read  a  great  deal,  and  her  journal  mentions  that  she 
had  read  "  To  Africa,"  by  Lichtenstein,  and  Zimmer- 
mann's  "  Australia,"  and  she  says  how  great  was  her 
interest  in  the  writings  of  Frederick  the  Great. 
"  How  prophetic  he  was  about  France !  How  strong, 
noble,  and  simple  is  his  writing ! " 

Emilia  von  der  Reck  writes  : 

BERLIN,  February  18,  1812. 

Countess   Reden    kindly  asked    to    have    the    day 


90  MARRIED   LIFE  [1812 

[Emilia's  birthday]  celebrated  at  her  house,  and  in- 
vited all  our  nearer  friends,  as  well  as  others,  such 
as  the  Prince  of  Hesse,  Count  Ingeheim,  Herr  von 
Romberg,  Carl  von  Voss,  etc.  We  danced  after  tea 
to  the  music  of  a  barrel-organ  and  a  piano,  and  we 
had  supper  at  little  round  tables,  and  then  we  danced 
the  cracovienne,  to  which  some  verses  were  sung,  and 
which  N.  N.  had  to  compose  in  an  hour's  time,  but 
the  verses  and  the  music  did  not  suit  together,  and 
the  result  was  an  impossible  discord,  interrupted 
by  the  laughter  of  the  whole  company.  It  could  not 
have  been  so  funny  if  it  had  been  a  complete  success  ; 
but  as  it  was,  we  had  great  fun,  and  laughed  till  the 
stove  shook. 

Countess  Reden  writes : 

BUCHWALD,  April  2,  l8l2. 

What  a  restless,  uncomfortable,  unpleasant  time  we 
spent  in  Berlin,  seeing  little  of  our  pleasant  friends, 
and  always  going  about,  obliged  to  listen  to  grumblings 
and  complaints  from  all  classes  !  How  I  do  enjoy  my 
dear,  quiet  Buchwald  after  all  that  turmoil !  We 
made  a  really  economical  journey,  and  spent  two 
days  at  Cunersdorf  and  M6gelin,  one  at  Friedensdorf 
with  Marwitz,  who  is  a  disciple  of  Thaer,  then 
another  day  at  Groditzberg  witn  the  learned  bailiff 
Lochmann.  We  gathered  a  great  deal  of  information, 
and  mean  to  imitate  and  profit  by  what  we  have 
learned. 

Countess  Reden's  two  sisters  returned  in  March, 
just  when  Count  Reden  fell  seriously  ill.  Emilia  von 
der  Reck  writes : 

May  12  was  very  sad  for  Countess  Reden  and  for 
all  her  guests,  and  even  Count  Reden  himself  became 
depressed.  They  don't  seem  to  have  much  hope  that 
he  can  live  long.  What  a  prospect  for  poor  Countess 
Reden !  She  mlly  realises  what  may  happen  before 
long. 

By  degees  his  health  improved,  and  his  wife  and 
sister-in-law  tried  in  vain  to  persuade  him  to  winter 
in  Italy. 


1812]  COUNT   REDEN'S    ILLNESS  91 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

June  13. 

A  night  seldom  passes  without  anxiety  about  my 
beloved  husband.  His  improvement  is  a  slow  affair, 
and  he  has  frequent  relapses.  Yet  we  are  thankful 
that  he  feels  some  benefit  from  the  fresh  air,  and  is 
able  to  bear  a  drive.  You  would  find  him  much 
changed,  thinner,  and  so  pale.  God  knows  best,  and 
I  hope  and  trust  that  He  will,  in  His  great  mercy, 
spare  me  my  life's  joy.  I  don't  deserve  your  praise, 
dear  Caroline,  for  I  know  and  feel  how  often  I  lack 
courage  and  self-control,  though  I  do  strive  to  hide 
my  weakness. 

August  ii. 

The  day  before  yesterday  was  the  anniversary  of 
our  marriage,  and  I  bless  the  day  and  hour.  I  have 
had  many  cares,  it  is  true,  and  much  anxiety  about 
my  dear  husband,  and  the  future  does  not  look  bright ; 
and  yet  the  happiness  I  have  had  in  being  the  nurse 
and  friend  of  such  a  man  outweighs  all  the  sorrow. 

My  cornfield  is  in  splendid  condition,  thanks  to  the 
two  little  pepins  who  have  attended  to  it  so  well.  I 
can  give  very  little  time  to  these  matters,  as  I  devote 
all  my  time  to  my  husband,  after  Luise  has  done  her 
lessons. 

Countess  Reden  called  the  girls  and  boys  who  did 
all  sorts  of  odds  and  ends  of  work  her  "  pepins."  The 
boys  did  a  good  deal  of  writing,  and  as  they  grew 
older  and  were  educated  for  domestic  or  secretarial 
work,  she  found  them  places,  and  the  girls  were 
trained  for  domestic  service  by  Caroline  von  Riedesel. 

Count  Reden  was  seriously  ill  again  in  the  autumn. 

FROM  THE  FARM  JOURNAL 

This  journal  was  not  continued  after  November  28, 
owing  to  my  dear  husband's  illness,  when  I  thought 
only  of  him,  forgetting  farm,  cattle,  everything.  I 
will  condense  what  I  know  of  that  time.  I  thank  God 
for  all  His  goodness  to  us  that  year,  and  that  my 
sorrow  is  now  mercifully  over,  and  my  husband 
better.  I  revive  once  more,  and  pray  God  to 
help  me. 


92  MARRIED   LIFE  [1813 

With  these  feelings  Countess  Reden  began  the 
eventful  year  of  1813.  They  both  met  the  great 
events  with  hearts  full  of  anxiety,  but  with  joy  and 
gratitude. 

To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

BUCHWALD,  February  22. 

According  to  the  latest  news,  that  of  the  i6th,  the 
Cossacks  must  have  been  at  Cunersdorf,  and  I  am 
anxious  to  learn  how  they  conducted  themselves. 
The  Kalisch.1  affair  must  have  been  deadly.  Two 
hundred  carts  filled  with  wounded  passed  through 
Breslau.  The  scattered  troops  were  not  received 
in  Polish  Wartenburg.  (Do  you  consider  that  right  ? 
We  are  not  fighting  against  the  allies.)  The  fugitives 
got  as  far  as  Schmiedeberg. 

Carl  von  der  Reck  has  been  at  Jannowitz  for  two 
days  and  goes  to  Breslau  to-morrow  with  Anton.2 

We  expect  Schock 3  to-morrow.  Our  good  Fritz 4 
will  not  remain  behind.  The  last  two  days  have  been 
very  happy  ones  to  me,  for  my  beloved  husband  went 
out  for  the  first  time  in  three  months,  and  he  heartily 
enjoyed  the  fine  mild  air  and  the  lovely  view  of  the 
mountains.  .  .  .  All  the  young  nobles  have  gone  to 
Breslau  to  serve,  including  three  sons  of  Count 
Stosch,  Count  Mortimer,  Count  Gotzen,  and  the 
Reichenbachs. 

February  24. 

We  got  no  letters  yesterday,  and  are  in  constant 
expectation  of  something  happening,  and  you  can 
fancy  our  impatience  for  news.  We  heard  from 
Hirschberg  and  Liegnitz  to-day  that  the  French  have 
burnt  the  bridge  at  Crossener,  which,  of  course, 
stops  the  post.  Cossacks  were  at  Haynau,  Bunzlau, 
and  Parchwitz  yesterday.  The  Saxon  hospital  corps 
crossed  the  mountains  in  the  most  miserable  condition, 
and  the  people  at  Schmiedeberg  are  doing  all  they 
can  for  them. 

1  The  French,  under  General  Reynier,  were  beaten  by  the  Russians 
under  General  Baron  Winzingerode,  February  13,  1813.  He  was  born 
1770,  died  1818.— M.  B.-L. 

*  Count  Anton  Stolberg. — E.  R. 

3  Schock,  Heinrich  LX.  Reuss. — E.  R.    4  Fritz  von  Itzenplitz. — E.  R. 


i8is]      THE   RUSSIAN   TROOPS   MARCH  93 

BUCHWALD,  March  20,  1813. 

I  received  your  letter  dated  March  i  on  the  i2th. 
I  had  written  to  you  on  the  loth  to  congratulate  you 
on  the  liberation  of  Berlin.  We  were  in  a  state  of 
constant  anxiety  from  February  20  till  March  4,  but 
we  are  less  anxious  now.  .  .  .  The  Tzar  Alexander 
ordered  the  immediate  departure  of  the  troops,  and 
some  of  them  have  arrived  already  at  Lowenberg  and 
Jauer,  as  well  as  six  thousand  Russians  from  the 
Winzengerode  corps,  and  they  will  act  with  us. 
The  Tzar  went  to  see  Stein  on  the  i6th,  and  would 
not  allow  him  to  come  to  him.  We  hear  regularly 
from  Frau  von  Stein  now  that  she  has  joined  her 
husband.  His  present  sphere  of  action  is  grand 
and  noble,  and  I  hope  that  he  will  succeed  in  satis- 
fying expectations. 

Breslau  has  really  risen  from  the  dead,  and 
people  of  all  nationalities,  and  many  who  were 
thought  to  be  dead,  are  there  now. 

Gneisenau1  has  two  British  officers  with  him  who 
brought  arms  and  ammunition.  They  say  the  Prince 
Biron  is  going  to  enter  the  Russian  service,  because 
he  was  not  quartered  where  he  wished  to  be. 

Scharnhorst2  has  received  the  Alexander-Newski 
order. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

March  31. 

It  is  the  same  with  you  as  with  me,  and  when 
my  mind  is  at  rest  for  a  moment,  I  interest  myself 
with  outside  concerns ;  but  how  little  they  are  to 
me  when  the  beloved  object  of  my  life  is  suffering 
or  less  well !  .  .  .  We  hardly  dare  talk  much  about 
the  daily  news,  but  we  hope  and  expect  the  best, 
and  that  salvation  may  be  near.  The  public  spirit 
is  splendid.  I  had  a  letter  from  Septi,3  from  some 
place  between  Bunzlau  and  GOrlitz.  He  was  well 
and  happy.  May  God  bless  the  noble  boy  who  has 
had  such  a  special  place  in  my  heart  ever  since  his 
childhood  ! 

1  Field-Marshal  Count  von  Gneisenau,  born  1760,  died  1829. — M.B.-L. 
1  General  von  Scharnhorst  (Hanoverian),  born  1735,  died  1813. — 
M.  B.-L. 
3  "Septi,"  Heinrich  LXX.  Reuss.— E.  R. 


94  MARRIED   LIFE  [1813 

Our  friend  1  from  Nassau  was  in  the  greatest  danger 
for  three  weeks.  He  had  one  of  those  dreadful  fevers 
which  carry  people  off  so  quickly. 

To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

BUCHWALD,  April  23. 

Only  a  few  words  to-day,  dear  friend,  before  the 
post  goes  out.  I  have  had  very  much  to  do,  for  I 
owed  letters  in  every  direction.  Some  of  the  posts  may 
be  stopped  soon.  The  news  promises  well ;  they  are 
cautiously  advancing,  and  there  seems  to  be  much 
unity  of  opinion  in  executing  their  plans.  The 
Hereditary  Duke  John  is  stationed  near  Ezenstochau, 
and  Saxony  is  garrisoned  from  Prague.  The  first 
war  bulletin  in  the  Vienna  paper  of  the  i5th  is 
extremely  interesting.  The  supplies  which  we  had 
to  order  from  Waldau,  in  Saxony,  have  been  counter- 
manded, a  proof  that  the  troops  are  retiring.  I  am 
in  constant  suspense :  how  can  I  be  otherwise,  when 
our  fate  trembles  in  the  balance? 

August  17,  Morning. 

What  an  important  and  interesting  day  this  is !  I 
can  think  of  nothing  else.  The  anniversary  of 
Friedrich  II.'s  death,  and  to-day  we  await  the  relief  of 
Europe  !  Since  twelve  o'clock  last  night  there  is  not  a 
single  neutral  state  left  in  this  part  of  the  world,  except, 
perhaps,  Sardinia ;  and  if  Napoleon  had  not  rejected 
up  till  now  the  peace  proposals,  Austria  would  have 
joined  also.  Our  position  is  peculiarly  interesting 
nere.  There  is  a  camp  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant, 
with  all  its  unavoidable  consequences  for  us.  Here,  at 
Buchwald,  it  is  perfectly  quiet ;  but  two  and  a  half 
miles  away  a  not  unimportant  engagement  took  place 
yesterday.  The  French  were  obliged  to  retire,  and 
seem  to  have  drawn  back  at  all  points.  God  grant 
that  this  poor  country,  which  has  suffered  so  inde- 
scribably and  for  such  a  length  of  time,  may  be 
relieved  at  last.2  Our  supply  of  food  is  not  sufficient 

1  Heinrich  Friedrich  Karl,  Imperial  Freiherr  vom  und  zum  Stein, 
Prussian  statesman,  Minister  of  Finance  and  Commerce,  1804-8;  born 
October  27,  1757,  died  July  29,  1831. — M.  B.-L. 

*  Bliicher  won  a  victory  over  the  French  General  Macdonald,  near 
the  river  Katzbach,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Liegnitz,  on  August  26, 
and  there  was  an  engagement  at  Goldberg  shortly  after. — M.  B.-L. 


i8i3]     THE   BATTLE   OF   THE   KATZBACH       95 

now,  and  our  crowded  towns  require  two  or  three 
supplies  a  day.  At  our  farm  on  the  Birkberg,  where 
the  camp  covers  part  of  the  mountain  side,  the  potato 
fields  are  quite  bare,  but  the  six  or  seven  hundred 
bushels  which  we  gave  away  are  of  little  good,  as  they 
do  not  satisfy  hunger,  for  they  are  no  larger  than 
filberts,  and  many  had  begun  to  sprout.  But  how 
readily  we  shall  forget  everything  of  this  sort  if  only 
public  affairs  go  on  all  right! 

September  2. 

Thanks  to  our  faithful  people  here,  nearly  all  signs 
of  the  bivouac  in  house  and  garden  have  been  removed. 
Everything  in  Silesia  is  going  on  all  right,  and  I  hope 
all  is  well  with  you  at  Dresden.  We  have  taken  more 
than  two  hundred  guns  and  from  three  to  four  hundred 
ammunition  and  baggage  waggons.  It  is  an  extra- 
ordinary victory.  Here  is  an  extract  from  a  letter 
written  by  Harry  Reuss  on  the  evening  of  the  28th  : 

"  We  won  a  glorious  victory  on  the  26th,  and  I  am  \ 
able  TTJ  tell  you,  with  a  heart  full  of  joy,  that  we  are 
doing  well.  Our  soldiers  have  to  endure  a  great  deal, 
but  even  when  we  wade  up  to  our  waists  through  the 
river  by  day,  and  sleep  on  the  damp  ground  at  night, 
there  is  no  murmuring.  They  are  cheerful,  for  we 
have  had  a  victory,  and  they  can  shout  now,  '  Long 
live  the  King ! '  With  one  voice  we  thank  God.  The 
Landwehr  behaved  like  heroes — I  mean,  of  course, 
the  privates,  for  as  an  officer,  I  cannot  speak  of 
the  others." 

There  are  very  few  letters  extant  of  the  year  1813, 
one  reason  being,  perhaps,  the  uncertainty  of  the 
posts  at  that  unsettled  time.  Count  Reden  and  his 
wife  were  certain  to  have  taken  an  active  part  in 
public  events  wherever  possible.  The  Countess  was 
always  ready  to  serve  her  Fatherland,  and  the  appoint- 
ment of  her  brother  under  Stein  in  the  administration 
of  the  territory  they  had  won  back  was  a  great  delight 
to  her. 


96  MARRIED   LIFE  [1814 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

December  20,  1813. 

I  must  write  you,  dear  Caroline,  of  my  pleasure 
in  George's  appointment,  which  will  give  you  both 
such  opportunities  of  usefulness.  It  will  give  my 
brother  so  many  chances  of  helping  on  the  work 
which  is  so  greatly  needed.  And  then,  dear  Caroline, 
you  will  be  together.  Only  a  wife  who  loves  and  is 
loved  knows  what  separation  means.  But  you  would 
not,  I  know,  have  held  George  back  from  serving  with 
the  Landwehr  against  the  enemy,  and  you  would  have 
hidden  your  tears  and  suffered  dreadfully  and  not 
have  known  a  moment's  peace.  We  are  not  Roman 
women,  whose  hard  resignation  I  never  admired,  but 
true  German  women,  who  love  our  husbands  with 
all  our  hearts.  It  is  touching  to  see  my  husband's 
enthusiasm  and  delight.  All  the  sacrifices  which  he 
has  laid  on  the  altar  of  his  Fatherland  will  surely 
bring  him  blessings.  His  cheerfulness  is  like  new 
life  to  me.  .  .  .  The  end  of  the  year  is  indeed  glorious, 
especially  for  us  Prussians.  What  have  we  not  gone 
through,  and  how  much  there  is  for  us  to  talk  over 
when  we  meet! 

To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

BUCHWALD,  January  15. 

My  sisters,  Countess  Carmer,  and  I  are  all  here  in 
my  bedroom,  each  at  a  writing-table  finishing  our 
letters  for  the  post.  There  is  a  tremendous  storm 
to-day,  and  it  is  so  bitterly  cold  that  none  of  the 
rooms  can  be  got  warm,  so  we  are  all  encamped 
here  close  to  the  stove,  with  the  curtains  drawn  and 
hermetically  sealed,  although  it  is  only  four  o'clock, 
and  we  are  obliged  to  write  by  lamplight.  .  .  . 

Herr  von  Stein,  the  Representative  of  the  Province, 
from  Breslau,  has  also  been  here  for  a  week.  He  was 
born  at  Weimar,  and  educated  under  Goethe,  and  he 
is  a  scientific  and  agreeable  man.  I  love  and  respect 
him  very  much,  and  his  visit  has  done  my  husband 
and  the  trio  good. 

The  news  yesterday  was  most  interesting.  Letters 
from  the  frontiers  of  France  tell  us  of  slight  disturb- 
ances there  which  may  mean  peace  and  quietness  for 
us  before  long.  The  Guards  are  ordered  to  Geneva,  via 


1 8 14]       LANDWEHR   AND   LANDSTURM  97 

Berne.  I  wish  our  young  soldiers  had  a  better  season 
for  their  journey.  My  brother  George  was  at  Dresden 
for  ten  days,  to  see  Prince  Repnin.  Count  Gessler 
was  there,  and  was  very  much  taken  with  him,  and 
says  that  he  is  admirable  and  energetic  in  his  work. 
He  is  commissioned  to  organise  the  Landwehr1  and 
Landsturm2  of  all  the  Princes,  to  look  after  the 
hospitals,  transport,  and  commissariat,  and  to  super- 
intend everything  while  the  march  lasts.  You  see, 
dear  friend,  that  there  is  no  lack  of  work,  and  there 
will  be  plenty  of  thorny  moments.  God  will  give 
strength  for  them  all.  .  .  . 

I  am  reading  a  good  deal  of  English  just  now,  and 
have  come  across  many  excellent  works ;  but  when 
shall  we  be  able  to  get  books  direct  from  England  ? 
Our  friends  the  Clintons  are  in  command  in  Spain 
and  Portugal.  I  am  glad  that  our  King  waited  till 
the  greater  part  of  his  troops  were  across  the  Rhine 
before  joining  the  army. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

May  22. 

I  am  surrounded  by  the  whole  family,  which  makes 
it  a  trifle  confusing  to  write  a  letter.  My  good 
husband  sends  his  love.  His  health  is  much  as  usual, 
but  he  does  not  lose  patience,  and  he  is  fairly  well, 
and  his  mind  as  clear  and  active  as  ever.  He  cele- 
brated the  twelfth  with  a  thousand  proofs  of  his  love 
and  tenderness  for  his  devoted  Fritze.  I  was  very 
much  touched  and  delighted  by  so  many  friends 
coming  on  that  day.  We  are  quite  happy  about 
political  matters,  and  are  enjoying  everything  con 
amore,  though  we  think  that  the  Allies  are  too  lenient. 

The  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Katzbach  was 
celebrated  by  Count  Reden  and  the  friends  whom  he 
invited  to  be  of  the  party  by  bivouacking  on  the 
Birkberg.  Count  Reuss  LXIV.  and  his  three  sons 
were  among  the  relations  present.  An  anecdote  is 
told  of  the  servants  coming  to  blows  as  to  the 

1  All  the  manhood  of  the  nation  who  have  served  in  the  army. — 
M.  B.-L. 

1  All  males  able  to  bear  arm«. — M.  B.-L. 

7 


98  MARRIED   LIFE  [1814 

respective  merits  of  their  several  masters.  Possibly 
the  liberal  allowance  of  drink  may  have  contributed 
to  the  affair.  Buchwald  had  its  usual  number  of 
visitors  that  summer,  and  the  ever-kind  host  did  not 
seem  worse  than  usual. 

But  the  autumn  was  a  time  of  anxiety,  for  he  was 
constantly  ill,  and  although  his  wife  knew  his  con- 
dition to  be  hopeless,  she  never  permitted  her  fears 
to  appear.  Her  journals  about  the  end  of  October 
contain  many  sad  expressions,  and  in  her  gardening 
journal  she  writes : 

Glorious  weather!  I  am  going  through  the  fields 
to  note  down  the  number  of  roots.  If  only  I  could 
feel  cheerful  about  my  husband's  condition  ! 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

BUCHWALD,  December  16. 

The  days  are  too  short  by  half,  and  though  they 
are  not  idly  spent,  I  find  that  they  fly  much  faster 
when  they  are  most  monotonous — that  is  to  say,  when 
they  are  well-ordered  and  regular.  The  mornings  of 
the  late  autumn  and  winter  are  devoted  to  my  own 
pursuits,  reading,  note-taking,  etc.,  and  to  household 
matters ;  a  visit  to  the  conservatory,  a  drive  to  the 
farm  with  my  husband,  where  I  stop  for  a  short  time, 
a  little  botany  with  Lotte,  some  accounts,  and  the 
morning  is  gone.  I  read  a  little  in  the  afternoon  or 
play  the  piano — especially  if  no  one  is  here — write 
letters  till  our  sociable  tea  is  ready,  after  which  we 
read  and  work.  Reden  reads  aloud  to  us  after  supper, 
and  I  have  not  done  the  half  of  what  I  had  intended 
to  do.  Add  to  this,  a  visitor  drops  in,  and  the  other 
incidental  interruptions,  odds  and  ends  of  business 
to  see  to,  which  you,  as  a  housekeeper,  can  well 
understand,  and  the  days  are  really  too  short. 

To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

BUCHWALD,  December  28. 

If  only  my  husband  were  stronger  and  his  cough 
less,  what  might  not  1815  be  to  me!  He  was  ill  in 
October  and  November,  but  he  has  been  much  better 


i8is]         COUNT   REDEN'S   BIRTHDAY  99 

this  month.  One  would  have  to  possess  his  strength 
of  mind  to  be  able  to  endure  suffering  for  such  a  length 
of  time  with  so  much  cheerfulness,  and  to  retain  so 
much  interest  in  all  that  is  good  and  useful,  as  he 
does.  Your  letter  gave  him  great  pleasure,  especially 
the  notes  about  Nathusius's  factories,  and  he  would 
like  to  read  Thaer's  report  very  much.  Have  you 
not  made  a  collection  of  dried  plants  from  your  garden 
this  year?  My  hopes  are  built,  dear,  on  you.  It 
would  be  nice  if  we  kept  ourselves  au  courant  about 
the  new  things  in  the  gardening  world. 

To  DORETTE 

BUCHWALD,  December. 

A  life-sized  bust  of  my  husband  in  Parian  marble 
has  been  sent  to  me  from  the  Berlin  China-factory. 
It  is  a  superb  present,  and  a  very  finished  work 
of  art,  wnich  I  know  how  to  appreciate  as  it 
deserves. 

The  winter  passed  in  the  usual  way.  Though 
Count  Reden  seemed  no  worse,  his  strength  had  been 
undermined  by  years  of  suffering.  He  retained  to 
the  last  his  lively  interest  in  the  great  events  of 
the  day,  as  well  as  his  love  for  everything  great 
and  good,  and  his  wife  shared  all  this  with  him,  so 
that  in  after-years  she  was  able  to  speak  of  the 
"happy  times  of  1815";  but  this  happiness  was  all 
too  short. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

March  28. 

I  waited  till  after  the  23rd  before  writing  to  you, 
dear  Caroline,  and  I  am  glad  that  the  day  passed 
off  very  pleasantly,  and  my  dear  husband  was 
more  cheerful  than  I  dared  to  hope,  and  fairly 
well.  He  was  pleased  with  each  little  surprise,  and 
my  little  present  of  two  English  books,  one  on 
sheepbreeding  containing  sixteen  steel-engravings 
by  Petri,  a  case  with  knife,  fork,  and  spoon  for 
our  little  trips  to  the  farms,  and  also  a  plated  beer- 
jug  with  three  bottles  of  the  genuine  article,  he 


ioo  MARRIED   LIFE  [1815 

liked  very  much.  .  .  .  He  was  so  seriously  ill  for 
a  fortnight,  that  I  was  afraid  he  would  have  a 
dangerous  relapse.  That  is  over  now,  thank  God ! 
and  although  he  suffers  a  good  deal,  the  nights  are 
better,  and  he  gets  several  consecutive  hours  of  sleep. 
I  am  in  no  fear  of  that  horrible  Napoleon  being 
able  to  make  any  lasting  progress.  Any  sort  of 
civil  war  is  terrible,  and  the  unrest  in  Europe  and 
the  general  expense  cannot  be  estimated.  Silesia, 
especially,  will  be  in  a  miserable  state,  as  there  is 
a  notification  of  the  coming  of  two  Russian  army 
corps,  and  all  the  Landwehr  are  on  the  march.  Three 
hundred  and  eighty-eight  soldiers  are  to  arrive  here 
to-morrow,  and  we  shall  have  eleven  officers  and  four- 
teen servants  quartered  on  us,  and  this  is  to  go  on  for 
the  whole  month,  and  all  this  comes  upon  us  just  at 
the  time  for  sowing.  Every  one  had  been  so  delighted 
at  having  peace,  and  in  being  able  to  carry  on  the 
regular  occupations  of  life  in  quietness  once  more. 
Having  the  plants  indoors  has  shortened  the  winter 
immensely  for  me,  and  my  sitting-room  and  the 
corner  window  are  literally  turned  into  flower-beds. 

To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

BUCHWALD,  March  31,  1815. 

I  can  say  with  truth  that  it  is  a  long  time  since 
I  have  been  so  upset  as'  I  have  been  by  the  news 
to-day.  I  never  could  have  imagined  it  could  be  so 
bad,  nor  that  the  advance  could  be  so  rapid  as  one 
hundred  and  twenty  miles  in  twenty  days,  and  no 
difficult  march,  but  a  triumphal  progress.1  What  a 
nation  ! — what  a  people  !  It  is  impossible  to  fancy  what 
the  result  of  the  entry  into  Paris  will  be.  The  fate 
of  the  brave,  noble-minded  King  is  truly  lamentable. 
Such  events  are  almost  beyond  belief,  and  we  are 
deeply  distressed.  I  have  very  little  hope  (my  sisters 
would  tell  you  that  that  is  my  way),  but  my  dear 
Reden  has  more.  We  discuss  it,  study  the  maps, 
measure  the  distances,  and  the  result  is  sad  enough. 
I  only  depend  upon  the  eastern  provinces.  Peronne 
does  not  seem  to  me  secure  enough.  This  restless, 

1  Napoleon  escaped  from  the  island  of  Elba  on  February  26,  landed 
in  France  March  I,  and  marched  on  Paris.  There  from  March  20  to 
June  29. 


i8i5]  THE   HUNDRED   DAYS  101 

dictatorial  soldiery  reminds  me  of  the  days  before 
the  fall  of  Rome,  when  an  emperor  was  appointed, 
dethroned,  and  killed  at  the  pleasure  of  the  army. 

April  i. 

If  April  ends  as  well  as  it  has  begun,  my  husband's 
health  will  improve.  We  have  had  a  glorious  week 
of  spring  weather,  and  everything  is  coming  out. 
The  23rd  was  a  day  of  happy  sadness,  but  my  husband 
was  better  than  I  thought  possible.  Still,  he  likes  to 
be  out  of  doors  when  once  I  can  get  him  into  the 
carriage,  which  is  not  an  easy  matter,  and  it  is  some 
time  before  he  can  be  got  off.  He  has  been  out  riding 
twice.  We  had  a  large  number  of  the  staff  and  all 
the  officers  of  the  Landwehr  quartered  on  us  on  the 
2Qth,  while  eight  hundred  and  eighty  men  were  in 
the  village.  Everything  passed  off  quietly  and  well, 
and  it  was  particularly  pleasant  for  us  to  find  three 
of  the  mining  officials  among  the  officers,  two  of  whom 
owe  their  very  existence  to  my  husband.  You  can 
fancy  how  much  pleased  they  were  to  see  their 
benefactor  again,  and  to  receive  his  God-speed. 

I  hope  Humboldt  will  not  remain  in  Paris  now. 
We  are  anxious  about  many  of  our  acquaintances 
who  are  there. 

I  must  stop,  but  I  will  write  again  before  long. 
My  husband  is  waiting  for  me  to  join  him  in  the 
cornfield,  and  for  the  sowing  to  begin.  I  am  to  take 
the  seed,  and  so  I  must  not  delay. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

April  20. 

My  husband's  opinion  and  mine  upon  the  present 
catastrophe  are  the  same — namely,  tnat  the  spirit  of 
the  kingdom  of  evil,  this  so-called  freedom,  which 
Napoleon  is  allowing  to  run  wild,  will  be  the  cause 
of  his  fall.  But  who  will  ever  be  able  to  rule  that 
ungovernable  people?  I  am  expecting  America  and 
her  children,  with  the  tutor,  governess,  and  four 
servants ;  also  Herr  von  Rosenstiel,  the  Councillor  of 
State,  Herr  Rosch,  a  provincial  Judge,  Countess  Car- 
mer,  and  my  sisters.  It  will  be  a  great  pleasure  ;  and 
yet — can  you  believe  it  ? — we  are  dreading  to  have  our 
quiet  invaded,  for  my  husband  enjoys  our  solitude, 
and  I  am  so  happy  alone  with  him. 


102  MARRIED   LIFE  [1815 

A  new  interest,  which  was  to  be  rich  in  results, 
came  into  the  life  of  both  husband  and  wife  about 
this  time.  The  Countess  had  written  to  her  sister- 
in-law  in  October  of  the  previous  year,  and  asked  her : 

Will  you  become  a  member  of  our  Bible  Society  ?  I 
am  deeply  interested  in  it,  for  it  fulfils  a  long-cherished 
desire.  It  is,  besides,  indispensable  to  our  schools. 

And  again  later  on  she  wrote  : 

Nothing  occupies  my  mind  more  than  everything 
in  any  way  connected  with  the  Bible  Society,  and 
missionary  work,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  it  will 
spread  like  an  unquenchable  fire  the  true  faith  and  a 
knowledge  of  the  Bible. 

The  Prussian  Bible  Society  had  been  founded  in 
Berlin  by  the  Scotch  minister  Dr.  Pinkerton.  It  was 
wonderful  how  warmly  Count  Reden  entered  into  the 
movement  which  began  in  England,  and  reached  him 
through  Berlin,  and  he  carried  on  the  work  among 
his  tenants  and  cottagers  at  Buchwald  and  Quirl. 

He  does  not  appear  to  have  been  a  man  of  enthu- 
siastic evangelical  convictions,  though  a  noble-hearted, 
duty-loving  philanthropist,  and  from  this  standpoint  he 
may  have  regarded  the  spread  of  the  Bible  as  likely 
to  further  the  instruction  and  better  the  condition  of 
the  people.  He  had,  with  the  help  of  the  church- 
wardens, a  list  drawn  up  of  the  Bibles  which  were 
to  be  found  in  the  place,  and  then  to  have  made 
known  how  many  were  required,  and  to  have  invited 
the  parishioners  to  contribute  towards  a  supply  of 
Bibles.  They  subscribed  twenty-three  thalers,  and 
fifty  Bibles  were  ordered. 

Count  Reden  distributed  the  Bibles  himself,  having 
got  them  from  the  head  repository  in  Berlin.  He 
did  more  than  that,  as  he  wanted  to  distribute  the 
Holy  Scriptures  in  far-away  places  in  the  mountain 


i8i5]        THE   BATTLE   OF  WATERLOO  103 

districts,  so  he  decided  to  found  a  Bible  Society  in 
his  own  parish.  He  drew  up  the  rules,  and  submitted 
them  to  the  consideration  of  a  few  people  who  met 
at  his  house  on  June  19,  1815.  They  were  on  the 
lines  of  the  mother  society  in  England,  and  are  in 
force  to  the  present  day.  A  small  fund  was  opened, 
to  which  the  Count  subscribed  fifty  thalers,  the 
Countess  two  Friedrich  d'or,  and  Sir  James  Riddell 
four.  Lotte  von  Riedesel  was  the  treasurer  and  the 
choirmaster,  Herr  Maiwald  the  secretary.  Count 
Reden  appointed  his  wife  to  be  president.  If  it  be 
true  that  the  dying  often  speak  prophetically,  Count 
Reden,  who  was  rapidly  approaching  his  end,  had 
as  it  were  a  prophetic  instinct  in  his  last  actions, 
and  he  gave  to  his  much-loved  wife,  an  object  which 
became  a  great  blessing  to  her  and  many  others. 
There  were  seven  members  when  the  society  was 
first  founded,  besides  the  above-mentioned  officials 
of  it.  The  rough  draft  of  the  proceedings  on  this 
first  day  contained  these  words  : 

Further,  we  will  earnestly  endeavour  to  spread 
the  pure  faith  and  comfort  of  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

The  Count  and  Countess  had  one  more  great  joy 
in  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  though  their 
joy  was  saddened  by  their  sympathy  with  Countess 
Sophie  Schwerin,  whose  husband  was  killed  on  the 
battlefield. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

BUCHWALD,  June  28,  1815. 

I  can't  tell  you  how  happy  I  am  in  anticipation  of 
our  meeting.  God  grant  that  my  dear  husband  may 
be  fairly  well  when  you  come,  so  that  he  may  enjoy 
your  visit.  ...  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  tell  you 
how  happy  we  were  at  the  news  of  the  i8th.  Every 
one  is  rejoicing  about  us,  and  Wellington  and 
Bliicher  are  the  heroes  of  the  day.  Such  a  beginning 


104  MARRIED   LIFE  [1815 

promises   a  speedy   and   happy   ending.     God  grant 
it  may  be  so ! 

This  letter  has  a  touching  interest,  as  having  been 
written  only  five  days  before  her  earthly  happiness 
was  taken  from  her.  Count  Reden's  health  did  not 
cause  any  special  anxiety  just  then,  though  he 
required  the  greatest  care,  as  he  had  done  for  years 
to  a  certain  extent.  There  was  a  large  party  of 
friends  and  relations  staying  in  the  house — the 
Bernstorffs  and  their  four  children,  and  various  friends, 
including  Sir  James  Riddell.  Caroline  von  Riedesel 
was  away  nursing  Countess  Jenny  Reuss. 

Writing  later  on  about  these  last  days,  Countess 
Reden  says : 

I  live  now  only  in  the  memory  of  those  happy 
days  of  1815,  every  one  of  which  brought  me  some 
fresh  proof  of  my  husband's  love.  I  shall  never 
forget  his  words  on  the  2oth,  as  we  were  driving 
not  far  from  the  Abbey  and  the  Grotto.  Seeing  that 
I  was  moved,  he  pressed  me  to  him,  and  said  in 
French,  so  that  the  coachman  might  not  understand, 
and  with  a  feeling  and  significance  which  thrilled 
me,  "  Amie  de  mon  coeur,  je  vous  aime,  je  vous 
adore."  A  rose-bush  blooms  on  the  spot  now,  and  I 
often  go  there.  And  so  it  was  every  day.  Then  came 
the  hours  of  illness,  borne  with  heavenly  patience; 
but  the  time  when  the  conviction  that  his  death  was 
imminent  had  not  actually  forced  itself  upon  my 
senseless  mind  till  my  eyes  at  last  rested  on  his 
beautiful  lifeless  features,  and  the  moment  soon  came — 
ah,  how  soon  ! — when  I  felt  the  pang  and  the  despair 
of  that  long  farewell. 

JOURNAL 

June  21. — The  last  breakfast  in  the  Pavilion  with 
my  dear  husband,  the  very  last  time  I  was  there  with 
him.  Was  it  the  premonition  of  my  approaching 
sorrow  which  moved  me  so  deeply  and  which  made 
me  shed  so  many  tears  ?  I  thought  that  Riddell's 
leaving  us  was  the  cause.  I  choked  them  back  and 
was  more  cheerful  when  I  saw  my  husband  come  in. 


FRIEDRICU    WILHELM,    COUNT   VON    REDEN. 

(From  a  drawing  by  Freifranlein  Caroline  I'on  Riedesel  su  Eisenach  in  1815. 
By  kind  permission  of  freifierr  von  Rotenhan,  oj  Buchwald.) 


{To  face  p.  104. 


i8is]  COUNT   REDEN'S   DEATH  105 

July  2.  —  What  a  fulness  of  love  he  showered  upon 
me  in  those  last  days  !  "  Your  voice  is  music  to  me." 
"  Wife,  you  have  the  noblest  mind,  the  tenderest  heart, 
but  take  care  that  it  does  not  run  away  with  your  head." 

July  3.  —  The  last  night,  the  last  day,  and  then  that 
break  came  in  my  life  which  will  last  until  I  reach  a 
happier  world.  After  eight  o'clock  to-day  Fritze 
Reaen  ceased  to  be  happy  or  glad.  The  object  of 
her  existence  departed  from  her.  She  must  endure 
with  patience,  then  will  come  her  reward. 

CAROLINE  VON  RIEDESEL  TO  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 


5- 

I  hasten  to  tell  you,  dear  Frau  von  Itzenplitz,  and 
your  husband,  the  sad  news  of  my  brother-in-law's 
death.  You  have  known  him  so  many  years,  and 
so  highly  appreciated  his  rare  character,  and  you  also 
knew  the  happy  relations  between  him  and  my  poor 
sister,  that  you  will  mourn  his  loss  with  us  all.  This 
wet,  cold  weather  aggravated  the  trouble  in  his  lungs, 
and  for  three  days  he  was  very  ill  in  bed,  and  then 
passed  peacefully  away  in  our  beloved  Fritze's  arms, 
retaining  his  consciousness  till  the  last.  She  did  not 
break  down  until  he  could  no  longer  hear  or  see  her 
tears.  We  sisters  who  are  with  her  knew  her  love 
for  him,  and  with  aching  hearts  we  can  measure  the 
terrible  emptiness  surrounding  her  on  all  sides,  and 
we  ask  ourselves  if  time  and  the  duties  that  await 
her  will  be  able  to  fill  the  void.  I  am  thankful  to  say 
that  she  has  the  relief  of  tears  which  she  so  long  kept 
back.  Her  one  occupation  now  is  to  talk  of  him  as  he 
rests  near  her  with  a  smile  on  his  face.  He  is  to 
be  buried  the  day  after  to-morrow  after  sundown, 
and  his  final  resting-place  will  be  in  a  vault  in  the 
Abbey,  in  the  midst  of  his  own  beautiful  work.  She 
is  indescribably  glad  that  the  news  of  the  victory 
reached  him.  He  rejoiced  over  it  to  the  very  last  in 
his  own  special  way.  The  Countess  Reuss,  whom  I 
have  been  nursing,  passed  away  a  few  days  before 
him.  He  died  at  eight  in  the  evening,  a  few  hours 
after  that  poor  sufferer  had  been  laid  in  her  last 
resting-place.  You  will  be  glad  to  know  that  my 
sister  America  and  her  husband  and  Countess  Carmer 
are  here  with  us. 


106  MARRIED   LIFE  [1815 

CAROLINE  VON  RIEDESEL  TO  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

July  21. 

A  few  hurried  lines  to  answer  your  questions, 
dearest  friend.  My  brother-in-law  clearly  recognised 
that  he  was  getting  weaker,  and  must  have  done  so 
in  January,  when  we  decided  to  go  to  Berlin.  After 
that  he  got  better,  and  was  much  more  hopeful  after 
he  had  seen  Dr.  Haiisler.  He  made  his  will,  however, 
in  March,  and  seemed  more  at  ease  when  he  had 
attended  to  this.  I  was  altogether  satisfied  with 
his  looks  when  we  returned  in  April,  and  no  one 
thought  of  danger  when  he  complained  of  feeling  ill 
on  June  27.  Then  poor  Countess  Reuss  died  on 
the  28th  in  great  suffering,  and  I  remained  at 
Stonsdorf  till  the  next  day,  on  account  of  her  poor 
husband.  Fritze  made  up  her  mind  to  go  and  see 
him  and  fetch  me  back.  This  all  will  show  you  how 
little  anxiety  we  felt ;  but  on  my  return,  when  I  saw 
how  exhausted  my  brother-in-law  was  by  the  fever, 
I  felt  that  it  was  more  serious  than  a  mere  passing 
attack.  Friends  not  knowing  his  powers  of  endurance, 
and  seeing  him  so  cheerful  and  with  such  a  keen 
interest  in  all  that  went  on  about  him,  might  easily 
have  been  deceived ;  but  we  who  had  often  seen  him 
ill  were  more  anxious.  His  fever  and  flushed  face 
kept  us  in  dread  of  haemorrhage,  but  he  did  not  have 
one.  I  think  I  told  you  that  I  closed  his  eyes.  If 
she  were  not  my  sister,  I  should  say  that  her 
demeanour  in  this  deep  sorrow  was  an  example  for 
every  one.  You  can  well  imagine  that  life  has  lost 
its  charm  for  her.  Her  one  feeling  just  at  present 
is  the  emptiness  of  life  and  the  weight  of  its  duties. 
She  keeps  well  in  health.  My  brother  George, 
although  he  did  not  receive  our  letters,  came  to  her 
at  once  with  his  wife  and  child,  and  their  meeting 
was  a  very  trying  moment.  Of  course,  George  is 
doing  all  he  can  for  her  in  the  way  of  necessary 
business,  and  we  go  to  him  for  help  in  every  con- 
ceivable way.  Marline's  clinging  affection  for  her 
poor,  desolate  aunt  is  irresistible.  She  is  really  the 
greatest  comforter  that  heaven  has  sent  us.  We 
sisters  who  have  seen  how  our  sister's  life  was  filled 
by  his  presence,  nursing  him  in  his  illness  by  night, 
and  devoting  herself  to  him  all  da}^  know  how  terribly 


SCHLOSS   BUCHWALD. 
(From  a  photograph  by  Liebig,  of  All-Kemnilz.) 


'    THE   ABBEY  AT   BUCHWALD, 
Where  Count  and  Countess  von  Reden  are  buried. 
(From  a  photograph  by  Liebig,  of  Alt-Kemnits.) 


{To  face  p.  106. 


i8i5]  SAD   RECOLLECTIONS  107 

heavy  time  must  hang  upon  her  now.  The  difficult 
new  life  has  to  be  begun.  I  often  thank  God  that 
we  are  with  her.  Even  the  lovely  weather  is  a  pain 
to  her,  now  that  he  is  no  longer  here  to  enjoy  it 
with  her.  We  do  not  attempt  to  advise  her  about 
anything,  for  we  hope  that  with  the  softening  influences 
of  time  she  will  begin  to  take  up  her  duties.  She 
will  turn  Buchwald  into  a  house  of  good  works,  and 
will  devote  all  her  means  to  its  maintenance.  We 
are  seeing  no  one  but  the  Stonsdorf  family,  among 
whom  I  consider  the  Fourty-fourth  as  one.  The  first 
meeting  with  them  was  very  trying." 

Countess  Reden  wrote  in  her  little  housekeeping 
journal  about  these  last  days : 

June  28. — I  drove  out  with  my  best  friend,  my 
councillor,  and  my  guide  for  the  last  time.  As  we 
were  returning  home  he  pointed  out  the  glade  he 
had  had  cut  near  the  farmhouse,  which  he  had  done 
to  please  me,  as  he  had  always  done  everything. 

June  29. — My  dear  husband  was  in  the  Pfaffen- 
grund  with  Count  Bernstorff,  and  so  busy  that  he 
only  got  back  at  half-past  two,  never  again  to  drive 
out,  never  again  to  see  his  farms,  nor  his  Buchwald. 
I  must  do  all  without  him.  May  God  give  me 
strength  for  it !  The  prospects  are  bad — no  seed, 
no  grain,  no  oats ;  but  God  will  further  bless  his 
beautiful  work,  and  accept  me  to  carry  it  on. 

June  30. — The  weather  is  as  sad  as  my  soul.  The 
hay  was  brought  in. 

July  i. — An  anxious  day,  the  forerunner  of  the  worst 
that  can  be,  the  day  of  his  death. 

July  3. — The  end  of  my  earthly  happiness.  Buch- 
wald is  desolate  and  forsaken. 

July  7. — My  Reden  left  his  house  to  rest  in  the 
Abbey.  There  he  rests  as  peacefully  as  he  lived,  and 
I  must  work  on  without  him,  without  help,  without 
advice. 

July  8. — The  barley  is  being  cut  here  in  the 
Pfaffengrund,  the  rape  seed  thrashed.  My  husband 
will  never  again  guide  my  pen,  will  never  again  call 
my  attention  to  anything.  Oh,  alone  here,  and 
without  him  ! 


CHAPTER  III 

FIRST   YEARS   OF  WIDOWHOOD  AND  WORKING  AND  SUFFER- 
ING  IN   THE   SERVICE   OF   GOD 

I8l5 — 1829 

/COUNTESS  REDEN  was  now  a  widow.  The 
* — '  nursing  and  anxiety  were  over,  the  work  for 
and  with  her  husband  were  past,  the  thirteen  years 
of  happiness  gone  for  ever. 

Later  on  God's  grace  wrought  a  change,  but  at 
first,  it  must  be  owned,  her  husband's  memory 
became  her  religion,  and  she  worshipped  it.  The 
hope  of  her  life  was  to  fulfil  her  duties  faithfully  and 
to  the  uttermost,  and  thus  earn  the  reward  of  seeing 
him  again.  This  gave  her  self-control,  and  was  a 
support  to  her  in  daily  life,  and  won  her  the  admira- 
tion of  those  about  her.  The  management  of  Buch- 
wald  according  to  his  known  wishes,  and  the  carrying 
out  of  his  work,  she  regarded  as  a  sacred  trust.  She 
managed  every  branch  of  the  agricultural  work  on 
the  estate,  looked  after  the  garden,  and  toiled  inde- 
fatigably.  But  her  letters  and  diaries  are  full  of  her 
passionate  sorrow. 

To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

BUCHWALD,  July   22. 

What  shall  my  aching  heart  tell  you,  my  dear 
friend?  The  joy  of  my  life  has  been  taken  from 
me,  and  although  my  brother  and  my  sisters  are  with 
me,  and  lavish  upon  me  love  and  tenderness,  I  feel 

108 


i8is]         FIRST   DAYS   OF  MOURNING  109 

forsaken,  desolate,  and  most  unspeakably  wretched. 
There  is  no  sorrow  that  can  equal  the  loss  of  such 
daily,  hourly  companionship  as  I  have  had.  To  have 
been  the  object  of  such  a  man's  devotion  makes  life 
without  him  unbearable,  except  from  a  sense  of  duty. 
I  enjoyed  his  confidence  and  his  love  in  the  fullest 
measure ;  his  conversation,  his  counsel,  his  praise  were 
life  to  me,  and  now  life  is  empty  indeed.  The  longing 
for  my  dear  husband  takes  complete  possession  of 
me.  It  is  one  of  my  comforts  to  remember  that  God 
gave  me  strength  to  be  calm  and  tearless  in  those 
last  supreme  moments  when,  with  his  head  on  my 
shoulder,  my  hand  clasped  and  pressed  in  his,  he 
looked  at  me  and  thus  ended  his  beautiful  life. 
Buchwald,  his  creation,  his  favourite  spot  on  earth, 
is  no  longer  the  bright  place  it  was,  and  remains  to 
me  a  sad  reminder  of  my  abiding  sorrow.  It  is 
replete  with  his  love  for  me,  and  is  indeed  a  treasure, 
and  I  will  care  for  it  as  a  precious  relic.  But  how 
different  it  is  for  me  now!  The  spirit  has  fled,  all 
is  changed. 

The  presence  of  her  sisters  was  a  great  solace  to 
her.  Her  brother,  partly  educated  under  Count 
Reden's  supervision,  was  wise  and  experienced  in 
the  management  of  land,  and  she  could  depend  on 
his  judgment,  and  seek  his  help  and  advice,  and  leave 
much  to  him  at  this  time. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

August  3. 

The  longer  the  separation  the  more  earnestly  do  I 
long  for  our  re-union.  This  will  come  one  day,  if 
I  am  worthy,  this  blessed  and  welcome  moment. 

I  am  doing  all  I  can  to  keep  everything  in  order, 
and  to  maintain  a  strict  supervision  over  the  whole 
place.  The  July  accounts  are  made  up,  and  I  have 
a  thousand  thalers  in  hand  for  household  expenses. 

.  .  .  My  time  of  probation  has  come :  pray  that  I  may 
use  it  aright.  My  future  course  is  determined,  and 
when  I  am  able  to  think  again,  I  trust  that  God  will 
support  me  and  grant  me  resignation,  and  will  reward 
my  efforts. 


UO         FIRST  YEARS   OF  WIDOWHOOD      [1815 

But  the  empty  place  in  every  room,  the  vacant 
places  everywhere  which  once  were  his !  .  .  .  Oh ! 
everything  is  terribly  changed.  I  often  feel  as  if  I 
did  not  even  know  my  old  self  any  longer.  ...  I  only 
live  in  trying  to  carry  on  the  work  he  left  me  to  do, 
and  though  I  have  strength  for  it,  I  have  little  pleasure 
in  it.  .  .  .  How  different  it  would  have  been  if  I  had 
a  child  of  his !  .  .  .  How  I  miss  not  having  my  dear 
one  to  tend  and  nurse,  and  the  glance  with  which 
he  so  lovingly  thanked  me  !  How  I  miss  the  love 
that  understood  mine,  the  intimate  confidence  which 
my  dear  husband  bestowed  upon  me,  the  heart  which 
was  wholly  mine,  and  the  charm  of  his  society,  his 
counsel ! — oh !  I  miss  it  all.  .  .  . 

The  Reusses  are  at  Stonsdorf  and  often  come  over. 
Count  Gessler  is  here.  He  understands  and  sym- 
pathises with  my  sorrow. 


To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

November  8. 

My  poor  orphaned  Buchwald  shall  continue  as  hos- 
pitable as  of  old,  for  its  master  would  wish  it  to  be 
so ;  but  the  signs  of  happiness,  .  .  .  the  silent  signs  of 
a  dear,  noble  husband's  love  and  of  a  wife's  joy,  these 
are  no  longer  here,  and  will  no  longer  greet  the 
guests  who  come.  It  can  never  again  be  what  it  once 
was.  Life  is  duty  for  me  henceforth,  and  memories 
of  the  past.  The  future  has  lost  all  charm,  and  I 
only  look  forward  with  hope  to  eternal  reunion,  with 
which  God  will  reward  me  in  His  own  good  time. 

You  don't  know  how  I  suffer  at  times,  though 
outwardly,  perhaps,  I  am  calmer.  From  the  first  day 
I  was  able  to  act,  because  I  felt  that  I  alone  could 
carry  out  my  husband's  wishes.  ...  I  am  quite  able 
to  work,  for  I  know  I  must.  I  try  to  do  all  that 
he  would  have  me  do,  and  to  act  as  he  would  have 
acted.  I  can't  make  up  my  mind  to  ask  advice  where 
Buchwald  is  concerned ;  besides,  I  am  sure  to  find 
counsel  from  his  own  hand,  if  I  look  for  it.  Thank 
God,  all  his  papers  and  directions  are  by  me,  all 
left  in  order  by  him,  and  they  contain  all  the  help 
and  guidance  that  I  require,  and  they  are  a  great 
consolation  to  me.  . 


i8is]  THE   LIFE   ALONE   BEGUN  in 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

December  27,  1815. 

You  don't  know  how  hard  it  is  to  say  good-bye  to 
1815.  I  had  six  happy  months  in  it,  six  months  with 
my  husband,  and  1816!  .  .  .  Now  comes  the  making 
up  of  accounts,  the  new  state  of  affairs.  What  a  deso- 
late feeling  they  give  me  !  No  one  to  persuade  or  to 
dissuade  me  from  anything. 

Alas !  when  I  used  to  read  or  hear  about  a  broken 
heart,  I  never  thought  that  it  could  be  more  than 
what  I  felt  when  my  father  died,  and  my  mother  and 
my  sister.  Ah,  how  different  it  is  now  ! 

Thus  ended  the  sad  year  1815,  and  at  the  beginning 
of  the  new  year,  1816,  the  Countess  writes  : 

JOURNAL 

January  i,  1816. — Alone,  desolate,  bereaved  of  my 
best  friend !  I  am  without  his  advice,  but,  thank 
God !  I  am  under  his  blessing  and  protection,  and 
thus  do  I  enter  upon  this  new  year,  and  God  alone 
knows  with  what  an  anxious,  sorrowful  heart.  God 
bless  my  sisters,  who  now  and  always  show  me  such 
faithful  and  devoted  affection  ! 

January  7. — Worked  with  Herr  Wendt  at  the  same 
table  at  which  you  sat  to  draw  up  the  deed  which 
made  me  mistress  of  Buchwald.  You  thought  of  me 
with  such  great  affection,  for  you  read  in  my  heart 
that  your  Fritze  cared,  not  for  the  possession  itself, 
but  for  the  care,  the  trouble,  the  consolation,  of 
carrying  out  all  your  wishes  with  regard  to  it,  and 
for  all  this  she  thanks  you. 

January  15. — "  Don't  let  your  heart  run  away  with 
your  reason,"  my  dear  husband  used  to  say,  and  I 
often  repeat  his  words  when  I  feel  inclined  to  be  too 
yielding  and  to  resign  a  right. 

February  2. — My  good  miners  in  Tarnowitz  Hospital 
have  received  a  little  assistance  from  friends,  which  I 
am  to  spend  for  them,  and  which  will  be  a  help  to  them. 

I  am  working  at  the  leases.  How  often  am  I  deeply 
moved  by  the  many  evidences  of  affection  and  un- 
ceasing care  to  which  each  building  bears  witness  ! 
What  have  I  done  in  return  for  so  much  love  ?  Ah ! 
I  have  loved  with  my  whole  soul  in  return,  and  every 


H2         FIRST   YEARS   OF  WIDOWHOOD      [1816 

day  of  my  life,  please  God,  I  shall  continue  to  love 
him.  I  am  collecting  the  papers  relating  to  the  mining 
and  smelting  departments.  What  a  labour,  what  a 
wealth  of  experience  they  show !  If  I  had  had  a  son 
to  profit  by  all  this  accumulated  knowledge ! 

George  von  Riedesel,  with  his  wife  and  little 
daughter,  came  to  help  and  comfort  his  widowed 
sister  at  the  beginning  of  March.  She  became  more 
than  ever  devoted  to  Marline,  and  already  had 
thoughts  of  making  her  the  heiress  of  Buchwald. 
Writing  in  her  journal,  she  says  : 

March  2. — George  arrived  at  nine  o'clock  with  his 
wife  and  child.  Marline  is  such  a  joy  to  me  and  such 
a  comfort !  .  .  .  Ah !  if  only  my  husband  could  have 
seen  her  he  would  have  decided  for  me.  Marline  is 
more  to  me  every  day ;  she  comes  with  me  when  I 
am  attending  to  household  affairs,  and  delights  me 
with  her  remarks. 

Arranged  with  Exner  about  the  charities  for  Quirl. 
We  agreed  not  to  spend  the  small  capital,  but  to 
rent  a  room  with  the  interest  of  it  for  the  poor,  which, 
with  my  mite,  will  be  a  lasting  benefit,  I  hope. 

Worked  at  the  Bible  Society  Report.  I  wish  I 
could  avoid  pedantic  phraseology,  and  yet  give  our 
association  a  certain  of  dignity,  because  my  husband 
founded  it,  and  no  seed  of  his  sowing  has  ever  failed 
to  bring  forth  good  fruit  here  below.  What  a  harvest 
he  must  have  reaped  above ! 

March  21. — My  brother  with  his  wife  and  child  left. 
Marline's  sorrow  at  parting  moved  me  deeply.  Had 
my  husband  but  said  a  word  to  me  about  this  child,  I 
should  have  acted  with  the  certainty  of  his  approval ; 
and  I  should  have  had  an  object  in  life  again. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

.  .  .  How  her  gaiety  and  happy  childish  nature 
refreshed  me !  I  appreciated  it  all  more  this  time 
than  I  ever  did  before.  I  put  a  great  restraint  upon 
myself  not  to  show  my  feelings  at  the  sight  of  her 
grief  at  leaving.  Her  tender,  affectionate  ways,  and 
the  clasp  of  her  hand  at  the  last  moment ! — "  Tante, 
don't  forget  Marline.  Tante,  let  me  know  how  every- 


C     /////•/////•    /v//  .   ////>//://•/    '//  ^  '/. 

d.!  .  '/rft/rau     i-r>rt   .  Ai-fi-n  4, in 


i8i6]          COUNT   REDEN'S   BIRTHDAY  113 

thing  goes  off  on  the  23rd  "  ;  and  then,  "  Dear  Tante ! — 
dear,  kind  Tante ! "  The  words  still  ring  in  my  ears, 
and  touch  my  sad  heart. 

The  23rd  was  rather  more  painful  than  the  days 
before  or  after  it.  The  sadness  is  the  same,  and  yet, 
that  day  is  a  peculiarly  precious  one  to  me  now,  .  .  . 
for  without  it,  what  would  my  life  have  been  ?  Had 
there  not  been  this  particular  23rd  of  March,  how  much 
poorer  the  world  would  have  been  in  good  deeds  and 
noble  acts  of  mercy,  and  what  a  glorious  example 
missed  for  all  time.  All  sympathy  is  a  comfort  to  me, 
and  it  is  a  consolation  to  me  to  feel  how  much  lasting 
good  I  was  enabled  to  do  for  others  on  that  day,  all 
through  him.  From  him  comes  the  good  which  my 
hands  carry,  and  through  him  from  God.  My  dear 
Caroline  was,  as  always,  a  help  and  support.  God 
bless  her! 

April  23. — I  sowed  the  seeds  in  the  hot-bed.  Made 
the  paper-bags  for  the  seeds,  wrote  the  names  on 
them,  and  had  my  heart  and  mind  fully  occupied  with 
memories  of  former  happiness ;  but  no  one  called  me 
to  tea,  no  carriage  drove  up  to  take  me  for  a  drive 
with  my  dear  one,  no  beloved  voice  called  me  with 
the  well-known  question,  "Wife,  will  you  come  out 
with  me  ? "  My  heart  was  sore ;  may  God  grant  me 
endurance ! 

...  I  work  with  a  will,  for  he  began  the  work  which 
I  have  now  to  carry  on,  and  all  that  he  has  left  is 
precious  to  me ;  .  .  .  no  one  can  know  how  precious 
even  the  pencil  is  which  is  now  before  me,  because 
it  was  used  by  him.  And  so  his  work  is  not  a  fatigue, 
but  a  benefit  to  me. 

May  12. — Days  such  as  these  shorten  life,  for  many 
memories  throng  on  me  at  the  same  moment.  I  sat  by 
my  dear  husband's  tomb,  whilst  the  school  children 
were  singing  in  the  Pavilion,  and  I  heard  their  hymn 
across  the  lake  quite  distinctly.  I  could  bear  to  sit 
there  better  than  m  the  Pavilion,  and  the  place  brought 
me  composure  and  peace,  as  it  always  does,  so  that 
I  was  able  to  partake  almost  with  calmness  of  the 
consolation  of  the  Holy  Communion  for  the  first  time 
without  him. 

The  devotion  of  the  people  in  the  parish  has  been 

8 


U4         FIRST  YEARS   OF  WIDOWHOOD     [1816 

a  great  gratification  to  me,  and  their  endeavour  to 
ascertain  the  wishes  of  their  good  master  and  to  fulfil 
them  has  touched  me  very  much. 

Lotte  von  Riedesel  became  engaged  in  the  summer 
to  Herr  von  SchGning,  and  her  bereaved  sister  was 
much  affected  by  the  event.  It  brought  a  good  deal 
of  change  into  the  quiet  life  at  Buchwald,  which  was 
more  trying  to  Countess  Reden  than  she  would  allow 
to  those  about  her.  Writing  to  her  sister-in-law, 
she  says  : 

Lotte's  calm  and  contentment  convince  me  of  her 
happiness.  She  will  bestow  happiness  and  will  there- 
fore be  happy  herself.  .  .  .  There  is  plenty  of  coming 
and  going,  but  it  does  not  interfere  with  my  way 
of  life.  Visitors  of  this  kind  often  worry  me,  because 
they  interrupt  my  work,  and  do  not  understand 
me.  .  .  .  How  shall  I  live  through  these  eventful 
days  ?  Every  hour  is  different  from  those  of  last 
year.  God  grant  me  strength.  You  think  I  have  so 
much.  Ah  !  you  don't  know  what  a  broken  heart  feels 
like.  ...  I  dare  not,  cannot  cease  from  active  work 
a  moment,  from  doing  that  which  my  husband  placed 
in  my  hands  with  such  complete  reliance.  I  ought 
not  to  feel  my  lot  a  hard  one ;  but  ah,  how  weary 
I  am  of  life  at  times !  I  ought  not  to  feel  this  either, 
and  the  incessant  struggle  is  weary  wor.k.  It  can't  be 
different,  and  must  be  endured  with  patience. 

Countess  Reden  made  the  acquaintance  of  Colonel 
von  Miltitz  in  the  summer.  He  was  an  officer  in 
the  Saxon  army,  but  entered  the  Prussian  service 
afterwards.  She  writes  : 

July. — I  have  become  acquainted  with  Colonel  von 
Miltitz,  and  I  like  his  earnestness,  though  outwardly 
he  is  not  attractive.  He  met  my  husband  in  1800,  and 
never  forgot  the  impression  he  made  upon  him.  I  can 
see  that  he  sympathises  with  me,  and  it  is  pleasant 
to  talk  to  him  about  my  husband. 

Lotte's  wedding  took  place  at  Buchwald  in  Sep- 


i8i6]    FIELD-MARSHAL  VON  GNEISENAU      115 

tember.     The  day  before  they  all  received  the  Holy 
Communion  at  the  Abbey.     Countess  Reden  writes  : 

October  2. — Parting  from  a  good  sister.  May  God 
be  with  her,  and  may  my  husband's  blessing  rest  upon 
her!  I  am  so  happy  about  her  future,  that  I  can 
hardly  permit  myseli  to  miss  her. 

October  23. 

I  feel  how  much  I  loved  and  still  love.  I  feel  just 
as  I  used  to  feel,  only  the  object  of  my  love  is  removed 
from  my  eyes.  I  love  my  sisters  and  my  brothers 
with  my  whole  soul,  but  there  is  so  much  about  which 
I  cannot  talk  to  them  as  I  could  to  my  husband.  He 
understood  me,  and  I  read  in  his  dear  face  his  sym- 
pathy. Nothing  is  harder  to  me  than  my  independence, 
the  having  to  act  without  him  in  this  desolate  world. 
The  very  air  seems  harsh,  and  persons'  expressions 
indifferent,  and  all  nature  changed.  I  used  to  live 
in  the  atmosphere  of  his  love,  it  warmed  and  invig- 
orated me  ;  and  now  it  is  all  cold  and  changed,  and 
I  am  like  a  stranger  here. 

JOURNAL 

November  8. — Countess  Carmer  arrived.  We  had  our 
Bible  meeting,  and  many  members  were  present.  It 
opened  with  a  beautiful  prayer,  then  the  reports  were 
read. 

November  12. — Colonel  von  Miltitz  has  been  writing 
on  business  matters  all  the  morning  for  me.  He  has 
also  advised  and  helped  me  as  much  as  he  could  with 
my  plan  for  preserving  my  treasure,  Buchwald. 

Field-Marshal  Count  von  Gneisenau  bought  the 
estate  of  Erdmannsdorf  about  this  time,  and  it  was 
the  beginning  of  the  most  charming  social  relations 
for  Countess  Reden,  and  which  ripened  into  warm 
friendship. 

December. —  Our  kind  neighbour  General  von 
Gneisenau  has  become  more  and  more  friendly. 
I  could  not  help  laughing  yesterday  when  he  came 
to  talk  with  me  in  the  garden,  and  asked  quite 
naturally  and  simply  if  he  might  stay  on,  as  he 


ii6         FIRST  YEARS   OF  WIDOWHOOD      [1817 

wished  to  ask  my  advice  about  his  plans.  Then  he 
went  on  talking  about  astronomy  with  enthusiasm, 
politics,  and,  finally,  about  Napoleon's  genius,  which 
he  ranks  very  high.  He  stayed  to  tea,  and  did  not 
leave  till  nine  o'clock.  I  said  to  myself,  "  Here  is 
the  most  favoured  and  honoured  of  heroes,  before 
whom  his  enemies  trembled,  and  whose  name  is 
known  throughout  the  world,  sitting  here  with  us 
enjoying  our  simple  life  because  he  finds  at  Buch- 
wald  that  food  for  mind  and  heart  which  its  founder 
created." 

December  31. — The  clock  is  striking  twelve ;  the  long, 
old  year  is  gone,  a  new  one  is  beginning.  Will  it 
end  before  I  am  reunited  with  my  husband  ?  My 
God,  Thy  will  be  done !  Grant  me  to  live  and  work 
so  that  I  may  go  to  him  who  was  and  is  my  all. 

January  8. — Christmas  and  its  festivities  are  past 
(there  is  no  end  to  them  in  Silesia),  but  I  have  no 
more  pleasure  in  the  day,  and  am  glad  when  it  is 
over. 

Colonel  von  Miltitz  met  us  in  church  on  Christmas 
Eve  and  went  with  us  to  the  school,  where  I  gave  a 
supper  to  one  hundred  and  ninety  children,  and 
distributed  medals  for  good  behaviour.  When  we 
got  home,  I  presented  my  little  gifts  to  Countess 
Carmer,  Colonel  von  Miltitz,  his  son,  and  to  my  dear 
Caroline,  to  whom  I  gave  Miiller's  engraving  of 
Raphael's  Madonna.  I  put  it  in  a  corner  with  a 
wreath  of  flowers  on  it  with  lighted  candles  in  front. 

In  the  year  1817  there  was  a  terrible  famine.  Those 
who  lived  through  it  still  tell  of  the  dreadful  distress 
all  over  the  country,  and  how  the  poor  ate  potato 
peelings  and  such-like  scraps.  The  poor  of  the 
Riesengebirge  must  have  suffered  fearfully  from  the 
high  prices.  Countess  Reden's  energy  found  plenty 
of  calls  upon  it,  and  she  had  a  great  deal  to  do  in 
organising  means  for  helping  the  poor.  She  estab- 
lished a  soup-kitchen,  adopting  Rumford's  method, 
and  dispensing  it  to  the  poor  direct  from  the  kitchen. 
Then  she  sold  bread  to  them  at  a  low  price,  and 
assisted  in  collecting  for  other  districts. 


FIELD-MARSHAL  COUNT  VON  GNEISENAU. 
(Painted  by  Gebauer.) 


[To  face  p.  116. 


i8i/]  VISIT  TO  SCHONRADE  117 

The  Countess  had  not  been  able  to  tear  herself 
away  from  Buchwald  since  her  husband's  death.  It 
seemed  impossible  for  her  to  leave  the  place  where 
his  body  rested,  and  where  his  feet  once  trod  as  he 
went  about  his  work  But  she  conquered  her  reluct- 
ance to  go,  for  Caroline's  sake.  Her  sister  was  long- 
ing to  see  their  sister  Lotte,  Frau  von  Sch5ning,  but 
would  not  go  alone,  so  it  was  settled  that  they  should 
make  a  visit  to  Schonrade,  in  the  Neumark. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

BUCHWALD,  January  24,  1817. 

I  write  to  you  to-day,  my  dear,  good  Caroline, 
because  I  must  talk  to  you  about  my  sisters  and  the 
arrangement  I  have  agreed  to,  after  many  tears  and 
struggles.  I  am  going  with  Caroline  on  a  visit  to 
Lotte  for  a  fortnight.  ...  I  see  that  Caroline  longs 
to  go  every  time  she  receives  a  letter,  .  .  .  though 
she  has  never  said  a  word  about  it.  But  God  only 
knows  what  it  will  cost  me  to  go.  No  one  has  an 
idea  of  this,  least  of  all  Caroline.  .  .  .  After  I  have 
despatched  the  coachman  to  order  relays  of  horses, 
and  when  everything  is  settled,  I  shall  try  quietly 
to  tell  her  on  the  3oth  to  pack  and  get  ready  for  the 
journey.  .  .  .  But  how  shall  I  ever  be  able  to  tear 
myself  away  ? 

After  the  Countess's  return  home  she  writes  : 

BUCHWALD,  March  7. 

How  I  rejoice  to  see  Buchwald  again  !  and  yet  how 
sad  it  is  after  my  seventeen  days'  absence !  I  can't 
begin  to  express  what  it  is,  my  dear  Caroline,  and 
how  I  trembled  as  I  entered  the  house  where  I  no 
longer  find  my  life's  joy.  .  .  .  Although  I  enjoyed 
my  visit  to  Schonrade  very  much,  I  feel  more  than 
ever  that  my  world  is  here. 

There  was  the  usual  coming  and  going  at  Buchwald 
during  the  summer.  Lotte  von  Schoning  was  there 
for  several  months,  and  her  first  child  was  born  there, 
and  baptized  Elizabeth.  The  Reuss  family  were  at 


u8          FIRST   YEARS   OF   WIDOWHOOD     [1817 

Stonsdorf,  and  Countess  Reden's  niece  Linchen  was 
married    there    to    Prince    Friedrich    zu    SchOnaich- 
Carolath. 
Countess  Reden  writes : 

September  30. 

It  seems  at  times  like  a  dream  the  number  of  people 
we  have  had  here  since  May.  Many  more  than  one 
hundred  have  stayed  with  us,  and  in  August  and 
September  more  than  twenty-four  at  one  time  were 
guests  in  the  house.  It  has  been  sometimes  rather 
too  much  for  me,  and  the  quiet  of  my  little  room 
has  been  a  real  relief.  My  family  look  upon  it  as 
my  sanctum,  so  I  can  always  have  rest  and  quiet  in 
it.  Only  my  Marline  has  almost  shared  it  with  me. 
During  her  stay  her  father  and  mother  left  the  dear 
little  thing  entirely  to  me,  as  if  she  were  really  mine, 
and  we  were  inseparable.  She  is  a  remarkably  sweet 
child,  and  so  loving  and  lovely. 

The  losses  in  our  circle  of  friends,  especially  that 
of  Constantin  Stolberg,  have  saddened  us  all  deeply. 

During  the  visit  of  Baron  and  Baroness  von  Riedesel 
the  question  of  their  cousin  Dorette  going  to  live  at 
Buchwald  for  a  time  was  discussed  and  settled.  She 
had  had  many  troubles  and  sorrows,  and  it  was 
partly  an  act  of  kindness,  and  partly  the  desire  of 
having  her  companionship  for  Caroline,  that  induced 
the  Countess  to  offer  her  a  happy  home  in  her  house. 

Writing  in  October,  the  Countess  says : 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

My  faithful  one  (surely  that  is  a  sufficient  descrip- 
tion, without  any  other  name  for  my  dear  Caroline) 
has  written  about  Dorette.  Thank  God,  we  get  on 
very  well  together.  The  dear  soul  comes  here  for 
rest,  and  she  shall  find  it,  as  well  as  the  sisterly 
sympathy  she  has  been  accustomed  to  receive  from 
us  from  .her  youth  up.  She  is  older  now,  and  has 
gained  in  sweetness  of  character.  Her  conversation 
about  Italy  and  Switzerland  is  most  interesting,  and 
proves  how  thoroughly  she  has  seen  things.  She  is 


i8i;]  VISIT  TO   NEUENHOF  119 

as  fond  of  a  joke  as  ever,  and  her  observations  show 
her  sense  of  humour.  I  have  heard  the  two  cousins 
laughing  so  heartily  for  the  last  half-hour,  that  they 
cannot  come  to  lunch.  Thank  God  for  their  cheerful- 
ness ;  it  is  a  real  pleasure  to  me. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

November. 

I  think  there  will  be  several  more  changes  in  Prussia, 
and  those  at  the  University  are  approved  rather  than 
the  reverse.  They  say  that  the  Chancellor  is  going 
a  long  journey  for  an  indefinite  time,  but  I  doubt  it. 

Our  Dorette  is  quite  one  of  us,  and  is  introduced  into 
everything,  and  shows  the  greatest  sympathy  in  all  that 
concerns  us  and  interest  in  all  that  goes  on.  I  try  to 
occupy  her  with  all  sorts  of  things  that  may  interest 
her,  and  get  her  to  do  various  little  things  which  are 
also  a  help  to  us.  Her  eyes  are  too  weak  for  her  to 
sew  or  read,  so  she  prepares  and  packs  the  herb 
tea,  makes  the  little  paper  bags  for  the  seed,  or  the 
bandages  or  compresses  for  my  miners,  etc.  She 
enjoys  it  all  very  much,  and  is  falling  into  our  ways. 

Countess  Reden  decided  to  visit  her  brother  at  his 
charming  place  Neuenhof,  near  Eisenach,  the  one 
which  he  made  his  chief  residence.  It  was  good  for 
her  to  be  with  them,  and  especially  to  be  with  Marline, 
but  she  returned  home  to  keep  her  husband's  birth- 
day there. 

Her  nephew  Septi,1  who  was  peculiarly  dear  to 
her,  paid  her  a  long  visit  in  the  spring,  much  to  her 
delight.  He  took  the  liveliest  interest  in  all  her 
pursuits  and  occupations.  She  writes  : 

Septi  is  the  nicest  of  guests,  quite  one  of  us,  sweet 
and  sympathetic,  and  helpful  about  everything,  and 
always  busy  with  something  or  other.  He  is  a  great 
botanist. 

June  ii. 

I  am  writing  in  the  summer-house,  my  dear  George. 
Septi,  Caroline,  Countess  Carmer,  and  Pauline  Roder, 

1  Heinrich  LXX. 


120         FIRST  YEARS   OF   WIDOWHOOD     [1818 

who  have  all  lunched  here  in  the  summer-house,  have 
gone  to  the  Bush  Farm,  and  then  to  the  dairy  farm, 
and  on  to  the  top  of  the  mountain.  I  am  just  back 
from  inspecting  fields,  escorted  by  the  shepherd. 
The  supplies  for  winter  promise  well,  and  the  white 
clover  is  excellent  for  the  cattle.  The  summer-house 
is  very  gay  at  present  with  jasmine  and  roses. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

July  30. 

I  am  thankful  at  the  prospects  of  a  good  harvest, 
but  how  delighted  they  would  have  made  me  in 
times  past.  .  .  .  Buchwald  is  now  in  exquisite  beauty. 
.  .  .  We  always  breakfast  in  the  orange-room,  and 
the  fragrance  of  the  flowers,  roses,  orange  blossoms, 
lavender,  lilies,  fills  the  room. 

We  had  supper  yesterday  in  the  orange-room  by 
the  light  of  the  alabaster  lamp  only.  The  day  before 
we  were  in  the  Pavilion,  and  remained  until  half-past 
eleven,  and  it  was  as  warm  as  at  midday.  General 
von  Gneisenau,  who  often  comes  to  see  us,  appeared 
about  eight  and  stayed  till  ten — two  hours  were 
rather  long,  however.  He  was  so  charmed  with  the 
fairy-like  Took  of  the  place  by  lamplight,  that  he 
seemed  unable  to  tear  himself  away. 


To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

FARM  HOUSE,  10  P.M. 

Here  the  three  cousins  are  sitting,  and  we  shall 
stay  till  eleven  and  return  by  lantern-light.  We 
took  half  a  dozen  little  girls  across  the  lake  at  five 
o'clock  to  gather  herbs,  and  I  went  into  the  harvest- 
field  while  they  were  busy,  and  found  every  one  hard 
at  work  and  a  fine  lot  of  sheaves.  ...  I  had  ordered 
supper  to  be  served  here  at  nine,  and  they  were  all 
delighted  with  the  little  surprise.  The  room  was 
lighted,  and  decorated  with  garlands  of  hops  and 
nasturtiums  and  sweet-smelling  creepers. 

August  1 8. 

.  .  .  Otto  and  Fritz  von  Milnchhausen  are  here,  .  .  . 
also  my  orphan  boy  Kalckreuth,  whom  I  make  very 
useful,  and  who  is  a  great  pleasure  to  me. 


i8i8]  THE   PRINCES'  VISIT  121 

This  Fritz  von  Kalckreuth  had  been  recommended 
to  her,  and  she  took  a  motherly  interest  in  him.  He 
was  being  brought  up  in  the  Orphan  School  at 
Bunzlau,  and  the  Countess  had  him  to  spend  most 
of  his  holidays  at  Buchwald. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

All  those  who  knew  and  valued  my  husband  and 
who  were  acquainted  with  us  in  the  old  days  have 
shown  me  real  sympathy,  which  I  much  appreciate, 
although  seeing  them  again  for  the  first  time  since 
my  sorrow  is  very  painful.  I  felt  this  on  my  return, 
when  Thaer  and  his  family  came  to  see  us,  and  the 
day  before,  when  Knuth  called.  The  former  is  head 
of  the  Agricultural  Department,  and  the  latter  chief 
of  the  Industrial  Department.  I  never  saw  Thaer 
so  pleasant  and  friendly,  nor  should  I  have  thought 
it  in  him  to  be  so  enthusiastic  about  the  beauty  of 
scenery.  He  has  become  a  great  sheep-fancier,  and 
he  thinks  he  will  be  able  to  rear  two  thousand.  He  is 
much  concerned  about  the  cattle  disease,  which  could 
not  have  appeared  at  a  more  unfortunate  time. 

The  Crown  Prince  and  his  brother  called  twice 
when  on  a  little  tour  in  the  mountains.  They  had 
a  large  retinue,  among  whom  were  Count  Anton 
Stolberg,  Carl  Roder,  and  Prince  Pless. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

October  17. 

We  enjoyed  the  Princes'  visits,  as  our  minds  were 
free  from  anxiety  about  Caroline  (who  had  been  very 
ill)  when  they  came.  Their  pleasure  at  seeing  the 
mountains  at  last,  and  also  Buchwald,  was  quite 
touching.  Dorette-  has  described  their  visits,  and 
will  have  told  you  how  kind  and  good  the  Crown 
Prince  was  to  me,  and  how  he  asked  to  see  the  Abbey, 
and  afterwards  expressed  his  deep  sympathy  with 
me.  It  is  unusual  to  find  a  prince  evince  such 
feeling.  I  shall  always  treasure  the  letter  he  wrote 
to  me  on  leaving. 


122         FIRST   YEARS   OF   WIDOWHOOD      [1819 

THE  CROWN  PRINCE  TO  COUNTESS  REDEN 

October  9. 

I  was  unspeakably  delighted  and  touched  by  your 
kind  thought  of  me,  my  dear  Countess.  Believe  me, 
this  is  no  idle  expression,  and  I  thank  you  most 
sincerely.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  much  1  enjoyed 
the  first  evening  with  you,  of  whose  regard  I  am  as 
proud  as  ever.  And  I  also  enjoyed  the  walk  in  the 
morning  all  about  beautiful  Buchwald.  This  place 
was  the  goal  of  all  my  youthful  desires.  Everything 
bears  witness  to  your  good  husband's  work,  and, 
indeed,  to  that  of  his  truly  noble,  German  wife.  My 
kindest  regards  to  your  sister  and  cousin.  Do  not 
forget  me.  Wish  for  my  speedy  return  half  as  warmly 
as  I  shall.  Pray  God  that  I  may  become  what  you 
wish  me  to  be,  and  believe  me,  honoured  Countess, 

Your  faithful  friend, 

FRITZ. 

JOURNAL 

January  i,  1819. — A  new  year  and  not  yet  with 
my  husband,  to  whom  my  whole  heart  clings.  He 
has  gone  to  that  home  to  make  ready  for  me.  Do 
I  deserve  it  ?  Must  I  not  strive  and  toil  to  earn 
it?  May  God  give  me  His  blessing  and  strengthen 
me,  and  may  my  husband  speak  to  my  heart  and  tell 
me  what  I  am  to  do !  May  I  have  a  firm  will  and 
a  willing  mind  !  May  I  persevere,  and  ever  show  a 
patient,  loving  consideration  for  others ! 

The  days  passed  in  a  busy,  earnest  discharge  of 
duties,  interrupted  only  by  a  journey  to  Gorlitz  and 
Jankendorf.  Septi  was  stationed  at  GOrlitz,  and  was 
aide-de-camp  to  General  von  Miltitz. 

JOURNAL 

January  19. — I  divulged  my  plans  to  my  ladies 
(Caroline  and  Dorette)  to-day,  and  they  seemed 
pleased,  which  is  what  I  wished. 

I  am  very  much  interested  in  experiments  for 
treating  the  lambs,  and  I  hope  that  the  disease  will 
not  be  as  bad  as  in  former  years. 

January  30. — I  gave  the  codicil  to  my  will  to  the 


1819]  HOME   LIFE  123 

lawyer  to-day.  It  is  a  great  comfort  to  me  to  know 
that  if  I  die,  nothing  will  be  left  undone,  or  unfinished. 

BUCHWALD,  February  21  (Quinquagesima  Sunday). — 
The  sermon  on  love  was  from  the  preacher's  heart. 
I  wish  I  could  repeat  it  all,  but  alas !  my  heart  has 
no  words  left  since  the  object  of  its  love  is  no  longer 
here. 

February  16. — I  began  the  geographical  arrange- 
ments of  my  plants,  which  is  more  difficult  than  I 
fancied  it  would  be.  I  am  very  busy  weighing  and 
sorting  yarn,  and  the  result  is  highly  satisfactory. 

March  16. — Those  who  wonder  how  people  get 
through  the  long  winter  in  the  country  should  see 
pur  life  here.  I  am  so  busy  that  every  visit  is  an 
interruption.  I  am  setting  both  my  sisters  to  work 
to  paint  and  write  on  my  garden  labels.  The  scientific 
part  is  for  me,  and  I  am  doubly  glad,  as  it  freshens 
up  my  geography. 

Caroline  von  Riedesel  went  to  her  sister  Frau  von 
Schoning  at  Schonrade  when  the  next  child  was  born, 
and  the  Countess  followed  her.  She  was  much 
occupied  before  she  went  in  making  improvements 
in  the  garden,  in  which  she  was  assisted  by  her 
husband's  nephew  Herr  von  Munchhausen.  From 
Schonrade  she  went  to  visit  her  relations  at 
Trebschen. 

Among  her  guests  on  her  return  home  were  two 
botanists  who  went  to  Buchwald  to  add  to  their 
collections,  and  Herr  von  Stein,  from  Breslau,  with 
two  of  his  children.  "A  charming  interruption,  but 
an  interruption  all  the  same,"  she  writes. 

One  of  the  farms  was  burned  down  in  July, 
occasioning  the  Countess  a  great  deal  of  work  and 
worry  ;  but  fortunately  an  arbour,  which  Count  Reden 
had  had  built  for  her,  was  uninjured. 

Countess  Reden  was  very  much  touched  at  being 
asked  by  General  von  Miltitz  to  take  charge  of  his 
three  daughters  after  the  death  of  his  wife.  They 


124         FIRST  YEARS   OF   WIDOWHOOD     [1820 

spent  the  winter  with  her,  and  she  secured  the 
services  of  Frau  Schwartz,  the  widow  of  a  friend, 
as  their  governess,  though  she  had,  in  the  meanwhile, 
undertaken  a  great  part  of  their  education  herself. 

Countess  Reden's  dear  friend  Eberhardine,  Countess 
zu  Stolberg,  paid  her  a  visit  in  the  spring  of  1820,  and 
again  in  the  summer.  Eberhardine's  diary  gives  a 
pleasant  picture  of  life  at  Buchwald. 

BUCHWALD,  April  24,  1820. — We  arrived  safely, 
and  our  dear  friend  received  us  with  all  her  old 
affectionate  warmth.  We  breakfasted  upstairs,  in 
the  green-room,  and  stayed  chatting  till  it  was  time 
for  lunch.  We  went  to  the  conservatories  after- 
wards, and  found  them  full  of  splendid  flowers,  and 
many  things  coming  into  bud.  There  are  delight- 
ful new  paths  on  the  left  of  the  house,  and  a  good 
deal  of  the  thick  wood  has  been  thinned  out,  so 
that  the  house  has  more  air,  and  is  drier.  My 
husband  drove  with  the  Countess  to  the  farm,  and 
I  went  with  Caroline  to  the  Abbey,  and  looked  at 
the  fine  old  fountain  which  the  present  owners  of 
Fischbach  gave  Fritze.  Auguste  von  Miltitz  appeared 
to-day.  She  is  a  very  pretty  girl  of  fifteen,  and 
Celestine  and  Editha  are  very  nice  children.  They 
are  all  three  in  the  best  possible  hands  here,  but  they 
give  a  good  deal  of  work. 

Countess  Reden  is  extremely  active  and  busy,  and 
takes  much  pleasure  in  everything  now,  which  she 
began  to  do  from  a  sense  of  duty.  She  is  building  a 
nice  inn  at  Quirl,  and  the  sale  of  beer  will  be  trans- 
ferred there.  .  .  .  After  the  visitors  had  left,  we  spent 
the  whole  evening  talking,  and  it  is  a  real  treat  to 
talk  to  this  dear,  sympathetic  friend,  who  is  always 
the  same. 

BUCHWALD,  July  3. — We  arrived  at  one  o'clock,  in 
beautiful  weather,  and  were  affectionately  welcomed, 
though  this  is  a  very  sad  day,  being  the  anniversary 
of  Count  Reden's  death,  roor  Fritze  has  a  worn 
expression,  but  is  indescribably  sweet  to  every  one. 
We  enjoy  being  here  alone  with  the  sisters  and 
children. 


1 820]         SIR  JAMES   RIDDELL'S   GIFT  125 

July  6. — We  breakfasted  in  the  garden-house,  where 
the  Countess  has  made  great  improvements.  .  .  .  Every- 
thing is  much  improved,  especially  in  the  house  itself, 
where  the  carpets  and  covers  were  falling  to  pieces 
from  wear  and  tear.  Countess  Reden  won't  pave  things 
changed  because  of  old  associations,  which  is  very 
excusable,  thus  many  things  remain  as  they  were, 
for  she  cannot  make  up  her  mind  to  renew  them. 
Still,  it  is  very  much  tidier  indoors  since  Bornemann 
has  admitted  that  she  is  not  up  to  her  work,  and 
Caroline  has  taken  over  the  management  of  it. 
Miihlmann  is  just  the  same,  and  the  crowd  of  little 
serving-boys  are  still  here.  One  of  them  is  being 
trained  for  Septi.  I  do  admire  the  Countess's  talent 
for  training  these  children  and  giving  them  occupation. 

Countess  Reden  writes : 

September  6. 

...  I  enjoyed  the  half-day  Knuth  spent  with  us. 
He  has  been  making  a  tour  through  Silesia  for  the 
last  two  months,  to  inquire  into  the  condition  of  trade 
and  manufactures,  and  what  will  be  the  best  way 
to  improve  them.  Perhaps  the  true  account  of  the 
condition  of  the  poor  which  I  was  able  to  give  him 
may  be  of  use.  I  shall  certainly  profit  by  all  that 
he  told  me,  and  I  have  already  written  to  some 
Englishmen  about  a  possible  market.  If  this  be 
feasible,  we  can  then  help  the  poorest  among  us 
here  at  Buchwald,  and  my  husband's  wishes  will  be 
carried  out,  as  well  as  a  plan  of  mine  for  buying  flax, 
then  having  it  made  into  yarn,  and  then  sell  it  to 
the  spinners  here,  who  will  reap  the  benefit,  instead 
of  the  grasping  middlemen. 

Among  the  many  visitors  at  Buchwald  that  summer 
was  Frau  Schubertin,  the  poetess.  She  was  the  wife 
of  a  weaver,  but  very  gifted,  and  Countess  Reden 
liked  and  admired  her  immensely.  She  was  often 
employed  by  the  Countess  as  her  secretary  in  the 
Bible  Society  work. 

Through  Sir  James  Riddell,  Countess  Reden  had 
a  great  but  melancholy  pleasure  about  that  time, 
which  she  mentions  to  her  sister-in-law. 


126         FIRST   YEARS   OF   WIDOWHOOD      [1821 

October  14. 

I  have  received  a  box  from  Sir  James  Riddell  con- 
taining one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  engravings  of 
Caroline's  portrait  of  my  dear  husband.  They  are 
excellent,  except  a  slight  fault  in  the  nose.  Caroline 
is  charmed  with  the  work.  I  can't  tell  you  how 
deeply  I  was  touched  when  I  opened  the  case  and 
saw  the  picture.  It  is  also  a  pleasure  to  me  that 
I  was  not  deceived  in  my  impressions  of  the  young 
man  who  has  done  me  this  kindness.  The  beautiful 
picture  has  a  short  Latin  inscription  beneath  the 
name  :  "  Finis  vitae  eius  nobis  luctuosus  patriae  tristis 
extraneis  etiam  ignotisque  non  sine  cura  fuit." l 

The  box  also  contained  twenty-seven  nice  school 
books  and  children's  books.  I  have  set  some  aside 
for  Marline,  and  I  shall,  if  possible,  translate  some 
this  winter  for  the  Religious  Tract  Society,  of  which 
I  am  a  member,  and  which,  in  my  opinion,  almost 
always  fails  in  its  choice  of  proper  publications. 
Frau  Schubertin,  excellent  creature,  spent  four  days 
with  us,  and  I  was  very  much  interested  in  her.  She 
seemed  more  genuine  than  ever.  I  will  enclose  one 
of  her  last  poems  and  one  she  wrote  yesterday  and 
dedicated  to  Caroline  von  der  Reck. 

December  9. 

We  spent  yesterday  evening  in  Rome  at  my  desire, 
by  means  of  Count  Gessler's  pictures,  and  they  were 
all  the  more  interesting  to  us  as  we  are  reading 
Kephalidis's  "Travels  in  Italy  and  Sicily."  We  dined 
at  the  Schafgotschs's  on  Thursday,  and  Frau  von 
Richthofen  2  was  here  with  her  interesting  daughters. 

Countess  Reden  seemed  to  have  seen  a  great  deal 
of  the  Gneisenau  family  that  winter,  and  to  have 
given  the  daughters  lessons  several  times  a  week. 
She  writes : 

January  4,  1821. — The  Gneisenau  girls  came  for  the 
first  time :  they  are  willing  to  learn,  which  is  the  most 
I  can  say,  though  that  is  a  great  deal.  We  are  only 
too  glad  to  do  something  that  may  please  their  good 
father. 

1  "  His  death  was  painful  for  us,  sad  for  the  Fatherland,  and  not 
without  sadness  for  strangers  and  foreigners." — E.  R. 
1  Frau  von  Richthofen  was  a  Princess  of  Holstein-Beck. — E.  R, 


1821]  BISHOP   REICHEL  127 

January. — The  Recorder  told  me,  to  my  great  joy, 
that  there  is  not  a  single  case  against  any  one  in 
our  parish  at  present.  If  we  could  but  manage  to  do 
without  him  altogether,  and  always  live  in  peace  and 
quietness ! 

There  were  always  several  gardeners  and  boys 
working  under  the  head-gardener,  Walter,  and  when 
the  boys  had  had  sufficient  training,  the  Countess 
found  good  places  for  them. 

I  showed  Kunecke  and  Manger  some  pictures  of 
beautiful  English  country  places,  and  I  criticised  and 
praised  some  hotbeds  and  the  kitchen  garden  which 
they  had  laid  out,  and  which  were  not  at  all  badly 
done. 

JOURNAL 

I  was  at  the  doctor's  and  made  some  sausages  for 
them,  for  which  they  were  very  much  obliged,  and 
which  I  was  delighted  to  do  for  them. 

At  the  end  of  February  Countess  Reden  paid  a 
visit  to  Jankendorf.  From  Gorlitz  she  writes : 

How  many  recollections  crowd  upon  me  here !  .  .  . 
Two  years  ago  General  von  Miltitz  and  Septi  met 
us,  and  the  General's  wife  was  apparently  in  flourish- 
ing health.  She  died,  and  the  children,  such  strangers 
to  us  then,  came  to  live  with  us  for  a  year,  and  now 
he  is  married  again. 

It  was  during  Countess  Reden's  visit  to  Jankendorf 
in  the  spring  of  1821  that  she  first  met  Bishop  Reichel. 
He  lived  in  the  neighbouring  town  of  Niesky,  and 
she  had  frequent  opportunities  of  learning  from  him 
something  of  the  joy  and  blessing  there  was  in  the 
life  of  a  true  child  of  God.  The  living  faith  of  her 
old  friend  Count  Reuss  had  already  made  a  deep 
impression  upon  her.  Her  earlier  interest  in  foreign 
missions  revived,  and  she  urged  her  friends  to  unite 
in  contributing  to  the  work.  A  small  committee  was 


128         FIRST  YEARS   OF   WIDOWHOOD     [1821 

formed,  probably  made  up  of  Count  Reuss,  her  sister 
Caroline,  and  possibly  the  secretary,  Prause. 

JANKENDORF,  March  2. — Bishop  Reichel,  who  has 
been  a  missionary  in  North  America  for  thirty- 
seven  years,  dined  here  to-day,  and  he  attracted 
me  greatly. 

March  4. — We  called  on  Bishop  Reichel,  who  is 
quite  charming  with  his  two  little  sons,  Levin  and 
Theophilus.  We  also  saw  the  two  Hastings,  who 
were  missionaries  in  Labrador. 

March  8. — Beautiful  farewell  service  this  evening. 
"  Peace,  peace  be  with  you,"  was  sung,  and  the  dear 
Count's  words  seemed  like  a  blessing.  We  said 
good-bye  with  regret  after  prayers. 

BUCHWALD,  March  21. — Uninterrupted  preparations 
for  the  Bible  Society  Report,  with  which  the  Mission- 
ary Society  is  to  be  joined.  What  a  comfort  it  is 
to  think  that  my  husband's  work  may  be  promoted 
by  it !  Let  me  not  be  weary  in  well  doing. 

March  23. — A  really  blessed  day.  .  .  .  Excellent 
Bible  Society  meeting.  .  .  .  Interest  excited  in  mission- 
ary work. 

CUNERSDORF,  May  11. — A  beautiful  morning.  The 
nightingales  waked  me  up  at  five  o'clock.  I  feel  so 
much  at  home  in  the  old  rooms,  but  less  so  with  the 
people,  who  are  often  too  much  engrossed  with  the 
world's  doings  to  understand  that  our  interests  are 
on  other  lines.  We  took  some  long  drives,  and 
inspected  the  seed  collection. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

BUCHWALD,  May  16. 

My  return  and  my  birthday  were  celebrated  together. 
We  were  received  under  triumphal  arches,  and  gar- 
lands, and  the  dear  house,  to  which  I  so  gladly 
return,  was  decorated  with  flowers.  What  a  profusion 
of  flowers,  and  what  perfect  foliage,  and  how  beautiful 
the  mountains  are,  and  how  friendly  all  the  people 
are  !  How  thoroughly  well  my  dear  husband  under- 
stood where  to  choose  a  home  for  perfect  enjoyment 
and  rest. 

I  never  experienced  this  feeling  of  tranquillity  in 


1821]  SEPTI'S   DEATH  129 

Berlin,  and  which  is  such  a  necessity  to  me  if  I  would 
live  as  my  husband  wished  me  to  live — a  life  of 
beneficent  hospitality  in  the  place  he  loved.  There 
is  the  unfettered  position  of  being  responsible  to  no 
one,  under  no  one's  orders.  The  duties  which  are 
imposed  upon  me,  and  the  sacrifices  which  they 
demand,  are  a  comfort  to  me.  To  be  the  widow  of 
Count  Reden  is  the  sorrow,  the  honour,  the  con- 
solation of  my  present  life. 

Summer  brought  its  usual  circle  of  guests  and 
relations.  In  July  Countess  Reden  was  hurriedly 
summoned  to  Trebschen,  where  Septi  lay  dying.  She 
left  a  house  full  of  guests,  and  devoted  herself  to 
nursing  him. 

To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

TREBSCHEN,  August  8. 

You  know,  dearest  Countess,  what  brought  me  here, 
what  I  found  and  lost,  and  with  what  a  crushed  heart, 
empty  of  all  joy,  I  now  return  home.  Our  beloved 
Septi  bore  the  journey  fairly  well,  but  on  the  29th 
and  3oth  he  suffered  terribly  with  pain  in  his  lungs, 
and  I  hastened  here  on  the  2nd,  to  find  him  danger- 
ously ill.  It  seemed  as  if  his  feeble  life  just  flickered 
up  in  a  final  effort  to  revive  me  with  a  warmth  of  love 
which  I  can  never  forget.  It  was  granted  me  to  nurse 
for  two  days,  and  to  be  with  the  dear  child,  which 
were  his  last.  His  death  was  blessedly  easy,  and 
hardly  perceptible,  and  was  both  to  him  arid  to  us 
unexpected.  It  was  the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  a 
beautiful,  heavenly  smile  rested  on  his  face.  His 
dear  father  is  wonderfully  calm,  but  the  first  moments 
were  distressing.  .  .  .  He  was  my  husband's  darling, 
and  the  dearest  comfort  of  my  life ;  but  I  am  thankful 
that  God  has  spared  him  long  suffering,  and  for 
thus  taking  him  early  to  Himself  He  was  ready  for 
eternal  life.  We  laid  him  in  his  last  rest  yesterday 
beside  his  mother,  whose  love  has  welcomed  him 
above. 

Countess  Reden  paid  a  visit  to  her  old  friend  at 
Jankendorf  in  December,  .  .  .  and  thence  she  went 

9 


130         FIRST   YEARS   OF   WIDOWHOOD      [1822 

to  her  brother  at  Neuenhof  and  Lauterbach  for  two 
months. 

There  is  no  journal  for  the  year  1822,  and  nothing 
concerning  her  inner  life,  but  her  deeds  show  that 
God  had  work  for  her  to  do. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

BUCHWALD,  March  8. 

I  did  not  like  thinking  of  you  in  all  the  turmoil 
of  the  great  world  yesterday,  for  it  does  not  suit  you 
three,  thank  God.  We,  on  the  other  hand,  sat  com- 
fortably by  the  fire  and  were  very  busy. 

I  made  extracts  of  the  hymns  and  tunes  for  evening 
prayers  which  we  shall  commence  in  a  few  days. 
Then  we  chatted  about  you,  and  when  we  should 
meet  again,  if  God  wills,  and  of  our  dear  child.  Tell 
me  how  she  likes  Berlin. 

March  16. 

We  had  evening  prayers  for  the  first  time  this 
evening.  We  tried  over  the  hymns  yesterday,  and 
they  were  a  great  success.  My  twelve-year-old 
organist  did  his  part  well.  .  .  .  You  must  think  of 
the  devout  little  assembly  gathered  together  in  the 
office  at  eight  every  evening,  the  Hausfrau  in  the 
midst  reading  out  the  verses  and  singing  with  them. 
A  chapter  of  the  Bible  is  read,  and  one  more  verse 
of  a  hymn  follows,  and  we  quietly  disperse.  I  hope 
it  will  be  a  blessing  to  every  one  who  lives  with  us. 
The  pleasure  they  take  in  it  is  very  gratifying. 

April  12. 

I  don't  read  much,  because  I  don't  get  much  chance 
to  read  anything  except  missionary  reports,  a  "  History 
of  Silesia,"  and  the  morning  newspapers.  We  are 
reading  "Waverley"  aloud  in  the  evening,  and  to 
my  mind  it  is  the  best  of  Walter  Scott's  novels.  I 
have  a  great  deal  of  writing,  dictating,  and  revising 
to  do,  and  I  am  out  of  doors  as  much  as  possible, 
and  endeavour  to  turn  my  time  to  account  as  well 
as  I  can,  now  that  we  are  quiet  and  alone. 

I  received  a  beautifully  illuminated  diploma  yester- 
day as  honorary  member  of  the  Prussian  Society 
for  the  Encouragement  of  Agriculture.  I  might  have 


1 822]     PRINCE   WILHELM   AT   FISCHBACH     131 

said  with  Bliicher,  "You  may  make  me  a  doctor,  if 
you  will  make  Walter1  a  chemist." 

Countess  Eberhardine  zu  Stolberg  spent  several 
months  in  Silesia  in  this  year,  and  she  writes  about 
a  visit  to  Buchwald  : 

BUCHWALD,  April  14. 

We  were  most  affectionately  received  on  our  arrival 
at  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  but  that,  I  need 
hardly  say,  is  invariably  the  sweet  old  custom  here. 
Countess  Reden  looks,  thank  God !  particularly  well 
and  is  quite  lively,  and  I  may  also  say  that  she  is 
busier  than  ever.  It  is  astonishing  how  much  passes 
through  her  hands,  and  how  many  opportunities  she 
faithfully  employs  for  doing  good.  She  does  an 
amazing  amount  of  work  in  the  affairs  of  the  Bible 
Society,  which  is  increasing  very  much  and  is  doing 
more  and  more  good.  Only  a  few  weeks  ago  it  re- 
ceived three  hundred  thalers  from  the  head  society 
in  England.  Countess  Reden  collected  five  hundred 
thalers  for  the  missionary  fund  in  two  years,  and 
thus  God  blesses  her  untiring  efforts. 

Prince  Wilhelm  of  Prussia,  a  brother  of  King 
Friedrich  Wilhelm  III.,  bought  the  neighbouring 
estate  of  Fischbach  about  this  time,  and  Countess 
Reden  was  not  at  all  pleased  at  the  thought  of 
having  these  royal  neighbours,  as  she  dreaded  the 
distractions  in  her  regular  way  of  life,  and  the  various 
claims  which  a  small  court  of  that  sort  would  make 
upon  her.  She  had  then  no  idea  how  much  Fischbach 
and  its  owners  would  become  to  her  and  she  to 
them.  For  the  present  the  Prince  only  was  there 
and  for  a  very  short  time.  He  did  not  omit  a  visit 
to  her  on  her  birthday. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

The  1 2th  was  celebrated  as  usual,  and  I  was  thank- 
ful when  the  solemn  hour  came  to  close  the  day 
with  evening  prayers.  I  went  to  church  and  thence 

1  Walter  was  the  head-gardener. — M.  B.-L. 


132          FIRST   YEARS   OF   WIDOWHOOD      [1822 

to  the  Pavilion,  where  the  school  children,  servants, 
and  people  on  the  estate  had  met.  Walter's  decora- 
tions of  the  hall,  the  lovely  flowers,  the  alcove  where 
my  beloved  husband's  bust  is  always  placed  on  this 
day,  charmed  me  very  much. 

There  was  a  simple  breakfast  afterwards,  but  very 
grand  as  to  quantity,  for  it  was  so  generously  spread 
that  there  was  enough  for  the  halt,  the  lame,  and  the 
spectators,  and  reminded  me  of  the  seven  loaves  in 
the  Bible.  One  hundred  and  eighty-six  children 
received  books,  white  bread,  and  apples.  Their 
report  was  read  aloud  amid  general  jubilations.  I 
dined  quite  alone  with  Caroline.  The  Miltitzes  came 
about  four  o'clock — that  is,  the  daughters.  Count 
Gessler  came  somewhat  later,  and  brought  me  a  superb 
folio  Bible  with  bronze  clasps.  The  General  came 
later  still;  and  last  of  all,  and  quite  quietly  and  un- 
expectedly, Prince  Wilhelm  dropped  in  with  his  nice 
little  son  Adalbert  and  warmly  congratulated  me. 
His  manner  was  so  simple,  and  his  pleasure  at  seeing 
us  and  in  being  pur  neighbour,  his  delight  in  becoming 
the  owner  of  Fischbach,  was  all  so  unaffected,  that  I 
soon  became  friendly  and  a  mon  aise  with  him.  As 
he  evinced  a  great  desire  to  see  the  place  by  day  and 
in  fine  weather,  I  invited  him  for  Tuesday,  and  he 
accepted  with  alacrity.  No  one  could  have  been  more 
confidential  about  his  concerns  than  the  Prince  was 
with  me.  He  begged  for  neighbourly  advice  as  to 
dealing  with  the  tenants,  and  expressed  the  liveliest 
desire  to  do  well  by  them.  He  spoke  very  often  of 
the  Princess,  and  was  charming  to  his  son.  In  a 
word,  if  he  is  always  like  this,  he  will  be  a  good 
neighbour,  and  a  welcome  one  to  us.  If  things  only 
remain  as  easy  and  natural  when  the  Princess  and 
her  court  are  here !  When  we  were  quite  alone,  the 
Prince  invited  himself  again  for  Thursday.  The 
weather  was  lovely,  and  we  dined  in  the  salon,  and 
had  coffee  in  the  Hain  arbour. 

The  Countess  writes  about  a  visit  to  Jankendorf : 

BUCHWALD,  June  12. 

We  intend  leaving  at  five  o'clock  to-morrow  after- 
noon, and  hope  to  arrive  at  our  dear  Count's  by  mid- 
day on  Friday,  where  we  are  awaited  with  open  arms. 
Pastor  Siegert  is  going  to  escort  us  there,  and  we 


•  I  • 


THE   PAVILION    AT   BUCHWALD. 

Built  by  Count  Reden  in  1804. 
(From  a  photograph  by  Liebig,  of  Alt-Kemniiz.) 


FISCHBACH,    IN   THE    RIESENGEBIRGE,    SILESIA, 

Residence  of  Prince  and  Princess  Wilhelm. 
(Photographer  unknown.    Photograph  at  Buchwald.)        [To  face p-  132. 


1822]      FREIHERR   VOM   STEIN'S   VISIT          133 

shall  be  glad  of  his  company,  for  we  mean  to  learn 
a  great  deal  of  Church  history,  and  something  about 
the  Fathers,  from  him,  and  to  have  many  difficulties 
cleared  up.  We  are  going  to  bring  Bishop  Reichel 
and  his  two  children  back  with  us.  The  dear  old 
man's  fortnight  with  us  will  bring  us,  God  grant, 
both  happiness  and  blessing. 

It  was  during  this  visit  that  Bishop  Reichel  spoke 
to  Countess  Reden  of  his  readiness  to  go  whenever 
God  should  call  him,  but  that  he  felt  very  anxious 
about  leaving  his  two  little  boys.  She  promised  him 
that,  so  far  as  it  lay  in  her  power,  she  would  take 
the  place  of  a  mother  to  them,  and  this  promise 
she  kept  for  thirty-two  years. 

Field-Marshal  von  Gneisenau's  eldest  daughter, 
Frau  von  Scharnhorst,  died  when  staying  with  her 
father  that  summer,  and  this  sad  event  gave  their 
friend  at  Buchwald  an  opportunity  of  comforting  and 
helping  them  in  many  ways. 

July  27. 

Freiherr  vom  Stein  arrived  with  his  charming 
daughters  on  the  fourteenth,  and  his  fortnight's  visit 
has  passed  only  too  fast.  I  have,  at  least,  the  satisfac- 
tion of  feeling  that  we  have  not  lost  one  hour,  and 
that  in  our  long,  quiet  walks  and  in  our  drives  many 
interesting  subjects  have  been  considered  and  dis- 
cussed. He  is  entirely  at  home  here,  and  is  touched 
at  being  in  his  old  friend's  home  once  more.  He 
is  going  away  to-morrow,  but  would  gladly  remain 
longer,  were  it  not  for  some  business  which  he  must 
attend  to.  It  is  easy  to  get  on  with  him  and  Therese. 
She  is  gentle  and  good,  with  a  clinging  nature, 
and  he  is  full  of  heart,  cheerful  and  sympathetic,  and 
his  manners  are  extremely  agreeable  and  punctilious. 
I  have  enjoyed  his  society  very  much  here  in  the 
midst  of  our  simple,  regular  life.  Count  Gessler  and 
General  von  Gneisenau  dine  with  us  nearly  every 
day,  and  our  royal  neighbours  give  us  variety. 

They  arrived  at  Fischbach  on  Saturday,  and  were 
received  with  great  respect  and  much  demonstration 
by  the  people.  The  Prince  wrote  me  a  cordial  note 


134         FIRST   YEARS   OF   WIDOWHOOD      [1822 

the  next  day,  and  invited  the  Minister  and  ourselves 
to  tea  on  Monday,  as  a  happy  omen  of  the  future. 
We  were  greeted  as  real  friends  and  neighbours, 
but  princely  formalities  prevailed.  They  were  all 
here  yesterday,  and  saw  the  Pavilion  and  admired 
it  very  much.  The  Princess  took  my  arm  all  the 
way,  which  is  a  thing  I  don't  much  like  ;  but  she  is 
really  very  sweet  and  gracious,  and  was  so  charmed 
with  things.  However,  we  shall  see  how  matters 
go  on.  To-morrow  Princess  Luise  Radziwill 1  is 
coming  to  Ruhberg. 

Ruhberg  is  near  Schmiedeberg,  and  had  been 
bought  by  Prince  Radziwill.  A  warm  friendship  grew 
up  between  the  Princess  and  Countess  Reden,  and 
there  was  much  intercourse  between  the  two  places. 
The  Countess  became  very  attached  to  Princess 
Luise's  eldest  daughter,  Princess  Elise.  The  next 
daughter,  Princess  Wanda,  was  not  then  grown  up. 

The  Stolberg  family,  consisting  of  old  Count 
Christian  Friedrich  and  many  of  his  children,  spent 
part  of  the  summer  at  Jannowitz,  and  the  Buchwald 
party  saw  a  great  deal  of  them. 

Countess  Eberhardine,  writing  about  this  time,  says  : 

JANNOWITZ,  August  31. 

We  arrived  at  lovely  Buchwald  about  half-past 
eleven,  and  George  von  Riedesel  received  us  at  the 
front  door  with  dear  Countess  Reden  with  her  usual 
indescribable  cordiality.  .  .  .  Conversation  turned  on 
Frau  Schubertin,  who  had  only  just  concluded  a  visit 
there.  She  had  been  most  graciously  received  by 
Princess  Wilhelm  the  day  before.  Her  poems  are 
sweeter  and  prettier  and  she  is  as  unaffected  as  ever. 

September  25. 

My  husband  and  I  drove  to  Buchwald,  where  every 
one  received  us  most  affectionately.  Harry  Reuss 
and  Heinrich  XXXVIII.  arrived  almost  at  the  same 

1  Princess  Luise  Radziwill  was  a  niece  of  Frederick  the  Great's, 
and  therefore  a  cousin  once  removed  of  Friedrich  Wilhelm  III., 
the  reigning  King  of  Prussia. — M.  B.-L. 


MARIANNE,    PRINCESS   WILHELM   OF    PRUSSIA,    A    PRINCESS   OF   HESSE    IIOMBURG. 


(Lithographed  by  Locillot  fie  Mars.    Artist  imknmvn.     Copy  at  Buchwald. 
Photographed  by  Van  Bosch,  oj  Hirschberg.) 


[To  face  p.  134. 


1822]  BUCHWALD  CALLED  A  CONVENTICLE  135 

time  as  ourselves,  and  the  Goldmann  family,  from 
Niesky,  soon  after.  Count  Gessler  and  Ferdinand 
Stolberg  also  called.  There  were  two  tables  in  the 
white  hall,  at  which  the  party  of  twenty-five  were 
excellently  served.  Countess  Reden  thinks  that  this 
arrangement  makes  the  waiting  easier  and  the  party 
more  gay,  and  I  think  she  is  right.  We  had  ten  at 
our  table,  and  the  conversation  was  lively,  to  say 
the  least.  I  can't  really  imagine  how  the  dear 
Countess  manages  to  have  so  many  guests  staying  in 
the  house  all  summer,  and  to  entertain  them  so  well. 
And  with  it  all  everything  at  Buchwald  is  not  only 
well  preserved  but  improved.  The  Stonsdorf  party 
went  home  after  tea,  and  then  we  had  evening 
prayers,  at  which  Georgine  performs  the  office  of 
choirmistress. 

Prayers  that  evening  were  the  occasion  of  some 
unpleasantness  with  the  pastor.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  it  was  a  period  of  rampant  rationalism, 
even  of  rank  unbelief,  which  invaded  both  pulpits 
and  lecture-rooms.  Movements  to  bring  the  living 
faith  more  to  the  people  were  regarded  with  hostility. 
Thus  it  chanced  that  evening  prayers  at  Buchwald, 
which  were  attended  by  the  bailiff  and  others,  were 
very  much  disliked  by  the  pastor  of  the  parish,  and 
it  was  stigmatised  as  a  conventicle.  He  forbade  the 
assistant  pastor  to  be  present  and  play  the  hymn- 
tunes  on  the  piano,  on  the  pretext  that  he  himself 
would  have  read  prayers  had  he  had  time.  The 
Superintendent  inquired  into  the  matter,  and  his 
opinion  was  in  favour  of  the  Countess.  He  reproved 
the  pastor,  who  retorted  with  hard  words  about 
hole-and-corner  worship. 

Summer  and  winter  passed  in  pleasant  intercourse 
with  the  Fischbach  neighbours,  and  with  the  old 
friends  at  Stonsdorf  and  Erdmannsdorf. 

The  Countess  had  some  instruction  at  Steinseiffen 
in  the  preparation  of  medicinal  herbs  and  roots  for 


136         FIRST  YEARS   OF  WIDOWHOOD       [1823 

the  benefit  of  both  people  and  animals,  and  she  taught 
one  of  her  pepins  all  that  she  had  herself  learnt.  In 
January  both  sisters  went  to  nurse  Lotte  at  Schonrade, 
and  afterwards  paid  visits  to  Trebschen  and  Sabor. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

January  7,  1823. 

I  have  settled  a  great  many  things,  closed  the 
accounts,  covered  the  pictures,  and  am  taking  plenty 
of  work  with  me  to  do  at  Schonrade.  My  little  bag 
will  be  quite  full  of  papers  concerning  Buchwald. 
I  have  determined  to  give  two  hours  a  day  to  this 
work,  as  well  as  teaching  Elisabeth,  which  duty  Lotte 
has  handed  over  to  me  during  my  visit.  Then  I  must 
give  two  hours  to  letter-writing,  and  two  to  reading, 
as  well  as  two  to  reading  aloud — ten  hours  of  regular 
work  in  all.  The  rest  of  the  time  belongs  to  Lotte 
and  her  doings,  sleeping,  and  eating.  Caroline  and 
I  are  like  two  Grey  Sisters  on  their  rounds.  May 
God  bless  the  work  at  Trebschen  and  Schonrade ! 

To  COUNTESS  VON  ITZENPLITZ 

BUCHWALD,  March. 

I  cannot  tell  you  how  comfortable  and  nice  it  is 
to  be  at  home  again,  where  everything  interests  me 
and  life  is  filled  with  duties.  The  confidence  I  have 
won  as  Count  Reden's  widow  has  enlarged  my  sphere 
of  work.  Sometimes  it  is  rather  too  much  for  me, 
and  I  wish  I  had  more  strength ;  still,  one  can  do 
a  great  deal  with  health,  by  getting  up  early  and 
keeping  steadily  at  work,  especially  if  one  throws 
oneself  into  it.  You  and  your  mother  first  set  me 
the  example. 

JOURNAL 

Palm  Sunday,  March  23. — I  recommenced  our 
evening  prayers,  in  memory  of  my  beloved  one,  on 
this  his  birthday,  with  deep  and  grateful  feelings. 
Several  visitors  during  the  day,  and,  thank  God, 
many  kind  faces  to  greet  us  on  our  return.  I  went 
to  the  Abbey  after  church,  gave  alms,  and  found 
comfort  in  praying  by  my  husband's  grave. 

There  are  many  notices  about  work  for  herself  and 


1823]         FRAU   SCHUBERTIN'S   POEMS  137 

others  in  the  journal ;  of  drives  to  Fischbach  with  her 
gardener,  Walter,  to  advise  about  improvements  and 
planting,  and  it  speaks  of  the  place  as  still  being  a 
chaos.  There  were  many  improvements  carried  out 
in  the  park  at  Buchwald,  for  "  It  is  the  first  duty  of 
a  gardener  not  to  allow  things  to  deteriorate." 

May  4. — To  church,  and  dedicated  the  day  to  visiting 
the  sick.  In  the  afternoon  to  see  the  shepherd's  wife, 
and  to  old  Kriegel  and  old  Schiller,  who  have  been 
knocked  down  because  they  gave  evidence  on  the 
side  of  the  estate  in  a  dispute  about  boundaries.  They 
are  not  so  seriously  hurt  but  that  my  wine  and  lotions 
will  set  them  right. 

Although  Countess  Reden  alludes  to  not  feeling 
well  in  the  spring,  and  of  being  nervous  and  irritable, 
her  work  seems  to  have  gone  on  just  as  usual.  She 
inspected  fields,  sowed  flower-seeds,  made  soap,  and 
spent  a  day  at  the  sheep-shearing  as  heretofore. 
She  published  about  that  time  a  small  volume  of 
Frau  Schubertin's  poems  by  subscription,  and  a  little 
cottage  was  built  for  the  poetess  with  the  proceeds. 

The  Countess  writes : 

My  undertaking  in  reference  to  Frau  Schubertin's 
poems  has  succeeded  beyond  my  expectations.  I 
sold  four  hundred  copies  for  her  directly,  and  I  have 
received  some  presents  for  her  as  well. 

Among  the  subscribers  were  the  King,  the  Crown 
Prince,  Prince  Wilhelm,  and  Prince  and  Princess 
Wilhelm  of  Prussia. 

Prince  and  Princess  Wilhelm  arrived  at  Fischbach 
with  their  children  in  August,  and  Countess  Reden 
wrote  them  a  note  of  welcome.  The  next  day  they 
announced  that  they  would  come  to  tea,  and  from 
that  time  a  very  frequent  interchange  of  visits  was 
established  between  Fischbach  and  Buchwald. 


138         FIRST   YEARS   OF  WIDOWHOOD     [1824 

August  30. — Count  Gneisenau  came  in  late  this 
evening  with  an  invitation  for  to-morrow,  which  was 
not  quite  convenient  for  me.  This  sort  of  thing  is 
getting  too  much  for  me,  and  is  such  an  interruption 
to  my  work,  in  the  doing  of  which  lies  my  only 
happiness. 

September  25. — I  found  the  day  a  very  long  one, 
because  I  did  not  have  much  to  do  and  could  not 
get  out. 

October  8. — As  busy  as  possible.  Cut  up  five 
bushels  of  apples  with  the  help  of  seven  pepins,  and 
collected  a  good  many  herbs. 

December  12. — I  have  settled  down  to  my  comfort- 
able, old  winter  routine  again.  I  can  write  letters 
and  dictate  at  the  same  time.  Kriegel  is  drawing 
up  a  list  of  the  grain,  and  I  am  dictating  the  dates, 
while  Friedrich  is  entering  the  fishing  notes  in 
the  register  which  I  have  extracted  from  the  fishing 
journal. 

We  have  had  Prince  and  Princess  Wilhelm  with 
us  very  often,  to  our  great  delight,  for  both  of  them 
seem  to  us  people  of  real  worth,  and  they  are  so 
unassuming  and  kind ;  besides  this,  they  are  very 
gracious  to  us.  I  am  overwhelmed  with  letters  and 
parcels,  and  I  have  some  writing  on  hand  for  Princess 
Radziwill  which  takes  up  a  great  deal  of  my  time, 
and  has  made  a  call  upon  my  good  nature.  Is  it 
desirable  to  have  a  reputation  for  obligingness  and 
proficiency?  I  am  beginning  to  doubt  it. 

BUCHWALD,  January  5,  1824. 

General  von  Gneisenau,  who  never  forgets  anything, 
has  sent  me  again  three  ducats  for  Fritz  von  Kalc- 
kreuth,  and  I  am  carefully  saving  them  up  with  the 
rest  for  him.  We  are  very  much  pleased  with  his 
behaviour  this  time.  He  is  coming  to  us  at  Easter 
for  his  last  holidays,  and  then  we  shall  get  his  outfit 
and  hand  him  over  to  Count  Gessler. 


Countess  Reden  made  a  long  journey  in  January, 
going  first  to  Jankendorf,  then  to  Neuenhof,  and 
afterwards  paying  short  visits  to  various  friends 
and  relations. 


1 824]        HENRY   CLINTON'S   ARRIVAL  139 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

We  had  hardly  got  settled  in  our  little  rooms  when 
our  brother  came  for  us,  saying  that  he  could  not 
put  off  giving  us  our  Christmas  presents  any  longer; 
and  as  there  were  a  variety  of  things  large  and  small, 
he  insisted  upon  our  going  with  him  at  once.  He 
led  us  to  me  hall,  and  a  curtain  which  hung 
across  one  corner  was  drawn  up,  and  a  most  lovely 
group  was  presented  to  our  astonished  eyes,  Frau 
von  Schoning;  and  her  children,  whom  we  soon 
clasped,  laughing  and  happy,  in  our  arms.  Feelings 
of  joy  and  gratitude  were  on  every  face,  and  my 
much-loved  brother  was  amply  rewarded  for  his 
great  kindness.  We  are  all  in  the  little  house,  for 
rooms  have  been  added  to  it,  and  as  contented  minds 
always  have  all  they  require,  we  have  space  enough, 
and  are  quite  comfortable.  Life  passes  very  pleasantly, 
for  I  am  teaching  my  sister's  children — lovely  little 
people ! — in  the  morning,  and  I  give  Marline  English 
lessons  in  the  afternoon.  I  am  reading  aloud  to  all 
the  young  people  here  "  The  History  of  Thuringen," 
and  I  dictate  extracts  from  it.  We  are  reading 
Herder's  Life  in  the  evening. 

March  2. 

We  had  a  great  and  unexpected  pleasure  on 
Caroline's  birthday,  for  my  brother  George  had 
hunted  up  William  Clinton's  eldest  son  at  Weimar, 
and  invited  him  over  for  the  day.  We  gave  presents 
to  him  also.  He  is  rather  like  his  uncle,  but  not 
strikingly  so,  and  he  seems  a  very  affectionate,  kindly, 
straightforward  fellow.  We  celebrated  the  evening 
by  a  little  play. 

Countess  Reden's  great  affection  for  this  young 
Clinton  is  a  remarkable  episode  in  her  life.  Old 
memories  certainly  contributed  a  good  deal  to  it. 
It  is  probable  that  the  uncle,  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  who 
is  often  mentioned  in  her  letters,  had  a  warm  regard 
for  Fritze  von  Riedesel  as  a  young  girl  when  they 
were  all  at  Mastricht,  Lauterbach,  and  Brunswick, 
or  perhaps  he  cherished  a  love  for  her  which  was 


140         FIRST  YEARS   OF  WIDOWHOOD     [1824 

not  returned.  He  never  married,  and  it  is  of  course 
impossible  to  know  the  truth,  but  there  seems  some 
such  cause  for  the  relations  which  so  quickly  sprang 
up  between  her  and  this  young  Henry  Clinton.  He 
was  a  tall,  nice-looking  young  man,  with  fair  hair, 
and  a  winning  manner  when  he  was  not  out  of 
humour.  But  that  was  often  the  case  with  him,  and 
his  old  friend  was  frequently  much  tried  by  his 
temper,  though  she  always  treated  him  with  great 
consideration.  Then  he  would  express  regret  for 
his  ill  humour,  and  she  would  exhort  and  comfort 
him,  and  this  invariably  touched  him  deeply.  Such 
scenes  were  of  frequent  occurrence. 

Countess  Reden  wrote  to  General  von  Gneisenau 
on  his  behalf,  and  also  to  the  Duke  of  Cambridge 
in  reference  to  some  promotion  for  him  in  his  military 
career. 

Though  Countess  Reden  was  unable  to  spend 
March  23  at  Buchwald  as  usual,  it  was  a  day  ol 
great  pleasure  to  her,  bringing,  as  it  did,  a  visit  from 
Freiherr  vom  Stein.  She  writes  : 

Freiherr  vom  Stein's  arrival  on  this  day  and  his 
pleasure  at  seeing  me  again  was  a  real  comfort  to 
me.  He  enjoys  a  simple  way  of  living  with  those 
he  values,  and  we  are  glad  to  find  him  so  gentle  and 
so  kind  when  people  do  not  annoy  him,  and  this,  of 
course,  we  take  care  not  to  do. 

After  his  visit  Stein  wrote  her  : 

We  certainly  have  the  richest  source  of  comfort 
and  refreshment  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  when 
all  earthly  things  fill  us  with  disgust  and  weariness 
at  their  insufficiency,  they  elevate  and  console  us. 

In  the  country  we  have  great  need  of  wise  and 
pious  spiritual  guides  instead  of  the  shallow,  dull 
chatterers,  so  one  is  obliged  to  try  to  help  oneself 
with  books  of  devotion.  Let  me  call  your  attention, 
my  dear  friend,  to  Conrad's  sermons,  and  to  a  paper 


=  °-2 

5  c^ 
E=>, 


^   -o  . 
O    c.hr 


fl«5     5 

S  g     P 

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1 824]  VISIT   TO   FREIBERG  141 

published  in  Hamburg,  called  The  Messenger  of 
Peace,  and  to  Mailer's  "  Hours  of  Spiritual  Refresh- 
ment." He  was  Pastor  of  Rostock  at  the  end  of  the 
seventeenth  century. 

The  sisters  left  Neuenhof  on  April  9  for  Freiberg, 
in  Saxony,  travelling  by  way  of  Rudolstadt  in  order 
to  visit  the  Princess  there,  who  was  a  sister  of 
Princess  Wilhelm.  The  Countess  writes  about  her 
visit  to  Freiberg  in  Saxony : 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  my  impressions  of 
Freiberg,  where  every  hill  I  saw,  every  miner  I  met, 
recalled  past  happiness,  and  filled  me  with  melan- 
choly. My  beloved  husband  was  a  student  there  for 
a  time. 

She  writes : 

April  28. — I  went  with  Henly  to  the  school  garden 
after  dinner,  where  the  first  lesson  in  clearing  and 
planting  out  the  annuals  was  given.  Five  children 
were  chosen  for  the  work,  and  one  hundred  little 
trees  were  transplanted. 

Countess  Reden  was  accustomed  to  give  little 
cherry  trees  to  the  young  people  who  were  confirmed, 
and  to  the  respectable  young  married  people  she 
gave  pear  trees. 

Young  Clinton1  was  at  Buchwald  in  May,  to  the 
pleasure  and  torment  of  his  hostess.  She  read  with 
him,  and  he  worked  at  some  studies  with  the  pastor. 
She  would  persuade  him  to  accompany  her  to  the 
school,  and  to  interest  himself  in  her  garden,  and  by 
means  of  fresh  interests  to  ward  off  his  fits  of  ill 
humour.  She  used  to  send  him  on  little  expeditions, 
take  him  to  visit  her  friends,  etc.  Life  at  Buchwald 
resumed  its  usual  course.  The  Countess  writes : 

May  17. — Frau  Pastor  Glaupitz  spent  the  day  with 

1  Colonel  Henry  Clinton,  grandson  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  Commander- 
in-Chief  in  the  war  with  the  American  colonies,  and  elder  son  of 
Sir  William,  married  late  in  life  died  in  1881. — M.  B.-L. 


142         FIRST   YEARS   OF   WIDOWHOOD      [1824 

us,  and  Count  Gessler  dined  here,  and  those  two 
original  people  entertained  us  greatly,  and  enchanted 
Clinton,  who,  thank  God,  is  as  natural  in  his  amuse- 
ments as  in  his  troubles. 

May  31. — How  thankful  one  ought  to  be  to  have 
plenty  to  do,  each  according  to  one's  capacity !  How 
could  I  endure  life  if  this  were  not  the  case  with  me  ? 
It  is  often  rather  too  much,  and  I  should  be  glad  of 
more  rest,  and  to  be  able  to  enjoy  Buchwald  more ; 
but  it  is  doubtless  better  for  me  as  things  are,  and 
I  willingly  endure  the  days  that  are  not  pleasant. 
Our  welfare  does  not  depend  upon  everything  happen- 
ing as  we  desire,  but  that  everything  is  as  a  Higher 
Power  thinks  well  for  us. 

July  2. — Our  beloved  Eberhardine  arrived  at  five 
o'clock.  We  clasped  her  to  our  hearts  with  joy  and 
emotion. 

The  intercourse  between  Buchwald  and  Ruhberg 
was  as  frequent  as  ever,  and  even  more  frequent 
between  Buchwald  and  the  royal  neighbours  at 
Fischbach.  .  .  .  The  presence  of  the  King  there  with 
the  newly  married  royal  couple,  and  the  Grand  Duchess 
Alexandra  Feodorowna1  and  her  consort,  afterwards 
the  Emperor  Nicholas  I.,  brought  a  great  deal  of  dis- 
traction to  the  neighbourhood.  But  Countess  Reden 
carried  on  her  work  as  usual,  and  looked  after  her 
gardening,  though  at  times  she  was  far  from  well. 

August  15. — A  great  many  visitors,  but  with  my 
severe  headaches  it  is  rather  too  much  for  me.  I 
wish  I  could  impart  some  self-control  to  Clinton  when 
he  is  bored.  Henly  is  quite  well  and  enjoying  having 
the  management  of  his  property  in  his  own  hands. 

September. — Glorious  weather  has  come,  and  the 
oat  harvest  is  progressing  rapidly.  All  superfluous 
labourers  are  employed  on  the  roads,  for  the  royal  family 
are  coming  to  Fischbach  from  Breslau  by  way  of  Lands- 
hut,  Schmiedeberg,  and  Buchwald,  instead  of  through 

1  The  eldest  daughter  of  Friedrich  Wilhelm  III.  and  the  beautiful 
Queen  Luise. — M.  B.-L. 


1824]  THE   KING   AT   FISCHBACH  143 

Jauer.  Caroline  has  her  hands  full  with  Linchen's, 
Eberhardine's,  and  my  toilettes  as  well  as  her  own. 
I  am  having  a  new  black  silk  dress,  gros  de  Naples, 
made  a  deux  mains,  with  crepe  cloth  and  the  bodice 
high.  I  have  had  the  material  for  some  time.  I  shall 
wear  silk  shoes  and  white  gloves,  so  I  am  all  ready 
and  can  quietly  await  events.  There  are  all  manner 
of  festivities  in  honour  of  the  Crown  Prince,  and  at 
the  entrance  to  every  village  triumphal  arches  are 
erected.  Our  parish,  or  rather  Walter,  has  put  up 
two  which  are  really  very  tasteful.  We  have  selected 
the  best  places  here,  where,  as  they  come  along  the 
allee,  the  entire  meadow,  the  Abbey,  the  lake,  and 
the  Warte  can  be  seen.  The  parish  agreed.  The 
Landrath  has  settled  that  there  are  to  be  addresses, 
and  the  prettiest  girls  are  to  wear  white  with  blue 
sashes  like  town  folks,  and  are  busy  making  wreaths. 
I  begged  to  be  excused  from  all  this.  The  good 
people  are  quite  ready  to  follow  the  lead  of  others, 
not  knowing  themselves  what  ought  to  be  done,  so 
they  will  shout  "  You  are  heartily  welcome  "  when 
the  royalties  approach,  just  as  they  do  when  I  return 
home  after  being  away.  The  girls  look  very  neat 
in  their  week-day  gowns  with  sleeves,  and  red 
ribbons  in  their  hair,  the  national  colours. 

September  4. 

We  were  at  Fischbach  yesterday  about  three  o'clock, 
and  were  received  as  naturally  and  heartily  as  ever. 
General  von  Gneisenau  and  his  wife,  the  Radziwills 
and  their  suite,  were  also  invited.  I  wore  my  new 
gown,  and  it  fitted  me  very  well.  Linchen  wore  a 
lace  one,  and  it  was  very  pretty.  As  soon  as  the 
Grand  Duchess  saw  me,  she  embraced  me  and  said, 
"  Ah  !  here  is  our  dear  Fritze."  She  talked  a  good 
deal  to  me  before  and  after  dinner  about  her  children, 
who  are  in  Russia,  and  of  my  life,  etc.  She  is  still 
very  pretty,  but  is  very  pale  and  seems  delicate.  Her 
head  is  small  and  her  mouth  is  not  pretty.  Her 
manners  are  exceedingly  natural  and  unaffected.  He 
is  a  handsome  man  and  was  very  gracious,  and  men- 
tioned America,  whom  he  had  seen  at  Doberan.  They 
seemed  charmed  with  what  they  had  seen  of  Buchwald 
in  passing  through  on  their  way  to  Fischbach.  The 
Grand  Duchess  is  coming  to  us  to-day  between  the 


144         FIRST   YEARS   OF   WIDOWHOOD      [1824 

dinner  at  Fischbach  and  the  soiree  at  the  Radziwills's. 
Prince  Wilhelm  wishes  us  to  show  her  the  hall  for  a 
moment,  and  then  we  shall  drive  her  direct  to  the 
Pavilion.  I  ordered  the  carriage  here.  As  it  is  so 
hot  we  shall  only  have  lemon  ice  there,  and  she  will 
go  on  to  Ruhberg  from  the  Pavilion.  I  have  had  the 
grass  plots  and  bushes  watered  early  this  morning, 
and  as  my  reception  takes  place  to-morrow,  I  shall 
have  the  road  from  the  house  to  the  bridge  watered 
as  well.  I  think  I  could  not  do  anything  which  could 
set  off  Buchwald  to  better  advantage.  My  dear 
house  is  very  prettily  decorated. 

She  writes  later : 

The  Crown  Prince's  court  stayed  with  us,  bringing 
a  long-forgotten  court  life  beneath  our  roof.  They  all 
treated  me  with  great  kindness  and  affectionate 
sympathy,  which,  however,  is  the  result  of  my 
position,  independent  but  without  pretension.  I  seek 
and  desire  nothing,  and  I  am  so  placed  that  it  is 
easier  for  me  to  give  more  than  I  receive.  This  must 
always  be  the  case,  as  befits  Count  Reden's  widow, 
who  is  above  all  things  obliged  to  honour  his  name. 
The  King  was  particularly  pleasant  and  easily  satis- 
fied, and  his  popular  manner  won  all  hearts.  The 
Grand  Duchess  came  to  Buchwald  several  times  and 
was  very  gracious,  and  so  was  the  Grand  Duke 
Nicholas. 

Countess  Reden's  time  and  sympathy  were  bestowed 
on  the  people  of  the  small  mountain  village,  Kupferberg, 
which  had  been  destroyed  by  fire.  The  miners  always 
had  a  special  place  in  her  heart,  for  the  sake  of  her 
husband.  She  writes : 

October  14,  Evening. 

I  drove  with  Caroline  and  Herr  von  Mielecky  at 
half-past  seven  this  morning  to  Kupferberg,  the  latter 
having  been  there  yesterday  to  take  the  people 
necessaries,  and  he  brought  me  such  an  account  of 
the  disaster.  Those  who  have  never  witnessed  such 
a  scene  can  have  no  idea  of  the  sadness  and  distress 
of  it.  The  castle  stands  uninjured  in  the  midst  of  the 
ruins  of  the  village.  I  found  Count  Anton  and  Count 
Matuschki  there,  and  I  was  received  with  great 


1 824]         THE   FIRE   AT   KUPFERBERG  145 

kindness  by  them.  They  said  it  seemed  as  if  I  had 
heard  them  call  for  me.  They  led  me  to  the  place 
where  the  little  committee  was  sitting,  which  consisted 
of  themselves,  the  two  pastors,  the  tithing  officer  of 
the  mines,  the  burgomaster,  and  the  bailiff,  and  they 
begged  Herr  von  Mielecky  and  me  to  join  them.  I 
felt  abashed  but  touched,  and  I  thought,  "  Your  husband 
sees  this  gladly."  Everything  was  discussed,  and 
persons  who  were  to  receive  and  distribute  the  con- 
tributions, and  the  manner  of  the  assistance,  was 
carefully  considered.  Every  two  days  food  will  be 
distributed  at  the  castle,  and  a  cart  will  be  sent  to 
the  three  adjoining  villages,  where  so  many  of  the 
unfortunate  people  have  been  taken  in.  Shoes,  stock- 
ings, and  coats  are  the  things  most  needed.  The 
money  for  rebuilding  and  for  procuring  the  raw 
materials  has  been  deposited.  After  making  these 
arrangements  we  went  to  see  the  miners,  the  wounded 
and  the  uninjured  alike,  and  I  shall  never  forget  my 
reception  nor  how  the  name  of  Reden  was  uttered. 
They  kissed  my  hands  and  my  skirt,  and  they  really 
encircled  me.  Ah  !  it  made  me  both  glad  and  sad.  I 
never  thought  to  come  here  after  seventeen  years 
without  the  beloved  chief,  nor  to  set  foot  on  the  burnt 
ruins  of  the  house  where  we  had  so  often  stayed. 
And  yet  in  seeing  it  again  there  was  much  to  comfort 
and  encourage  one. 

October  23. 

A  famous  buying  of  shoes  at  Warmbrunn,  whither 
Henly  accompanied  us.  I  bought  sixty-one  pairs  of 
boots  and  large  shoes  with  the  money  Princess 
Radziwill  gave  me. 

October  31. 

Count  Egloffstein  and  Prince  Adalbert  came  to  tea 
on  Tuesday,  and  stayed  to  "supper  and  prayers.  The 
Prince  was  very  nice  helping  me  make  herb  tea,  and 
to  make,  fill,  and  label  the  seed  bags,  and  enjoyed  it 
all  into  the  bargain.  This  evening  Prince  and  Princess 
Wilhelm  with  the  children  and  suite  came  and 
remained  till  ten,  and  were  gayer  than  I  have  seen 
them  for  a  long  time. 

We  showed  them  Caroline's  drawings  of  Heinrichs- 
burg,  and  after  that  Princess  Wilhelm  sat  in  my 
room  with  me  and  got  up  courage  to  read  English, 

10 


146         FIRST   YEARS   OF   WIDOWHOOD      [1824 

and  not  at  all  badly,  and  she  translated  it  fairly  well. 
She  would  like  to  have  this  practice  oftener,  but 
neither  of  us  know  how  to  manage  it.  We  wound  up 
by  having  charades  and  riddles,  and  the  royalties 
laughed  till  they  had  to  hold  their  sides. 

November  n. 

We  drove  to  Stonsdorf,  and  all  the  royalties  were 
there  to  afternoon  service.  They  were  as  unaffected 
and  kind  as  the  dear  old  host  himself,  and  pleased  to 
be  allowed  to  come.  We  were  a  large  party  to  tea, 
and  we  chatted  very  sociably  together.  The  Count 
saw  every  one  in  turn.  We  did  some  knitting  for 
Kupferberg,  and  the  Prince  and  Princess  thoroughly 
enjoyed  themselves,  and  so  did  the  Count.  ...  I  was 
alone  when  a  very  kind  invitation  came  from  Princess 
Wilhelm  asking  me  to  join  them  and  the  Radziwills 
in  an  expedition  to  the  Mariannenfels  while  the 
weather  was  so  fine,  and  to  dine  at  the  Swiss  chalet. 
We  reached  the  chalet  towards  five  o'clock,  about 
sundown,  and  found  a  fire  flickering.  We  had  dinner 
very  cosily,  however,  by  its  light,  and  after  dinner  I 
played  with  the  children,  and  the  third  Radziwill 
added  to  the  fun  by  starting  "  Old  Witch  "  and  "  Blind 
Man's  Buff."  We  went  down  the  mountain  in  the 
calm  warm  evening  air,  and  were  at  home  by  eight 
o'clock.  I  worked  till  midnight  at  the  Bible  Society 
business. 

At  the  beginning  of  December  the  Countess  and 
her  sister  travelled  for  a  time  and  spent  several 
months  with  their  brother  and  his  family  at  Wurzburg, 
where  Marline  was  undergoing  a  course  of  treatment. 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

I  must  just  add  a  few  words  about  S.  Sebald  on 
Sunday,  the  i2th.  I  very  much  wished  to  hear  the 
hymns  in  that  majestic  house  of  God.  We  went  first 
to  S.  Lorenz,  which  is  very  fine,  but  I  was  touched 
beyond  words  at  S.  Sebald's.  The  large,  quiet 
congregation  sang  "Glory  to  God  in  the  highest" 
to  a  beautiful  organ  accompaniment.  I  stood  by  the 
fine  font  and  saw  the  preacher's  face  by  a  bright 
light  as  he  entered  the  pulpit,  the  congregation  being 


1825]  WURZBURG  14? 

in  darkness,  for  the  weather  was  dull  and  the  stained 
glass  windows  shut  out  the  light.  The  effect  was 
wonderful — the  bright  light  within,  while  that  without 
was  veiled  and  magical.  I  asked  the  preacher's  name, 
and  learned  that  he  was  the  celebrated  Dean  Veillodter. 
We  went  nearer,  and  a  kind  member  of  the  congre- 
gation made  room  for  us,  so  that  we  were  able  to 
enjoy  the  excellent  sermon  on  the  text,  S.  John  iii.  18. 
It  was  really  soul-stirring,  and  our  simple  service 
speaks  so  to  the  heart,  and  it  was  beautiful  in  that 
house  of  God,  and  very  helpful.  At  Eger  our  thoughts 
were  for  Wallenstein  only,  and  his  ignominious 
death.  We  had  our  Schiller,  and  followed  the  story 
of  the  sad  night  from  the  old  castle  to  the  Burgo- 
master's house. 

The  Countess  visited  every  church  and  cloister 
and  every  hospital  at  Wiirzburg,  and  she  chose 
the  inscription  over  the  door  of  the  Julius  Hospital 
for  her  Infirmary  at  Buchwald.  They  left  Wiirzburg 
on  February  12,  and  went  to  Neuenhof  for  a  few 
weeks,  where  they  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting 
Eberhardine  again. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

April  5. 

I  saw  the  first  violet  on  March  23  as  I  entered  the 
Abbey,  and  Hackel's  children  gave  me  a  nosegay  of 
them  by  the  vault.  Ah  !  dear  Caroline,  it  made  me 
both  sad  and  happy.  The  23rd  is  the  day  of  my  life, 
for  on  it  my  dear  husband  was  born,  and  through 
him  I  have  all  I  possess,  and  everything  that  can 
delight,  improve,  and  lift  me  up  to  higher  things. 

April  7. 

I  am  reading  a  chapter  in  Rebel's  Bible  to  my 
pepins  every  morning,  and  then  they  repeat  the 
verse  they  have  learned  in  the  hymn-book  the  day 
before.  Kriegel  does  sums  and  writes  copies  till 
eight  o'clock,  and  Caroline  Hackel  does  her  house- 
work. As  Caroline  thinks  it  desirable,  she  is  to  begin 
her  regular  duties  on  Monday,  to  her  own  great  delight. 
She  and  Friederike  will  be  enough  for  us  till  mid- 
summer, so  she  can  get  on  till  a  second  new  servant 


I48         FIRST  YEARS   OF  WIDOWHOOD      [1825 

comes.     She   is  getting  her  clothes   ready,  and   her 
preparations  for  the  important  day  are  quite  comic. 

The  clerk  of  the  works  at  Fischbach  came  with  a 
message  from  His  Royal  Highness  to-day.  A  covered 
gallery  is  being  built  to  the  house,  and  the  Prince's 
library  is  being  fitted  up  and  hung  with  red  cloth, 
which  will  try  the  eyes  and  harbour  moths. 

Henly  Reuss,  the  Countess's  nephew,  married  the 
beautiful  and  charming  Countess  Clementine  von 
Reichenbach  during  his  aunt's  absence,  and  Neuhof 
became  in  the  real  sense  an  affiliated  house,  and  the 
young  couple  afforded  their  aunt  ample  opportunity 
of  helping  them  by  word  and  deed. 

Clinton  appeared  again,  and  was  as  usual  a  torment 
and  a  pleasure  to  his  friend. 

The  Countess  lost  her  accountant,  Illgner,  about 
this  time,  and  his  death  was  a  real  loss  to  her, 
especially  as  she  did  not  fill  his  place,  but  undertook 
all  the  large  increase  of  work  upon  herself. 

Bishop  Reichel's  death  on  April  18  was  a  great 
sorrow  to  her,  and  she  felt  for  the  desolate  state  of 
his  sons. 

The  interests  and  occupations  in  May  were  most 
varied  and  numerous.  The  Countess  corresponded 
with  her  niece  Marline  in  English  and  French,  and 
corrected  the  answers  as  well.  There  is  a  notice  of 
a  visit  from  Count  Gessler,  who  sought  her  interces- 
sion with  the  Minister  Schuckmann 1  on  behalf  of 
the  town  of  Schmiedeberg,  the  financial  condition 
of  which  was  in  a  depressed  state.  This,  of  course, 
entailed  extra  correspondence.  In  this  connection 
she  alludes  to  her  husband's  opponents  in  the  town, 
adding : 

1  Friedrich,  Freiherr  von  Schuckmann,  Minister  of  Religion  and 
Education.  Out  of  office  in  1817;  from  1819  to  1830  in  the 
Polizeiministerium. 


1825]  JOHANNES   GOSSNER  149 

And  so  I  am  to  heap  coals  of  fire  on  their  heads. 
I  shall  act  as  God  directs  me,  and  not  follow  my  own 
way.  ...  I  will  never  shrink  from  whatever  duty  may 
demand  of  me,  nor  strive  anxiously  after  fresh  ones. 

The  outdoor  work  also  claimed  much  of  her  atten- 
tion, sometimes  calling  upon  her  to  spend  a  day  in 
the  sheep-field,  as  well  as  in  the  garden,  where  all 
the  work  was  practically  under  her  direction. 

Providence  brought  to  the  Silesian  mountains 
during  the  summer  a  man  whose  coming  proved  a 
blessing  to  many.  He  was  Johannes  Gossner,  formerly 
a  Roman  Catholic  priest.  Exiled  from  St.  Petersburg, 
he  lived  at  Leipzig,  and  from  there  went  about  among 
friends  like-minded  with  himself.  Thus  it  chanced 
that  he  stayed  with  Count  Reuss  at  Stonsdorf,  and 
there  Countess  Reden  made  his  acquaintance,  and 
he  became  her  guide  on  the  path  to  eternal  life. 

JOURNAL 

August  17. — Dined  at  Stonsdorf.  Very  glad  to  see 
the  Count  again  and  to  make  Gossner' s  acquaintance. 
He  is  a  noble,  unaffected,  attractive  character,  and 
his  heart  is  full  of  the  love  and  teaching  of  the  Saviour 
—he  overflows  with  it,  and  he  does  not  lack  words 
to  express  it.  We  had  a  service  at  six  o'clock,  and 
just  before  it  began  a  young  man  arrived  who  had 
followed  him  from  St.  Petersburg.  Their  meeting 
was  quite  touching. 

August  21,  Sunday. — To  Stonsdorf  at  twelve  o'clock. 
An  address  full  of  unction  from  Gossner  at  five 
o'clock,  upon  the  words,  "  He  hath  done  all  things 
well."  He  has  an  abundance  of  spiritual  feeling 
which  appeals  to  one,  even  though  he  repeats  himself 
often. 

September  i. — Dined  at  Stonsdorf.  I  had  some 
blessed  hours  with  Gossner,  Caroline,  and  Prause, 
from  three  till  five  o'clock.  He  told  us  about  his 
life,  his  persecution,  his  work  as  chaplain  at  Fenne- 
berg,  and  his  imprisonment. 

September  6. — In  spite  of  the  rain  it  is  bright  sun- 


150         FIRST  YEARS   OF   WIDOWHOOD      [1825 

shine  indoors,  owing  to  Gossner's  presence.  Anton 
Stolberg  and  seven  children  are  with  us.  Caroline 
made  a  drawing  of  Gossner  while  we  sat  in  the  next 
room.  I  had  the  hall  prepared,  and  the  royalties 
from  Fischbach,  the  Ruh berg  family,  and  Field-Marshal 
Gneisenau,  and  Henly  and  his  wife  came.  A  sermon — 
and  what  a  sermon! — on  the  text,  "I  have  found  the 
Lord,"  and  S,  Paul's  words  to  the  keeper  in  prison. 
Unction,  sweetness,  love !  After  the  party  left,  we 
had  a  charming  talk  with  Gossner  and  Prince  and 
Princess  Wilhelm  till  half-past  nine,  and  continued 
it  by  ourselves  till  eleven. 

September  13. — We  spent  Sunday  at  Stonsdorf, 
Caroline  going  early  to  finish  Gossner's  portrait.  He 
concluded  his  course  of  addresses  with  one  worthy 
of  the  seven  other  ones.  I  have  never  known  a  more 
gifted  teacher  of  God's  word,  nor  one  more  full  of 
real  Christian  faith  and  charity.  I  think  those  who 
have  made  his  acquaintance  and  enjoyed  his  con- 
versation have  gained  something  to  remember  all 
their  lives. 

Count  Gessler  and  the  artist  Rosel  dined  here 
yesterday,  and  I  drove  the  latter  about  the  place  for 
a  few  hours.  He  had  not  seen  it  before,  and  selected 
some  spots  to  sketch  in  the  afternoon.  We  refused 
an  invitation  to  meet  a  large  party  of  royalties  at 
General  von  Gneisenau's.  I  pickled  cucumbers  and 
enjoyed  the  quiet  time. 

September  29. — The  purchase  of  Ruhberg  will  be 
settled  on  October  3.  Princess  Luise  is  most  anxious 
to  possess  the  property,  and  I  wish  her  joy  of  it  with 
all  my  heart. 

This  wish  was  fulfilled,  and  the  Radziwills  became 
near  neighbours.  They  showed  Countess  Reden 
many  proofs  of  their  affectionate  friendship,  which 
she  warmly  returned. 

Among  Countess  Reden's  circle  of  friends  at 
Buchwald  was  the  Roman  Catholic  family  of  Count 
Schafgotsch  at  Warmbrunn.  She  was  interested  in 
their  son  Leopold,  and  particularly  in  his  young 
wife,  Josephine,  a  daughter  of  Count  Ziethen. 


1825]   COUNTESS  LEOPOLD  SCHAFGOTSCH    151 

December  4. — We  spent  a  very  pleasant  day  with 
young  Countess  Schafgotsch.  She  is  a  really  un- 
affected, sensible,  and  well-meaning  woman,  and 
evinces  promise  of  becoming  a  great  blessing  to  a 
wide  circle.  She  likes  our  evening  prayers  exceed- 
ingly, and  she  discusses  religious  questions  far  more 
than  is  good  for  her  peace  of  mind,  considering 
her  position  and  narrow  creed. 

The  Countess  writes  later : 

I  am  often  surprised  that  we  old  sisters  can  be 
objects  of  attraction  to  the  young  Countess.  She  has 
a  naturally  simple  and  noble  mind,  and  it  often  seems 
to  me  that  her  creed  does  not  satisfy  her  now,  and 
the  teaching  of  her  Church  about  the  Virgin  Mary,  etc., 
seems  to  offer  difficulties.  Ah  !  why  does  she  not  cling 
to  the  Son  only,  Whose  divinity  is  so  undeniable  ? 

Wednesday,  December  21. 

The  anniversary  of  our  father's  and  mother's 
marriage  sixty-three  years  ago.  I  heard  that  Kriegel, 
at  Hain,  the  man  whose  wife  died  three  years  ago, 
had  lost  his  cow  last  year,  and  that  he  had  many 
troubles.  The  children  were  said  to  be  in  rags,  and 
that  no  woman  will  go  to  such  a  place  to  help. 
His  only  earnings  are  from  piece  work.  On  learning 
all  this,  Caroline  gave  materials  for  clothes,  and 
five  pairs  of  stockings  which  my  store  could  not 
supply.  Complete  suits  of  garments  were  made,  and 
I  selected  for  him  one  of  our  cows  of  the  third 
class  which  will  soon  become  number  one  (for  the 
man  has  good  fodder  for  her),  and  then  we  prepared 
sausages  and  warm  food,  and  drove  off,  Caroline  and 
the  bailiff  coming  with  me.  .  .  .  The  man  was  out  at 
work,  and  when  everything  was  ready,  the  bailiff 
made  a  pretext  for  fetching  him.  The  children  sat  at 
a  well-spread  meal  in  good  clothes,  and  the  cow  was 
standing  by  a  well-filled  crib  in  the  cow-house.  I 
went  to  meet  him,  and  said  that  people  had  been 
gossiping  about  him  and  said  that  his  children  were 
ragged  and  his  cow  dead,  but  that  I  now  saw  every- 
thing to  be  exactly  the  reverse  of  all  this.  He  seemed 
petrified,  and  owned  that  they  had  not  said  too  much. 
I  led  him  into  his  nice  house,  where  all  was  changed, 
and  his  delight,  surprise,  and  gratitude  no  words  can 
describe.  You  can  imagine  it  all.  I  thanked  God 


152         FIRST  YEARS   OF  WIDOWHOOD      [1826 

and   my   husband   for  having  given  me   the    means 
of  bestowing  so  much  pleasure. 

Fritz  von  Kalckreuth  arrived  this  evening.  I  told 
him  last  holidays  that  he  must  secure  his  promotion 
as  ensign  before  he  came  again.  The  service,  the 
strict  discipline,  the  study,  have  done  him  all  the 
good  in  the  world,  and  he  is  very  much  improved. 

The  Countess  was  greatly  interested  in  the  Tsar 
of  Russia. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

January  8. 

So  Nicholas  is  Tsar.  The  news  came  by  courier 
from  Berlin  on  the  3rd,  and  Prince  Wilhelm  left  in 
the  evening.  May  he  reign  over  his  country  like 
S.  Nicholas,  but  I  have  my  doubts  of  that.  .  .  .  There 
were  no  end  of  congratulations  on  Sunday.  We  gave 
a  dinner  to  ninety-five  school  children  from  Quirl. 
The  feast  consisted  of  three-quarters  of  a  calf  boiled 
with  rice,  bread,  of  course,  and  some  beer.  I  gave 
them  some  little  booklets.  ...  I  made  sausages, 
ninety-nine  of  them,  with  Clementine  on  the  4th 
and  5th. 

The  dear  Kreppelhof  people  are  here  still,  Luise1 
with  her  seven  children,  and  all  are  so  busy  that 
not  a  minute  is  wasted.  I  give  the  elder  children 
arithmetic  from  eleven  till  twelve,  and  after  that  they 
read  with  Caroline,  and  have  a  music  lesson  and  go 
to  dress.  At  half-past  six  they  have  a  lesson  in 
botany  from  Curie's  system,2  and  then  some  games.  .  .  , 

January  24. 

I  am  reading  "  Francis  I.  of  France  "  and  find  it  very- 
interesting,  and  also  a  clever  and  amusing  English 
book,  in  three  volumes,  "  Sayings  and  Doings."  .  .  . 

I  have  to  go  and  inspect  the  sheep  every  day.  We 
are  keeping  part  of  the  flock  without  hay,  to  find  out 
whether  it  is  the  fodder  which  makes  the  milk  too 
rich  for  the  lambs,  and  thus  causing  the  lameness. 
We  are  awaiting  results. 

1  Countess  Anton  Stolberg. 

1  Easy  Lessons  on  Field  Flowers,  by  R.  G.  Curie  (Gorlitz,  1823). — 
E.  R 


To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

Some  one  who  has  not  yet  been  found  out  tried 
to  burn  our  farmyard  on  the  i/th,  but,  by  God's 
mercy,  attention  was  attracted  to  the  spot  in  the  most 
wonderful  way  just  as  the  fire  had  begun.  We 
were  at  prayers,  which  were  later  than  usual,  as  we 
had  returned  from  Erdmannsdorf  rather  late,  and  I 
had  not  been  able  to  resist  reading  a  letter  from 
Gossner,  which  had  just  come.  His  blessing  and 
good  wishes  for  my  quiet  household  were  fulfilled, 
for  not  a  hair  of  our  heads  was  injured,  and  the  fire 
was  extinguished  at  once.  It  has  been  simply  a  cause 
of  thanksgiving  and  praise  for  our  wonderful  pre- 
servation. It  has  had,  too,  a  cheering  result.  Our 
evening  prayers  have  always  been  attended  by  my 
family,  servants  and  guests ;  now  every  one  pours 
in — shepherds,  steward,  labourers,  and  maids  from 
all  four  farms.  It  is  really  a  pious  movement,  and 
when  I  behold  this  small  but  ever-increasing  con- 
gregation, I  feel  ready  to  fall  on  my  knees  in  praise 
and  thanksgiving  to  God  for  His  goodness.  The 
fire  did  not  take  hold  of  my  property,  but  of  the 
hearts  of  my  people.  May  it  burn  brightly  and 
inextinguishably ! 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

BUCHWALD,  March  25. 

...  I  am  now  very  happy  in  the  possession  of 
Luther's  works.  They  have  only  lately  been  published 
in  a  small  edition,  and  are  selected  with  a  view  to 
meet  the  needs  of  the  day.  I  read  something  in  these 
blessed  works  of  that  true  man  of  God  every  day 
with  the  greatest  enjoyment.  What  a  wealth  of 
simple,  Christlike  feeling,  what  strength,  what  a 
depth  of  knowledge,  combined  with  the  liveliest 
humour  and  finest  wit  and  most  far-reaching  views 
of  life !  I  find  just  the  things  that  are  suited  for 
reading  aloud  at  Sunday  evening  prayers,  and  my 
listeners,  accustomed  to  Luther  from  their  earliest 
days,  are  all  attention,  and  say  that  "  they  are  so 
clearly  expressed,  that  any  child  could  understand 
them. '  I  can't  tell  you  how  Gossner  reminds  me 
of  Luther  in  his  conversation,  opinions,  liveliness, 
and  in  his  stirring  sermons. 


154         FIRST   YEARS   OF  WIDOWHOOD      [1826 
To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

April  28. 

I  wish  the  war  against  the  Turks  would  begin.  It 
would  be  an  act  of  humanity.  How  I  pity  those  poor 
Greeks !  There  is  nothing  further  in  the  newspapers 
to-day  about  Missolonghi,  and  I  hope  there  will  be 
nothing  more,  and  that  the  horrors  are  fabrications. 

June  1 6. 

We  are  delighted  about  the  "  Excellency,"  particu- 
larly so  because  you  forgot  to  write  to  us  about  it, 
which  shows  that  you  do  not  attach  undue  importance 
to  it,  and  George  is  so  really  excellent  that  he  does 
not  require  a  title  to  make  him  so.  That  is  what  he 
said  to  me  on  a  similar  occasion,  and  as  the  remark  is 
still  expressive  of  the  fact  I  repeat  it  to  you. 

Countess  Reden  always  had  the  windows  and  doors 
of  her  house  painted  white,  because  her  husband  had 
done  so  and  liked  it.  She  writes  about  the  painting : 

August  8. — I  have  prepared  the  wash  for  the  wood- 
work myself,  and  it  has  turned  out  a  great  success, 
and  has  cost  very  little.  I  used  a  special  mixture 
for  it. 

August  12. — I  mixed  red  paint  for  the  tiles,  and 
picked  the  beans,  doing  both  in  the  most  satisfactory 
manner.  When  I  am  able  to  do  nothing  else,  I  shall 
fall  back  on  mixing  colours. 

During  the  summer  and  autumn  there  had  been  a 
good  deal  of  society  at  Buchwald,  while  the  royal 
neighbours  at  Fischbach  became  nearer  and  dearer 
friends. 

Some  members  of  the  Moravian  Brotherhood  stayed 
at  Buchwald  at  this  time,  one  of  whom  was  the 
missionary  Kohlmeister,  whose  acquaintance  the 
Countess  was  glad  to  make,  but  it  filled  her  with 
sorrow  that  these  good  Christians  should  have  so 
much  of  the  old  Adam  left  in  them.  She  writes  of 
two  who  could  not  get  on  together; 


1827]  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  INFIRMARY  155 

The  relations  are  just  the  same  between  N.  and  M., 
and  it  distresses  me  a  great  deal.  Such  a  state  of 
things  ought  not  to  exist  between  these  good  men.  If 
two  such  people  cannot  understand  one  another,  and 
if  their  relations  together  are  always  strained,  where 
then  can  charity  be  found  ?  O  God,  give  me  deep, 
heartfelt  love  for  all  men,  .  .  .  and  no  misunder- 
standings ! 

The  winter  was  cold  and  there  was  much  snow, 
and  the  poverty  increased  greatly  through  this  cause. 
The  Countess  endeavoured  to  help  the  poor  in  every 
possible  way,  and  to  lessen  their  sufferings.  She 
began  to  give  out  potatoes  and  flour,  and  to  sell  them 
flax  at  a  low  price,  and  this  she  continued  doing  for 
many  years.  She  was  also  busy  preparing  for  founding 
the  so-called  Infirmary,  till  it  was  furnished  and 
opened  in  1829. 

JOURNAL 

January  25. — I  was  obliged  to  commence  drawing 
up  the  papers  about  the  Infirmary,  and  with  a  prayer 
for  God's  guidance  I  began  my  work.  The  be- 
ginning was  easy  ;  may  the  end  be  the  same  ! 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

February  16. 

I  have  had  my  dear  husband's  delightfully  com- 
fortable sleigh  done  up,  and  the  coachman  drives 
me  out  in  it  every  morning  from  eleven  till  one 
o'clock,  and  after  a  little  trouble  I  manage  to  get 
to  the  farms  and  poorest  families,  and  old  people,  to 
find  out  what  is  needed  and  to  help  as  best  I  can. 
They  make  scarcely  anything  by  spinning,  and  this 
is  their  sole  means  of  existence,  at  least  for  most 
of  them.  So  I  have  begun  a  yarn  business,  and  am 
therefore  able  to  help  them  a  little.  But  what  I 
am  to  do  with  the  yarn  afterwards,  God  and  time 
only  can  show.  Still,  this  is  the  only  way  I  can 
manage  for  them.  I  often  feel  touched  and  embar- 
rassed at  the  pleasure  and  hope  my  presence  seems 


156         FIRST   YEARS   OF  WIDOWHOOD      [1827 

to  occasion.  May  God  bless  my  poor  efforts  and 
help  me  in  fulfilling  my  duties !  How  much  I  would 
do  for  them  if  I  could  ! 

I  was  deeply  moved  yesterday  by  the  delight  and 
affection  with  which  an  old  woman  of  eighty-four 
received  me.  She  is  dying,  and  her  happy  waiting 
for  the  end,  her  trust,  and  her  sweet,  bright  ex- 
pression touched  me  inexpressibly.  I  am  so  glad 
to  be  able  to  help  and  to  soothe  her  for  even  this 
short  time. 

JOURNAL 

February  25. — There  were  twenty  degrees  of  frost 
when  we  went  to  church  at  eight  o'clock  this  morn- 
ing. I  did  not  feel  it  much,  for  one's  heart  is  so  full 
at  the  Lord's  Table  that  one  is  not  very  conscious 
of  outward  things. 

In  March  Countess  Reden  lost  her  niece  Leonore, 
while  nursing  her  nephew's  wife  at  Neuhof. 

Frau  von  SchOning  and  her  family  left  Buchwald 
in  the  autumn,  after  nearly  a  year's  stay. 

The  New  Year  was  greeted  by  Countess  Reden 
with  "  special  joy  "  : 

I  again  dedicate  myself  and  my  house  to  God.  May 
He  take  from  me  all  self-will,  and  lead  me  onwards. 

She  gave  up  a  great  deal  of  time  to  helping  the 
poor  help  themselves,  buying  flax  and  meal  for  them, 
having  the  flax  spun,  and  sorting  it.  In  January 
the  sisters  went  away,  first  to  Jankendorf,  and  on 
to  visit  their  nephew  Harry  Reuss  and  his  children 
at  Dresden,  where  they  met  their  sister  Countess 
von  Bernstorff.  Then  they  paid  a  visit  to  Princess 
Wilhelm's  sister  at  Rudolstadt,  and  finally  to  their 
brother  at  the  dear  old  home,  Lauterbach,  where 
they  saw  many  of  their  Riedesel  relations. 

After  her  return  home  in  April  the  Countess  was 
ordered  to  take  the  baths  at  Warmbrunn. 


1827]    LETTI*  R  ON  COUNT  REDEN'S  DEATH    157 

JOURNAL 

May  12. — I  have  nothing  to  ask  for,  or  even  wish 
for,  except  that  I  may  be  among  those  with  whom 
God  is  well  pleased,  and  that  He  will  pour  upon 
me  the  consolation  of  His  Holy  Spirit.  There  is  no 
day,  I  think,  in  the  whole  year  so  lonely  to  me  as  this, 
nor  any  upon  which  I  stand  in  so  much  need  of 
comfort  from  above  to  soothe  my  sorrow.  Though 
I  strive  for  entire  resignation  to  God's  will,  the 
recollection  of  my  dear  husband's  love  fills  my  poor 
heart.  I  can  but  pray  that  He  Who  is  my  all  will 
grant  me  the  strength  and  comfort  which  I  so  much 
need. 

EXTRACT  FROM  A  LETTER  WRITTEN  ON  THE 
ANNIVERSARY  OF  COUNT  REDEN'S  DEATH 

July  3- 

I  was  thankful  to  be  alone  at  the  Abbey  from 
seven  till  half-past  eight.  My  heart  has  been 
there  since  early  this  morning,  and  there  I  poured 
out  my  prayers  and  longings,  and  felt  through 
and  through  that  the  love,  the  tenderness  which 
our  poor  hearts  so  sorely  miss  are  found  in  Him, 
and  that  a  time  will  come  when  I  shall  again  be 
with  my  beloved  husband  in  that  place  where  partings 
are  no  more.  At  this  price  who  would  not  willingly 
stay  and  suffer  here  awhile  ? 

What  a  change  these  words  denote  in  her  inner 
life !  Sorrow  and  longing  are  still  in  her  heart,  but 
the  longing  is  founded  on  eternal  life.  Self- 
righteousness  is  gone,  and  gone  too  is  that  worship 
which  had  been  well-nigh  idolatry.  She  had  sought 
and  found  healing  for  her  wounded  heart. 

Her  brother-in-law  Count  Reuss  XLIV.,  with  his 
daughter  Linchen,  Princess  Carolath,  and  her  children, 
were  at  Buchwald  in  the  summer.  Another  very 
welcome  guest  was  Freiherr  vom  Stein,  whose 
presence  was  always  a  source  of  special  pleasure  to 
the  Countess.  It  is  sufficient  to  mention  his  name 
with  those  of  Prince  and  Princess  Wilhelm,  General 


158         FIRST   YEARS   OF   WIDOWHOOD      [1828 

von  Gneisenau,  and  the  Princess  Luise  Radziwill,  to 
know  how  interesting  the  society  must  have  been 
at  Buchwald. 

JOURNAL 

July  5. — We  sat  in  the  nursery  garden  and  prepared 
everything  for  our  visitors  from  Fischbach.  They 
came  about  seven  o'clock,  and  the  Mariannensitz  was 
given  them. 

This  is  a  bench  under  the  trees  on  the  right  side 
of  the  house,  which  after  this  time  was  used  a  great 
deal. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

August  2. 

You  are  quite  right  to  be  glad  for  us  that  Minister 
Stein  is  here.  He  is  so  sincere,  so  domesticated  in 
his  tastes,  so  large-minded  and  so  much  gentler,  so 
distinguished,  it  is  a  delight  to  have  him  with  us. 
Our  daily  walk  from  half-past  nine  till  eleven  o'clock 
has  become  a  necessity  to  him,  and  is  a  delightful  time 
for  me.  We  live  in  tne  past,  and  he  opens  his  heart 
and  gives  me  his  confidence.  The  royalties  from 
Fischbach  were  here  on  Sunday  and  remained  for 
evening  prayers,  which  were  very  comforting  and 
helpful.  I  read  a  beautiful  meditation  from  Johann 
Gerhardt.  The  Radziwills  and  the  Fischbach  royal- 
ties emulate  each  other  in  wishing  for  our  Minister 
Stein  to  go  to  them,  and  often  take  him  away  from 
us.  Except  for  these  visits,  he  has  always  spent  the 
evenings  with  us. 

FREIHERR  VOM  UND  ZUM  STEIN  TO  COUNTESS  REDEN 

My  warmest  thanks  for  your  kind  indulgence  of  my 
irritability  and  bad-tempered  impatience,  and  for  the 
effect  of  your  goodness  upon  me. 

The  King  was  at  Fischbach  in  September  with  his 
young  wife,  the  Countess  Liegnitz,1  the  Crown  Prince, 
and  other  members  of  the  Royal  Family. 

1  The  second  wife  of  Friedrich  Wilhelm  III.  by  a  morganatic 
marriage. — M.  B.-L. 


1828]  THE   KING   AT   FISCHBACH  159 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

BUCHWALD,   September  u,  1828. 

Fires  are  burning  on  all  the  mountain  tops,  and  the 
guns  are  still  being  fired.  Your  Prussian  heart  would 
be  delighted  at  the  people's  loyalty,  and  mine  would 
be  very  much  touched  if  I  were  the  King.  He  passed 
through  the  parish  about  half-past  five  in  one  of 
Prince  Wilhelm's  carriages,  and  the  suite  kept  passing 
till  eight  o'clock.  Buchwald  is  en  beau  when  it  is 
illuminated  in  the  evening,  and  crowds  were  collected 
by  the  brewery  and  in  the  village.  So  much  for  the 
public  rejoicings  !  We  had  our  Crown  Prince,  attended 
by  Major  von  Roder,  and  accompanied  by  our  dear 
Prince  and  Princess  Wilhelm,  with  us  from  eleven  till 
half-past  two.  The  weather  was  superb.  The  Schnee 
Koppe  could  be  seen  quite  distinctly,  and  I  took  them 
all  about  the  place,  as  the  Crown  Prince  and  Prince 
Wilhelm  desired  it.  The  whole  party  were  en 
neglige,  and  very  friendly.  The  whole  house  was 
decorated  with  flowers.  Lunch  was  served  in  the 
Pavilion,  and  then  we  drove  in  three  carriages  to 
the  Observatory,  which  the  Crown  Prince  had  not 
seen,  and  after  that  it  was  high  time  for  them  to 
return  to  Fischbach.  I  managed  to  adorn  my 
departenient  exterieur  quite  nicely,  in  spite  of  the 
numberless  things  I  had  to  do  from  early  morning. 
I  hope  I  shall  get  on  all  right  to-morrow,  when  I 
am  going  alone  to  dine  at  Fischbach.  Our  gowns 
are  all  ready  for  the  occasion,  and  Caroline  thinks 
I  shall  be  quite  fine.  My  silver-grey  poplin  has  been 
done  up  very  simply  and  trimmed  with  white  satin 

fiping  with   two   broad   flounces   of  point  lace,  and 
shall  wear  Princess  Radziwill's  pretty  cap.      Voila 
tout ! 

She  added : 

The  Crown  Prince  has  the  tenderest  heart  and 
plenty  of  brains. 

JOURNAL 

September  13. — Incessant  coming  and  going — it's 
lucky  that  it  does  not  often  happen.  Bright  but  windy. 
Valentin  von  Massow  came  to  breakfast  about  seven 
o'clock,  and  Anton  Stolberg  with  his  two  sisters  about 
ten  o'clock ;  then  C.  Roder,  Prince  Wittgenstein,  and 


160         FIRST  YEARS   OF  WIDOWHOOD      [1828 

the  Crown  Prince  to  say  good-bye.  Prince  Albrecht 
also  called.  After  these  visits  I  had  to  drive  as  fast 
as  I  could  to  Fischbach  to  dinner.  Princess  Liegnitz 
was  unaffected  and  sweet  and  as  fresh  as  a  rose. 

December  5. — To  the  Infirmary  in  the  afternoon, 
where  there  were  various  things  to  attend  to.  The 
nearer  it  is  to  completion  the  more  my  heart  beats 
with  pleasure  and  also  with  anxiety,  for  I  am  but 
a  weak  instrument.  May  God  help  me  ! 

Countess  Reden  heard  from  her  sister-in-law  that 
a  young  Frankish  nobleman  wished  to  pay  his  ad- 
dresses to  Marline.  He  was  a  Freiherr  von  Rotenhan, 
of  Franconia,  near  the  Palatinate,  and  although  he 
was  a  man  of  high  character  and  distinction,  Baron 
von  Riedesel  would  not  consider  his  proposal,  nor 
make  it  known  to  his  daughter.  He  had  such  a 
passionate  love  for  his  child  that  he  could  not  endure 
the  thought  of  resigning  her.  She  seems  to  have 
rather  guessed  at  the  young  man's  feelings,  however. 

Considering  all  that  Marline  was  and  would  be 
to  her  aunt,  as  her  heiress,  the  Countess  felt  that 
she  must  make  Freiherr  von  Rotenhan's  acquaint- 
ance. He  accepted  her  invitation,  and  arrived  un- 
expectedly on  December  7.  His  noble  bearing  and 
handsome  presence  made  a  favourable  impression, 
and  his  frankness  won  her,  as  well  as  his  interest 
in  Buchwald,  though  he  only  saw  it  in  its  winter 
garb.  The  news  of  her  niece  Linchen's  illness 
reached  her  during  his  visit.  Linchen  died  on 
December  21,  and  the  Countess  writes  of  her  to  the 
Princess  Wilhelm : 

I  do  not  deserve  all  that  your  kindness  ascribes 
to  me.  Our  Linchen  was  not  led  to  the  Lord  by 
us ;  bodily  suffering,  a  very  sensitive  temperament 
from  her  earliest  youth,  a  rather  difficult  life, 
Gossner's  visit  and  his  conversation,  all  combined 
to  draw  her  heart  to  God,  and  endowed  her  with 


1 829]  EMILIA'S   WEDDING  161 

that  heavenly  patience  which  won  many  souls  to 
Him.  We  could  only  watch  her  with  joy  and  thank- 
fulness. 

The  Countess's  maid,  who  had  been  in  her  service 
for  many  years,  was  married  towards  the  end  of  the 
winter,  and  she  writes  concerning  the  event : 

JOURNAL 

March  2. — A  full  day,  but  a  happy  one.  The 
"  Hochzeits  Mutter,"  as  they  call  me,  was  very  glad 
to  do  what  she  could  for  her  old  servant,  and  is  very 
thankful  that  God  has  given  her  the  means.  To  the 
very  last  Emilia  was  the  same  simple,  reliable 
servant,  and  I  was  perfectly  satisfied  with  her.  She 
dressed  in  my  room,  and  I  led  her  down  to  the 
assembled  guests,  when  they  all  had  coffee  before 
going  to  church.  The  address  was  rather  long.  There 
was  a  substantial  tea  afterwards,  and  prayers  at 
seven  o'clock,  which  were  largely  attended.  Then 
came  supper  and  the  removal  of  the  bridal  wreath, 
etc.  There  were  twenty-seven  guests. 

March  10. — I  parted  from  my  companion  at  two  in 
the  afternoon.  Her  regret  at  saying  good-bye  made 
it  harder  for  me,  though  I  tried  to  restrain  all  outward 
signs.  A  sacrifice,  however  difficult,  should  always  be 
a  cheerful  one,  else  it  is  not  worth  anything. 


ii 


CHAPTER    IV 

NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS 
1829—1837 

/COUNTESS  REDEN  had  brought  back  with  her 
V — '  from  Jankendorf,  Mathilde  Gaul,  the  gardener's 
daughter,  to  fill  the  place  <5f  the  maid  she  was  losing, 
and  the  girl  remained  with  her  for  years.  She  con- 
sidered the  well-being  of  her  servants,  sympathised 
with  them  in  their  joys  and  sorrows,  and  allowed 
them  to  share  hers.  The  expression  "  My  whole 
house  rejoices  with  me"  often  occurs  in  her  letters. 
Her  housekeeper,  Bornemann,  had  been  in  Count 
Reden's  service  before  his  marriage,  and  was  almost 
incapable  of  any  work  for  many  years,  but  she  was 
looked  after  most  assiduously.  The  Countess  kept 
an  eye  on  the  families  of  her  married  servants,  and 
trained  their  children  as  her  "  pepins,"  till  they  were 
old  enough  to  go  out  to  other  service. 

The  Infirmary,  which  had  been  commenced  two 
years  before,  was  opened  this  spring.  It  was  in- 
tended as  a  home  for  the  old  and  sick  people  on 
her  estates. 

JOURNAL 

April  1 8. — I  am  out  of  doors  a  great  deal,  seeing 
to  the  planting  out,  and  helping  Walter,  who  is  very 
busy  and  who  has  a  good  deal  to  worry  him.  I  have 
also  been  to  the  Infirmary.  It  is  being  thoroughly 
scoured,  and  the  house-mother  moves  in  to-day. 
Things  will  be  finished  and  settled  on  Tuesday  or 

162 


1 829]        THE    INFIRMARY   DEDICATED  163 

Wednesday,  and  on  Thursday,  my  dear  Septi's  birth- 
day, the  infirm  old  people  are  to  move  in.  This  has 
been  my  wish  all  along.  It  will  be  a  full,  but  God 
grant,  a  blessed,  week. 

April  21. — I  went  to  the  Infirmary  early  to  see  the 
matron,  and  began  hanging  up  the  things,  and  arranging 
them  as  they  were  brought  to  the  house,  with  self- 
examination  and  thanksgiving,  and  prayer  for  the 
success  of  the  work.  The  provisions  arrived  and 
were  paid  for,  and  everything  was  methodically 
entered. 

April  22. — Got  on  with  the  furnishing  of  the  Infirm- 
ary, and  the  inventory  was  taken,  as  well  as  an  in- 
ventory of  the  effects  of  the  six  inmates,  which  had 
been  brought  in.  ...  Some  planting-out  was  done, 
and  at  the  end  of  it  all  I  was  very  tired  but  happy,  and 
full  of  hope  that  God  would  not  allow  His  work  to 
suffer  in  my  hands. 

April  23. — My  little  Infirmary  is  dedicated.  I  went 
there  at  ten  o'clock,  and  found  the  inmates  all  ready. 
The  invited  guests  arrived :  Caroline,  Henly,  and,  by 
degrees,  the  servants  and  school  children  and  village 
officials  and  the  pastor.  .  .  .  The  dedication  was  a 
hearty  but  solemn  service.  My  beloved  husband  was 
mentioned  as  the  real  founder,  and  in  the  address 
they  were  all  exhorted  to  dwell  together  in  kindliness 
and  unity.  Then  a  good  meal  concluded  the  proceed- 
ings, and  it  did  one  good  to  see  how  much  it  was 
enjoyed. 

May  God  grant  that  they  shall  never  want,  and 
may  the  small  sum  required  to  keep  it  up  be  always 
forthcoming ! 


To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

May  i. 

Just  a  few  words  more  about  my  Infirmary.  Up 
till  now  its  success  has  far  exceeded  my  hopes — 
i.e.  while  giving  the  people  plenty  to  eat  (three  ample 
meals  a  day,  with  afternoon  coffee)  there  is  no  ex- 
travagance in  the  use  of  the  provisions,  as  the  house- 
keeping lists  and  bills  show,  and  the  happiness, 
harmony,  and  orderly  behaviour  of  the  inmates  could 
not  be  better.  The  chief  articles  used  are  bread, 


1 64        NEW  JOYS  AND   CONSOLATIONS      [1829 

soap,  oil,  and  wood.  I  have  good  reason  to  know 
that  the  first-named  article  is  the  most  used :  I  get 
it  supplied  by  contract  by  the  miller,  so  that  the 
institution  shall  not  be  a  burden  upon  my  house- 
keeping, and  at  the  same  time  to  avoid  giving  the 
old  people  black  bread.  We  saved  a  quarter  of  the 
amount  by  this  arrangement  in  the  first  week. 

I  went  through  the  inventory  after  church  on 
Sunday  with  the  man  in  charge  of  the  Infirmary. 
I  showed  them  how  to  keep  accounts,  and  I  had  a 
receipt  given  to  each  person  for  the  things  they  each 
own  and  had  brought  with  them.  I  was  present 
three  or  four  times  at  meals,  and  once  at  the  Bible- 
reading,  for  which  I  choose  the  hymns  every  week. 
It  is  a  great  pleasure  to  me  that  it  is  satisfactory. 

Countess  Reden  was  obliged  to  go  to  the  baths 
at  Warmbrunn  for  over  a  fortnight  in  May. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

May  14. 

You  will  have  thought  of  me  at  Buchwald  on 
the  1 2th,  in  the  midst  of  my  two  hundred  and  ten 
school  children,  and  the  schoolmaster.  I  thought 
this  of  myself  on  the  nth,  and  everything  was 
arranged  for  us  to  drive  over  at  seven  o  clock.  But 
it  poured  in  torrents  all  night,  and  at  six  o'clock  the 
water  had  risen  so  high  and  the  rain  was  still  coming 
down  so  heavily  we  could  not  start.  We  waited,  hoping 
for  a  ray  of  sunshine,  till  one  o'clock,  but  we  were 
strongly  dissuaded  from  attempting  the  drive,  and 
therefore  gave  it  up.  The  road  was  under  water.  I 
felt  it  rather  hard  at  first,  for  your  Fritze  had  never 
had  such  an  experience  before,  nor  indeed  had  she 
ever  dreamed  of  such  a  contretemps.  And  yet  when 
one  comes  to  think  of  it,  why  should  S.  Pancratino 
not  play  his  tricks  on  the  i2th  of  May  as  well  as 
on  any  other  day  ?  Ah !  such  disappointments  are 

food  for  us,  and  so  I  recognised  the  same  day,  and 
feel  it  even  more  strongly  to-day  and  am  thankful 
for  it. 

Warmbrunn  did  not  seem  to  have  done  her  so  much 
good  as  she  hoped,  for  she  was  ill  all  the  summer, 


1 829]  HERMANNSSEIFFEN  165 

though  she  never  permitted  this  to  interfere  with  her 
work  nor  hinder  her  hospitality. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

May  29. 

The  bricklayers  are  still  at  work  on  the  foundations 
of  the  house.  I  am  sitting  on  the  corner  bench  while 
the  gardeners  are  clearing  up,  sweeping  and  tidying 
around  me.  Caroline  is  indoors,  as  busy  as  I  am  here. 
I  am  having  the  older  pepins  place  twenty-one  seats. 
I  prefer  to  be  in  the  garden  to  any  other  spot.  If  you 
could  but  see  the  troops  of  children  who  keep  on 
coming  here  with  lilies-of-the-valley,  to-day  especially  ! 
Every  room  is  full.  Mathilde  keeps  the  book  and 
pays  the  money  and  ruins  me,  she  considers ;  but  this 
is  the  sort  of  almsgiving  I  particularly  like. 

Countess  Reden  had  been  connected  with  Her- 
mannsseiffen,  a  small  Evangelical  community,  ever 
since  1817,  when  it  had  at  first  begged  her  for  Bibles 
and  tracts,  but  her  warm  heart  did  not  stop  there. 
Christian  friends  in  England  who  were  well  off  sent 
her  gifts  for  her  fellow-believers.  She  had  an  ex- 
cellent book  of  Gossner's  translated  into  Czech  by 
the  Pastor  of  Hermannsseiffen,  and  distributed  in  his 
parish.  And  her  English  friends  also  enabled  her  to 
give  a  considerable  contribution  towards  the  building 
of  the  school,  which  the  pastor  and  churchwardens 
fetched  from  Buchwald.  She  and  her  sister  carried 
out  a  long-planned  visit  to  Hermannsseiffen  in  1829, 
driving  from  Upper  Schmiedeberg  to  Granzbaude,  and 
staying  a  night  at  Johannisbad. 

JOURNAL 

August  23. 

August  23. — An  unforgettable  day !  We  left  Johan- 
nisbad about  half-past  six  in  the  morning,  escorted 
by  Pohl,  who  told  us  about  the  parochial  affairs  of 
Hermannsseiffen.  The  village  extends  for  about  a  mile 
up  the  valley,  but  the  meeting-house  fortunately  is  at 
the  entrance,  and  next  door  to  the  Pohls'.  We  first 


166        NEW   JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1829 

went  to  see  his  little  sanctum,  where  a  prayer  meeting 
is  held  on  Sundays  and  on  Wednesdays.  It  was  eight 
o'clock,  and  they  all  stood  at  the  door  to  welcome  us. 
Pohl  was  in  the  seventh  heaven  of  delight,  and  so 
was  his  wife,  and  they  almost  forgot  their  present 
dreary  condition.  We  had  brought  luncheon  with  us, 
and  we  shared  this  lovefeast  with  them.  We  next  went 
to  the  parsonage,  where  we  were  very  kindly  received, 
and  then  on  to  the  church,  a  nice,  clean  building. 
The  large  congregation  was  attentive  and  devout,  and 
the  hymns  were  beautiful,  and  the  sermon,  from  the 
Gospel  of  the  day,  was  excellent.  There  was  a 
celebration  of  Communion,  and  the  service  was  a  very 
touching  one.  We  reached  home,  by  God's  protecting 
care,  in  the  evening. 

Marline  became  engaged  to  Freiherr  von  Rotenhan 
in  July,  and  she  came  with  her  father  and  mother  and 
her  fiance  to  Buchwald  in  October.  The  engagement 
and  the  visit  were  both  very  depressing,  owing  to 
Baron  von  Riedesel's  state  of  mind.  His  jealous 
affection  for  his  daughter  made  her  engagement  a 
trying  time.  Countess  Reden  did  her  utmost  to  try 
and  influence  her  brother,  for  she  knew  how  hard  he 
made  things  for  Marline. 

The  whole  year  was  one  of  constant  worry  for 
the  Countess,  and  she  often  expressed  a  longing  for 
rest.  But  this,  however,  she  never  gave  herself, 
for  indefatigable  activity  and  intercourse  with  people 
were  a  necessity  to  her.  Household  affairs  of  all 
sorts  and  all  the  gardening  came  under  her  super- 
vision, and  she  attended  to  a  great  deal  of  parish 
work,  and  had  also  many  social  duties.  With  all  this, 
she  still  found  time  for  books  and  the  daily  papers. 
Her  letters  and  journals  mention  Sir  Walter  Scott's 
novels,  Cooper's,  Victor  Hugo's,  and  various  bio- 
graphies. Her  old  friend  Count  Gessler  died  in  1829. 

December  4. 

Our  meeting  with  Princess  Wilhelm  on  Saturday 


1830]  A   SEVERE  WINTER  167 

was  exceedingly  pleasant  and  sociable.  We  were 
together  from  twelve  till  four.  She  brought  some  of 
her  sister's  letters,  and  she  talked  to  us  a  good  deal 
about  her  father,  her  youth,  and  the  old  maid-servant 
who  used  to  dress  her.  She  was  indescribably  sweet 
and  winning.  We  had  to  tell  her  about  Linchen's 
death,  and  she  even  begged  me  to  read  her  some  of 
my  journal.  A  stranger  might  have  thought  us  three 
sisters,  so  much  has  she  become  one  of  us,  and  so  little 
was  there  of  the  princess  about  her.  .  .  .  Prince  and 
Princess  Wilhelm  and  their  suite  came  in  the  evening. 
I  am  reading  Walsch's  account  of  his  journey  to 
Constantinople  and  across  the  scene  of  the  last  war 
as  far  as  Vienna,  and  we  had  a  lively  and  agreeable 
conversation  about  the  book.  The  Prince  was  parti- 
cularly gay.  He  had  received  the  order  of  S.  Stephan 
that  morning. 

The  very  severe  winter  gave  the  Countess  very 
much  to  do  in  relieving  the  distress  of  the  poor.  She 
had  a  great  deal  of  correspondence  with  Count  Anton 
Stolberg  at  Kreppelhof  about  it,  and  he  obtained  help 
from  the  King  to  buy  flax  and  potatoes  for  the  poor 
in  the  mountain  districts.  The  Countess  often  alludes 
to  her  ill  health,  though  it  did  not  lessen  her  activity, 
and  she  bore  it  with  exemplary  patience. 

JOURNAL 

January,  1830. — On  the  i$th  and  i6th  I  wound 
up  the  accounts  of  the  savings  bank.  May  God  bless 
the  work !  Gave  the  matron  of  the  Infirmary  pro- 
visions for  a  month.  To  be  able  to  help  one's 
neighbours  in  this  way  widens  one's  sympathies, 
and  it  makes  me  feel  humbled  that  God  has,  in  His 
mercy,  chosen  me  to  do  Him  this  service. 

I  never  can  help  thinking,  when  I  am  serving  at 
the  dinner  table,  and  there  is  enough  left  for  some 
four  or  six  people  to  have  an  ample  meal,  that  it  is 
like  the  widow's  cruse  of  oil,  increased  by  dis- 
tribution. 

February. — Still  very  cold  and  windy.  I  often  sigh 
for  the  poor,  and  wish  I  were  able  to  help  them  all. 
We  give  wood  to  the  poorest  and  lend  it  to  others ; 


168        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1830 

wind  the  flax  and  procure  cheap  potatoes  for  all, 
and  so  we  extend  helping  hands  according  to 
Oberlin's 1  advice,  though  there  is  no  ready  money. 
The  weather  is  milder,  thank  God,  so  perhaps  a 
weight  will  be  lifted  from  our  hearts.  There  is 
plenty  to  do.  We  have  just  packed  and  despatched 
to  our  miners  at  Waldenburg  a  few  Bibles,  food, 
and  some  bath  herbs. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

February  4. 

Our  chief  object  must  be  to  help  the  destitute  in 
these  hard  times ;  but  with  the  best  will  in  the  world 
we  cannot  do  for  all  this  large  population.  Every 
effort  must  be  made  to  keep  them  from  begging, 
for  that  is  a  sort  of  gnawing  cancer  founded  on 
idleness,  and  a  habit  once  begun  is  difficult  to  dis- 
continue. I  am  thinking  about  it  day  and  night, 
and  I  pray  God  to  show  me,  His  weak  instrument, 
what  is  best  to  do.  To  give  them  everything  gratis 
lowers  them  immediately,  and  in  a  way  makes  them 
beggars ;  while  to  pay  for  what  they  get  has  the 
contrary  effect,  and  not  only  elevates  them,  but 
encourages  industry,  which  is  a  safeguard  against 
many  evils.  One  hundred  and  forty-one  pounds  of 
flax  were  paid  for  and  fetched  away  on  Monday,  and 
this  increase  in  the  demand  shows  it  is  good,  and  that 
they  are  making  by  it.  I  would  not  exchange  my 
drawing-room  on  Mondays  and  Wednesdays  for  any 
palace,  though  my  visitors  are  only  the  lame,  the 
nalt,  and  crippled.  I  assure  you  that  on  those  days 
I  wake  and  get  up  earlier,  because  I  can  hardly  wait 
till  it  is  time  for  my  guests  to  come.  I  am  almost 
ashamed  when  I  receive  them,  in  that  God  deems 
me  worthy  of  giving  my  mite,  and  their  gratitude 
humiliates  me,  for  it  is  I  who  should  be  thankful  at 
being  able  to  give. 

My  day  now  is  as  follows :  reading  and  writing 
in  my  room  from  six  till  ten  o'clock,  when  I  breakfast. 
Then  I  am  busy  in  my  sitting-room  with  my  pepins, 
cutting  out  and  arranging  work  with  two  girls  and 

1  Jean  Frederic  Oberlin,  Pastor  of  Bom-de-la-Roche,  born  1740, 
died  1826.  He  did  much  for  his  parish  in  founding  schools,  and  in 
promoting  agriculture  and  manufactures. — M.  B.-L. 


1830]     DESCENDANT  OF  MARTIN  LUTHER  169 

two  boys  till  twelve  o'clock.  I  go  out,  if  possible, 
then,  very  often  to  take  a  look  at  the  sheep,  which, 
so  far,  are  very  satisfactory.  Then  I  write  and 
dictate  and  teach  my  young  folks  till  five  o'clock. 

February  15. 

I  am  very  much  occupied  with  arrangements  for 
having  a  real  descendant  of  Luther's  brought  here. 
Documents  have  been  found  in  the  archives  of  the 
Martin's  Institution  which  clearly  prove  that  a  grand- 
child of  Paul  Luther,  our  Reformer's  youngest  son, 
became  a  Roman  Catholic  through  Jesuits  who  carried 
him  off  to  Bohemia  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago. 
The  Director  of  the  Institution,  Herr  Reinthaler, 
was  at  Carlsbad  a  few  years  ago,  and,  on  information 
which  he  received,  travelled  almost  all  over  Bohemia, 
inquiring  everywhere  for  the  name  of  Luther.  At 
last,  at  Stocken,  a  little  place  not  far  from  Deutsch- 
brod,  and  twenty-four1  miles  from  here,  he  found  the 
descendant.  He  also  had  documents  proving  the 
descent.  He  is  a  poor  belt-maker,  and  gratefully 
accepted  the  offer  of  a  home  for  his  little  son  Anton 
in  the  Martin  Institution,  when  he  should  be  a  little 
older,  and  he  had  no  objection  for  him  to  be  brought 
up  in  the  faith  of  his  ancestor.  Then  came  the 
question  of  getting  the  boy  here,  and  to  send  him 
on  to  the  Institution.  I  was  delighted  to  offer  my 
small  assistance  through  friends  at  Hermannsseiffen, 
so  everything  has  been  arranged,  and  we  are  daily 
expecting  the  little  Anton  Luther,  and  are  ready  to 
give  him  a  kind  welcome.  Thus  the  Lord  permits 
the  wandering  sheep  to  be  lost  for  a  time,  but  He, 
the  good  Shepherd,  seeks  it  out  at  last  and  brings  it 
home  to  the  true  fold. 

April  2. 

Yesterday  it  was  a  real  pleasure  to  see  the  little 
Luther  dressed  quite  a  neuf  from  a  shooting-suit  of 
my  dear  husband's.  I  thought  of  it  all  of  a  sudden, 
and  felt  he  would  have  wished  me  to  use  it  in  this 
way.  It  succeeded  capitally,  and  the  child  was  in 
raptures  when  we  took  off  his  few  rags  and  dressed 
him  from  head  to  foot  in  new  clothes.  Caroline  gave 
him  shoes  and  stockings,  for  the  poor  little  fellow 
had  none  of  the  latter,  and  his  worn-out  boots  had 

1  About  ninety-nine  English  miles. — M.  B.-L. 


170        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS    [1830 

rubbed  his  feet  raw.  I  added  a  nice  cap,  and  there 
he  stood,  a  little  living  image  of  S.  George  of  the 
Wartburg.  My  eyes  overflowed  with  tears  of  grati- 
tude at  the  sight.  He  is  a  very  nice,  good-tempered 
child  of  eight  years ;  he  has  a  little  square  figure,  and 
a  round  head  like  his  ancestor.  He  came  with  good 
Pastor  Bensch  on  Tuesday,  and  to-morrow  an  empty 
carriage  will  come  to  take  the  travellers  to  Herr 
Holzschuher  at  Breslau.  I  had  another  pleasure  a 
short  time  ago.  My  old  friend  Latrobe,  in  England, 
sent  me  a  cheque  for  £30 — that  is,  two  hundred  and 
five  Reichthalers.  Twenty  pounds  of  it  came  from 
a  benevolent  lady  who  asks  me  to  give  it  to  the 
good  pastor  as  a  widow's  mite.  She  had  seen  in 
my  account  of  our  trip  to  Hermannsseiffen  how  poor 
his  living  is,  though  his  contented  mind  is  quite 
satisfied  with  it.  The  other  ten  pounds  is  to  be 
added  to  the  funds  for  the  school  which  was  founded 
with  the  money  sent  from  England. 

Countess  Reden  was  very  ill  towards  the  spring 
with  erysipelas.  She  writes  : 

March  31. — A  rather  restless  night  again,  full  of 
forebodings,  which  occasioned  me  earnest  thought. 
The  first  thing  I  did  when  morning  came  was  to 
arrange  my  paper  and  seal  for  a  codicil  to  my  will, 
and,  by  God's  help,  to  make  it.  Read  a  very  helpful 
and  spiritual  meditation  by  Bogatzky.  Yes,  I  wish  to 
live  as  long  as  God  wills,  but  only  under  His  guidance. 
May  He  take  all  my  unworthiness  from  me ! 

Two  Roman  Catholic  priests  wrote  to  Countess 
Reden  from  Upper  Silesia  thus  : 

Thanks  be  to  God,  a  desire  for  His  Holy  Word  has 
been  aroused,  and  the  poor  people  come  to  Kosel 
from  long  distances  and  beg  the  Director  in  the  most 
touching  way  for  "  Books  of  the  Holy  Father,"  as  in 
their  childish  simplicity  they  call  the  New  Testament, 
and  each  person  promises  to  do  some  service  in 
return,  according  to  his  very  small  powers,  if  he  will 
but  accede  to  their  request.  They  fairly  besiege  his 
house,  each  one  trying  to  get  the  book  first,  and 
feeling  happy  if  he  can  only  hold  it  in  his  hands  first. 


1830]  DEMAND  FOR  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT  171 

This  longing  for  the  New  Testament  has  arisen  not 
only  in  and  about  Kosel,  but  all  over  Upper  Silesia. 
Ah  !  may  the  poor  souls  not  be  kept  waiting  too  long, 
lest  they  cease  to  feel  the  need  of  it.  We  set  our 
hopes  on  you.  God  will  move  your  heart  to  send  us 
help.  They  are  too  poor  to  give  more  than  two  and 
a  half  silver  groschens  for  a  New  Testament.  Up  to 
this  time  our  small  means  have  not  permitted  us  to  do 
more  than  partially  supply  a  few  schools,  for  in  most 
of  the  schools  there  are  no  Bibles  at  all.  Now  they 
also  are  asking  for  them,  and  every  family  needs  one. 
The  Commandant  of  Posen  begs  more  frequently 
and  pressingly  for  some  for  the  soldiers.  What  a 
prospect !  How  many  idle  hours  will  be  made  better 
by  having  this  treasure  in  the  house ! 

Countess  Reden  was  also  in  correspondence  with 
"  dear  old  van  Ess,"  the  Roman  Catholic  translator  of 
the  Bible.  He  recommended  her  to  apply  to  an  English 
agent  named  Pinkerton,  who  lived  at  Frankfort,  and 
she  received  a  letter  on  the  same  day  from  him  full 
of  kindness  about  her  efforts.  She  writes  : 

I  have  thanked  him,  and  told  him  that  as  he  has 
sought  me  out  and  made  the  first  advances,  he  has 
only  himself  to  thank  for  having  come  across  a  person 
who  is  so  insatiable  with  regard  to  Bibles. 

JOURNAL 

May  12. — Thus  far  has  God,  in  His  mercy,  brought 
me.  For  fifty-six  years  He  has  been  my  Guide,  and 
has  remembered  and  helped  me,  as  Bogatzky  says. 

May  17. — A  great  sheep-shearing,  at  which  I  was 
unable  to  be  present.  I  felt  it  rather  hard  not  to  go, 
but  I  must  conquer  this  as  well  as  many  other  things. 
After  all,  when  I  think  seriously,  I  can  but  recognise 
and  adore  God's  great  love  and  mercy  to  me  in  every 
way. 

The  Countess  was  very  much  occupied  about  the 
departure  of  the  Landrath  at  this  time,  who  had 
been  somewhat  of  a  stumbling-block  to  one  so  given 
to  good  works  and  who  was  so  untiringly  energetic 


i;2        NEW   JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1830 

as  she  was.  He  had  often  thwarted  and  hindered 
her  in  carrying  out  benevolent  projects.  Count 
Matuschki  of  Kupferberg  succeeded  him,  with  whom 
she  was  on  good  terms,  and  whose  only  drawback 
was  that  he  was  a  Roman  Catholic. 

June  was  a  stirring  month,  owing  to  the  sojourn 
of  the  King  and  Empress  of  Russia  at  Fischbach. 
Among  the  numerous  royalties  with  the  King  were 
Prince  and  Princess  Carl,  who  were  the  Countess's 
guests  from  the  4th  till  the  i4th,  as  was  also  the  Grand 
Duchess  of  Weimar.  The  continual  stir,  the  coming 
and  going,  were  often  fatiguing  to  Countess  Reden, 
but  they  were  also  a  source  of  much  that  was  pleasant 
to  her. 

BUCHWALD,  June  9,   1830. 

The  King  passed  quietly  through  Buchwald  about 
six  o'clock  on  Saturday,  followed  by  several  carriages, 
and,  at  about  eight,  the  Empress  and  Crown  Prince. 
Prince  and  Princess  Carl  drove  over  to  Fischbach  at 
noon.  We  waited  till  nearly  half-past  twelve  at  night 
for  them,  and  conducted  them  to  their  rooms.  She 
still  gets  tired  easily,  but  he  is  very  lively,  and  always 
wishes  to  stop  ana  have  a  chat,  so  that  our  breakfast 
lasts  about  two  hours.  We  had  it  in  the  Pavilion 
yesterday,  and  in  the  Orangery  to-day.  As  Prince 
Carl  wished  to  go  to  church  at  Fischbach,  we  break- 
fasted with  him  early,  and  when  Princess  Carl  came 
down  I  was  not  ready.  I  was  just  pouring  out  her 
coffee  when  Princess  Auguste  arrived,  with  Frau  von 
Jagow  in  attendance.  She  is  not  nearly  so  pretty,  but 
far  more  vivacious,  and  her  little  chiffonnee  face  is  very 
pleasing,  I  think.  She  was  enchanted  with  the  house 
and  everything  about  it,  and  wished  that  she  was 
staying  here.  We  were  followed  to  the  Pavilion 
later  on  by,  first,  Prince  and  Princess  Wilhelm,  and 
then  Prince  Carl.  The  two  former  were  to  have 
gone  on  to  Ruhberg,  but  they  were  here  too  long 
to  do  so,  and  after  they  had  been  three-quarters  of 
an  hour  at  the  Pavilion,  we  got  a  message  to  say 
that  Princess  Radziwill  herself  was  at  the  house. 


1830]      DINNER-PARTY   AT   FISCHBACH  173 

Fortunately  a  carriage  was  waiting,  and  I  suggested 
driving  to  the  house.  We  found  the  Electress1  and 
her  daughter  there  also.  We  had  a  cold  dejeuner, 
which  Kriegel  and  the  hired  servant  managed  to 
serve  quite  nicely;  Kolbe  being  ill,  I  had  to  have  a 
stranger.  Imagine  my  astonishment,  for  I  had  made 
no  arrangements,  except  to  order  iced  water  and 
wine.  I  made  inquiries  afterwards,  and  learned  that 
Prince  Carl  had  ordered  something  to  be  brought 
up.  What  do  you  think  of  his  sans  fafon  ?  He 
makes  up  for  it  by  his  great  friendliness,  and  by  his 
assurances  of  how  much  he  feels  at  home  with  us ; 
but  all  the  same  it  was  rather  odd  of  him.  On  our 
return  to  the  Pavilion  at  a  quarter  to  two  a  messenger 
from  the  King  rode  over,  asking  us  to  dinner.  Neither 
my  dress  nor  my  lace  were  ready.  Just  fancy  the 
hurry.  We  got  there  in  time,  however,  and  were 
received  by  the  King  in  the  courtyard,  where  a  formal 
court  was  held.  After  that  we  went  upstairs  for  a 
moment,  and  then  across  the  covered  bridge  to  the 
immense  hall,  where  the  heat  was  fearful,  but  every- 
thing very  grand.  Music  during  dinner,  and  great 
splendour,  but  poor  food  and  a  scanty  supply  of 
that.  We  wished  to  leave  after  dinner,  but  Princess 
Wilhelm  invited  us  to  go  to  her  rooms,  so  we  re- 
mained with  her  and  her  family  till  half-past  six. 
The  King  was  very  gracious,  and  talked  to  me  for 
quite  a  long  while,  and  all  the  others  were  very 
friendly,  but  it  was  rather  a  dull  affair,  I  thought. 
There  were  a  great  many  interruptions  yesterday. 
We  took  a  short  walk  after  breakfast,  and  had  lunch 
in  the  salon  with  the  additional  guests :  Count 
Brandenburg  with  his  wife,  Alexander  von  Humboldt 
and  Prince  Wittgenstein,  and  at  last,  when  everybody 
had  left,  the  Gneisenaus  appeared  at  half-past  two. 
Then  we  had  quiet  till  eleven  at  night,  when  we  saw 
our  guests  to  their  rooms  and  I  had  a  quarter-of-an- 
hour's  talk  with  Count  Groben. 

To-day  at  twelve  to  Ruhberg.  Received  with  a  real 
warm-hearted  welcome.  Called  on  the  Electress ; 
she  talks  far  too  much,  and  annoys  the  Radziwills 
by  her  mistakes.  Yesterday  we  were  quietly  at 
supper  when  in  came  Prince  Wittgenstein  again, 

1  Luise,  daughter  of  Friedrich  Wilhelm  II.,  wife  of  the  Elector 
Wilhelm  II.  of  Hesse.— M.  B.-L. 


174        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1830 

stayed  to  supper  with  us,  and  proffered  the  follow- 
ing request :  that  I  would  purchase  from  five  to  six 
thousand  thalers'  worth  of  home  manufactures  in  linen 
and  damask  for  the  Russian  "suite."  The  King  was 
of  the  opinion  that  "  Countess  Reden  would  manage 
the  matter  better  than  any  one,  if  she  would  but 
undertake  it."  Of  course  I  will  gladly  do  it  for  the 
sake  of  charity,  but  the  responsibility  is  a  heavy  one, 
and  how  shall  I  find  the  time? 

To-day  the  weather  threatens  to  be  stormy,  and  it 
is  oppressively  hot.  We  breakfasted  late,  and  then 
drove  to  the  Ameisenberg,  where  Prince  Wilhelm 
had  sent  on  dejeuner,  and  now  Anton  has  just 
announced  that  the  King  and  the  Empress  wish  to 
come  to  tea  this  evening.  Where?  That  has  still 
to  be  decided.  Sixty  persons,  and  Kolbe  ill — it  is  a 
little  too  much. 

June  10. 

Yesterday  we  had  an  unfortunate  evening  which 
I  shall  remember  for  some  time.  Happily  such 
things  do  not  much  affect  me.  At  five  o'clock  tea  was 
ordered  in  the  Pavilion,  and  all  the  requisites — tea- 
service,  milk,  all  kinds  of  cake,  and  ice — were  sent 
there.  The  things  were  set  out  quite  charmingly  on 
the  table,  with  a  bust  of  the  Queen  in  the  centre, 
surrounded  with  flowers.  There  was  a  thunderstorm 
coming.  I  waited  in  the  garden-house  till  half-past 
seven,  when  the  royalties  came,  and  with  them  the 
rain.  The  Empress  and  the  Hereditary  Grand 
Duchess  drove  on  before  us ;  then  I  came  with  the 
King  and  the  Crown  Prince,  walking  slowly  under 
umbrellas,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  company  be- 
hind us.  Instead  of  a  view  of  the  Schnee  Koppe, 
we  had  a  thunderstorm.  Tea  and  milk  were  served 
while  we  were  thinking  of  the  other  guests,  about 
twenty-five,  who  had  not  come,  and  to  whom  we 
could  not  send  anything.  The  peals  of  thunder  soon 
became  more  violent ;  everything  was  in  confusion, 
and  the  rain  came  halfway  into  the  Pavilion.  The 
King  took  it  all  in  very  good  part  until  nearly  nine 
o'clock,  when  he  desired  to  return  home.  Meanwhile 
we  sent  to  the  house,  Caroline  acting  as  messenger 
during  a  fine  interval,  to  explain  how  matters  stood 
with  us.  Prince  Carl  took  upon  himself  to  do  the 


1830]  AT   THE  PAVILION  175 

honours,  procured  lights,  and  was  very  charming.  I 
had  two  chaises  a  porteurs  prepared,  and  the  Empress, 
the  Electress,  and  others  were  carried  to  the  house 
in  them,  and  never  gave  a  farthing  of  Trinkgeld  to 
my  good  people  afterwards.  I  followed  last  of  all, 
and  got  back,  with  the  aid  of  an  umbrella  and  goloshes, 
dry.  It  was  like  a  night  at  the  opera — every  one  was 
snouting  for  carriages  after  the  King  had  gone.  All 
our  covered  carriages  were  ordered,  and  by  ten  nearly 
every  one  had  returned  to  Fischbach.  The  Radziwills 
and  the  Electress  stayed  till  eleven  and  were  exceed- 
ingly lively,  so  that,  after  all,  it  was  most  amusing. 
Princess  Wilhelm,  the  Crown  Prince,  the  Radziwills, 
and  several  ladies  had  remained  in  the  house.  We  had 
our  lunch  at  the  farm  to-day,  and  old  Wittgenstein 
and  several  gentlemen  came.  Then  a  visit  to 
Erdmannsdorf,  and  we  drove  on  to  Neuhof.  After 
dinner  to  Schmiedeberg,  and  shopping  with  Clemen- 
tine. Kriegel  arrived  breathless  about  half-past  seven 
to  say  that  Anton  had  come  to  announce  the  King 
and  all  the  court.  They  wanted  to  see  all  over  the 
estate.  We  rushed  home,  Caroline  to  make  prepara- 
tions, and  I  to  change  my  dress ;  but  on  getting  there, 
the  whole  party  were  at  the  Abbey  with  Walter. 
How  I  thanked  God  that  I  had  arrived  too  late,  for 
I  never  could  have  taken  them  there,  and  yet  how 
could  I  have  refused  ?  About  half-past  eight  Walter 
came,  saying  that  every  one  had  expressed  interest, 
and  that  the  King  was  much  impressed  and  delighted. 
He  waited  there  with  Princess  Liegnitz  and  talked 
to  her  very  earnestly — so  Prince  Wittgenstein  told 
me — for  he  had  received  a  few  hours  previously  the 
news  of  her  mother's  death,  which  she  is  not  to  hear 
till  she  returns  to  Berlin. 

June  ii. 

Yesterday  was  taken  up  with  preparations  for  the 
reception  of  the  Grand  Duchess  of  Weimar.  The 
number  of  persons  passe  la  permission,  ten  lackeys, 
a  courier,  a  hair-dresser,  two  maids,  a  wardrobe 
keeper,  a  ladies'-maid,  Countess  Fritsch  and  her 
maid,  two  gentlemen,  and  a  physician.  Everything 
is  all  ready,  but  the  confusion  was  fearful  at  first. 
The  physician  came  straight  to  me,  and  was  very 
civil ;  he  and  the  courier  are  lodged  at  the  steward's, 


i;6        NEW  JOYS  AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1830 

but  their  meals  are  served  from  the  house.  The 
servants  are  boarded  at  the  brewer's  at  so  much  a 
head,  and  the  King  pays.  There  are  sixty-one  cups 
of  coffee  made  early  every  morning  for  the  whole 
party,  including  ours.  We  are  now  expecting  the 
Grand  Duchess  to  arrive.  Everything  is  in  readiness. 
I  shall  be  glad  when  all  is  quiet,  and  still  more  so 
when  everything  is  over. 

June  12. 

The  Grand  Duchess  and  her  daughter  arrived  at 
a  quarter  to  twelve  last  night.  Prince  Carl  came  in 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  earlier.  They  entered  through 
the  brilliantly  lighted  hall,  where  twenty  minutes  were 
spent  in  conversation,  and  she  said  more  in  that 
short  time  about  the  kindness  and  the  trouble  I  had 
been  put  to  than  the  others  had  said  in  a  week.  .  .  . 
She  stayed  over  three-quarters  of  an  hour  with  me 
to-day,  and  was  very  pleasant  and  friendly.  She 
spoke  with  great  affection  of  you,  and  she  talked  of 
her  daughters  and  their  different  characters,  and  of 
their  husbands.  After  that  she  had  some  writing  to 
do.  We  breakfasted  with  her  children  in  the  salon, 
and  she  came  to  it. 

Princess  Auguste  came  with  her  husband,  and  she 
sat  with  her  mother  while  the  two  Princes  came  to 
me.  We  walked  to  the  farm,  the  garden  house,  and 
the  Pavilion,  where  we  received  a  message  saying 
that  the  King,  the  Empress,  and  the  rest  of  the  party 
were  at  the  house.  We  hurried  back,  and  all  returned 
together  to  have  a  lovely  view  of  the  Schnee  Koppe, 
which  enchanted  them  all.  A  splendid  dejeuner 
awaited  us  in  the  salon,  and  by  half-past  one  they 
had  all  left.  Caroline  went  to  Hirschberg  with 
Clementine,  and  I  went  home,  literally  worn  out. 

JOURNAL 

June  14. — The  Grand  Duchess  and  Princess  Carl 
left  us  at  eight  o'clock,  with  the  whole  lot  of  thirty 
people,  and  then  I  set  to  work  upon  the  business 
which  the  King  has  entrusted  to  me,  one  that  will 
bring  happiness  to  so  many  people,  troublesome 
though  it  will  be  to  me  to  accomplish.  I  did  not 
leave  it  all  day,  and  was  at  it  still  till  eleven  o'clock  at 
night,  and  all  the  time  visitors  were  calling,  and  other 
interruptions  occurred. 


1830]  MARLINE'S   MARRIAGE  177 

June  15. — Engaged  with  my  business,  only  inter- 
rupted by  a  few  visitors.  Sent  off  couriers  and 
messengers.  Wittgenstein  came  late,  and  brought 
6,000  thalers. 

June  16. — Still  busy  paying  out  money  from  early 
morning,  for  the  first  time  for  a  long  while.  I  have 
spent  so  much !  Happily  the  accounts  tally  with  the 
forty-one  recipients. 

Marline's  marriage  took  place  in  June,  and  her 
father  settled  the  date  of  it  such  a  short  time  before- 
hand her  aunts  could  not  possibly  be  present.  They 
joined  their  brother  and  his  wife  at  Carlsbad  in  July, 
and  passed  a  very  agreeable  time  there.  They  en- 
joyed the  pleasure  of  making  the  acquaintance  of 
Bishop  Sailer  during  their  visit.  This  pious  Roman 
Catholic  prelate  was  so  unbiassed,  so  little  inclined 
to  Rome,  that  he  recommended  the  writings  of  Zin- 
zendorf  to  his  Evangelical  friends.  He  and  the  sisters 
had  many  serious  and  edifying  conversations. 

The  carriage  broke  down  on  the  return  journey 
while  driving  through  a  Bohemian  village,  and  whilst 
it  was  being  repaired  Countess  Reden  entered  a 
cottage  and  engaged  in  conversation  with  a  labouring 
woman,  whom  she  found  surrounded  by  her  children. 
The  woman  confided  some  of  her  troubles  to  her, 
especially  how,  owing  to  her  poverty,  she  was  not 
able  to  give  her  little  boy  any  proper  education.  The 
Countess  was  interested  in  the  people,  and  especially 
in  the  little  'boy,  Franzel,  and  she  offered  to  take  him 
with  her  and  to  send  him  to  school  and  to  provide 
for  his  future.  And  he  actually  went  with  her  to 
Buchwald,  became  one  of  her  pepins,  and  was  con- 
sequently able  to  earn  his  bread. 

The  political  news  from  all  quarters  upset  the 
tranquil  life  at  Buchwald  very  much,  and  there  was 
danger  of  disturbances  consequent  upon  the  Revo- 

12 


i;8        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1830 

lution  in  Paris.  Relations  and  friends  in  South 
Germany  seemed  threatened,  and  to  the  more  intimate 
circle  of  friends  this  eventful  year  brought  important 
changes. 

Prince  Wilhelm  was  appointed  to  a  military  post  in 
the  Rhine  Provinces,  and  Count  Anton  Stolberg  was 
ordered  to  accompany  him.  The  Prince's  illness 
detained  them  in  Berlin,  and  Count  Anton's  large 
family,  already  prepared  to  start,  found  a  hospitable 
reception  at  Buchwald. 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

BUCHWALD,  November  2. 

Ah  !  I  feel  with  your  Royal  Highness,  from  my  own 
blessed  experience,  that  such  a  day  of  trial  spent  in 
tending  our  loved  ones  is  a  great  blessing,  and  brings 
us  in  closest  communion  with  the  Lord,  to  Whom  the 
weary  and  heavy-laden  are  ever  dearest,  and  the 
granting  of  our  heart-felt  petitions  is  shown  in  little 
things  as  well  as  in  great  ones.  There  is  an  inner 
happiness  which  leads  us  to  silent  prayer  when  one 
may  not  be  able  to  express  what  the  heart  feels,  and 
it  is  better,  too,  that  we  should  store  it  up  in  its 
inmost  recesses,  like  a  precious  jewel.  I  am  often 
drawn  towards  you — perhaps  my  dear  neighbour  will 
let  me  come  to  see  him  for  a  few  moments — but  what 
matters  bodily  nearness  ?  Am  I  ever  far  from  you  ? 
And  I  think,  indeed,  that  my  dear  neighbours  must 
have  felt  me  nearer,  for  common  prayers  and  suppli- 
cations unite  us  in  spite  of  distance. 

The  Polish  Insurrection  and  the  army  mobilisation 
gave  rise  to  increased  anxieties  and  labours  of  love 
towards  the  close  of  the  year. 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

BUCHWALD,  December  10. 

The  bloody  revolution  at  Warsaw  has  been  the 
cause  of  many  tears  and  lamentations  in  this  valley. 
We  learnt  the  terrible  news  on  the  6th,  which 
confirmed,  alas !  that  which  the  Princess  Radziwill 
received  on  the  4th.  The  7th  was  quiet,  but  during 


1830]        MOBILISATION  OF  THE  ARMY  179 

the  night  a  despatch-rider  arrived  with  the  news  of 
the  hasty  mobilisation.  Sixty-one  men  from  here, 
most  of  them  married ;  from  the  farms  alone,  two 
bailiffs,  two  writers,  shepherds,  three  labourers,  and 
the  steward  himself  have  been  called  out.  Messenger 
after  messenger,  gendarmes,  and  orders,  have  fol- 
lowed one  upon  the  other  in  quick  succession,  and 
in  a  few  hours  all  were  marched  off,  their  poor  wives 
following  in  order  to  bring  home  their  husbands' 
miserable  clothing,  after  they  should  have  got  into 
their  uniforms.  There  was  such  a  rush,  and  such 
leavetakings !  Everything  was  quiet  at  last,  a  deso- 
lation and  stillness  which  had  an  extraordinarily 
saddening  effect.  I  drove  to  Schmiedeberg  early 
yesterday,  where  all  had  to  be  drawn  up  and  in- 
spected ;  and  as  soon  as  my  people  caught  sight  of 
my  cream-coloured  horses  they  surrounded  me,  each 
one  wanting  a  last  grasp  of  the  hand,  and  a  word 
of  blessing.  They  were  in  excellent  spirits,  but  felt 
the  parting  with  their  wives  and  children  ;  all  ex- 
pressing the  same  wish  :  "  If  only  our  steward  might 
stay  behind  with  you,  for  your  sake  and  ours ! "  and 
as  it  is,  he  really  is  to  stay,  for  Major  StOsser,  who 
has  shown  the  greatest  zeal  and  ability,  has  given 
over  the  7th  staff  company,  which  is  to  remain  here, 
into  his  hands,  and  left  all  his  affairs  under  his  care. 
It  is  a  great  comfort  from  a  political  point  of  view 
also.  May  God  grant  that  everything  remains  quiet, 
and  that  a  law-abiding  course  may  be  maintained  here 

0-1        •      i 

m  bilesia ! 

JOURNAL. 

December  17. — A  communication  for  the  pastor  with 
respect  to  a  rescript  from  the  Government  about  the 
distribution  of  tracts  (from  which  they  fear  that 
disturbances  may  arise).  I  have  done  a  good  deal  of 
service,  so  I  hope  that  I  shall  not  be  interfered  with. 
Ah !  the  cause  of  the  present  unrest  lies  deeper, 
and  should  be  sought  elsewhere.  The  Government 
ought  to  look  to  itself  for  the  reason. 

In  January,  1831,  Countess  Reden  decided  upon  a 
long  journey.  She  first  spent  some  pleasant  days 
with  her  old  friend  at  Jankendorf.  Then  the  sisters 
arrived  at  Wernigerode  on  February  5,  on  a  visit 


i8o        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1831 

to  Eberhardine,  Countess  Stolberg.  From  there  they 
went  to  Langensalza  to  visit  their  niece  Luise  von 
Brandenburg,  nee  Bernstorff,  where  also  they  found 
their  sister  America,  Countess  Bernstorff. 

Countess  Reden  took  the  keenest  interest  wherever 
she  was  in  studying  the  life  of  the  people,  and  in 
learning  something  of  the  condition  of  the  place 
itself.  We  find  a  chronological  account  of  Langen- 
salza in  her  journal.  They  went  to  Lauterbach  on 
the  2ist,  where  Marline  was  on  a  visit  to  her  father 
and  mother.  The  Schonings  followed,  so  that  there 
was  a  large  assemblage  of  Riedesel  relations  in  the 
place,  for  many  lived  close  by.  In  April  the  sisters 
paid  a  visit  to  the  SchOnings  at  their  home  at  Gedern, 
in  Vogelsberg,  and  went  with  their  brother  after- 
wards to  Neuenhof,  and  thence  to  Carlsbad.  There 
they  met  many  old  and  new  acquaintances,  including 
Bishop  Sailer.  They  returned  home  on  the  2Oth 
of  the  month,  and  resumed  their  wonted  occupations. 

People  were  in  great  dread  of  cholera,  which  seemed 
likely  to  appear  in  that  part  of  the  country.  The 
Countess  seized  every  opportunity  to  insist  on  pre- 
cautionary measures  being  taken.  She  was  aware 
that  the  poor,  ill-fed  mountaineers  would  have  no 
chance  of  escaping  this  fell  disease,  and  she  hastened 
to  provide  good  and  nourishing  food  for  them  by 
opening  a  soup-kitchen. 

The  Crown  Prince  paid  two  visits  in  the  summer, 
and  from  this  period  dates  the  close  friendship  and 
intimacy  which  henceforth  existed  between  him  and 
Countess  Reden. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

The  Crown  Prince  answered  me  by  saying  with 
great  modesty  [the  Countess  had  offered  him  the 
hospitalities  of  Buchwald  during  a  tour  in  the 


1831]        THE   CROWN    PRINCE'S   VISIT  181 

mountain  districts]  that  he  should  never  have 
ventured,  however  much  he  might  have  desired  to 
come  to  her,  to  come  with  such  a  troop,  in  waggoners' 
smocks,  and  boots  probably  in  holes,  and  he  begged 
me  to  reconsider  what  I  was  offering  to  undertake. 
It  was  no  light  thing  to  suggest,  and  he  would  not 
accept,  were  not  the  desire  to  see  his  dear  Buchwald 
and  its  honoured  mistress  stronger  than  his  hesita- 
tion. He  had  intended  to  have  stopped  for  a  moment 
after  sending  his  party  on. 

Just  fancy,  dearest  friend,  the  Crown  Prince  of 
Bavaria,  Count  Fugger,  brother  Carl,  Herr  von 
Frohreich,  Prince  Friedrich  of  Hesse,  Prince  August 
of  Wiirtemberg,  Count  Groben,  Edward  Hufeland, 
and  your  humble  servant,  perhaps  Count  Branden- 
burg also,  and  each  one  with  an  attendant,  eighteen 
or  twenty  in  all. 

P.S. — I  have  forgotten  one  of  the  party,  Herr  von 
Radowitz,  whom  Prince  August  recalled  from  Fiir- 
stenstein,  and  who  will  see  the  mountains  for  the 
first  time.  In  this  way  you  can  easily  imagine  that 
the  number  of  the  party  may  mount  up  to 
twenty-two. 

We  are  getting  everything  ready,  and  I  think  that 
it  can  all  be  managed  very  nicely,  and  without  too 
much  expense.  More  about  our  arrangements  later 
on. 

It  will  be  a  merry  party  no  doubt,  and  they  will 
be  having  quite  a  wild  time  of  it  in  Johannisbad 
to-day.  I  ask  myself  how  much  will  be  made  good 
— surely  this  unexpected  providing  of  lodgings  will 
not  be  gratis. 

JOURNAL 

August  8. — Our  guests  arrived  at  half-past  seven — 
the  Crown  Prince,  Prince  Carl,  the  Crown  Prince 
of  Bavaria,  Prince  August  of  Wurtemberg,  Prince 
Friedrich  of  Hesse,  Count  GrSben,  Ferdinand  Stol- 
berg,  Count  Fugger,  Edward  Hufeland,  Herr  von 
Radowitz,  and  thirteen  servants.  We  went  straight 
to  the  Pavilion  for  tea,  the  evening  light  very  beauti- 
ful though  not  brilliant.  Then  a  long  walk  to  the 
farm  and  lake — the  appearance  of  the  house  when 
all  lighted  up  was  charming — supper  at  half-past  ten 
in  the  hall,  and  to  bed  at  half-past  twelve.  Had  a 


1 82        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1831 

very  interesting  and  serious  conversation  with  the 
Crown  Prince,  spoke  much  of  Stein.  I  was  pleased 
to  see  how  much  the  subject  moved  him. 

The  death  of  her  old  friend  Freiherr  vom  Stein 
was  a  great  blow  to  Countess  Reden.  She  re- 
ceived both  in  this  sorrow,  and  in  another  which 
was  a  great  shock  to  her,  the  warmest  sympathy 
from  the  Crown  Prince,  who  was  at  Buchwald  with 
his  consort  on  August  25. 

The  Countess  writes  of  their  visit : 

August  25. — Everything  was  ready  in  good  time, 
and  we  had  glorious  weather.  The  suite  of  the 
Crown  Prince  and  Princess  arrived  at  half-past  three, 
and  they  themselves  soon  after,  and  as  friendly  and 
kind  as  possible.  The  President,  the  Landrath, 
Count  Groben,  Count  Doiihoff,  Fraulein  Borstell  and 
Brockhausen.  A  very  good  dinner,  and  every  one 
in  high  spirits.  But  now  they  were  damped  by  the 
sad  news  of  our  dear  Field-Marshal  Gneisenau's 
sudden  death  on  the  23rd ! 

The  news  has  caused  great  and  general  sorrow, 
and  I  feel  so  deeply  both  for  his  relations  and  for 
myself.  GrOben  drove  straight  to  Erdmannsdorf. 
I  took  a  walk  and  had  tea  in  the  Pavilion.  Every 
one  was  quiet  and  sympathetic.  Quite  a  domestic 
evening.  We  had  prayers  as  usual,  and  the  Lord 
blessed  them  to  us.  My  dear  Crown  Prince  was 
very  much  touched  by  them. 

August  26. — Breakfast  all  together  at  half-past 
eleven.  Then  our  dear  guests  left  us.  Both  were 
very  kind,  but  I  particularly  admire  the  strong 
personality  and  intelligence  of  the  Crown  Prince. 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

BUCHWALD,  September  i. 

How  we  are  longing  for  our  dear  friendly  neigh- 
bours to  be  again  at  Fischbach  !  It  always  seems  to 
me  that  many  of  the  trials  which  time  brings  to  us 
would  be  less  if  we  could  confide  them  to  one  another 
and  talk  them  over  together.  Our  dear,  good  Crown 
Prince  and  Princess,  whom  we  had  the  delight  of 


1831]  BISHOP   SAILER'S   LETTER  183 

having  with  us  for  a  day,  sympathised  with  us  about 
your  absence,  and  felt  it  on  their  own  account  also. 
Ah,  how  much  his  soul  has  been  influenced  for  good 
at  this  solemn  time !  I  have  had  a  good  deal  of 
conversation  with  him  on  both  occasions  of  his  visits 
here,  and  I  cannot  sufficiently  assure  your  Royal 
Highness  what  a  happy  impression  he  made  on  me. 
He  takes  this  time  as  it  ought  to  be  taken ;  he  recog- 
nises Who  sends  it  and  why  it  is  sent ;  and  he  knows 
where  to  go  for  help,  and  his  heart  is  turned  thither. 
His  dear,  good  heart — how  tenderly  it  feels  for  the 
universal  distress,  and  how  he  longs  to  help  in  all 
directions!  What  a  sympathy  he  shows  for  every 
one's  troubles !  .  .  . 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

September  3. 

We  hope  to  get  the  barley  and  rye  in  to-day.  In 
these  gifts  of  God,  which  He  has  so  abundantly  and 
in  sufficient  measure  sent  for  the  support  of  the 
people  in  our  mountains,  I  find  a  consoling  pledge 
that  He  will  still  leave  many  in  this  valley  to  enjoy 
them. 

BISHOP  SAILER  TO  COUNTESS  REDEN 

REGENSBURG,  September  30,  1831. 

Yesterday,  the  day  of  my  namesake,  S.  Michael, 
brought  me  the  most  welcome  of  gifts,  your  hand- 
writing. Your  letter  reached  me  unopened,  but  per- 
forated as  if  it  were  plague-time.  Though  I  greatly 
desired  to  receive  news  of  your  work  and  respon- 
sibilities, yet  I  must  own  that  your  longing  for  a  letter 
from  us  was  simultaneous  with  my  own,  if  indeed  we 
did  not  anticipate  you. 

The  universal  epidemic  threatens  us  also.  .  .  .  The 
finger  of  God  is  plainly  in  it,  and  we  pray  and  trust 
Him  with  submission.  Your  home  is  marked  as  a 
Christian  household  by  the  blood  of  the  Lord,  and 
the  destroying  angel  will  pass  over  it.  Amen. 

In  consequence  of  her  exertions  and  various  worries, 
including  her  dread  of  the  cholera,  which  she  always 
tried  hard  to  keep  under,  Countess  Reden  developed 
a  serious  illness  in  the  autumn  of  1831.  Fever  and 


1 84         NEW   JOYS    AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1831 

constant  nervous  depression  weighed  her  down  both 
morally  and  physically,  and  her  journal  shows  in  a 
touching  way  how  her  vexed  spirit  strove  after  con- 
solation and  peace.  Caroline  nursed  her  faithfully 
and  tenderly,  assisted  by  the  bailiffs  wife,  Frau 
Glaser.  The  presence  of  her  nephew  Henly  was  a 
great  support  to  her,  and  he  undertook  the  night 
watching.  For  weeks  the  invalid  could  not  sleep 
unless  he  held  her  hand,  and  for  a  time  his  family 
lived  altogether  at  Buchwald. 

JOURNAL 

October  31. — I  close  this  day  and  month  with 
humble  thanks  to  God.  I  have  been  through  great 
suffering,  but  His  grace  and  mercy  were  greater. 
How  much  love  and  blessing  I  have  received  from 
my  dear  ones — Caroline,  Henly,  Fritze,  all  my  people  ! 
Grant  me,  O  God,  a  heart  to  feel  this  and  keep  it 
in  my  remembrance. 

November  18. — I  got  up  for  the  first  time  from  half- 
past  ten,  and  remained  up  till  half-past  three,  and 
again  from  half-past  six  till  half-past  nine.  God  be 
praised !  The  Henlys  are  a  great  comfort  to  me. 
Caroline  bears  up  better  than  one  dared  to  hope. 
My  heart  overflows  with  the  great  mercies  of  God.  .  .  . 

December  17. — I  was  able  to  get  up  at  nine  this 
week,  and  took  my  second  cup  of  coffee  with  Caroline. 
I  was  often  able  to  do  a  litttle  business,  and  to 
dictate  to  my  bailiff  and  Kriegel,  as  well  as  to  do 
some  tapestry  work  and  knitting.  I  also  read  more. 
I  have  Southey's  Life  of  Wesley  on  hand  now. 
Here  I  am  busy,  as  far  as  weakness  permits,  bruising 
flax  and  weighing  it,  and  reckoning  up  accounts. 

December  20. — I  closed  my  soup-kitchen  on  No- 
vember 30,  to  open  it  again  (D.V.)  when  the  weather 
is  better,  and  it  will  be  less  bad  for  the  people  to 
come  so  far  for  it  in  their  miserable  clothes,  and  will 
be  less  waste  of  time  and  money. 

Every  one  has  got  firing  and  potatoes  now,  and  is 
busy  spinning,  getting  the  flax  at  a  cheap  rate.  .  .  . 
May  it  be  the  Lord's  will  to  restore  me !  Let  me 
leave  all  to  Him. 


1831]        COUNTESS   REDEN'S    ILLNESS  185 

To  HER  NIECE  MARLINE 

December  30. 

I  am  writing  again  for  the  first  time  since  my 
illness,  in  my  dear  little  room,  which  is  well  heated 
by  ten  o'clock.  I  stay  alone  till  noon,  if  I  have 
had  a  fairly  good  morning,  and  my  weakness  and 
pallor  do  not  make  my  faithful  nurses  too  uneasy. 
Then  I  have  some  caviar  or  tongue  and  settle  down 
in  the  large  room,  where,  with  the  sun  and  fire, 
there  is  a  delightful  temperature.  I  go  into  the 
breakfast-room  at  half-past  four,  and  am  ensconced 
in  the  big  armchair  till  ten  o'clock,  with  an  interval 
of  walking  the  length  of  the  three  rooms,  the  doors 
of  which  always  stand  open. 

Everything  is  arranged  for  my  ease  and  comfort, 
and  I  am  overcome  with  gratitude,  often  far  more 
than  I  can  express.  I  rise  at  eight,  having  read  from 
seven  in  bed,  have  my  coffee  at  seven,  and  another 
with  Caroline  at  half-past  eight.  Then  we  read 
together  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  I  remain  quiet, 
sewing  perhaps  till  ten  o'clock.  You  can  hardly 
imagine  your  old  aunt  like  this,  but  so  it  is,  and  in 
calm  submission  to  the  Lord's  will  I  am  strengthened, 
instead  of  being  tired.  My  soul  derives  comfort  and 
edification  from  our  evening  prayers,  which  we  have 
recommenced  in  the  gun-room  again.  We  began 
them  on  Monday,  and  I  was  not  fatigued ;  indeed, 
they  were  a  real  refreshment  to  me.  May  the  Lord 
grant  me  His  mercy,  that  I  and  my  house  may  con- 
tinue to  serve  Him  all  our  days ! 

Countess  Reden's  serious  illness  in  the  year  1831 
was  an  epoch  in  her  life.  Thanks  to  devoted  nursing, 
she  recovered,  and  by  God's  help  she  was  enabled 
to  resume  her  wonted  activity ;  she  even  increased 
the  scope  of  her  work  in  the  course  of  the  year,  but 
she  was  never  again  perfectly  strong.  She  suffered 
greatly  at  times,  and  one  needs  to  know  this  to 
understand  the  occasional  complaints  which  now  and 
then  occur  in  her  letters  and  diaries,  to  be  able  to 
measure  the  amount  of  self-control  that  she  exercised 
to  enable  her  to  accomplish  all  she  did  as  mistress 


1 86         NEW   JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1832 

of  property,  mother  to  the  poor,  hospitable  hostess 
and  friend  and  relation  to  a  large  circle.  The  re- 
lations between  the  sisters  perceptibly  strengthened 
in  tenderness  during  the  Countess's  illness.  Caroline 
had  not  her  sister's  energy,  nor  was  she  so  gifted ; 
but  she  was  a  humble,  unselfish  creature,  and  under 
Gossner's  influence  there  developed  within  her  a  deep 
inner  life  which  bore  noble  fruit.  This  remarkable 
pair  of  sisters  may  be  likened  to  Martha  and  Mary— 
but  this  active  Martha  obeyed  her  Lord's  commands, 
and,  full  of  toil  and  care,  there  were  times  when  she 
sat  at  Jesus'  feet.  She  had  chosen  the  better  part, 
the  one  thing  needful,  and  her  heart  burned  to  share 
it  with  others. 

JOURNAL 

January. — I  was  able  to  relieve  Caroline  of  a  good 
deal  of  work,  and  to  make  things  brighter  for  her. 
Dear  Saviour,  I  pray  Thee,  be  Thou  her  great  reward. 

February. — I  have  ordered  a  trifle  from  Dresden 
for  Caroline  which  she  will  like.  Ah,  would  that  I 
could  guess  her  every  wish  !  Oh,  what  mercy  I 
recognise  in  her  preservation  in  health  when  she 
was  in  such  trouble  and  anxiety  about  me !  She 
almost  lives  upstairs  with  me,  though  I  give  strict 
orders  for  her  own  room  downstairs  to  be  kept 
always  heated.  I  often  feel  how  hard  it  is  for  her 
to  be  exiled  to  this  room  alone  with  me,  without  hardly 
any  other  society,  only  sharing  my  sufferings.  But 
she  accepts  everything  with  such  loving  trustfulness 
that  my  neart  is  filled  with  constant  praise.  Oh,  what 
a  mercy  to  be  able  to  occupy  myself  again  !  In  one  way 
we  women  have  the  best  of  it  in  sickness,  for  we  can 
work  with  our  hands  when  our  heads  are  tired.  .  .  . 

February  3. — I  know,  my  dear  ones,  that  you  will 
rejoice  to  hear  that  I  went  out  to-day  for  the  first 
time  for  four  weary  months.  I  got  on  better  than 
I  expected ;  getting  downstairs  was  the  worst.  Kolbe 
and  Kriegel  carried  me  across  the  bridge  [in  front 
of  the  house],  and  dear  Caroline  and  the  bailiffs 


1832]    A  DRIVE  AFTER  LONG  ILLNESS          187 

wife  drove  me  to  Quirl  and  down  to  the  mill.  God's 
mercy  moved  me  deeply.  Every  object  seemed  new 
to  me,  and  the  friendly  greetings  of  the  people  were 
so  comforting. 

The  pastor  showed  much  sympathy  during  my 
illness.  He  had  prayers  for  me  in  church  without 
my  knowledge.  I  cannot  describe  the  many  tokens 
of  affection  and  interest  which  I  receive,  and  I  can 
but  pray  God  to  preserve  in  me  a  grateful  heart. 

February. — I  drove  on  Saturday  to  see  the  pastor 
and  to  the  Infirmary.  I  had  the  eight  old  women 
and  the  only  man  now  there  come  to  the  carriage 
for  inspection. 

We  are  busy  with  the  Bible  Society.  I  am  dis- 
tributing my  husband's  gifts  to  the  poor  here,  and 
the  recollections  of  the  day  itself  are  never  without 
emotion  for  my  heart,  but  the  Lord  can  make  all 
things  easy  for  me. 

Marline's  first  child  was  born  in  the  summer,  and 
named  George. 

To  MARLINE 

March  31. 

Should  you  not,  dear  child,  observe  a  greater  ex- 
actitude in  ordering  your  days  ?  It  seems  to  me  you 
need  it  doubly  now  as  a  mother.  I  only  answer  your 
regrets  on  the  subject,  for  as  I  unfortunately  cannot 
see  your  actions  and  manner  of  life,  I  am  only  able 
to  judge  of  them  according  to  your  own  confession, 
and  I  think  that  with  your  good  strong  will,  and  your 
earnest  desire  to  accomplish  much,  you  might  with 
perseverance  realise  your  aims  where  circumstances 
permit,  and  thus  gain  much  leisure.  In  gaining  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour,  just  as  in  saving  useless  waste  of 
a  penny,  lies  the  secret  of  true  economy,  and  both  are 
not  unimportant  to  those  who  recognise  that  they  are 
merely  guardians  of  their  time  and  money,  and  that 
they  must  one  day  render  up  an  account  for  them. 
Have  you  not  drawn  up  a  written  plan  which  you 
can  strive  to  follow  and  keep  in  view  as  well  as  you 
can  ?  I  found  this  very  helpful  in  my  youth. 

JOURNAL 
June  i. — Our  dear  neighbours  arrived  at  Fischbach 


i88        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1832 

on  Monday  at  noon,  and  they  were  all  here  on 
Tuesday,  and  the  Henlys  also.  It  was  a  continua- 
tion of  the  life  we  had  lived  together,  as  we  settled 
it  should  be  when  we  parted  in  September,  1830, 
only  there  was  more  cordiality,  if  possible.  The 
delight  at  meeting  was  touching,  and  with  our  mutual 
experiences  since  we  parted,  conversation  did  not 
flag  for  a  moment.  I  felt  less  fatigued  than  I 
expected,  but  I  could  not  sleep  at  first.  We  went 
to  service  at  Fischbach  yesterday,  and  all  the  royal 
party  waited  for  us  at  the  Redensbank,  and  received 
us  as  children  might  have  received  their  mother  on 
her  restoration  to  health.  I  am  moved  as  I  write  of  it. 
Theophilus  Reichel  is  sitting  with  me.  He  is 
spending  his  holidays  here,  and  his  brother  comes 
from  college  to  us.  A  visible  blessing  rests  on  these 
children.  They  both  desire  to  be  clergymen,  and 
to  return  to  America  later  on. 

Countess  Reden  had  learned  to  bear  her  great 
sorrow  in  a  spirit  of  cheerful  looking-forward  to  the 
invisible  which  is  the  eternal.  On  the  anniversary 
of  the  Count's  death,  July  3,  she  writes : 

I  could  not  get  to  the  dear  place  [the  Abbey],  but 
God  be  praised !  he  is  not  here,  but  in  heaven,  where 
my  Redeemer  in  His  mercy  will  unite  us  again. 

The  year  1832  brought  with  it  a  number  of  deaths 
in  the  circle  of  friends,  which  the  Countess  felt  deeply. 
Her  old  friends  the  Rosenstiels  in  Berlin  were  called 
away,  one  soon  after  the  other;  then  Bishop  Sailer, 
and  also  her  faithful  doctor,  Neigenfind,  and  then 
the  widow  of  Field-Marshal  Gneisenau.  Her  brother- 
in-law  the  Forty-fourth  Reuss  died  in  July,  to  her 
great  sorrow. 

As  fresh  cases  of  cholera  occurred,  the  two 
sisters  went  to  Jankendorf  in  July,  and  remained 
there  several  weeks  with  Countess  Ernestine  Stolberg 
and  her  daughter,  and  as  Harry  Reuss  LXIII.  and 


1832]  RETURN   TO   BUCHWALD  189 

his  wife  were  there,  the  visit  was  filled  with  a  variety 
of  interests. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

JANKENDORF,  July  29. 

Since  we  have  known  that  we  should  stay  on  here 
a  little  longer,  we  have  made  out  a  regular  plan  for 
our  daily  life,  which  we  all  follow.  I  do  an  hour's 
English  with  Marie  Stolberg  in  the  morning  and 
again  in  the  afternoon ;  she  is  eager  to  learn,  and  I 
find  it  is  a  great  pleasure  to  help  her.  .  .  . 

JANKENDORF,  August  16. 

We  went  to  communion  at  Niesky  on  the  isth, 
at  seven  o'clock.  We  read  Spangenberg's  "  Com- 
munion "  together  beforehand.  We  had  tea  with 
the  dear  Count  at  the  inn  at  five  o'clock,  and  then 
he  read  aloud  some  beautiful  passages  from  Gossner's 
"  Treasury,"  and  prayed  with  us  in  a  way  that  went 
to  our  hearts.  We  went  with  Hasting  into  the 
mission-room,  where  we  sat,  as  usual,  on  the  lower 
seats  with  the  working  women.  The  service  itself 
is  most  beautifully  conducted,  and  very  edifying,  and 
the  hymns  were  lovely;  but  I  prefer  the  service  in 
our  own  church,  where  it  is  more  simple,  and  with 
less  outward  observances.  But  be  this  as  it  may, 
I  pray  God  to  bless  the  food  to  our  hearts  now. 

The  sisters  returned  to  Buchwald  on  August  25,  and 
found  their  neighbours  at  Ruhberg  again.  .  .  .  Prince 
Boguslav  Radziwill  married  about  this  time  Countess 
Leontine  Clary,  and  Princess  Wanda  married  Prince 
Adam  Czartorysky.  The  Countess  took  a  lively  in- 
terest in  all  these  events.  Her  great  favourite  was 
the  elder  sister,  Elise  Radziwill,  whose  well-known 
love-story  she  followed  with  the  deepest  sympathy.1 
Wanda,  who  was  much  younger,  she  did  not  care 
for  in  early  days,  thinking  her  stiff,  self-willed,  and 
unfriendly ;  but  later  on  she  became  very  dear  to 

1  Kaiser  Wilhelm  I.  of  Germany  loved  her,  and  his  love  was  returned, 
but  for  reasons  of  State  the  marriage  did  not  take  place. — M.  B.-L. 


190        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1832 

her,  and  was  quite  one  of  those  she  counted  among 
her  adopted  children. 

The  chief  interest  in  the  autumn  of  1832  was  the 
appointment  of  a  new  pastor  to  Buchwald,  the  ex- 
isting arrangements  being  unsatisfactory  to  Countess 
Reden.  She  undertook  the  choice  with  much  con- 
scientiousness, Jiumility,  and  self-denial.  The  past 
year  seemed  to  have  brought  much  advance  in 
humility  and  self-knowledge.  It  appears  that  she 
recognised  a  weakness  in  herself,  that  of  becoming 
immoderately  interested  in  certain  people,  and,  be- 
cause of  her  interest  in  them,  being  unjust  in  her 
judgments  and  actions.  It  was  perhaps  owing  to 
this  that  she  distrusted  her  decided  preference  for 
the  gifted  and  eminently  intellectual  Herr  Schneider, 
and  did  not  attempt  to  get  him  elected.  The  pastor 
chosen,  Herr  Haupt,  a  true  and  faithful  man,  but 
without  talent,  was  received  and  supported  by  the 
Countess,  and  she  always  sought  to  bring  forward 
his  good  points,  and  to  help  him  by  furthering  his 
intercourse  with  the  remarkably  intellectual  people 
who  were  constantly  at  Buchwald.  At  all  events 
he  never  crossed  her,  but  was  entirely  subservient 
to  her  wishes,  allowing  himself  to  be  completely 
influenced  by  his  patroness,  who  was  fond  of  saying 
that  the  ideal  of  the  "  good  pastor  "  was  fulfilled  by  him. 
She  appealed  to  his  judgment  upon  matters  concerning 
the  Kingdom  of  God  and  those  of  the  parish,  but  it  was 
her  opinion  which  he  adopted.  In  later  days  she  often 
fell  asleep  during  his  rather  tedious  sermon,  and  then 
would  say  that  the  sermon  pleased  her,  much  to  the 
secret  amusement  of  her  nephews  and  nieces.  It 
was  often  asserted  that  the  parish  took  the  side  of 
Pastor  Haupt  out  of  conscious  opposition  to  her 
domination,  as  is  frequently  the  way  with  peasants. 


PRINCESS    EL1SA    RADZIWILL, 

Granddaughter  of  Prince  Ferdinand  Hohenzollern,  and  great-niece 
of  Frederick  the  Great. 


[To  face  p.  190. 


1832]  AT  JANKENDORF  191 

When  the  tide  turned,  and  Pastor  Haupt  was  out  of 
favour  with  them,  his  noble  patroness  sided  with 
him  in  a  high-handed  manner  against  the  parish. 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

JANKENDORF,  December  31. 

We  found  our  dear  Count  just  as  we  left  him  in 
August,  but  rather  more  feeble,  and  we  cannot  help 
trembling  when  we  see  him  totter  from  one  room  to 
another.  Our  being  here  seems  to  make  him  very 
happy,  and  he  assures  us  that  it  is  just  the  thing  for 
him,  and  a  Christmas  joy,  while  it  is  a  real  blessing 
and  Christmas  joy  for  us  to  be  in  his  society.  We 
have  heard  three  splendid  sermons  at  Niesky,  and 
one  preached  yesterday  by  the  young  brother 
Kleinschmidt  made  the  greatest  impression  upon  us 
all.  It  was  for  the  close  of  the  year,  full  of  devout 
feeling  and  earnest  experience.  He  spoke  of  the 
memorial  stone  of  the  Prophet  Samuel,  and  from  that 
he  went  on  to  the  one  set  up  by  Joshua,  and  then  to 
the  one  by  Jacob  at  Bethel,  and  finished  by  setting  up 
in  like  manner  a  memorial  stone  in  our  hearts,  to 
mark  the  close  of  the  old  year  and  the  beginning  of 
a  new  year.  The  four  inscriptions  on  the  stone 
would  certainly  be  found  in  each  heart :  i  Sam.  vii. 
12,  "  Hitherto  hath  the  Lord  helped  us";  Gen.  xxxii. 
10,  "  I  am  not  worthy  of  the  least  of  all  the  mercies, 
and  of  all  the  truth,  which  Thou  hast  shewed  Thy 
servants  "  ;  Psalm  xcv.  6,  "  O  come,  let  us  worship  and 
bow  down  :  let  us  kneel  before  the  Lord  our  Maker  "  ; 
and  Heb.  xiii.  8,  "Jesus  Christ  the  same  yesterday,  and 
to-day,  and  for  ever."  These  four  texts  were  the  key- 
notes of  his  beautiful  words,  and  he  concluded  by 
repeating  the  last  inscription  twice.  After  the  sermon 
we  had  the  hymn  :  "  So  lange  Jesus  bleibt  der  Herr 
wird's  alle  Tage  herrlicher."  We  began  by  singing 
"  Mit  einem  tiefgebeugten  Sinn  fall  'ich  vor  meinem 
K5nig  hin." 

This  sermon  made  such  a  deep  impression  on 
Countess  Reden,  that  she  had  Theophilus  Reichel  make 
a  drawing  of  the  memorial  stone  with  the  four  inscrip- 
tions. She  had  it  lithographed,  and  distributed  copies. 


192        NEW   JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1833 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW  ON  THE  BIRTH 
OF  A  GRAND-DAUGHTER 

JANKENDORF,  January  10,  1833. 

How  every  one  at  Buchwald  will  rejoice,  and 
wherever  Marline  is  known  and  loved ;  but  who  will 
do  so,  after  you,  more  than  all  others  ?  Will  it  not 
be  I  myself,  who  have  loved  the  dear  child  as  if 
she  were  my  own  daughter  from  the  first  time  you 
placed  her  in  my  arms,  and  my  dear  husband  softly 
said  to  me,  "  Now  you  have  a  child  "?.-..  Kriegel 
brought  me  the  letter  in  a  hurry,  and  in  spite  of  his 
childishness  he  has  common  sense,  and  he  could  not 
resist  waiting  at  the  door  while  I  broke  the  seal, 
and  then  the  news  ran  through  the  house  like  fire. 

Countess  Reden,  cultivated  woman  as  she  was,  had 
a  trick  of  mixing  up  words  and  expressions  in  the 
most  nal've  way,  which  gave  rise  to  many  a  joke. 
For  instance,  she  would  say,  "  Er  setzt  sich  auf  die 
Hinterpferde,"  instead  of  "auf  das  Hinterpferde " ; 
and  "  Er  spricht  wie  der  Blaue  von  der  Farbe," 
instead  of  "  der  Blinde."  Again,  "  Butter  auf  seine 
Miihle " — that  is,  she  should  have  said,  "  Seinem 
Maule."  Perhaps  it  was  a  sign  of  her  benevolence  that 
she  could  express  no  worse  condemnation  than,  "  Ich 
wollte,  der  ware,  wo  der  Kartoffeln  wachsen  "  ("  I 
wish  he  was  in  the  potato  field  "). 

The  busy  winter  life  began  when  the  sisters  re- 
turned home. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

February  12. 

Princess  Wilhelm  has  sent  me  a  present  of  the 
hymn  book  which  has  come  out,  with  between  16,000 
and  17,000  hymns,  without  any  alterations,  and  with  a 
capital  index  of  subjects,  as  well  as  one  of  the  words, 
so  that  it  will  be  of  the  greatest  use  and  value  to  me 
in  choosing  hymns  for  evening  prayers.  We  sang 
two  this  evening  which  were  quite  new  to  me. 


1833]  THE   CHOLERA  193 

There  were  frequent  epidemics  of  cholera  in  the 
Riesengebirge,  and  very  serious  ones  occasionally, 
and  it  was  thought  desirable  to  give  the  school 
children  some  practical  instruction  on  the  subject,  and 
what  remedies  should  be  applied  in  the  absence  of 
a  doctor.  It  was  hoped  that  in  this  way  the  parents 
might  learn  what  to  do  through  their  children,  and 
thus  some  check  would  be  put  upon  the  spread  of  the 
disease. 

February  23. 

We  made  all  the  children  write  out  in  school 
yesterday  what  remedies  should  be  applied  first  in 
case  of  cholera,  and  where  they  could  be  got  at  once, 
so  that  it  might  be  known  in  all  the  cottages  in  the 
parish.  Tea  has  been  sent  for,  drinks  prepared,  and 
green  coffee  and  soup  can  be  had  at  our  house  at 
any  time. 

February  27. 

It  is  an  anxious  time,  but  we  rely  upon  Him  Who 
never  forsakes  us,  so  we  are  not  afraid.  Oh !  such 
a  time  is  good  for  us ;  it  leads  us  to  prayer,  it  brings 
the  Lord  nearer  to  us,  it  quickens  our  love  for  our 
neighbours,  it  makes  us  calmly  wait  upon  His  will. 
How  full  the  churches  are!  The  Lent  sermons 
attract  crowds,  and  what  a  mercy  for  us  that  we  have 
a  pastor  here  who  can  lead  us  to  Him  from  Whom 
our  only  help  can  come. 

Heinrich  LX.  (Reuss)  died  in  April.  He  was  a 
stepson  of  Countess  Reden's  eldest  sister,  Auguste, 
and  he  was  called  in  the  family,  Schock. 

The  death  of  Prince  Radziwill  and  the  loss  of 
several  other  friends  caused  the  Countess  much 
sorrow  about  this  time. 

Frau  von  Sch5ning  passed  several  months  with  her 
family  at  Buchwald,  and  her  eldest  daughter  was 
confirmed  during  her  stay. 

The  Carolath  nephews,  the  two  Reichels,  and  Clinton 
all  visited  Buchwald  in  the  course  of  the  summer. 

13 


i94        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1833 

The  latter,  as  usual,  was  a  trial  to  his  faithful  old 
friend  by  his  morose  temper,  and  even  by  his  affec- 
tion for  herself.  She  endeavoured  to  bring  out  his 
good  qualities,  though  she  saw  that  he  was  farther 
than  ever  from  the  faith  in  which  alone  peace  may 
be  found,  and  she  longed  to  bring  him  to  a  know- 
ledge of  it. 

Another  guest  this  summer  was  Herr  von  Stein 
from  Breslau,  and  in  June  there  were  officers  quartered 
at  Buchwald.  In  September  Mr.  Pinkerton  was 
there,  and  there  was  a  good  deal  of  talk  with  him 
concerning  the  affairs  of  the  Bible  Society,  and  about 
the  new  edition  of  the  so-called  "  Hirschberg  Bible." 

This  "  Hirschberg  Bible,"  a  Bible  with  an  ex- 
cellent commentary  by  Pastor  Ehrenfried  Liebig,  of 
Lomnitz,  and  Oberconsistorialrath  Burg,  of  Breslau, 
had  been  published  in  the  year  1756,  by  Imanuel 
Krahn  at  Hirschberg.  Unfortunately  it  had  not  a 
wide  circulation,  and  there  came  a  period  of  Rational- 
ism which  produced  Dinter's  "  Schullehrer  Bible," 
and  other  books  of  the  kind,  encouraging  widespread 
unbelief.  Large  bales  of  the  "  Hirschberg  Bible  "  must 
have  been  destroyed,  and  only  a  few  copies  were 
preserved  as  antiquarian  curiosities  by  the  heirs  of 
the  publisher. 

When  a  new  wave  of  religious  life  arose  in  the 
early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  inquiries  were 
made  after  the  "  Hirschberg  Bible,"  which  was  still 
used  in  certain  circles.  The  few  remaining  copies 
were  soon  seized  upon,  and  a  wish  expressed  for  a 
new  edition.  It  seems  that  this  desire  was  brought 
to  the  ears  of  Countess  Reden  by  a  pious  teacher 
at  the  Bunzlau  Orphanage,  and  she,  with  her  wonted 
energy,  took  the  matter  in  hand,  and  entered  into 
dealings,  as  to  its  being  reprinted,  with  the  grandson 


1833]      RAHEL  VARNHAGEN   VON   EN  195 

of  the  original  publisher.     But  a  year  elapsed  before 
the  work  was  accomplished. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

Prince  Wittgenstein,  who  has  already  sent  me 
Zinzendorf's  Life,  by  Varnhagen,  has  now  sent  me 
the  "  Biography  and  Correspondence  of  Rahel,"  his 
wife.  She  was  a  Jewess,  and  became  a  Christian, 
and  was  very  philanthropic  and  much  sought  after 
in  society ;  but  to  me  she  is  very  uncanny,  on  account 
of  her  abstract  ideas  and  her  eccentric  personality. 
God  preserve  us  from  such  a  mother,  sister,  or 
daughter ! 

September  30. 

Splendid  weather  for  the  harvest,  and  we  are 
taking  advantage  of  it  to  gather  in  the  late  and  fre- 
quently wet  barley,  peas,  and  aftermath,  and  are 
very  thankful  that  it  has  not  been  spoiled. 

I  have  not  had  an  easy  financial  year,  on  the  whole, 
for  much  of  my  income  did  not  come  in,  and  my 
expenditure  was  considerable,  and  sometimes  anxieties 
would  arise  as  to  how  I  should  manage.  But  the 
Guardian  of  my  heart  and  my  purse  came  to  my  aid, 
and  taught  me  how  to  save  and  helped  me  over  my 
difficulties  wonderfully,  as  well  as  putting  into  my 
head  means  for  supporting  various  charitable  institu- 
tions, which  astonish  and  put  me  to  shame.  I  am 
not  worried  as  to  whence  I  shall  draw  the  money 
for  my  journey  to  you,  for  if  the  Lord  permits  me 
to  come  the  means  will  be  there  when  I  require  them. 

I  am  spending  this  morning  in  the  Pavilion.  Fritz- 
chen  is  having,  at  her  own  request,  French  lessons, 
and  Levin  is  drawing.  We  shall  lunch  in  the  Meadow 
House,  and  expect  the  pastor  to  come.  The  weather 
is  like  June,  but  rather  windy. 

October. 

Levin  Reichel  left  early  on  the  /th  for  America, 
as  he  intended.  He  is  such  a  dear,  charming  com- 
panion, and  such  a  help  in  many  ways,  I  miss  him 
very  much. 

November  13. 

Eleven  people  came  to  our  Bible  Society  meeting. 
There  were  many  propositions  and  decisions,  and 


196        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1834 

a  spirit  of  the  greatest  harmony  and  good-will  pre- 
vailed, as  it  always  has,  thank  God  ! 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

It  seems  to  me  as  though  your  departure  and  the 
parting  from  you  have  never  been  so  hard  as  this 
last  time — we  were  quite  spoiled  by  those  last  few 
weeks,  and  I  could  not  at  all  accustom  myself  to  the 
absence  of  the  dear  residents  at  Fischbach.  But  is  it 
not  always  thus,  and  must  it  not  be  so  more  and  more  ? 

Our  hearts  grow  nearer  to  one  another.  Yours 
has  always  drawn  me  peculiarly,  and  the  more  I 
know  of  it  (how  I  love  to  read  it!)  the  more  I  thank 
God  that  He  has  let  your  heart  find  mine,  and  come 
forth  to  me  in  such  a  friendly  and  indulgent  spirit. 
An  alliance  founded  on  the  fear  of  God  can  never 
be  broken,  but  anchors  itself  ever  deeper.  May  this 
be  so  with  ours ! 

In  February  the  sisters  went  away,  first  staying  at 
Jankendorf,  whence  the  Countess  writes  to  Princess 
Wilhelm : 

March   24. 

Oh,  how  thoroughly  I  agree  with  you  about  it  being 
a  necessity  for  one  to  be  left  quite  alone  at  times.  It 
is  a  real  benefit  for  one's  nerves,  and  it  is  wholesome, 
too,  to  make  an  effort  not  to  talk  of  all  one's  feelings, 
nor  of  all  the  fancies  that  run  through  the  mind  (often 
the  result  of  nerves) ;  it  is  far  better  to  conceal  them 
as  much  as  possible. 

There  is  only  One  from  Whom  nothing  can  be 
hidden,  and  Who  will  give  much  consolation  for  one 
sigh  addressed  to  Him.  Very  often  people  do  harm, 
merely  by  their  difference  of  views  and  feelings,  or  by 
their  want  of  comprehension.  Our  Lord  and  Saviour, 
on  the  contrary,  listens  with  unspeakable  patience 
and  gentleness  to  our  poor  weak  hearts,  and  under- 
stands how  to  quiet  them.  This  has  always  been  my 
experience,  and  surely  it  has  also  been  that  of  your 
Royal  Highness.  I  notice  every  day  how  our  dear 
Count  draws  upon  the  store  of  heavenly  grace,  for 
only  the  Lord  can  grant  such  endurance  in  pain  and 
such  cheerfulness  in  weakness.  May  I  learn  much 
in  this  way  and  retain  all  that  I  learn  ! 


1834]     PASTOR  STOCKHARDT'S   DEATH          197 

Countess  Reden  and  her  sister  paid  a  visit  to  Harry 
and  Caroline  Reuss  at  Klipphausen,  near  Dresden,  and 
stayed  over  Easter. 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

Your  Royal  Highness,  with  your  excellent  memory, 
will  surely  remember  the  dear  young  pastor  Stock- 
hardt  who  was  staying  with  us  two  years  ago,  and 
conducted  our  prayer  meetings,  and  whose  great 
height  you  admired  when  you  saw  him  at  Fischbach. 
His  health  was  set  up  by  a  stay  at  Salzbrunn  at  that 
time,  and  he  was  a  great  blessing  to  his  parish  and 
to  the  neighbouring  pastors.  A  serious  affection  of 
the  glands  showed  itself  this  winter,  but  was  cured. 
It  struck  inwards,  however,  and  attacked  the  lungs, 
resulting  in  galloping  consumption,  which  ended  his 
life,  a  life  so  rich  in  blessings.  He  died  on  April  17, 
in  his  twenty-ninth  year. 

I  went  several  times  to  see  him  at  Rohrsdorf,  when 
I  was  staying  at  Klipphausen.  What  a  change,  and 
yet  how  charming  he  was !  He  was  to  have  ad- 
ministered the  Holy  Communion  to  Harry  and 
Caroline  on  Good  Friday,  and  we  were  to  have  gone 
with  them,  but  he  could  not  go  to  church  that  day 
on  account  of  the  great  cold.  He  held  the  prepara- 
tion service  in  his  room,  and  another  minister  took 
the  Communion  Service.  What  words  he  used,  he,  a 
dying  man,  to  the  living,  who  yet  were  less  living 
than  he — words  of  faith  and  deep  import,  and  of  truth 
and  charity.  On  Easter  Day  he  gave  his  blessing  to 
his  confirmation  candidates,  sitting  in  church  as  he  did 
so.  On  Monday  he  went  with  them  to  the  Com- 
munion, and  walked  to  the  altar  for  the  last  time, 
from  which  he  had  so  often  dispensed  a  blessing. 
What  an  expression  his  face  wore  !  He  could  scarcely 
walk,  and  sat  down  between  the  receiving  of  the  bread 
and  the  chalice ;  the  whole  congregation  was  bathed 
in  tears,  and  could  not  sing  for  their  sobs.  I  went  to 
see  the  dear  man  of  God  afterwards  ;  he  was  refreshed 
and  felt  stronger,  and  his  every  word  moved  us 
deeply.  Oh,  how  happy  must  he  be  now  beholding 
his  Lord  face  to  face  !  But  his  going  home  has  made 
a  deep  impression  on  me. 


198        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1834 

In  April  the  Countess  went  to  Rentweinsdorf,  in 
Franken,  where  she  saw  Marline  a  happy  wife  and 
mother.  On  her  return  journey  she  writes  to  her 
niece : 

Before  reaching  my  beloved  home  I  must  just 
answer  your  dear  note,  and  have  a  little  chat  with 
you.  By  word  of  mouth  our  talks  have  ceased,  but 
I  thank  the  Lord  for  those  He  has  permitted  me  to 
enjoy,  and  for  the  many  ioys  He  has  granted  me  in 
seeing  your  children,  and  for  all  the  tokens  of  your 
sympathy  and  love.  Oh !  you  dear  ones,  need  I  tell 
you  how  I  love  you,  and  how  grateful  I  am  to  you  ? 
I  think  not.  Your  dear  husband's  confidence,  and 
his  way  of  seeking  the  old  aunt,  ill  and  often  cross 
though  she  was,  did  me  unspeakable  good.  Tell  him 
so.  I  must  repeat  to  you  all,  that  none  of  your 
attentions,  not  tne  smallest  of  them,  were  lost  on  me, 
and  they  will  all  be  stored  up  in  grateful  memory. 

The  Countess  went  to  Neuenhof  at  the  end  of  May, 
and  in  June  to  Cothen,  where  she  saw  her  niece 
Auguste  as  Duchess  of  CcHhen  for  the  first  time,  and 
visited  her  old  governess  and  friend  Mademoiselle 
Genevois. 

In  August  Gossner,  the  devoted  friend  of  both 
sisters,  was  at  Buchwald,  and  his  society  was  a 
blessing  and  a  pleasure  to  the  Countess,  though  she 
regretted  his  sharpness  and  want  of  toleration.  She 
writes : 

August  20. — I  soon  found  out  that  N.  N.  and  Gossner 
did  not  hit  it  off.  What  is  it  ?  Oh !  you  dear,  good 
people,  what  divides  you  ?  You  both  have  Christ ! 

August  21. — We  were  alone  at  dinner  and  had  much 
talk  with  Gossner.  He  is  so  good  in  every  way  but 
his  lack  of  tolerance  for  others.  .  .  . 

Gossner  did  not  seem  to  have  got  on  well  with 
the  excellent  but  narrow-minded  Pastor  Haupt.  The 
fable  of  the  ass  in  the  lion's  skin  suggests  itself,  but 
it  is  too  uncomplimentary  to  the  poor  pastor.  Let 


1 834]  HOME   LIFE  199 

me  rather  say,  that  the  mantle  of  God  in  which  he 
sought  to  wrap  himself  did  not  fit.  ... 

But  the  Countess  confided  her  feelings  to  her  journal, 
and  only  writes  to  her  sister-in-law  about  the  pleasure 
and  blessing  of  Gossner's  visit. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

BUCHWALD,  November  4. 

It  seems  a  greater  refreshment  than  usual  to  be 
writing  to  you  all,  since  you,  my  dears,  have  seen 
and  renewed  acquaintance  here  with  people,  place, 
and  things.  [They,  Baron  and  Baroness  von  Riedesel, 
with  Marline  and  her  husband,  had  been  on  a  visit 
to  Buchwald.]  You  can  imagine  how  quiet  and  lonely 
the  house  seemed  to  us  after  you  had  gone.  We 
began  a  great  deal  of  work  the  next  day :  scouring, 
peeling  fruit,  and  clothes-washing  (six  hundred  articles 
of  underwear),  and  the  things  were  dried  on  Thursday 
and  all  ready  on  Saturday.  We  have  been  pickling 
cabbages,  which,  though  small,  are  so  solid  that  they 
entailed  no  end  of  work.  It  was  like  the  widow's 
cruse,  one  jar  after  another  was  brought  to  be 
covered,  and  no  one  rejoiced  more  than  I  myself, 
for  there  is  more  than  double  the  quantity  of  previous 
years.  The  flax  has  been  given  out  four  times  to 
good  spinners.  I  drove  to  Quirl  on  the  3ist  in  an 
open  carriage  for  the  first  time,  and  inspected  three 
houses  which  have  been  repaired  and  improved  with 
the  legacy  of  1834. 

November. 

Here  we  are  all  sitting,  each  one  of  us,  with  pen 
in  hand.  Fritz  says  it  could  not  be  quieter  nor 
more  industrious  in  the  Landrath's  office.  Theodore 

E roves  very  satisfactory,  and  takes  great  interest  in 
is  work.  The  table  with  two  drawers  which  stands 
in  the  bedroom  has  been  specially  appropriated  to 
his  use.  Franzel's  work  is  done  at  one  end  of  the 
table  in  the  breakfast-room,  and  Fritz  Kalckreuth's 
at  the  other  end,  which  reminds  him  of  old  times. 
He  is  doing  splendidly  intricate  work,  with  such 
grand  plans  for  domestic  economy,  etc. 

Kriegel  began  his  duties  in  the  Landrath's  office 
yesterday,  upon  my  recommendation.  I  had  been 


200        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1835 

wishing  to  get  him  some  good  post,  and  I  could  have 
scarcely  found  anything  better  for  him  than  this  one. 
Fritz  von  Kalckreuth  is  bursting  with  delight  at 
being  here  again ;  we  are  making  him  practise  his 
French  with  Caroline  in  the  morning,  and  with  me 
in  the  evening. 

Clinton's  presence  at  the  beginning  of  the  year 
gave  many  occasions  for  the  exercise  of  patience. 
He  went  with  the  sisters  to  Jankendorf,  where  they 
found  their  old  friend  very  ill. 

To  relieve  the  distress  among  the  poor  mountain- 
eers the  Government  had  bought  large  quantities  of 
flax,  and  established  dep6ts  where  it  could  be  given 
out  to  the  spinners,  and  Countess  Reden  was,  of 
course,  not  only  the  moving  spirit  of  the  whole  under- 
taking, but  she  was  also  one  of  the  most  active 
helpers  in  it.  She  had  herself  provided  for  the  poor 
on  her  estate  in  this  way  for  a  long  time,  and  had 
found  that  with  a  very  slight  outlay  a  great  deal  of 
good  could  be  done,  merely  by  a  cheaper  retail  sale. 
That  this  was  proved  of  equal  advantage  on  a  larger 
scale  was  a  great  satisfaction  to  her. 

Church  questions  were  occupying  people's  minds, 
and  Countess  Reden  was  very  much  affected  by  the 
contest  about  the  Prussian  Liturgy,  and  the  separa- 
tion from  the  Prussian  State  Church.  But  she  was 
especially  exercised  about  the  Rationalistic  move- 
ment, which  was  spreading  from  Petersdorf.  On 
the  other  hand,  her  liveliest  sympathies  were  with 
Pastor  Feldner,  at  Schreiberau.  Both  parishes  were 
under  the  patronage  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Count 
Schafgotsch,  who,  though  an  excellent  man,  and  a 
friend  of  the  Countess's,  was  unable  to  enter  into 
these  important  questions  or  the  needs  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church. 


1835]     THE  RATIONALISTIC  MOVEMENT        201 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

March  18. 

President  Stolberg  was  here  recently,  and  there 
was  a  good  deal  to  hear  and  to  tell  him ;  the  religious 
disputes  particularly  make  him  anxious  and  weigh 
upon  his  mind.  The  Consistorial  Councillor  Herr 
Hahn  is  the  only  man  who  has  a  right  view  of  the 
matter,  and  can  offer  him  any  consolation.  He  has 
calmed  the  people's  minds  at  Honigern  entirely,  and 
the  Lord  has  marked  him  out  in  a  special  way  in 
these  affairs. 

Whilst  Pastor  Feldner  is  attacked  in  his  office  on 
the  one  hand,  and  which  he  may  have  defended  with 
too  much  warmth  at  first,  a  society,  secretly  blas- 
phemous, is  growing  and  is  spreading  unchecked 
from  Petersdorf,  as  a  centre,  under  the  name  of  the 
"  Society  of  Enlightenment "  (Lichtvereiri).  It  seeks 
to  undermine  the  true  faith  by  the  most  pernicious 
writings,  and  these,  unfortunately,  find  only  too 
many  readers  among  the  common  people.  They  hold 
both  the  clergy  and  their  teachings  up  to  ridicule, 
and  much  evil  may  be  created.  I  am  quite  con- 
cerned and  excited  about  it.  This  wicked  literature 
is  openly  sold  at  Hirschberg ;  it  is  recommended 
by  The  People's  Friend,  a  worthless  paper,  which 
is  under  the  censorship  of  the  Burgomaster,  and  is 
written  by  a  schoolmaster  named  Wander.  Super- 
intendent Nagel  knows  all  about  it,  but  has  not  taken 
any  step.  I  myself  read  in  the  last  number  his 
ridicule  of  Wupperthal's  "  Tracts,"  and,  what  is  still 
worse,  his  ill-timed  jokes  upon  the  expression  "  Under 
the  Lamb's  Throne."  Is  it  not  enough  to  make  one 
weep  ?  Hahn  ought  to  come  and  sweep  them  clean 
out,  lest  this  cancer  spot  gains  ground. 

I  found  dear  Siegert  particularly  depressed  over 
the  misdeeds  of  the  Rationalist  movement.  ...  I  got 
him  to  tell  me  all  the  details,  which  I  did  not  know, 
with  the  necessary  documents,  that  I  might  bring 
it  all  to  the  President's  knowledge.  He  had  not 
known  about  it  at  all.  I  have  ventured  to  challenge 
all  Christian  ministers  to  send  a  joint  appeal  to  the 
President  on  the  subject  of  this  evil,  and  I  hope  it 
will  be  successful. 

On  April  9  Count    Reuss,    Heinrich    XXXVIII., 


202        NEW  JOYS   AND  CONSOLATIONS     [1835 

passed  away  quite  peacefully  and  happily  at  the  age 
of  eighty-six.     Of  this  event  she  writes  : 

Oh  !  may  the  Lord  reward  my  friend  for  what  he 
has  done  for  me  especially.  Oh  that  I  might  give 
him  pleasure,  and  that  his  intercessions  may  still  be 
offered  up  for  me  there  as  they  were  here,  for  I 
sorely  need  them. 

I  dare  not  give  myself  up  to  thinking  of  how  much 
is  gone.  Our  dear  friend  is  unutterably  happy  with 
his  Saviour  Whom  he  loved  above  all  else.  Who 
could  wish  him  back  ?  We  should  sin,  I  think,  by 
lamenting  for  what  we  have  lost,  since  his  gain  is 
so  great. 

This  death  touched  her  life  in  another  way.  Her 
nephew  Henly  inherited  Jankendorf,  and  spent  a  few 
months  there  in  the  summer,  and  she  missed  him 
and  his  family  painfully.  Harry  (Heinrich  LXIII.) 
inherited  Stonsdorf,  and  made  his  first  stay  there 
that  same  summer. 

Buchwald  again  lodged  many  guests,  among  whom 
were  Dorette,  Herr  von  Stein,  from  Breslau,  the 
Carolath  nephews,  Count  and  Countess  Stolberg,  of 
Wernigerode,  Countess  Dohna,  and  many  others. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

August  20. 

We  heard  early  this  morning  that  the  King  would 
arrive  at  Erdmannsdorf  this  evening.  He  is  waiting 
to  hear  that  his  daughter  has  landed.  He  was  not 
expected  till  Saturday,  and  Erdmannsdorf  is  not  quite 
ready  to  receive  him. 

A  good  part  of  this  event  falls  to  our  share,  for  we 
are  to  receive  the  Crown  Prince,  at  his  own  desire. 
He  went  through  Berlin  on  the  1 5th,  on  his  way  to 
Pommern,  and  his  review  has  been  put  off  till  the  27th. 
The  Prince  and  Princess  Wilhelm  would  gladly  have 
taken  him  in  had  there  been  room. 

Hedwig  Bruhl  is  with  us.1    She  is  too  dear,  and 

1  Countess  Bruhl  was  a  daughter  of  Field-Marshal  Count  von 
Gneisenau — M.  B.-L. 


1835]       THE   KING   AT  THE   PAVILION          203 

so  intelligent  and  charming,  and  with  common  sense 
at  the  same  time.  Her  husband  is  commanding  a 
Landwehr  regiment  in  camp.  ...  At  this  moment  she 
is  helping  us  to  put  up  the  new  damask  divan  cover, 
which  with  its  three  rococo  cushions  makes  the 
green  sitting-room  look  very  smart.  A  fine  inlaid 
marble  table  stands  between  the  windows  and  the 
corner  chairs.  It  used  to  be  in  the  store-room,  and 
my  dear  husband  always  wished  to  have  it  moved. 
In  the  corner  of  the  hall  there  are  two  white-covered 
divans  which  make  a  pretty  effect.  The  covering  of 
them,  which  is  dazzling  white,  cost  one  thaler  and 
eighteen  silver  groschens.  The  new  sofa  cover  in  the 
garden  house  is  very  pretty  and  cost  two  thalers. 

August  28. 

Our  Crown  Prince  came  over  from  Fischbach  with 
Roder,  and  is  just  the  same  as  ever,  except  in  being 
more  cordial  and  friendly  than  any  other  member 
of  his  family.  .  .  .  We  sat  up  till  eleven,  and  had  a 
very  pleasant  talk.  .  .  . 

He   talked    quite   confidentially    and  without  any 

fme  about   Lutheranism,   his  good    journey,   Pastor 
eldner,   and  other  things  which  lie  near  his  heart 
and  ours. 

Evening. 

I  found  dear  Princess  Radziwill  very  weak  and 
feeble.  She  kept  me  a  long  time,  and  told  me  a  great 
deal,  and  there  were  many  things  for  her  to  arrange, 
in  case  it  should  please  the  Lord  to  call  her  hence. 
But  I  trust  that  tnis  will  not  be  yet.  May  she  be 
spared  to  her  family  and  to  us ! 

September  3. 

I  must  make  a  brief  note  of  our  royal  visit  at  the 
Pavilion  on  Saturday,  and  afterwards  at  the  house. 
Everything  went  off  beyond  expectation,  in  spite  of 
the  crowd  of  seventy  people. 

I  got  the  best  of  the  entertainment,  for  I  walked 
alone  with  the  King  down  the  hill  from  the  Pavilion 
to  the  house,  and  we  went  up  to  my  room,  which  he 
had  not  been  into  since  1800,  and  where  his  heart 
was  filled  by  so  many  memories  that  his  lips  were 
unsealed,  and  he  became  a  new  creature.  We  sat  on 
the  corner  seats,  and  talked  for  quite  ten  minutes  in 
a  way  I  never  dreamt  of  talking  to  him.  Meanwhile, 


204        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1835 

Princess  Wilhelm  took  the  Empress  and  the  other 
Princesses  round  the  house,  followed  by  the  whole 
court  into  the  rooms  as  they  left  them.  Then  one 
after  another  came  upstairs,  and  tea  and  milk  were 
served.  But  in  the  middle  of  all  this  an  excellent 
diversion  was  caused  by  the  news  that  the  Emperor 
was  coming.  All  the  gentlemen  rushed  out  to  receive 
him,  and  messengers  came  at  intervals  saying  that  it 
was  not  he,  but  the  Archduke  John  of  Austria.  Fresh 
rejoicings — the  first  Austrian  prince  to  visit  Prussian 
territory !  Great  and  delighted  notice  was  taken  of 
this  fact.  At  last  the  much-feted  one  (whom  I  had 
long  wished  to  see)  appeared,  conducted  by  the  King, 
who  had  gone  to  meet  him  on  the  staircase.  He 
presented  him  to  the  Empress  and  to  each  of  the 
Princesses  in  turn,  then  came  the  Princess  Liegnitz's 
turn  and  mine.  Every  one  received  some  mark  of 
civility.  He  chatted  a  long  while  with  me.  Prince 
Wilhelm  said  we  were  two  botanists  talking  together. 
Things  quieted  down  again,  and  the  King  commanded 
me  to  come  and  sit  by  him,  and  we  had  another  talk. 
He  went  into  a  corner  and  looked  at  a  bureau  which 
is  like  that  one  which  belonged  to  Queen  Luise  at 
Potsdam,  and  he  said  that  he  must  tell  me  how  he 
had  been  wondering  the  whole  way  over  whether  it 
was  still  here  or  not. 

September  5. 

I  must  be  brief  to-day.  We  have  pickles  to  make 
till  one  o'clock,  preserve  the  Reine  Claudes  and 
mirabelles,  make  marmalade,  prepare  raspberry  syrup, 
and  select  the  fruits  which  are  to  be  dried.  Four 
little  souls  are  sitting  by  me  whom  I  have  to  super- 
intend. I  have  notes  from  Stonsdorf,  Ruhberg,  and 
Arnsdorf  to  answer,  to  make  arrangements  for  the 
nursing  of  a  Fischbach  woman  who  has  sought  help 
from  us,  and  finally,  to  dispense  the  monthly  pro- 
visions for  the  Infirmary,  and  to  write  to  Dorette  and 
you.  ...  In  the  afternoon  Princess  Marie,  Fraulein 
von  Obstfelder,  Princess  Wanda,  and  Leontine  [Radzi- 
will],  come  with  their  husbands. 

September  6. 

All  the  Princesses  left  on  Monday.  The  day  before 
all  the  Princes  left  Fischbach.  The  King  and  Princess 
Liegnitz  left  about  one  o'clock,  he  having  given  a 


i83S]  THE  CROWN  PRINCE  AT  BUCHWALD  205 

dejeuner  in  honour  of  her  birthday.  The  Crown 
Prince  returned  at  two,  changed  his  things,  and  took 
a  cordial  leave  of  us,  with  the  request  that  we  would 
take  him  in  again  later  on,  and  consequently  he  left 
various  things  here.  He  made  Roder  write  to  me 
from  Liegnitz,  saying  that  he  took  that  opportunity  of 
asking  me  to  attend  to  several  matters.  I  have  been 
able  to  be  of  service  to  many  who  have  appealed  to 
me,  and  I  thank  God  for  it ! 

September  27. 

There  was  a  fishing  party  on  the  24th,  and  the 
Briihls  came.  A  courier  arrived  at  half-past  twelve 
and  found  us  on  the  lake.  Count  Groben  announced 
the  Crown  Prince  for  breakfast  the  next  morning. 
He  will  probably  sleep  at  Schmiedeberg  and  have 
supper  at  Ruhberg.  .  .  .  The  dear  guest  arrived  at 
five  o'clock,  more  cordial  and  engaging  than  ever. 
We  dressed,  and  had  coffee  in  the  Mariannensitz  with 
our  dear  old  Flottkuchen,  whom  he  had  known  as  a 
boy,  and  we  had  a  confidential  talk.  .  .  .  Breakfast 
at  half-past  seven  and  a  long  walk  till  ten.  The 
Prince  was  both  charming  and  natural.  I  managed 

to  recommend  B and  to  do  a  service  to  R6seln, 

the  artist,  speaking  a  good  word  for  others  to  the 
right  man,  and  not  a  single  one  for  myself,  thank 
God! 

The  Prince  asked  me  if  I  thought  him  really  less 
hasty,  and  begged  me  to  pray  that  he  might  become 
what  I  wished  him  to  be.  He  touched  and  delighted 
me,  and  we  parted  as  ever  the  best  of  friends.  He 
so  much  enjoys  the  quiet  and  absence  of  ceremony 
here,  that  he  had  to  tear  himself  away. 

October  12. 

We  had  a  call  from  President  Rother  on  Saturday. 
He  is  and  will  be,  to  my  mind,  an  important  man. 
We  gathered  up  the  threads  where  we  nad  dropped 
them,  and  thoroughly  discussed  the  subject  of  flax 
and  spinning. 

At  twelve  o'clock  post-horns  announced  a  fresh 
movement  in  the  valley,  and  presently  Count  Groben 
and  Donhoff  appeared,  and  then  the  ladies  of  the 
Court.  As  their  maids  arrived  too  late,  and  as  the 
Crown  Princess  is  always  so  gracious  and  easy-going, 
the  ladies  stayed  here,  and  we  were  nine  at  table. 


206        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1835 

WehaveLindheim,  Louis  [Massow — a  cousin],  Count 
Donhoff,  GrOben,  every  day  when  they  can  come,  and 
our  dear  President,  Count  Ferdinand  Stolberg,  and 
a  few  others  as  well,  who  find  the  evenings  at 
Fischbach  rather  dull.  The  hall  is  heated,  and  all  the 
rooms  are  warmed  and  well  lighted,  so  we  do  the 
honours  comfortably,  and  there  is  plenty  of  animated 
conversation.  .  .  . 

Sunday,  all  to  church,  including  Wanda.  To 
Fischbach  at  noon.  It  was  rather  cold,  but  endur- 
able with  spirit-stoves.  The  royalties  uncommonly 
gracious,  especially  the  King.  The  Crown  Prince  the 
same  as  ever.  I  was  very  much  thanked  for  taking 
in  the  Court,  which  consists  of  fourteen  persons, 
who  are  all  glad  to  have  fallen  to  our  care,  which 
I  can  well  understand,  considering  how  full  it  is  at 
Fischbach.  .  .  . 

One  visitor  after  another  to-day,  and  now  I  must 
change  my  dress,  for  we  are  going  to  dine  at  Ruhberg. 
The  Tsar  arrived  at  two  to-day — a  surprise  visit,  as 
usual.  He  is  off  for  St.  Petersburg  again  to- 
morrow. .  .  . 

I  was  soon  called  to  have  a  long  conversation  with 
the  King,  who,  to  my  embarrassment,  distinguishes  me 
by  a  particular  graciousness.  All  the  other  royalties 
do  the  same,  but  it  does  not  give  me  the  same  pleasure 
from  the  others,  because,  in  his  own  way,  the  King 
means  more  by  it,  for  I  am  no  longer  a  young  girl. 
The  Tzar  came  in,  majestic  and  yet  very  simple.  He 
recognised  me  directly,  and  came  and  spoke  to  me. 

November. 

I  expect  Wanda  at  one  o'clock  to-day.  Dear  Wanda ! 
she  wishes  to  keep  twelve  poor  children  in  the  forest 
hamlet  warmly  clothed  from  top  to  toe,  and  I  am 
helping  her  to  arrange  about  it.  She  is  coming  to 
cut  out  and  arrange  the  work  and  to  have  dejeuner 
here.  A  whole  basketful  of  things  are  waiting  for  her 
to  choose  from.  A  shoemaker  and  a  tailor  from  Quirl 
have  already  been  up  to  the  hamlet  to  take  measures. 

The  betrothal  of  Countess  Reden's  favourite  Princess 
Elisabeth  to  Prince  Carl  of  Hesse  Darmstadt  aroused 
her  liveliest  interest,  and  she  undertook  to  look  after 
the  making  of  the  trousseau.  A  stormy  winter  with 


1 836]  WINTER   OCCUPATIONS  207 

a  great  deal  of  snow  interrupted  the  intercourse  with 
the  neighbours,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Countess 
had  many  occupations,  and  took  up  her  botanical 
studies  once  more.  She  had  the  distribution  of  flax 
to  attend  to,  and  there  was  a  long  correspondence 
with  Prince  Wilhelm  concerning  the  reduction  of 
taxes  for  the  very  poor;  she  also  undertook  the 
negotiations  concerning  the  establishment  of  a  school 
for  cadets  which  the  town  of  Schmiedeberg  was  vainly 
trying  to  have  carried  out — all  of  which  things  were 
of  great  interest  to  her. 

January  28. 

I  have  been  writing  an  account  of  my  dear  husband's 
life,  from  extracts  sketched  from  his  correspondence 
with  Minister  von  Heynitz.  ...  It  is  a  great  pleasure, 
and  fills  me  with  admiration.  I  am  again  doing;  a 
little  botany  when  my  mornings  are  not  occupied 
with  business,  and  I  am  writing  descriptions  of  the 
exotic  plants  which  were  collected  and  dried  years 
ago,  and  which  are  not  yet  in  my  herbarium.  I  often 
cannot  help  smiling  at  seeing  myself  working  at 
Fraulein  Fritze's  favourite  employment.  Very  few 
of  these  specimens  are  not  in  my  collections,  and  I  am 
glad  to  place  these  new-comers  alongside  the  older 
ones  and  put  them  in  order. 

Prince  Wilhelm  has  given  our  old  Hasting  great 
pleasure  by  a  copy  of  Captain  Ross's  "  Travels."  Sister 
Hasting  writes  that  her  husband  was  quite  beside 
himself  with  delight  at  the  present.  They  felt  them- 
selves in  Labrador  again,  and  could  not  tear  themselves 
away  from  the  book.  .  .  . 

Every  year  brings  more  demands  upon  my  good 
will  and  time.  This  week  there  were  four  affairs 
which  had  to  be  seen  to  and  required  a  great  deal 
of  writing.  In  addition  to  these,  there  is  much  to  do 
in  connection  with  Princess  Elisabeth's  trousseau, 
which  I  do  gladly,  because  it  brings  money  to  workers 
here,  though  it  robs  me  of  many  hours. 

March  \. 

Let  me  tell  you  the  cheering  news  of  how  a  more 
Christian  life  has  been  awakened  among  the  people 


208        NEW  JOYS  AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1836 

here  during  the  last  three  weeks.  Six  weeks  ago  the 
pastor  mentioned  in  a  sermon  something  about  the 
conversion  of  the  heathen,  adding  that  those  who 
would  like  to  read  more  on  the  subject  could  do  so 
by  applying  to  him  or  to  me. 

Caroline,  for  I  was  not  at  church,  did  not  think  very 
much  of  the  sermon,  but  it  made  an  impression  all 
the  same.  The  very  next  day  several  people  applied 
to  Eisenmenger x  for  missionary  leaflets.  How  readily 
we  acceded  ! — and  now  there  are  fifty-one  readers 
instead  of  twenty-three.  Three  weeks  ago,  when  the 
pastor  was  away  preaching  at  Petersdorf,  the  choir- 
master read  a  sermon  by  Hofacker,  and  it  made  an 
incredible  impression,  and  many  of  the  people  wanted 
to  read  it  afterwards  and  some  to  copy  it  out.  This 
was  greatly  to  our  pastor's  mind,  lor  it  contained 
practical  truths  which  he  had  hardly  ventured  to 
touch  upon.  I  am  beginning  the  Passiontide  hymns, 
and  Caroline  has  given  them  to  all  the  readers  of  the 
missionary  writings,  and  I  to  all  the  people  who  come 
for  flax,  and  also  to  those  at  the  farm  and  Infirmary, 
and  to  the  garden  hands,  etc.  There  was  a  general 
rush  for  them.  The  next  morning  they  begged  for  them 
in  the  flax-room  for  their  fathers,  aunts,  and  neighbours. 
Every  hand  was  held  out.  The  people  from  the  wood 
came ;  in  a  word,  the  demand  has  lasted  until  to-day, 
when  I  gave  out  the  last  two  hundred  and  fifty.  Now 
there  remains  the  joy  of  reading  the  Easter  hymns  at 
Eastertide,  and  all  are  expectant  and  delighted  at  the 
prospect.  It  is  an  indescribable  joy,  and  I  cannot 
cease  from  thinking  of  it. 

March  30. 

Little  Anton  Luther,  in  whose  rescue  from  Bohemia 
and  from  the  hands  of  the  priests  I  was  instrumental 
six  years  ago,  made  his  Evangelical  profession  on 
Palm  Sunday  at  the  altar  of  the  church  in  which 
his  ancestor  was  ordained  priest.  As  his  father 
died  in  poverty,  Herr  Reinthaler  has  sent  for  the 
four  brothers  and  sisters  from  Bohemia  and  is  pro- 
viding for  them,  so  that  the  whole  family  will  again 
embrace  the  faith  of  their  ancestor  of  blessed  memory, 
and  be  transplanted  to  their  own  land. 

1  Countess  Reden's  cook  for  many  years. — E.  R. 


1836]    THE  CROWN  PRINCE'S  PORTRAIT        209 

The  Crown  Prince  gave  his  old  friend  a  great 
pleasure  by  the  gift  of  his  portrait  painted  by  Kruger. 
He  wrote  to  her  and  said : 

I  have  ventured,  honoured  friend,  to  have  myself 
painted  in  the  clothes  in  which  I  appeared  on  those 
dear,  never-to-be-forgotten,  blessed,  peaceful  mornings 
at  Buchwald.  I  am  in  the  shabby  coat,  and  the 
summit  of  the  Riesengebirge  Koppe  peeps  over  my 
left  shoulder.  I  am  looking  westward  towards  the 
Elbe  and  the  Rhine,  to  the  fair  districts  of  the 
German  land.  Kruger  has  not  painted  me  with  a 
cheerful  expression,  but  I  do  not  think  I  was  very 
much  of  a  farceur  at  that  time  ;  I  was  too  happy,  and 
besides,  you  like  me  better  otherwise,  and  so  do  I 
myself. 

The  Schonings  spent  several  weeks  at  Buchwald 
in  April,  and  with  them  their  daughter's  governess, 
who  thenceforward  became  one  of  the  Countess's 
devoted  friends. 

Fraulein  Teschner  describes  her  impressions  of 
Buchwald  and  of  Countess  Reden  and  her  sister 
Caroline  von  Riedesel : 

I  approached  the  lady  of  the  house  with  feelings 
such  as  I  have  never  known.  Frau  Ministerin  Grafin 
Reden  was  tall,  with  traces  of  great  beauty  in  her 
noble  face;  she  was  unaffectedly  friendly  to  those 
she  liked;  her  eyes  were  clever  and  penetrating;  her 
fine  grey  hair  surrounded  a  thoughtful  brow  beneath 
a  close  cap  ;  and  in  spite  of  her  simple  widow's  weeds, 
she  had  a  queenly  air  which  many  a  princess  might 
have  envied.  Her  sister  Freiin  Caroline  von  Rie- 
desel, who  lived  with  her,  sharing  her  housekeeping 
duties,  and  much  interested  in  the  circulation  of 
Bibles  and  various  other  noble  endeavours  of  which 
Buchwald  was  the  centre,  was,  if  not  so  remarkable 
and  less  beautiful,  an  excellent  lady,  and  the  way 
the  two  sisters  worked  together  was  a  fine  lesson 
to  every  one  who  had  the  good  fortune  to  come  near 
them.  In  a  short  time  it  seemed  to  me  as  though  I 
saw  the  ideal  of  my  life  realised  here. 


210        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1836 

We  did  not  live  at  the  Schloss,  but  about  fifty 
paces  away,  in  a  small  house  which  the  SchOning 
family  always  used  during  their  long  visits ;  the 
eldest  daughter,  indeed,  was  born  and  baptized 
here.  We  settled  down  after  a  few  days,  and  I 
begged  that  breakfast  might  be  sent  over  to  me, 
because  in  the  morning  I  liked  to  prepare  for 
teaching,  and  also  I  promised  myself  all  sorts  of 
solitary  rambles  in  this  lovely  country.  And  so  from 
six  to  nine  those  three  hours  became  a  source  of 
great  enjoyment  to  me  during  the  summer.  Thus,  I 
usually  only  saw  the  Countess  just  before  dinner, 
but  I  always  had  a  good  talk  with  her  then,  and  I 
spent  a  pleasant  time  in  her  society  at  seven-o'clock 
tea.  Evening  prayers  followed  at  nine,  and  we  broke 
up  about  eleven,  after  a  simple  supper.  The  Countess 
made  plans  in  the  morning  at  breakfast  for  her 
guests,  even  before  the  cook  came  to  see  her  about 
the  menu,  and  these  arrangements  were  always 
practical,  like  everything  else  she  planned.  She 
knew  how  to  employ  every  one,  and  could  not  bear 
to  see  any  one  idle.  The  late  Minister  (Count 
Reden),  who  did  much  for  the  mining  interest  in 
Silesia,  had  made  a  collection  of  beautiful  stones,  and 
as  the  Countess  permitted  me  to  have  the  keys  of 
the  cabinets,  I  determined  to  make  use  of  the  privi- 
lege to  add  mineralogy  to  my  plan  of  study.  We 
were  worst  off  as  regarded  music,  for  both  instru- 
ments, although  often  tuned,  would  not  sound :  the 
dear  Countess  had  lost  all  taste  for  it.1 

The  Countess  writes  in  May  : 

My  dear  Clinton  appeared  on  Easter  Monday.  He 
is  now  a  major  and  has  long  leave,  some  of  which 
he  will  spend  with  us,  and  will  meanwhile  prepare 
himself  for  a  tour  through  Austria;  he  intends  to 
travel  the  length  of  the  Danube  and  into  Servia.  As 
he  wanted  to  find  a  quiet  spot,  I  have  offered  him  the 
Birkberg,  and  have  put  the  little  house  in  order  for 
him.  He  has  been  there  since  April  30,  and  is 
perfectly  happy  and  quite  in  his  element.  He  is  orna- 
menting and  completing  plans  for  several  garden 
beds,  and  reads  and  works,  coming  to  us  once  a  day, 

1  "  Letters  of  Auguste  Teschner."    Published  by  Naumann,  Dresden. 


1836]  HENRY  CLINTON  ON  THE  BIRKBERG  211 

by  preference  in  the  morning,  when  we  are  alone. 
He  is  odd,  but  an  excellent  fellow  nevertheless,  with 
whom  I  am  alternately  angry  and  pleased,  but  I  can- 
not help  loving  him  heartily. 

May  1 8. 

Fraulein  Teschner,  who  is  competent  to  advise 
Elisabeth  about  material  for  church  needlework, 
drove  to  town  with  her  for  the  things  I  require. 
I  am  presenting  some  to  the  Roman  Catholic  church, 
and  as  patroness  I  ought  not  to  grudge  giving  the 
help  it  needs  so  badly.  The  work  will  be  handsome 
and  not  ruinously  dear.  The  foundation  is  some  of 
my  dear  mother's  work,  and  it  will  thus  be  of  use. 

June  3. 

We  have  had  very  little  fine  weather,  rain  every 
day,  and  cold,  snow,  sleet.  Everything  is  backward, 
and  most  of  the  fruit  is  gone.  The  corn  lies  quite 
on  the  ground ;  the  clover  is  not  growing  at  all,  and 
there  is  a  great  lack  of  fodder.  This  seems  almost 
like  a  murmur,  yet  no  one  is  farther  from  doing  that 
than  I  am.  I  feel  confident  that  all  is  well,  whatever 
happens  ;  but  one  hears  so  much  grumbling  that  one 
has  to  consider  the  needs  of  the  people,  and  relieve 
them  as  far  as  possible,  and  thus  the  weather  and 
the  crops  have  become  the  chief  topics  of  conversa- 
tion. But  I  hope  there  will  be  a  change  for  the 
better  in  the  weather,  and  it  has  improved  somewhat 
to-day. 

June  17. 

I  am  in  a  continual  state  of  astonishment,  and  can 
scarcely  believe  in  the  sudden  change,  and  in  the 
way  things  have  recovered,  after  all  the  snow,  rain, 
and  cold  weather.  Ernestine  and  Marie  Stolberg 
were  surprised  yesterday  at  the  abundance  of  grow- 
ing things,  at  the  fresh  green,  the  scent  of  lilies, 
jasmine,  and  night  violets  which  are  all  blooming 
splendidly.  They  spent  the  day  with  us — the  morning 
in  the  Infirmary  garden,  dinner  in  the  salon,  and 
then  a  leisurely  walk,  resting  now  and  again,  to  the 
Meadow  House,  where  we  all  established  ourselves 
and  had  tea,  followed  by  a  most  delightful  row  on 
the  large  pond.  They  left  at  seven.  I  am  over- 
whelmed again  with  business  letters,  etc.,  and  I  am 


212        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1836 

not  having  much  assistance.  I  am  dictating  the  Bible 
Society  reports  to  Elisabeth,  and  the  accounts  to 
Clinton,  as  he  is  very  accurate ;  the  manual  part  of 
the  journal  to  Franzel,  but  he  does  it  very  inefficiently. 

July  i.     In  the  Nursery  Garden. 

My  three  nephews,  Carl  SchOning,  Ferdinand  and 
August  Carolath,  are  busily  writing  at  the  large 
table  before  me.  Elisabeth  is  copying  church  re- 
gisters for  the  pastor,  and  I  am  dictating  to  my  new 
pepin,  and  will  try  to  write  myself  at  the  same  time. 

Countess  Reden  writes  : 

I  drove  to  see  Clinton  on  Monday  afternoon  and 
had  tea  with  him,  which  he  made  capitally.  The 
mother  of  the  four  Luthers  arrived  here ;  all  her 
children  are  in  the  Martin  Institution,  and  as  she  is 
very  poor,  she  has  followed  them.  A  nephew  accom- 
panied her,  and  she  went  first  to  Hermannsseiffen, 
and  has  come  on  here  with  the  pastor  from  that  place, 
exhausted  and  without  a  penny.  It  was  a  case  where 
good  advice  was  needed,  so  I  took  them  to  Kretscham 
first,  spoke  plainly  to  them,  provided  her  with  three 
letters  of  introduction,  and  as  much  money,  which  I 
collected,  as  she  would  require  for  her  journey. 

To  MARLINE 

KOCHELFALL,  June    17,   4.30   P.M. 

I  am  sitting  on  a  rock  just  opposite  the  falls,  where 
the  path  is  the  prettiest  I  know,  and  this  kitchen  in 
the  rocks  most  romantic.  We  warmed  our  cups  of 
bouillon  and  oatmeal  there,  and  our  stewed  meat 
and  excellent  potatoes  maitre  d'hotel.  We  all  helped, 
and  cheers  were  given  for  the  head  cooks,  Reden  and 
Teschner.  Now  every  one  has  gone  on  expeditions 
among  the  rocks,  and  I  am  writing  to  my  dearest 
child,  and  wishing  I  had  her  with  me  to  enjoy  it  all. 
Some  of  the  party  are  sketching  and  doing  fancy 
work,  Prause  is  asleep,  Carl  is  climbing  over  the 
rocks,  and  every  one  is  pleased  and  satisfied.  The 
people  who  pass  by  do  not  disturb  us. 

ANNEN-CAPELLE,  July  22. 
In  sight  of  the  Kynast *  and  the  Warmbrunn  Valley 

1  The  Kynast  is  the  ruins  of  a  castle  on  the  mountains. —  M.  B.-L. 


1836]  SUMMER  EXPEDITIONS  213 

— a  most  successful  expedition,  and  every  one  is 
pleased.  The  weather  is  very  beautiful,  though  rather 
windy.  We  drove  off  at  half-past  two,  a  party  of 
twelve,  having  dined  at  one  o'clock.  We  got  here  at 
half-past  four,  and  the  young  folks  left  us  to  climb 
the  GrObelstein,  while  I  waited  for  them  with  bilberry 
tarts.  Then  we  all  sought  places  to  sketch,  write, 
work,  and  read.  I  have  overturned  my  ink-bottle, 
hence  the  smudge.  The  little  girls  were  fortunately 
able  to  get  the  ink  stains  out  with  the  currants  they 
had  brought.  .  .  . 

BUCHWALD,    August    l"J. 

We  dined  in  the  salon,  and  Herr  von  Stein  had  tea 
with  us  at  the  farm.  I  drove  him  between  dinner 
and  tea  along  the  new  road  to  the  Ameisenberg.  Our 
dear  old  friend  has  a  charming  new  property  about 
a  stone's  throw  from  the  Birkberg.  My  delight  at  it 
enchanted  him.  He  is  to  us  the  same  good  friend  as 
ever,  but  his  manner  is  very  cold  to  strangers. 

Countess  Reden's  sister  Frau  von  Bernstorff,  with 
two  daughters,  a  granddaughter,  and  her  son-in-law 
Herr  von  Brandenstein,  paid  a  visit  to  Buchwald  this 
summer.  The  Countess  had  not  had  a  visit  from  her 
sister  since  the  sad  July  of  1815,  and  naturally  felt 
deeply  moved  when  her  sister  arrived. 

The  sisters  welcomed  their  brother  and  brothers- 
in-law  on  September  i,  and  thus  all  the  family  were 
together  again  for  the  first  time  in  twenty-eight 
years.  We  find,  in  addition  to  these  guests,  Professor 
Steffen,  Count  Haugwitz,  Professor  Olshausen,  and 
Samuel  Reichel  from  Quebec.  Meanwhile  the  tor- 
mentor Clinton  was  still  on  the  Birkberg,  and  was 
not  pleased  by  the  numerous  visitors,  who  absorbed 
too  much  of  his  friend's  time,  and  she  had  to  suffer, 
in  consequence,  from  his  bad  temper. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

The  dear  Prince  and  Princess  Wilhelm  announced 
themselves  for  this  evening,  and  she  said  in  her  own 


2i4        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1836 

charming  way,  that  though  she  knew  that  she  could  not 
fill  the  blank  made  by  your  absence,  she  felt  that  they 
must  come  and  share  our  solitude.  They  came  a 
party  of  five,  and  we  had  a  most  sociable  and  agree- 
able evening.  A  bat  made  a  diversion,  and  the 
stories  of  thieves,  which  every  one  told — some  thefts 
at  Fischbach  having  set  them  going — were  listened 
to  with  breathless  interest.  We  dined  at  Ruhberg 
on  Saturday,  and  stayed  a  long  time,  we  five  ladies 
alone  in  earnest  conversation.  Wanda  gave  me 
another  commission  for  the  benefit  of  the  forest 
hamlet. 

October  25. 

I  drove  to  the  forest  hamlet  on  Wanda's  business 
and  found  the  bearers  waiting,  as  well  as  the  shoe- 
maker and  tailoress,  and  we  began  our  little  journey 
in  beautiful  mild  weather.  I  enjoyed  myself  very 
much,  and  alighted  at  my  old  friend  Frau  Wolffs 
door  and  sent  for  the  deputy  of  the  village,  and  was 
soon  surrounded  by  at  least  thirty  poor  people,  all 
mothers,  with  half  or  wholly  naked  children.  I  began 
a  close  investigation  of  their  needs,  sitting  before 
the  hut  in  my  chaise  a  porteur,  from  half-past  one  till 
half-past  three,  verifying  and  registering,  and  it  was 
hard  work  to  get  at  the  truth  :  tricks  of  all  kinds  were 
tried.  I  had  twenty-two  children  measured  for  shoes 
and  clothes.  We  ate  our  warmed-up  ragout  with 
potatoes  which  Anna  had  put  up,  providing  food 
for  the  bearers  also,  and  men  we  started  on  our 
return  journey  amid  expressions  of  gratitude  for 
Wanda,  for  whom  they  pray  every  day  in  the  school. 
It  took  us  seventy-five  minutes  to  go  up  and  fifty-two 
to  come  down.  The  chaise  was  waiting,  and  we  were 
at  home  by  five  o'clock. 

Fischbach  and  Ruhberg  were  empty  by  October, 
and  it  was  the  last  parting  from  the  beloved  Princess 
Luise  Radziwill,  who  died  on  the  i3th  of  the  following 
December.  Writing  about  this  loss,  the  Countess 
says : 

Her  going  home  struck  us  like  a  bolt  from  a  clear 
sky.  Ah  !  the  widespread  sorrow  there  will  be  for  the 
loss  of  this  woman,  so  rarely  endowed  in  mind  and 


1836]     DEATH  OF  PRINCESS  RADZIWILL       215 

heart.  To  her  children  and  friends  and  to  the  poor  it 
is  indeed  irreparable.  I  feel  it  deeply.  She  loved 
and  spoilt  me  and  confided  in  me  far  beyond  my 
deservings.  It  was  a  real  mother's  love  which  she 
lavished  upon  me,  and  her  last  work  was  for  me. 
Dear  Ruhberg !  what  is  it  now? 

She  is  to  be  brought  and  laid  in  the  Annen-Capelle, 
until  the  vault  at  Antonin  is  ready,  and  Prince 
Wilhelm  Radziwill  has  begged  me  to  undertake  all 
the  arrangements,  and  a  very  sad  duty  it  is. 

December  16. 

Dear  Princess  Radziwill's  house-steward  came  on 
Wednesday.  He  had  been  in  her  service  for  thirty- 
five  years.  The  family  referred  him  to  me  for 
instructions  as  to  arrangements,  and  there  was  much 
to  be  settled.  My  head  and  heart  are  full  of  funeral 
coaches,  dresses,  scaffoldings,  etc.  Henly's  horses 
are  to  draw  the  hearse,  and  my  cream-coloured  ones 
will  take  the  sons.  The  body  is  to  be  brought  down 
and  placed  on  a  platform  in  the  hall  at  Ruhberg,  and 
there  is  to  be  a  guard  of  burghers  in  front  of  the 
house.  The  funeral  is  to  be  on  Monday,  and  the 
King  has  commanded  that  it  is  to  be  conducted  as 
befits  a  royal  princess.  If  Prince  Wilhelm  Radziwill 
approves,  the  body  will  be  blessed  once  more  by  the 
Evangelical  pastor,  and  the  school  children  with 
the  cross  and  a  band  will  walk  in  front.  The  Roman 
Catholic  priest  will  meet  the  procession  at  the  chapel, 
and  the  service  will  be  a  very  simple  one. 

December  17. 

Much  sending  to  and  fro  between  Ruhberg  and 
this  place.  Yesterday  evening  at  eight  o'clock  the 
dear  body  arrived,  and  is  placed  where  she  stood 
when  she  took  her  last  leave  of  us,  full  of  life  and 
love. 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

BUCHWALD,  December  18,  between  12  and  I  o'clock. 

I  am  alone  at  home.  Every  one  has  gone  to 
Ruhberg  and  to  the  Annen-Capelle,  and  I,  whose 
heart  is,  perhaps,  the  most  entirely  there,  am  sitting 
alone  in  my  little  room,  lost  in  thought  over  this 
home-going,  and  my  heart  turned  to  God,  Who  only 


216     NEW   JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS    [1836-37 

can  comfort,  help,  and  strengthen.  By  this  time  the 
dear  body  will  have  been  blessed.  Siegert  says  the 
prayer,  at  Princess  Wanda's  desire,  and  then  the  slow 
drive  to  the  chapel  follows.  On  leaving  Ober- 
Schmiedeberg  the  school  children  will  sing  her  two 
favourite  hymns,  "  Seele  was  ermiid'st  du  dich  "  and 
"Jesus  meine  Zuversicht,"  and  the  dear  remains  will 
be  placed  in  their  temporary  resting-place. 

I  know  your  Royal  Highness  has  been  thinking 
of  me  in  this  heavy  loss,  as  I  have  been  thinking  of 
you.  How  fond  the  dear  lady  was  of  you  !  and  how 
she  spoilt  me,  what  confidence  she  bestowed  on  me, 
and  in  what  a  motherly  way  she  treated  me !  Hers 
was  a  rare  heart,  full  of  love  and  real  self-forget- 
fulness.  It  is  a  fair  inheritance  she  leaves  to  her 
children,  and  I  hope  it  will  bear  rich  fruit  for  eternity. 

Princess  Wanda  bears  herself,  as  good  Prince 
Boguslav  said  to  me  yesterday,  like  an  angel,  and 
it  is  just  what  one  would  expect  of  her ;  trials  of 
all  kinds  have  ripened  her  early,  and  she  exhibits, 
as  but  few  can,  a  truly  active  Christianity.  We  are 
very  thankful  that  she  is  to  be  our  neighbour,  and 
we  shall  cherish  and  care  for  her  in  the  name  of 
her  beloved  mother. 

Clinton  was  at  Buchwald  for  the  winter,  as  well 
as  many  other  guests.  The  Countess  writes : 

January  2. 

Theophilus  and  Kalckreuth  have  been  here,  one 
a  fortnight,  the  other  a  week.  They  have  gone  on 
improving,  each  in  his  own  way.  The  former  is  a 
particularly  sterling  character.  He  conducted  evening 
prayer  here  for  the  first  time  on  the  3oth,  to  the  edifi- 
cation of  the  whole  house.  It  was  clear,  simple,  and 
full  of  earnest,  childlike  love  to  God.  It  reminded  me 
strongly  of  his  excellent  father's  words,  when,  as  a 
six-year-old  child,  he  fell  asleep  at  our  evening 

Erayers,  and  I  thought  it  would  perhaps    be    better 
Dr  him  not  to  be  present.     "  Ah  !  my  dear  Countess, 
we   pray  over  him  now,  but   I  think  the  time  will 
come  when   he  will   fold   his   hands   and  pray  over 
us."     And   now   the  time  is   here,   and   the   father's 
hopes  and  prayers  for  both  sons  have  been  answered. 
We  are  reading  Ranke's  "  History  of  the   Popes," 


1 837]     THE  CHOLERA  AT  SCHMIEDEBERG    217 

and  in  the  evenings,  "  Die  Verlobten  "  ("  I  Promessi 
Sposi "),  by  Manzoni,  for  the  sake  of  both  Caroline 
and  Clinton.  She  is  devoted  to  it,  and  Clinton  has 
never  read  it.  It  is  indeed  a  splendid  work,  and 
Goethe's  admiration  was  well  founded. 

There  seems  to  have  been  much  and  varied  reading 
during  the  winter  and  spring,  perhaps  on  Clinton's 
account.  The  quiet,  regular  life  may  have  done  him 
good,  filled,  as  it  was,  with  intellectual  pursuits,  for 
he  does  not  appear  to  have  tormented  the  Countess 
as  much  as  usual.  He  returned  to  the  Birkberg  in 
the  spring,  and  remained  there  until  he  left  the  valley 
in  July.  There  were  so  many  guests  throughout  the 
summer  at  Buchwald  that  it  really  was  wonderful 
how  Countess  Reden  managed  to  keep  steadily  at 
work  with  her  usual  duties.  She  never  permitted 
herself  to  be  distracted  by  interruptions  in  the  daily 
routine  of  duty.  There  were  fixed  days  for  receiving 
the  deposits  for  the  savings  bank,  which  was  under 
her  charge ;  she  superintended  the  housekeeping — 
indeed,  actively  participated  in  it — visited  the  sick, 
and  directed  the  work  in  the  garden  with  punctilious 
regularity. 

We  find  Herr  von  Stein,  of  Breslau,  among  the 
yearly  guests,  Frau  von  Richthofen,  with  her 
daughters,  Frau  von  Natzmer,  wife  of  the  General, 
and  many  others.  Countess  Carmer,  the  intimate, 
old  friend  of  the  two  sisters,  was  often  there,  and 
they  saw  a  great  deal  of  Frau  Glaupitz,  the  widow 
of  the  late  Pastor  of  Hirschberg.  Mr.  Pinkerton,  the 
agent  of  the  London  Bible  Society,  was  at  Buchwald 
again  this  summer,  and  Kuntze,  a  pastor  from  Berlin. 

Cases  of  cholera  occurred  at  Schmiedeberg  in 
August,  causing  the  Countess  much  anxiety.  The 
two  sisters,  with  Fritz  von  Kalckreuth  and  Carl 


2i8        NEW  JOYS   AND   CONSOLATIONS     [1837 

Carolath,  went  to  Kreppelhof  on  August  17,  having 
many  matters  of  importance  to  discuss  with  the 
friends  there.  Countess  Reden  had  given  orders 
for  a  general  house-cleaning  to  be  done  in  her 
absence.  All  the  windows  had  been  thrown  wide 
open,  the  floors  and  staircases  were  wet,  and  the 
furniture  was  standing  about,  when,  to  the  astonish- 
ment of  the  servants,  up  drove  two  travelling-car- 
riages, with  the  guests  who  were  not  yet  expected. 
The  Countess  writes : 

We  started  at  half-past  four,  and  Carl  soon  com- 
plained of  a  bad  headache,  which  got  worse,  and  he 
was  sick  several  times.  The  pain  increased,  his  face 
became  perfectly  cold,  and  a  cold  sweat  broke  out. 
Oh  the  anxiety  and  misery ! — but  what  was  to  be 
done  but  to  drive  on  and  trust  in  God  ?  Shortly 
before  we  reached  Schmiedeberg  he  felt  better;  but 
I  begged  the  doctor  to  return  with  us.  Thus  we 
got  home,  I  in  unceasing  prayer. 

And  whom  should  we  find  there  but  my  brother 
and  all  his  family.  Oh  the  delight,  but  also  the  fright 
lest  they  should  get  ill !  I  placed  them  on  the  Saviour's 
faithful  breast,  and  may  He,  in  His  mercy,  preserve 
them ! 

August  1 8. — Early  this  morning  my  dear  ones  were 
comfortably  settled  in  their  rooms,  and  the  sight  of 
them  filled  my  heart  with  prayerful  gratitude. 

But  the  cholera  spread,  and  Baron  von  Riedesel's 
anxiety  became  so  great  that  preparations  were  made 
for  a  hasty  departure,  and  the  guests  left  on  the  22nd. 
The  Countess  despatched  the  necessary  business, 
placed  the  convalescent  Carl  in  his  father's  charge, 
and  with  Caroline  followed  her  guests  to  Jankendorf, 
where  they  all  stayed  for  a  fortnight.  Clinton  joined 
them  there  for  a  few  days  on  his  return  from  Poland. 

The  sisters  were  at  home  again  in  September. 

Countess  Reden  writes : 


1837]        THE  RETURN  TO  BUCHWALD  219 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

GARDEN  HOUSE,  September  12. 

Here  your  old  friend  is  sitting  and  thinking  that 
she  must  have  been  dreaming.  Your  arrival,  the 
journey,  the  twelve  days  together,  the  five  more  at 
Jankendorf,  the  rapid  journey  back,  is  it  all  a  reality? 
And  yet  there  is  such  a  pleasant,  happy  feeling  left 
in  my  heart  that  proves  it  must  have  been  more 
than  a  dream.  The  end  is  ever,  "  Thanks  be  to  God 
and  my  dear  brother  !  " 

There  has  not  been,  thank  God !  another  death, 
and  what  is  more,  no  fresh  case  for  four  days,  neither 
here  nor  in  town. 


CHAPTER    V 

NEW   TASKS 
1837—1840 

"AN  overflowing  measure."  This  is  constantly 
./~\.  repeated  in  Countess  Reden's  letters  and 
journals,  whenever  a  day  was  particularly  full,  and 
there  was  a  pressure  either  of  business,  or  an 
extra  number  of  guests.  "An  overflowing  measure." 
This  is  what  one  is  inclined  to  write  about  her  life 
at  this  period.  But  a  new  task  was  already  waiting 
for  her,  and  a  great  one,  which  she  took  up  and 
carried  through,  looking  unto  the  Lord. 

From  the  time  of  the  Reformation  there  had  re- 
mained in  the  Roman  Catholic  Tyrol,  in  the  Zillerthal, 
seeds  of  Evangelicalism,  which,  although  apparently 
suppressed,  still  continued  to  germinate,  being  nour- 
ished by  Bibles  and  old  books  of  religious  instruction. 
Those  who  held  Evangelical  views  remained  out- 
wardly in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  but  they 
kept  their  books  and  taught  themselves  in  silence, 
until  in  the  twentieth  year  of  the  nineteenth  century 
some  men,  urged  by  conscience,  declared  before  the 
clergy  how  it  was  with  them,  and  begged  permission 
to  acknowledge  themselves  as  belonging  to  the  Evan- 
gelical faith.  No  persecution  fell  on  them,  as  would 
have  been  the  case  in  earlier  times ;  but  still,  many 
difficulties  were  placed  in  their  way,  and  those  who 
declared  themselves  to  be  Evangelicals  were,  in  fact, 


1837]        THE  ZILLERTHAL  EMIGRANTS         221 

without  any  Church  means  of  grace,  they  could  not 
be  married,  nor  receive  Christian  burial.  Their 
position  became  more  and  more  unbearable ;  a 
deputation  was  sent  to  the  Emperor  Franz,  but 
without  result. 

Thus  thoughts  of  emigrating  to  an  Evangelical 
country  arose,  and  eyes  were  directed  towards 
Prussia,  where,  one  hundred  years  previously,  the 
neighbouring  Evangelicals  of  Salzburg  had  found  a 
reception.  Johann  Fleidl  was  sent  as  an  ambassador 
to  Berlin  in  May,  1837,  obtained  an  audience  of  King 
Friedrich  Wilhelm  III.,  and  laid  a  petition  before 
him  which  set  forth  the  needs  of  the  Evangelical 
people  of  the  Zillerthal,  in  Tyrol.  He  did  the  same 
by  word  of  mouth,  and  begged  the  King  to  receive 
them  in  Prussian  territory.  The  King  had  sent  his 
head  Court  chaplain,  Strauss,  to  Vienna  to  inquire 
carefully  into  the  whole  matter,  as  soon  as  he  heard 
of  the  intentions  of  these  Tyrolese.  And  Strauss 
also  went  to  the  Zillerthal  to  investigate  the  question, 
and  was  thus  enabled  to  return  with  a  favourable 
report  to  the  King. 

Thereupon  Jacobi,  a  Privy  Councillor,  was  sent 
to  Tyrol  in  order  to  explain  to  the  applicants  what 
their  rights  and  duties  as  Prussian  subjects  would 
be,  and  particularly  the  law  requiring  all  male  sub- 
jects within  certain  ages  to  bear  arms  and  to  serve 
as  soldiers.  They  were  satisfied  with  the  offers 
which  were  made  to  them,  for  above  all  things  they 
desired  religious  freedom,  and  Evangelical  instruction 
and  church  services.  Their  houses  and  plots  of  land 
were  soon  sold,  and  after  many  bitter  partings  with 
those  who  were  left  behind,  the  first  contingent  of 
emigrants  began  the  journey  into  a  foreign  land.  It 
was  decided  that  they  should  be  settled  in  Silesia, 


222  NEW   TASKS  [1837 

and  indeed  the  Riesengebirge  appeared  particularly 
well  adapted  for  becoming  a  new  home  for  these 
mountaineers.  First  of  all,  a  shelter  for  the  winter 
had  to  be  found  for  the  sixty  families  and  seventy- 
seven  single  members  of  the  community,  their  main- 
tenance provided  for ;  and  then  the  question  of  their 
settling  had  to  be  considered,  and  the  work  begun. 
The  President  of  the  Province  of  Silesia,  Herr  von 
Merkel,  was  communicated  with,  and  a  lawyer  to 
manage  the  affairs  of  the  immigrants  was  found  in 
Berlin.  The  so-called  "  Immediat-Kommission,"  con- 
sisting of  the  Court  chaplain,  Dr.  Strauss,  Privy 
Councillor  Jacobi,  and  the  Minister  Count  Lottum, 
was  formed.  More  closely  connected  with  the  im- 
migrants was  the  "  Committee  for  the  Zillerthal 
Applicants,"  established  on  the  spot.  This  consisted 
of  the  district  magistrate,  Count  Matuschki,  a  Roman 
Catholic,  the  Burgomaster  of  Schmiedeberg,  Captain 
Flugel,  and  Countess  Reden  as  president. 


To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

August  12. 

The  Landrath  and  his  family  dined  here,  but  had 
to  leave  us  at  half-past  six,  for  a  gendarme  rode  over 
with  a  letter  from  Count  von  Merkel,  which  fell  like 
a  bombshell.  He  brought  one  for  me  too,  and  what 
was  it  about  ?  The  affairs  of  the  Zillerthal  people 
(of  whom  you  have  heard  so  much),  who  have  been 
compelled  to  leave  their  native  land,  to  seek  a  home 
where  they  would  enjoy  religious  freedom,  and  for 
this  they  have  given  up  everything.  They  addressed 
themselves  to  the  King,  and  he,  like  his  great  an- 
cestor, has  received  these  oppressed  people  into  his 
states.  There  are  altogether  four  hundred  and  five 
of  them. 

They  are  obliged  to  emigrate  on  September  i, 
and  the  dear  King  intends  to  have  them  settle  at 
Erdmannsdorf,  let  them  have  land,  where  they  can 


1837]  THE   KING'S   SYMPATHY  223 

build,  and  will  have  them  admitted  into  our 
Church. 

But  where  are  they  to  be  sheltered  this  winter  ? 
That  is  the  great  question.  The  King  has  the  matter 
much  at  heart,  and  is  giving  it  his  earnest  con- 
sideration. 

Merkel  had  to  go  to  Berlin  at  once,  the  pros  and 
cons  were  discussed,  and  he  has  been  sent  here  with 
instructions  to  consult  me.  The  good  man  has  told 
me  this,  and  desires  an  interview  to-morrow.  The 
most  flattering  words  in  the  official  order  are : 
"  Shelter  for  the  winter  in  Schmiedeberg,  and  if  there 
is  not  sufficient  room  there,  the  residents  at  Buch- 
wald,  Fischbach,  and  Erdmannsdorf,  will  be  able  to 
provide  something  for  the  people."  This  I  will  gladly 
do,  so  far  as  my  small  ability  enables  me. 

The  Landrath  then  drove  straight  to  Schmiede- 
berg with  our  horses,  and  returned  after  nine  o'clock, 
and  will  remain  with  us  for  the  night,  to  be  here 
for  the  conference  to-morrow,  which  may  God  bless  ! 
I  am  to  arrange  with  the  Burgomaster  about  the 
supply  of  food,  and  so  on.  I  am  ready  to  do  all  I 
can,  if  God  wills  it.  He  will  bless  the  work. 

August  13,  6  d clock. 

I  am  going  to  the  conference ;  may  the  Lord  put 
the  words  into  my  mouth,  so  that  I  may  only  speak 
according  to  His  will.  I  think  old  Kommerzienrath 
Gebauer  can  do  a  good  deal  for  the  people  with 
his  large  empty  rooms,  and  he  can  easily  be  bribed 
with  the  promise  of  the  Red  Eagle  of  the  third 
class.  He  has  the  fourth  class  already. 

What  experiences  this  valley  has  had !  High  and 
low  come  to  it.  The  well-known  honesty  of  the 
Zillerthal  people,  the  simple,  old-fashioned  garb  which 
they  still  wear,  may  have  a  beneficial  influence  upon 
our  country  people  who  are  trying  town  fashions. 
The  Zillerthal  people  are  chiefly  agriculturists,  and 
would  be  better  off  in  Upper  Silesia,  which  has  richer 
land  and  fewer  people ;  but  the  King,  it  seems,  wishes 
to  transplant  them  from  mountains  to  mountains. 

Evening. 

The  President  (of  the  Province)  arrived  at  ten 
o'clock.  I  expressed  my  opinion,  and  to  the  point, 
and  begged  that  the  care  of  their  souls  and  their 


224  NEW   TASKS  [1837 

schools  might  be  given  over  to  me  with  the  entire 
providing  of  their  food.  A  committee  is  to  be  formed, 
of  which  I  am  to  be  chairman. 

The  Countess  attended  a  few  committee  meetings, 
then  left  with  her  sisters  for  Jankendorf,  to  be  at  a 
distance  from  the  cholera,  which  had  again  appeared. 
While  at  Jankendorf  she  received  the  following  official 
order  from  the  King,  Friedrich  Wilhelm  III  : 

BERLIN,  August  17,  1837. 

I  presume  that  it  has  already  been  announced  to 
you  that  the  Evangelical  inhabitants  of  the  Zillerthal 
in  Tyrol  have  received  an  order  from  their  Govern- 
ment to  emigrate,  on  account  of  their  religion,  and 
I  have  decided  to  permit  them  to  enter  this  country. 
Schmiedeberg  and  its  environs  have  been  chosen  as  a 
provisional  residence  for  them,  and  the  Oberprasident 
von  Merkel  is  now  occupied  in  making  arrangements 
for  their  reception.  He  will  avail  himself  of  your 
advice  in  this  matter,  and  having  long  been  ac- 
quainted with  your  noble  sentiments,  I  am  convinced 
that  you  will  willingly  receive  these  new-comers  who 
have  been  oppressed  for  conscience'  sake,  and  will 
be  inclined  to  assist  in  a  work  which  appeals  in  like 
measure  to  both  feeling  and  piety.  Let  me  recom- 
mend this  matter  to  your  best  consideration,  and 
you  may  count  upon  the  recognition  of  my  gratitude. 
(Signed)  FRIEDRICH  WILHELM. 

BUCHWALD,  September  12,  1837. 

The  Burgomaster  and  the  treasurer  came  from 
Schmiedeberg  at  five  o'clock,  and  we  had  a  conference 
until  eight,  discussing  everything  which  must  be  done. 
The  people  left  Zillerthal  on  the  23rd,  and  will  arrive 
next  week.  Two  Zillerthal  deputies  came  with  the 
Burgomaster,  men  who  have  been  at  Breslau,  magnifi- 
cent fellows  wearing  their  own  peculiar  dress, 
Herculean  figures,  lions  in  faith  but  lambs  in  humility. 
No,  you  cannot  imagine  how  they  express  themselves  ; 
it  made  one  glad  and  ashamed  at  the  same  time.  They 
confided  their  wishes  to  me  concerning  the  religious 
teaching  and  instruction  in  their  schools,  for  both  ques- 
tions lie  near  their  hearts,  of  course,  and  they  addressed 


1837]  ZILLERTHAL   AFFAIRS  225 

me  as  mother.  I  could  fill  folios  with  the  things  that 
flowed  so  simply  from  their  lips.  They  are  going  to- 
morrow to  meet  the  travellers  from  Zillerthal.  Fleidl 
has  been  to  Berlin  and  comes  one  day  before  the 
others  arrive,  when  the  question  of  board  and  lodg- 
ing will  be  definitely  settled  with  him.  The  town  of 
Schmiedeberg  intend  to  undertake  this  for  the  first 
week.  I  wrote  to  Merkel  in  their  presence,  and 
begged  for  instructions  as  soon  as  possible,  as  it  is 
difficult  to  act  without  them  in  such  an  important 
matter.  The  Landrath  is  away. 

September  17. 

Couriers  and  messengers  are  being  despatched 
hither  and  thither,  and  no  two  hours  pass  without  some 
inquiry  comes  which  demands  an  answer.  .  .  .  Caroline 
has  told  you  about  the  committee-meeting  in  my  sick- 
room, and  of  the  interview  with  Pastor  Siissenbach 
at  Schmiedeberg  in  the  morning.  It  was  a  complete 
success  as  to  a  pastor,  and  my  opinion  concerning  his 
reception.  It  is  fortunate  that  ne  wished  me  to  put 
in  a  word  about  his  desire  to  be  transferred  to 
Trebnitz,  and  this  I  have  done. 

On  Thursday  Pastor  Siegert  for  a  discussion  as 
to  what  Prince  Wilhelm  may  be  able  to  do.  I  will 
speak  to  him  in  good  time,  but  there  must  not  be  any 
interference,  or  confusion  will  be  the  result.  Caroline 
has  written  about  Gebauer,  of  course,  and  what  he 
is  willing  to  do,  and  also  about  my  bad  letter  of  eight 
pages  to  the  King,  written,  I  really  believe,  in  the 
height  of  fever,  but  all  the  more  forcible  on  that 
account.  I  own  that  I  am  very  curious  to  know  how 
he  will  take  it,  but  it  was  well  meant,  and  this  he 
may  perhaps  recognise. 

September  19. 

The  Burgomaster  was  here  for  some  hours  yester- 
day, reckoning  up  provisions,  straw  for  paillasses, 
meal,  and  potatoes.  The  famous  samples  of  bread 
have  turned  out  splendidly.  Everything  depends 
on  how  much  will  be  required,  and  bread  is  always 
the  chief  thing  to  be  provided,  and  must  be  sound 
and  good.  Walter,  wnom  I  sent  to  Gebauer,  has 
come  back  quite  enchanted  with  his  arrangements, 
and  says  that  they  must  have  cost  him  enormously, 
and  he  keeps  on  saying,  "  Old  Gebauer  is  not  so  bad 

15 


226  NEW   TASKS  [1837 

after  all ;  the  Frau  Ministerin  alone  has  been  able  to 
find  this  out,  as  I  have  proved  to  her." 

If  the  people  are  travelling  to-day,  they  will  have 
bad  weather,  for  it  is  raining  "cats  and  dogs,"  and 
is  very  stormy.  They  will  come  in  detachments,  most 
probably. 

The  Evangelical  people  from  the  Zillerthal  arrived 
at  Schmiedeberg  unexpectedly,  but  the  Burgomaster 
arranged  with  great  care  and  kindness  for  their 
shelter.  The  Countess  was  delighted  with  the  fine 
build  of  the  men,  and  with  their  old-fashioned  national 
dress,  and  still  more  with  the  humility,  courage,  and 
devotion  which  had  made  them  forsake  hearth,  home, 
relations,  and  country  for  the  one  thing  needful. 


To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

September  25. 

.  .  .  The  day  before  yesterday  the  second  detach- 
ment of  two  hundred  and  thirty  men  arrived  at  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  in  torrents  of  rain.  To-day 
and  to-morrow  a  third  detachment  is  to  follow,  and 
in  four  weeks  the  last  and  smallest  one  will  arrive. 
Wilhelm  Stolbergand  his  wife  made  us  a  surprise  visit 
early  Wednesday  morning.  I  told  them  that  they 
must  have  an  early  dinner  with  me  at  twelve  o'clock, 
as  I  had  to  be  at  the  Town  Hall  by  two  o'clock  to 
arrange  about  the  housing  of  the  Tyrolese.  This 
suited  them  perfectly,  and  we  had  a  lively  conver- 
sation over  our  respective  experiences.  Fritzchen 
and  Wilhelm  Glaser  also  had  dinner  here.  Kolbe 
has  been  lying  ill  with  inflammation  of  the  liver  for 
six  or  seven  days,  so  Wilhelm  had  to  exercise  his 
talents  at  helping  Hermann  wait  at  table.  I  took 
them  both  and  also  the  pepins  to  town  with  me. 
All  the  gentlemen  and  the  leading  men  among  the 
Tyrolese  received  me  at  the  Town  Hall.  It  is  very 
handsome  upstairs.  The  people  were  standing  about 
the  large  hall,  and  the  householders  who  were  going 
to  take  them  in.  They  had  heard  that  I  was  the 
"  Mother,"  and  they  all  held  out  their  hands  to  me. 
Many  have  beautiful  expressions,  but  the  costume 


1 837]      MEETING   IN   THE   TOWN    HALL         227 

of  the  women  is  ugly,  by  reason  of  the  bodice,  which 
only  comes  under  the  arms,  and  the  fustian  petticoat ; 
but  the  plaits  of  hair  and  the  little  hats  look  well. 
One  family,  in  particular,  and  a  girl  attracted  me 
very  much,  and  I  may  take  Elisabeth  into  my  service 
to  help  Kriegel. 

The  doors  of  the  committee-room  were  opened 
where  the  gentlemen  were  seated  on  a  platform 
behind  a  railing,  where  I  also  was  expected  to  sit. 
But  I  preferred  moving  about  talking  to  the  people, 
and  attending  to  the  business.  By  five  o'clock  every 
one  was  provided  with  shelter,  and  we  drove  home, 
where,  half  an  hour  later,  Herr  von  Stein  arrived. 

Thursday  rained  as  usual,  and  the  Tyrolese  came 
and  went.  They  all  begged  for  school  and  instruction. 
Life  will  be  put  into  the  first  soon  enough,  for  I  am 
expecting  a  teacher  from  Bunzlau  in  a  few  days, 
thank  God !  and  I  am  providing  books,  tables,  etc., 
meanwhile.  This  part  of  the  affair  I  asked  Prince 
Wilhelm  to  order,  and  he  is  earning  a  blessing  by 
what  he  is  doing. 

We  had  a  committee  meeting  on  Friday  from  three 
to  six,  and  a  great  deal  was  settled,  food  being  the 
chief  thing.  We  shall  require  forty  bushels  of  rye 
a  week  at  the  very  least,  and  we  don't  know  yet 
how  it  will  be  provided,  so  a  wise  consideration  of 
ways  and  means  is  necessary.  The  only  thing 
wanting  is  orders  in  black  and  white  from  head- 
quarters, and  so  far  the  only  communication  which 
we  have  received  is  that  "  we  agree  and  are  perfectly 
satisfied,"  in  reply  to  our  first  report  concerning  our 
arrangements. 

September  26. 

Fleidl  dined  with  us  on  Sunday — a  most  dear  man, 
sincere,  brave,  and  yet  gentle.  His  cousin,  a  man  of 
athletic  figure,  was  also  here.  His  conversation,  his 
ingenuousness,  touched  me  deeply.  He  himself  drew 
up  the  letter  to  the  King,  and  Minister  Altenstein 
had  it  written  out  in  fair  copy.  As  Herr  von  Stein 
very  justly  observed,  how  charming  is  the  speech 
of  a  man  who  is  clearly  aware  of  what  he  wants,  has 
grasped  the  subject,  and  is  able  to  express  it  without 
any  adornment  or  digression ;  and  he  is  quite  right. 
I  am  expecting  Fleidl  to-day  to  discuss  the  school 


228  NEW   TASKS  [1837 

question,  for  there  are  some  old  people  who  also 
desire  to  learn  to  read  and  write.  I  can't  tell  you 
how  many  absurdities  are  said  about  the  people,  and 
their  arrival,  etc.  Individuals  are  pleased,  but  as  a 
whole  body  they  seem  de  trop.  But  this  will  all  pass 
away  when  once  they  are  settled  and  at  work. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

September  29. 

Yesterday  was  another  Zillerthal  day,  and  several 
of  the  Tyrolese  came  in  the  morning  on  business. 
Koland  came  at  ten  from  Kommerzienrath  Gebauer, 
who  will  require  to  be  handled  very  gingerly,  if  he 
is  to  go  on  with  all  that  I  wish  him  to  do. 

Evening. 

It  has  been  a  very  full  day,  and  I  am  exceedingly 
tired.  To  the  Church  festival  in  church  at  nine.  The 
decorations  were  very  gay,  but  the  most  beautiful 
decoration  was  the  hundred  and  fifty  Zillerthalers, 
men  and  women,  who  all  got  on  with  our  people 
in  a  very  friendly  way.  As  I  looked  at  these  clevout, 
quiet  folk,  these  strange  figures,  full  of  faith  in  our 
Church,  I  could  not  refrain  from  tears.  Our  pastor 
was  also  much  touched.  Then  Geissler  brought  a 
dear  old  man  to  me,  who  had  left  wife  and  eight 
children,  and  is  greatly  shaken,  though  he  does  not 
regret  the  step  he  has  taken,  and  prays  that  God  will 
send  them  after  him  with  changed  hearts.  The  priest 
would  not  let  them  come — there  is  an  experience  ! 

September  30. 

As  the  third  detachment  is  not  yet  here,  the 
processional  service  will  not  take  place  to-day.  The 
conference  lasted  till  two  o'clock.  There  was  so 
much  to  discuss  and  report.  Fleidl,  the  director  of 
the  new  community,  came,  and  I  was  busy  making 
calculations  and  consulting  with  him  till  eight.  He 
is  a  real  thinker  and  a  noble  man. 

Countess  Reden  received  another  official  order 
from  the  King. 

BERLIN,  September  30. 

I  am  very  much  obliged  for  the  information  which 
you  have  communicated  to  me  in  your  letter  of  the 


1837]  THE   KING'S   LETTER  229 

i4th,  respecting  the  Zillerthal  business.  The  zeal 
with  which  you  have  received  the  immigrants  con- 
firmed me  in  my  confidence  in  your  understanding 
and  courage,  both  of  which  qualities  are  necessary 
to  bring  about  a  satisfactory  result.  It  needs  a 
combination  of  strength  and  will  to  realise  the 
possibility  of  providing  for  all  these  people,  and  I 
am  in  no  way  oblivious  of  the  service  you  have 
rendered  in  stirring  up  others  to  further  my  views, 
and  I  shall  make  a  point,  after  the  affair  is  concluded, 
of  an  acknowledgment  to  Kommerzienrath  Gebauer 
and  others  who  have  shown  themselves  most  energetic 
in  the  matter. 

That  which  you  tell  me  respecting  a  year's  religious 
instruction  to  be  given  to  the  new-comers  has  neces- 
sitated my  consulting  Ober  Consistorialrath  Strauss 
on  the  subject.  The  plans  made  are  the  result  of  his 
views,  and  as  I  must  declare  myself  in  full  agreement 
with  what  he  says,  you  may  regard  his  opinion  touch- 
ing this  matter  as  exactly  my  own.  In  the  matter  of 
your  request  respecting  Pastor  Siissenbach  at  Schmie- 
deberg,  that  the  vacant  living  at  Trebnitz  be  offered 
to  him,  I  have  asked  for  information  from  the  Minister 
of  Church  Affairs,  and  unless  there  be  any  serious 
hindrance  to  it,  I  will  willingly  accede  to  your  wish. 
(Signed)  FRIEDRICH  WILHELM. 

In  his  own  hand  the  King  wrote  below  : 

To  further  everything  that  is  well-pleasing  to  God 
in  every  way,  with  all  your  power,  has  always  been 
the  aim  of  your  noble  endeavours.  This  you  have 
proved  again  in  an  affair  of  a  highly  delicate  and 
peculiar  nature,  and  one  in  which  I  am  keenly 
interested.  Rest  assured,  dear  Countess,  of  how 
thankfully  I  shall  acknowledge  your  having  so  fully 
justified  my  confidence  in  you,  and  in  your  having 
understood  how  to  fulfil  my  expectations  with  such 
great  circumspection.  God  will  reward  you  for  it ! 

FRIEDRICH  WILHELM. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

BUCHWALD,  October  5,  1837. 

Some  cases  of  cholera  broke  out  again  quite  un- 
expectedly on  the  ist  at  Schmiedeberg,  and  two 


230  NEW   TASKS  [1837 

people  there  and  two  belonging  to  the  Zillerthal 
colony  fell  ill  with  it,  to  my  distress,  on  Saturday  and 
Sunday.  What  a  comfort  it  is  for  me  that  1  can 
safely  rely  on  Weigel  to  attend  them  properly.  He  is 
Prince  Wilhelm's  physician.  He  has  cured  nearly  all 
the  choleraic  cases  among  children,  but  a  boy  and  an 
old  man  have  died.  A  young  woman  of  thirty-six 
voluntarily  shut  herself  in  the  hospital  to  nurse  the 
old  man,  and  Pastor  Siissenbach  writes  me  of  the 
impression  she  made  on  the  hospital  attendants  by 
her  devotion  and  her  prayers,  kneeling  by  the  man's 
bed  and  comforting  him.  He  died  peacefully.  .  •  .  You 
can  imagine  what  a  consolation  it  is  to  these  good 

Eeople  to  have  their  relations  receive  a  Christian 
unal,  and  with  the  blessing  of  the  Church.  An  old 
woman  of  eighty-four  has  died  of  old  age,  so  three 
among  the  Zillerthalers  are  at  rest.  They  themselves 
say,  "  We  have  to  fight  against  four  hard  things  :  the 
parting  from  our  friends  and  country,  the  different 
air,  water,  and  food."  This  last  is  so  far  settled  that 
each  household  cooks  for  itself,  the  provisions  being 
given  them  at  fixed  prices,  and  meat  for  the  most  part 
omitted.  Many  small  families  without  children  main- 
tain themselves  in  food.  They  receive  two  pounds 
of  bread  per  man,  a  woman  a  pound  and  a  half,  and 
a  child  one  pound.  The  bread  is  excellent,  and  is 
baked  expressly  for  them.  For  want  of  definite  in- 
structions we  are  giving  the  money  at  our  own  risk, 
at  the  rate  of  three  silver  groschens  for  one  person, 
five  for  two  persons,  and  so  on  up  to  ten  persons,  who 
get  thirteen  silver  groschens.  They  can  manage  on 
this,  but  what  sums ! — every  day  twenty-four  thalers 
and  seventeen  silver  groschens,  without  including  the 
bread !  However,  if  their  property,  which  is  now 
deposited  at  the  Town  Hall,  and  amounts  to  over 
200,000  guldens,  is  received  for  purchase  and  building, 
it  must  come  up  to  what  my  calculations  indicate. 
Still,  the  whole  thing  for  a  year,  with  rents,  firing, 
and  many  other  things  of  the  kind,  would  come  to 
between  17,000  and  18,000  thalers  for  the  King  to  pay. 
But  then  it  is  on  such  a  large  scale,  so  thoroughly 
done.  The  money  remains  in  Schmiedeberg,  and 
they  are  no  burden,  but  a  benefit  to  the  town. 

Merkel  refers  me  to  their  own  earnings,  and  does 
not  consider  that,  however  much  we  should  like  to  do 


1837]  THE   SERVICE   IN   CHURCH  231 

so,  we  cannot  allow  them  these,  without  diminishing 
our  overflow  to  our  own  people,  impoverishing  them 
and  rousing  enmity.  Now  all  this  remains  for  me 
to  put  in  writing,  and  to  represent,  so  that  I  seem 
to  myself  to  be  nothing  but  a  daring,  impertinent 
writing-machine. 

The  hardest  and  most  important  thing  is  the 
question  of  religious  teaching,  and  Strauss  himself 
spoils  this  by  his  ignorance  and  erroneous  views, 
rendering  everything  difficult  for  me;  and  yet  my 
opinion  as  to  the  high  importance  and  pressing  need 
for  a  religious  minister  for  them,  and  of  the  necessity  of 
solid  instruction  for  the  whole  community,  before  they 
come  over  to  our  Church,  is  confirmed  daily.  Strauss, 
although  he  has  been  in  the  Zillerthal,  does  not  know 
that  only  seven  out  of  the  whole  number,  and  these 
after  a  year's  instruction,  came  over  to  the  Church  in 
Bozen;  and  these  agree  with  me  concerning  instruction 
before  becoming  Church  members,  unless  the  greater 
number  are  to  become  Christians  with  the  lips  only. 
I  know  and  feel  full  well  in  all  humility  wherefore  the 
Lord  has  put  it  into  the  King's  heart  to  choose  me. 
I  will  fight  to  the  last  for  His  cause,  and  will  do  so 
honestly,  come  of  it  what  may.  The  King's  words 
in  his  own  handwriting  encouraged  and  touched  me, 
and  his  "  God  reward  you  "  did  me  such  good,  for  the 
favour  of  man  cannot  help  me  at  all. 

October   13. 

We  dined  at  one  o'clock  with  the  pastor,  and  were 
at  Schmiedeberg  at  half-past  two,  having  driven  over 
in  two  carriages,  Wanda  coming  with  us.  There 
was  a  great  crowd  of  people  in  church,  all  Ziller- 
thalers.  Three  verses  of  the  hymn  "  Wenn  Christus 
seine  Kirche  schutzt  "  were  sung,  accompanied  by  the 
band.  During  the  last  verse  we  entered  the  beautiful 
church.  The  lower  part  was  entirely  taken  up  by  the 
small  farmers  ;  the  committee  and  our  party  sat  in  the 
magistrate's  seat  higher  up.  The  second  hymn  was 
"  Auf  meinen  lieben  Gott,"  which  Friedrich  Wilhelm  I. 
himself  sang  at  the  entrance  of  the  Salzburg  emigrants 
into  Potsdam.  Then  there  was  a  very  good  discourse 
and  address  to  the  Tyrolese,  who  were  as  quiet  as 
mice  and  were  much  touched.  We  concluded  with 
"  Nun  danket  alle  Gott."  Our  people  were  drawn  up 


232  NEW   TASKS  [1837 

in  front  of  the  church,  and  greeted  me  with  "  Muetter, 
Muetter,  God  reward  you  ! — God  bless  you  !  "  Truly 
one  is  not  worthy  of  receiving  such  tender  proofs 
of  their  gratitude. 

A  conference  with  the  Landrath  and  Burgomaster 
from  six  till  nine  o'clock.  I  was  touched  by  what  the 
former  said  as  to  his  impressions  of  the  people.  He 
expressed  himself  like  a  true  Nathanael.  Several 
Zillerthalers  came  on  Monday,  for  whom  I  provided 
work,  basket-making  and  spinning.  Three  agri- 
cultural labourers  came  in  the  afternoon  and  paced 
out  with  Ferdinand  the  amount  of  a  day's  work,  as 
reckoned  in  the  Zillerthal ;  four  horses  with  a  broad 
plough  can  plough  one  of  these  in  a  day.  Tuesday, 
the  distribution  of  Bibles  to  the  Zillerthalers  at  the 
Town  Hall,  after  a  fine  address  by  Siegert ;  Caroline 
handed  them  to  Wanda,  who  opened  and  read  out 
the  names  and  presented  them.  You  cannot  imagine 
the  expression,  feeling,  and  gratitude  with  which  they 
received  the  treasure  of  life,  of  which  they  have  been 
robbed  so  often  and  been  forbidden  to  read,  and  for 
which  they  have  forsaken  all  things.  It  was  a 
precious  moment.  We  were  on  the  platform  where 
the  magistrate  attends  to  his  business,  a  barrier  in 
front  of  it,  and  before  us  the  crowd  of  Zillerthalers. 
Then  I  showed  my  companions  the  school-house, 
which  is  nearing  completion. 

On  Wednesday  church  was  again  filled  with 
Zillerthalers — one  hundred  and  fifty,  all  most  devout. 
President  Merkel  suddenly  made  his  appearance  at 
twelve  o'clock,  and  stayed  till  two  in  continuous 
conversation  about  the  cause  entrusted  to  us,  and  a 
good  deal  was  settled.  Siegert  also  called.  Several 
young  men  came  upon  business  and  to  fetch  Bibles 
which  were  still  wanted.  The  whole  committee  met 
yesterday,  including  the  President,  and  we  sat  from 
eleven  till  two.  A  comprehensive  protocol,  important 
matters  discussed  and  settled  as  to  the  disposal  of  the 
money.  Hard  work  at  affairs  of  state.  Then  we  had 
a  large  dinner  party  en  fioqui  with  silver  plate;  the 
President l  could  not  be  beggarly. 

Our  good  schoolmaster  went  into  his  house  on 
Wednesday,  and  yesterday  the  children  began  their 
attendance  at  school,  when  he  arranged  them  in 

1  Countess  Reden,  President  of  the  Committee. — M.  B.L. 


1837]     THE  SCHOOL  FOR  THE  TYROLESE     233 

classes.  There  was  a  really  touching  and  beautiful 
inauguration  to-day.  Seventy-four  such  sweet,  clever 
children  sat  at  their  new  tables,  while  the  fathers  and 
mothers,  lads  and  lasses,  were  down  in  the  hall  in 
their  best  attire.  We  laid  books,  multiplication- 
tables,  copy-books,  pens,  Testaments,  catecnisms,  on 
the  tables,  and  I  had  had  the  doors  decorated  with 
garlands  of  flowers.  Wanda  came  too,  and  the  pastor, 
as  well  as  Haupt  and  Siegert  in  their  gowns  ;  the 
committee  were  also  present,  and  the  President  and 
several  people  from  Schmiedeberg.  Sussenbach 
made  a  fine  speech,  introduced  the  master,  dedicated 
the  house,  mentioned  the  King  with  gratitude,  and 
Prince  Wilhelm's  kindness  in  arranging  about  the 
school.  The  Oberprasident  made  three  more  speeches, 
and  ended  with  "  Long  live  the  King !  "  I  left  it  to  the 
committee  to  ask  Pastor  Siegert,  and  the  Fischbach 
bailiff  to  convey  our  thanks  to  the  Prince,  and  to  go  to 
Herr  Gebauer  for  the  same  purpose.  I  shall  never  for- 
get their  words  to  me.  They  all  three  seized  my  hand, 
looked  up  to  heaven,  and  said,  "  He  will  reward  you, 
Muetter  :  we  cannot."  I  brought  Hartmann,  the  school- 
master, and  our  pastor  back  to  dinner.  Wanda  was 
(quite  enthusiastic,  and  faithfully  assisted  me  in  carry- 
ing out  my  pet  project  of  giving  each  child  a  roll  and 
a  little  book. 

October  16. 

All  the  windows  of  the  sky  are  opened  to-day,  and 
we  are  flooded,  so  that  neither  can  the  sowing  be 
finished  nor  the  potatoes  dug  up.  .  .  .  The  flax  is 
rotting,  and  the  sowing  is  not  to  be  thought  of.  I 
have  already  sold  five  cows,  and  shall  get  rid  of 
some  more. 

October  20. 

The  Zillerthalers'  school  was  to  have  been  opened 
on  Monday,  and  the  master  was  here  the  evening 
before  in  reference  to  it.  The  next  day  at  nine 
o'clock  he  announced  that  cholera  had  broken  out 
in  his  house.  .  .  . 

October  24. 

When  our  people  catch  sight  of  me,  they  stop  the 
carriage  with,  "  Muetter,  God  bless  you  !  "  We  round 
thirty-two  girls  and  women  at  the  school  to-day, 
some  of  them  very  pretty.  They  were  beginning 


234  NEW   TASKS  [1837 

the   first    rudiments    of   writing,   and    laughed    and 
giggled  a  great  deal. 

The  Fischbach  neighbours  had  come  towards  the 
end  of  October,  intending  to  stay  about  two  months, 
and  the  Buchwald  ladies  enjoyed  frequent  intercourse 
with  them.  The  royal  couple  shared  their  interest 
in  the  Zillerthal  immigrants,  and  gave  practical  proof 
of  it  in  every  way.  Messengers  went  between 
Fischbach  and  Buchwald  every  day,  and  the  little 
notes — half  sheets  of  paper  folded  into  the  shape  that 
were  called  "  hams "  in  those  days  when  gummed 
envelopes  and  correspondence  cards  were  unknown- 
give  an  insight  into  the  inner  relations  of  the  two 
ladies.  Here  are  some  extracts : 

BUCHWALD,  October  26. 

At  length  we  are  to  have  the  great  delight  of 
having  your  Royal  Highness  in  our  neighbourhood 
again.  The  nosegay 1  will  carry  my  warmest 
welcome  to  you.  I  have  a  great  deal  to  tell 
you.  I  have  been  called  to  an  important  work- 
may  God  give  me  the  wisdom,  power,  and  perse- 
verance which  it  demands,  and  which  I  so  fail 
in  now.  I  can  hardly  wait  until  I  have  made  you 
acquainted  with  the  dear  people,  and  have  taken  you 
to  the  school,  and  begged  your  advice.  I  have  so 
often  needed  it  all  this  time. 

October  29. 

My  Zillerthal  committee  returned  from  Fischbach 
very  much  delighted  with  their  reception.  They  are 
well-taught  men  for  the  most  part.  Heim  has  a  rare 
knowledge  of  the  Bible,  Fleidl  has  a  real  gift  in 
speaking,  and  J.  Stock  has  a  heart  full  of  the  milk 
of  human  kindness.  I  am  learning  every  day  from 
these  simple  expositors  of  the  Scriptures. 

October  3 1 . 

My  school  is  the  rage — high  and  low,  old  and  young, 
attend  it  daily.  Fancy,  there  are  some  old  women  who 

1  Emphangs  Richel — the  Silesian  term  for  a  bouquet  of  flowers, 
when  sent  as  an  expression  of  welcome  to  anew  arrival. — E.  R. 


1837]  THE   COURT   CHAPLAIN  235 

have  learnt  to  read  in  six  weeks ;  and  among  the  men, 
two  are  distinguished  by  having  mathematical  heads ; 
while  the  second  class  of  children,  who  have  been 
examined  in  Schmidt's  "  Bible  History,"  have  been 
taught  it  in  the  form  of  a  narrative,  and  have  made 
the  best  answers. 

On  Wednesday  I  had  my  full  measure,  but  much 
pleasure. 

President  Stolberg  came  on  Thursday  to  get  in- 
formation about  our  cause.  .  .  .  Early  on  Friday  a 
sweet  note  from  Princess  Wilhelm,  who  had  arrived 
the  evening  before. 

A  Herr  Gotz  has  offered  me  Rohrbach,  between 
Fischbach  and  Jannowitz,  for  the  Zillerthal  people, 
and  after  much  consideration,  it  seems  to  me  it  would 
be  the  best  place,  for  it  is  thoroughly  supplied  with 
wood,  meadows,  and  sufficient  fields,  and  it  has  many 
advantages.  Then  there  is  the  remoteness  from  the 
high  road,  and  the  retirement  from  the  bustle  of  the 
world.  But  we  must  hear  all  about  it,  consider,  and 
quietly  wait.  We  are  busy  now  upon  the  work  of 
tne  past  year,  which  is  to  be  sent  to  Berlin. 

The  committee  assembled  at  eleven  o'clock.  The 
President  went  with  the  Burgomaster  to  the  school, 
where  the  children  stared  at  him  with  delight.  I  gave 
four  of  the  best-clothed  and  foremost  people  among 
the  Tyrolese  a  note  to  Princess  Wilhelm,  for  it  was 
proper  that  they  should  thank  the  Prince  for  the 
many  benefits  they  have  received.  .  .  . 

/  Saturday,  November  4. 

A  full  day  in  every  respect.  I  had  a  kind  reply 
from  the  King  in  answer  to  my  letter,  in  which  he 
announced  that  the  Court  chaplain  Strauss  will 
shortly  take  counsel  with  me  in  reference  to  the 
school,  the  religious  instruction,  etc.  An  hour  later 
I  heard  that  he  had  arrived  at  Fischbach,  and  wishing 
to  see  me,  he  followed  me  to  Ruhberg.  He  is  a 
highly  gifted  man,  and  has  great  powers,  and  is 
agreeable  as  well,  but  I  should  not  care  to  have  him 
for  my  spiritual  guide.  Simon  Kroll  called  later  on, 
and  how  much  more  he  appeals  to  me  with  his  beauti- 
ful, simple  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  !  He  shares 
Koland's  opinion  as  to  a  Christian  leading  an  in- 
dustrious life,  and  has  therefore  engaged  to  work 


236  NEW   TASKS  [1837 

for  a  soapboiler,  and  is  also  helping  the  school- 
master. 

Strauss  and  his  son  and  the  Henlys  dined  with  us 
on  Sunday,  and  the  first  named  was  uncommonly  enter- 
taining and  interesting  Our  conference  lasted  from 
four  till  six.  Incredible  graciousness  from  the  King.  I 
pointed  out  the  erroneous  measures,  with  all  the  force 
I  could,  which  they  had  determined  on  respecting 
the  religious  instruction  of  the  dear  people.  They 
have  judged  the  matter  quite  wrongly  in  Berlin.  For 
political  reasons  it  is  much  desired  that  they  should 
attend  Holy  Communion  soon.  I  will  take  care  that 
only  those  go  of  whose  state  of  mind  I  am  convinced. 
Strauss  said  many  excellent  things,  but  missed  what 
is  best,  and  forgets,  in  thinking  of  the  King  of  Prussia, 
the  King  of  kings,  Who  will  call  us  to  account  if 
we  mar  this  work. 

The  Court  chaplain  was  present  on  Monday  at 
the  instruction  of  the  older  people  in  the  sacristy, 
and  he  spoke  to  them  himself  very  powerfully,  as 
he  did  also  on  Tuesday  at  my  request.  .  .  .  The  hall 
was  crowded,  and  the  dear  people  were  quiet  and 
reverent.  Siegert's  teaching  was  sound,  and  the 
answers,  though  not  quick,  were  all  correct. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

BUCHWALD,  November  7. 

I  wish  so  much  to  get  the  dear  people  settled  in 
soon,  and  am  hurrying  on  the  various  proposals  to 
send  them  to  the  King,  but  as  they  have  to  be  so 
carefully  expressed,  it  is  a  tremendous  undertaking. 
And  there  is  another  bit  of  work,  the  calculation  of 
their  money,  land,  and  implements,  how  much  ready 
money  each  one  possesses — this  I  especially  hold  to— 
and  then  the  economic  plans  for  their  maintenance. 
The  "Immediat-Kommissipn"  requires  all  this,  and  does 
not  reckon  how  much  time  it  takes  to  do  practical 
business  with  these  people.  We  get  a  good  deal 
of  nonsense  from  Berlin  and  Breslau  on  these 
subjects.  The  winter  will  certainly  be  over  before 
a  decision  is  arrived  at,  and  the  whole  time  is  full 
enough  without  it.  The  school  is  a  little  piece 
of  perfection,  upon  which  I  may  somewhat  con- 
gratulate myself.  Wednesday,  after  church,  is  to  be 


1837]        THE   RELIGIOUS   INSTITUTION          237 

the  great  reception  of  the  Tyrolese,  and  there  will 
be  a  large  attendance. 

Countess  Reden  was  particularly  engaged  in  con- 
sidering the  question  of  the  admission  of  the  Zillerthal 
people  to  the  Holy  Communion,  and  with  it  the 
entrance  into  the  Evangelical  Church.  She  thought 
that  they  should  have  a  course  of  thorough  instruction 
first,  already  begun  by  Pastor  Siegert  of  Fischbach 
and  Pastor  Silssenbach  of  Schmiedeberg.  But  the 
Court  chaplain,  Strauss,  came  with  the  King's  author- 
isation to  admit  them  directly  into  the  Church.  The 
great  celebration  of  the  Communion  at  Schmiedeberg 
on  the  1 2th  was  very  much  against  her  views.  All 
the  grown-up  people  among  the  new  colonists  partici- 
pated. She  writes  of  the  matter : 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

November  12. 

On  Wednesday  the  gth  there  was  a  two  hours' 
interview  with  the  Court  chaplain.  His  views  are 
not  mine  at  all,  and  his  haste  to  admit  the  dear 
Tyrolese  to  the  Communion  without  special  pre- 
paration, and  only  in  order  to  send  a  long  list  to  the 
King,  seems  to  me  a  great  responsibility. 

The  Fischbach  royalties,  the  Henlys,  and  the 
Czartoryskis  all  came  at  seven  to  hear  Feldner's 
address.  He  made  a  great  impression,  particularly 
upon  the  Tyrolese,  with  whom  the  royalties  talked 
afterwards  till  half-past  ten. 

Friday  was  a  comparatively  quiet  day,  though  we 
had  the  Bible  Society  meeting,  and  a  party  of  twelve 
to  dinner.  The  Ruhberg  family  spent  a  quiet  evening 
with  us. 

I  had  intended  to  have  driven  over  to  Schmiedeberg 
yesterday,  because  Prince  Wilhelm  and  his  family 
were  to  be  there.  I  should  only  have  gone  as 
President  of  the  Committee,  for  I  do  not  as  a 
Christian  approve  of  this  particular  occasion  for 
that  service.  But  I  was  seized  with  an  attack  of 
cholerine  about  six  o'clock,  but  I  felt  much  better 


238  NEW   TASKS  [1837 

after  I  had  taken  some  camomile  tea,  so  I  insisted 
upon  Caroline  going.  .  .  .  The  Court  chaplain  and 
his  son  called  between  one  and  two  o'clock.  We 
touched  very  lightly  upon  the  subject  of  difference,  and 
he,  as  usual,  said  many  flattering  things  to  me.  After 
giving  his  ready  consent  to  my  giving  Spangenberg's 
"  The  Celebration  of  the  Holy  Communion  "  to  all  the 
communicants,  he  took  a  tender  farewell.  I  am  giving 
the  book  to  ease  my  mind,  so  that  they  may  get 
fuller  teaching  from  it,  and  which  some  ol  them  may 
still  need.  The  Lord  forgive  him  if  he  has  made 
a  mistake  in  the  matter.  Siegert  called  on  Friday, 
and  is  almost  entirely  of  my  mind. 

November  14. 

Yesterday  was  again  a  Zillerthal  day  in  optima 
forma.  Members  of  the  men's  committee  came  at 
ten  o'clock,  and  I  first  read  the  Crown  Prince's  charm- 
ing letter  to  them,  and  then  let  them  have  it.  We 
had  a  consultation  on  various  subjects,  and  commis- 
sions were  given  to  several  people,  each  according 
to  his  individual  ability,  for  the  work  of  the  school, 
such  as  making  spinning  wheels,  coverlets,  shirts, 
bread,  preparing  flax,  etc.  They  received  a  really 
fatherly  letter  from  the  Burgomaster  yesterday  even- 
ing in  reference  to  nine  points  in  which  they  had 
infringed  police  regulations,  either  through  ignorance 
or  thoughtlessness,  and  they  were  very  grateful  and 
impressed  by  what  he  wrote.  .  .  .  The  committee 
was  at  twelve  and  lasted  till  dinner  time — in  fact,  till 
it  was  time  for  me  to  dress  to  drive  to  Ruhberg. 
Erdmannsdorf  with  a  farm  stands  foremost  so  far  as 
all  calculations  go  regarding  land  and  money,  and 
there  are  some  others  in  view.  The  details  fill 
fifteen  sheets,  and  it  is  to  be  despatched  to  Berlin 
with  sketches  to-morrow,  and  then  all  will  depend 
upon  the  final  decision  of  the  higher  authorities. 

November  18. 

.  .  .  Ah !  I  knew  only  too  well  what  sort  of  results 
the  hastily  administered  Communion,  without  suffi- 
ciently long  probation  and  due  instruction,  would 
have,  especially  on  the  men,  many  of  whom  are  so 
little  in  earnest.  Sixty  or  seventy,  dear  Princess, 
might  go  every  day  with  real  understanding  and 
proper  feeling,  and  more  also,  in  time ;  but  not  all 


1837]         THE   ARCHBISHOP   OF   KOLN  239 

who  are  over  twenty-five  years  of  age,  not  one 
hundred  and  seventy-one  at  once.  What  have  years 
to  do  with  it  ? 

Siegert  felt  this,  but  Siissenbach  did  not  recognise 
his  responsibilities  enough. 

November  21. 

After  the  short  spell  of  sunshine,  storm  and  rain 
followed,  during  which  your  Royal  Highness  drove 
through  Buchwald  to  the  Bible  class,  whither  I  would 
also  gladly  have  gone,  had  not  our  good  Schafgotsches 
been  so  kind  as  to  stay  until  eight  o'clock.  It  was 
a  pleasure  to  me,  however,  for  we  agreed  in  many 
things  concerning  the  Tyrolese,  and  I  believe  they 
left  with  altered  ideas  as  to  the  state  of  our  hearts. 
So  it  should  always  be  when  Christians  of  any  con- 
fession have  sincere  and  honest  objects  in  view. 
They  must  draw  nearer  to  one  another,  for  our 
Saviour  has  the  first  place  with  such  people. 

The  following  letters  to  her  sister-in-law  testify 
to  the  variety  of  interests  which  Countess  Reden  had 

at  that  time. 

November  26. 

How  much  we  are  all  taken  up  by  the  affair  of 
the  Archbishop  of  Koln ! l  The  Staatszeitung  gives 
the  minutest  and  most  detailed  account  of  it.  His 
removal  to  Minden  the  very  day  of  his  deposition 
is  a  strong  measure,  and  the  consequences  are 
likely  to  be  far-reaching.  Anton  Stolberg  had  to  go 
to  him  in  the  greatest  haste,  but  to  no  purpose,  for 
he  will  be  a  martyr  to  his  own  self-will,  and  against 

1  The  law  of  Prussia  regarding  marriages  between  Roman  Catholics 
and  Protestants  is,  that  all  children  of  such  marriages  shall  be  brought 
up  in  their  father's  faith.  On  the  elevation  of  Archbishop  Clemens 
Droste  zu  Vichering  in  1836  to  the  See  of  Koln,  he  forbade  the  priests 
of  his  diocese  to  perform  the  marriage  service  between  Roman  Catholics 
and  Protestants  unless  the  contracting  parties  promised  beforehand  that 
their  children  should  be  brought  up  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 
The  Prussian  Government  interfered  without  success.  The  Arch- 
bishop was  arrested  and  confined  in  the  fortress  of  Minden.  When 
Friedrich  Wilhelm  IV.  ascended  the  throne  in  1840,  the  Archbishop 
was  released,  but  obliged  to  renounce  his  See,  as  he  still  adhered  to 
his  demand  regarding  these  mixed  marriages. — M.  B.-L. 


240  NEW   TASKS  [1837 

the  opinion  of  his  whole  chapter.  Now  everything 
depends  on  the  Pope's  decision,  and  how  he  will  take 
the  affair. 

I  have  ordered  the  little  book  about  the  Salzburg 
emigrants.  My  own  copy  is  a  present  from  the  author, 
who  never  could  have  dreamt  six  years  ago,  when 
he  gave  it  to  me,  of  the  interest  it  would  possess  for 
me.  Twenty-one  Zillerthalers  have  announced  their 
intention  to  emigrate  to  Steyermark  and  Carathinia, 
because  they  can  earn  more  there.  They  believe 
that  everything  has  been  made  right  for  them,  and 
that  they  are  now  quite  free  and  unfettered — all  the 
result  of  the  too-hasty  reception  of  them  into  the 
church.  Pages  could  be  filled  with  this  subject. 

BUCHWALD,  December  2. 

I  had  a  good  deal  to  negotiate  with  President 
Stolberg  when  he  came,  particularly  concerning  the 
poverty,  as  we  fear  a  hard  winter  for  the  poor,  and 
I  am  making  all  the  preparations  I  can  for  it.  My 
advice  was  to  remit  the  taxes  for  the  poorest,  as  it 
would  have  the  greatest  effect  outwardly  in  quieting 
them,  and  that  money  for  bread  should  be  given  to 
the  householders,  who  would  exercise  control  over 
it  and  spend  it.  I  was  able  in  1831  to  provide  for 
the  poorest  for  four  months,  by  means  of  the  King's 
present,  so  that  each  one  received  a  two-groschen 
loaf  according  to  contract  weight,  the  King  giving 
one  silver  groschen,  and  the  poor  person  the  other. 
Unfortunately,  however,  most  of  the  householders 
are  too  lazy,  and  leave  the  expenditure  in  the  hands 
of  the  parish  council,  who  fina  it  easier  to  distribute 
the  money  at  once,  so  that  no  one  is  really  assisted. 

To-day  was  particularly  quiet,  and  I  devoted  it 
entirely  to  Buchwald  affairs,  and  worked  with  the 
bailiff,  attended  to  the  monthly  payments,  etc. 

December  5. 

A  long  interview  with  Fleidl  yesterday,  chiefly 
about  introducing  the  use  of  handkerchiefs,  or 
Schneuztuchern,  as  they  are  called,  and  of  which  there 
is  a  great  lack,  the  flap  of  the  coat,  alas !  often  being 
used  instead.  Want  of  cleanliness  is  the  special 
fault  of  many  among  them,  and  this  must  be  improved 
by  degrees. 


1837]        THE   ARCHBISHOP'S  JOURNEY          241 

Half  the  day  at  Fischbach,  and  it  was  most  enter- 
taining. They  read  interesting  letters  from  Adalbert, 
who  is  in  quarantine  at  Triest. 

December  15. 

Everything  is  tolerably  quiet  as  regards  the  Arch- 
bishop, but  there  is  a  strained  feeling  of  expectation 
as  to  what  will  come  from  Rome  on  the  subject.  I 
read  some  details  in  a  private  letter  from  Koln  about 
his  deportation ;  it  was  a  very  speedy  affair,  but  seems 
to  have  been  a  necessity.  The  old  man  lost  himself 
only  for  a  moment,  and  called  out,  as  he  was  driving 
off  with  Major  Sandart,  "  The  four  pounds  of  tobacco 
have  not  surely  been  forgotten."  The  military  escort 
merely  went  as  far  as  the  next  village.  Two  gen- 
darmes in  livery  sat  on  the  box.  He  was  very 
talkative,  and  his  chaplain  was  uncivil,  and  laughed 
aloud  during  the  reading  of  the  official  order,  so 
General  Pfuel  had  him  out  of  the  carriage,  and  he 
followed  in  a  second  one.  They  reproved  the  Arch- 
bishop's servant  for  not  having  provided  his  master 
with  a  proper  change  of  linen ;  but  he  said,  "  Oh ! 
don't  trouble  yourselves.  My  master  only  changes 
his  linen  every  four  or  six  weeks."  That  is  a  nice 
sort  of  penance. 

December  16,  n  A.M. 

Only  a  short  account  of  the  morning's  doings,  of 
which  I  have  but  an  hour  left.  Some  of  the  people 
came  for  medicine,  wood,  etc.,  while  we  were  at 
breakfast ;  next  two  Tyrolese  came  whom  I  am  treating 
homoeopathically,  then  five  more  for  blankets ;  after 
this  nine  old  women  and  girls  to  whom  the 
Princess  Wilhelm  is  giving  spinning  wheels,  and  who 
require  a  card  from  me  to  fetch  them,  and  which  they 
call  a  Zedel;  I  next  sent  off  two  letters  from  the 
President  to  the  Burgomaster  about  committee 
matters ;  then  nine  poor  children,  whom  I  have 
entirely  clothed,  so  that  they  may  not  have  this  sole 
pretext — want  of  clothing — for  staying  away  from 
school ;  and  lastly,  a  woman  came  from  Sodrich  to 
fetch  some  of  my  excellent  grape  ointment,  which  is 
doing  her  son  so  much  good.  Now  I  must  do  as 
much  writing  as  there  is  time  for.  We  are  going  to 
spend  part  of  the  day  at  Fischbach,  and  to-morrow 

16 


242  NEW   TASKS  [1837 

our  dear  neighbours  come  here  and  will  remain  to 
prayers,  and  on  Monday  they  are  going  away.  It 
will  make  a  real  blank  to  us,  and  it  will  be  hard 
for  them  also  to  go.  They  envy  us  the  society  of  the 
dear  Zillerthal  people,  with  whom  they  are  greatly 
pleased,  but  01  whom  they  have  only  seen  the 
"flower,"  for  there  are  among  them,  as  there  are 
everywhere,  black  sheep,  who  give  us  two,  as  members 
of  the  committee,  here  on  the  spot,  much  trouble,  and 
it  is  very  difficult  to  smooth  matters  down  with  these 
hot  heads. 

December  19. 

We  have  passed  a  really  delightful  half-day  with 
our  dear  friends  at  Fischbach.  After  dinner  Princess 
Marie  decorated  a  Christmas-tree  for  the  Rahm  and 
Geissler  families,  who  are  favourites  of  hers.  I  was 
very  glad  that  the  presents  were  quite  simple,  besides 
wax  candles,  walnuts,  gingerbread,  a  few  earthenware 
plates  and  cups,  a  whip,  a  doll,  etc.  Then  the  second 
son  played  really  prettily  on  the  Jew's  harp,  the 
youngest  danced  to  a  national  air,  and  big  Geissler, 
our  first  deputy,  waltzed  quite  gracefully  with  Princess 
Marie.  The  royalties  have  shown  tne  Tyrolese  a 
great  deal  of  kindness,  and  been  most  gracious  to 
them,  of  which  they  are  very  sensible ;  but  Marie's 
passion  for  them  is  almost  too  ridiculous,  and  it  is 
not  good  for  many  of  them  to  be  so  often  at  Court, 
so  it  is  just  as  well  that  they  are  going  no  more. 

Several  visits  after  church  on  Sunday,  as  usual, 
from  tenants  and  the  Tyrolese.  Our  Zillerthal 
schoolmaster  to  dinner,  and  a  good  many  things  to 
talk  over  with  him  about  Christmas  for  the  children. 
The  General  Superintendent  was  here  ;  I  gave  him  two 
Reichthalers,  and  Wanda  two  more.  I  am  contributing, 
and  Caroline  is  giving  the  gingerbread  and  little 
booklets.  Berlin  friends  have  sent  some  beautiful 
books  and  catechisms  as  well.  I  have  bought  seventy- 
six  pocket-handkerchiefs  of  all  sixes,  and  I  am  giving 
a  large  box  of  apples  and  the  Christmas-trees  and 
candles.  As  the  children  have  never  had  a  Christmas- 
tree,  there  will  be  great  rejoicings.  That  sort  of  thing 
is  unknown  in  the  Zillerthal.  In  the  evening  we  had 
the  dear  Fischbach  family  here  for  the  last  time,  and 
the  Henlys  also.  They  wished  to  be  present  at 


1 837]        A   TYROLESE   IN   DIFFICULTY  243 

evening  prayers ;  I  had  the  blue  room  well  heated, 
the  lamp  was  alight,  and  four  rows  of  chairs,  sofas, 
and  benches  accommodated  over  fifty  persons.  Among 
them  were  twenty-three  of  the  Tyrolese,  for  they 
wished  to  take  leave  again  of  their  benefactors.  I 
read  a  fine  address  of  Spangenberg's  on  the  text, 
"  To  the  poor  the  Gospel  is  preached." 

December  22. 

We  had  Hofratin  Neigenfind  here  with  all  her 
children  on  Wednesday.  One  and  all  are  enthusiastic 
about  the  Tyrolese,  and  are  intimate  with  some  of 
the  families,  and  full  of  their  praises.  It  is  but 
another  proof  that  my  good  people  will  lose  more 
than  they  can  gain  from  this  sort  of  intercourse ;  for 
they  will  learn  to  drink  coffee  and  eat  cakes,  and 
take  up  town  ways,  which  are  all  quite  unnecessary, 
and  will  make  them  discontented  with  their  village 
surroundings.  .  .  .  One  of  my  favourites  came  to 
explain  about  having  felled  some  young  trees  on  a 
farm  here  for  a  friend,  and  for  which  he  has  been 
brought  before  the  bailiff.  He  did  not  know  that  it 
was  against  the  law,  as  they  are  allowed  to  fell  as  much 
underwood  in  the  Zillerthal  as  each  man  can  carry 
away.  He  was  leniently  dealt  with,  and  was  per- 
mitted to  keep  the  trees,  though  he  had  to  pay  a 
Reichthaler,  which  he  borrowed  from  me.  The  dear 
old  man  laughed  at  having  to  pay  for  his  lesson,  and 
said  it  would  serve  as  a  warning  to  others. 

I  despatched  a  good  deal  of  business  yesterday, 
concerning  flax,  samples  of  spinning,  and  the  contracts 
with  some  farmers  at  Sodrich  about  the  purchases 
for  the  poor.  This  year,  even  if  they  manage  to  earn 
a  wretched  subsistence  by  the  sale  of  their  yarn  at 
such  low  prices,  we  shall  have  to  help  them  a  great 
deal.  ...  I  must  tell  you  that  I  attained  a  great 
point  for  the  Tyrolese  on  Saturday — viz.  that  the 
stout  undyed  cloth  of  the  natural  brown  sheepswool 
(which  they  wear,  and  which  could  not  be  procured 
from  Tyrol  without  great  expense)  should  be  made  in 
the  penitentiary  at  Jauer.  After  a  hurried  consultation 
with  the  inspector  there,  I  ordered  twelve  hundred 
ells,  at  eighteen  silver  groschens,  and  I  hope  that 
this  material  will  be  more  used  among  our  own 
people,  for  it  is  excellent,  needs  no  lining,  and  is 


244  NEW   TASKS  [1837 

waterproof.  In  addition,  I  hope  through  this  man 
to  find  a  purchaser  for  the  wool  spun  here,  and  I 
will  gladly  advance  the  payment. 

December  28  (on  rose-coloured  paper). 

The  colour  of  this  paper  will  tell  you  that  it  has 
rosy  tidings  to  announce,  and  rosy  they  indeed  are, 
for  our  Zillerthalers  are  coming  to  Erdmannsdorf, 
and  some  properties  at  Schmiedeberg  are  to  be  bought 
also,  in  accordance,  it  seems,  with  our  suggestions. 
There  are  nearly  nine  hundred  square  morgens1  of 
forest  and  some  good  land.  We  have  got  nothing 
as  yet  through  the  "  Immediat-Kommission,"  but, 
what  is  far  better,  a  private  message  from  the  King 
through  our  dear  ambassadress,  Princess  Wilhelm, 
who  reached  Berlin  on  the  2Oth.  She  dined  with  the 
King  on  the  22nd,  and  the  dear  lady  wrote  to  me 
directly  after  dinner,  in  the  joy  and  fulness  of  her 
heart,  that  the  King  had  expressed  himself  about  me 
in  a  most  warm  and  friendly  way,  and  had  said  that 
he  well  knew  what  he  was  doing  when  he  chose  me, 
and  that  I  had  quite  fulfilled  his  expectations.  I 
only  add  this,  because  it  is  important  as  regards  the 
cause  itself,  and  I  had  thought,  on  the  contrary,  that 
he  was  annoyed  because  I  had  differed  from  him 
concerning  religious  instruction  of  the  Tyrolese. 

To  continue :  he  was  very  animated,  full  of 
sympathy  for  the  people,  and  anxious  to  learn  all 
particulars.  And  to  give  me  pleasure,  he  desired 
the  Princess  to  say  that  I  might  announce  the  good 
news,  and  that  he  was  glad  to  have  their  village  in 
his  neighbourhood,  etc.  It  is  a  great  weight  off  my 
mind. 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

December  26. 

So  my  anticipations  have  been  realised,  and  your 
Royal  Highness  is  the  first  and  chosen  one  to  convey 
the  long-desired  glad  tidings  to  me,  and  to  let  me 
have  the  pleasure  of  communicating  them  to  our  dear 

Eeople.     I  felt  certain  of  it,  and  said  so  long  before- 
and  to  Caroline  and  the  Henlys,  and  now  the  Lord 
has  brought  it  to  pass.     I  found  your  dear  letter  on 
my  return  from  the  distribution  of  Christmas  presents 
1  A  morgen  of  land  is  about  an  acre. — M.  B-L. 


1837]  CHRISTMAS  JOY  245 

at  Neuhof,  and  its  first  words  told  me  of  the  fairest 
gift  of  all,  coming  at  the  end  of  a  day  already  rich  in 
gifts.  ...  I  invited  the  Burgomaster  and  the  chair- 
man of  the  committee,  without  explaining  why.  .  .  . 
When  they  came  and  I  had  told  them  the  good  news, 
the  king's  gracious  words,  and  the  kindness  with 
which  you  had  hastened  to  make  known  the  message, 
they  evinced  the  warmest  feelings  of  gratitude  and 
pleasure.  At  first,  the  dear  chairman  stood  with 
folded  hands,  before  he  said,  "  This  has  been  brought 
to  us  by  the  Child  in  the  manger."  "  Yes,"  said  Stock; 
"  the  Child  Jesus  Who  directs  the  hearts  of  kings  as 
the  waterbrooks."  "  We  have  little  money,"  added 
C.  Brugger,  "  but  we  have  faithful  hearts  to  lay  in 
gratitude  at  the  King's  feet."  Then  Heim  said,  "This 
hath  the  Lord  done,  and  we  are  glad  because  of 
it."  They  then  broke  out  into  the  most  charming 
expressions  of  gratitude  to  your  Royal  Highness : 
"  We  knew  very  well  she  would  soon  be  able  to 
do  us  a  good  turn  ;  she  wishes  us  well,  that  one  sees 
from  her  manner ;  she  is  a  true  friend  to  us,  an 
advocate  before  the  throne.  May  the  Lord  reward 
her  a  thousandfold  !  "  Nor  did  the  old  "  Muetter  "  come 
away  empty,  but  got  her  share,  so  much  indeed  that 
her  eyes  overflowed  with  tears.  It  was  a  precious 
moment,  and  one  that  I  shall  never  forget.  The 
Burgomaster  was  enraptured,  and  the  dear  people 
pressed  his  hand  while  gratefully  acknowledging  his 
fatherly  care  of  them,  although  they  had  often  made 
it  difficult  for  him  to  act.  Caroline  and  the  Henlys 
shared  their  happiness  :  Henly,  as  cupbearer,  poured 
out  some  genuine  Trebschen  wine  from  the  vines  of 
their  new  Fatherland ;  Caroline  and  Clementine 
touched  glasses  with  him,  while  Harry  (who  has  been 
dressed  as  a  Zillerthaler  since  Christmas  Eve)  and 
Marie  carried  round  the  "  Streussel  "  and  "  Striezeln  " 
cakes,  real  Silesian  ones,  and  we  all  united  in  drinking 
the  King's  health,  and  that  of  the  messenger  of  the 
good  tidings,  for  this  you  are  to  our  people  in  the  real 
sense  of  the  word.  .  .  . 

The  giving  of  Christmas  presents  was  on  the  23rd 
in  the  school-room  at  five  o'clock,  to  all  of  the  seventy- 
seven  Tyrolese  who  were  well  and  able  to  be  there. 

Four  tables  were  spread  in  the  middle  of  the  room, 
leaving  space  enough  for  the  fathers  and  mothers. 


246  NEW   TASKS  [1837 

Trees  with  many  candles  and  hung  with  nuts  and 
gingerbread  made  the  room  as  bright  as  day.  The 
tables  were  covered  with  rolls,  apples,  the  necessary 
pocket-handkerchiefs,  books,  very  pretty  pictures,  and 
pencils  and  paper,  and  then  the  children  rushed  in  in 
nigh  glee.  They  had  never  seen  anything  like  it. 
They  were  so  well-behaved  and  quiet  and  happy  that 
it  was  a  real  delight  to  see  them.  They  went  to  their 
places,  folded  their  hands,  and  sang  three  pretty 
Christmas  hymns  most  sweetly  and  quite  correctly. 
They  looked  at  their  presents  with  rapture,  and  they 
were  afterwards  allowed  to  despoil  the  tree.  There 
was  any  amount  of  thanking  and  jubilation,  and  after 
packing  their  things,  they  went  home  in  good  order 
with  their  parents,  to  whom  I  gave  pictures  of  the 
manger  with  a  beautiful  motto.  .  .  . 

In  the  morning  I  distributed  Christmas  presents  to 
one  hundred  and  fifteen  children  in  the  Quirl  school, 
and  the  day  before  to  one  hundred  and  twenty-six 
here. 

The  dear  King's  expressions  with  regard  to  my 
feeble  efforts  to  prove  myself  worthy  of  his  confidence 
have  really  done  me  good  and  touched  me.  I  will  do 
everything  in  my  power  to  fulfil  and  carry  out  his 
fatherly  wishes.  .  .  . 

To  THEOPHILUS  REICHEL 

I  have  often  to  say  to  myself,  "  Bestir  yourself,  don't 
delay."  Our  work — i.e.  mine — has  increased  very  much 
since  it  has  been  decided  that  our  people  are  to  remain 
at  Erdmannsdorf  and  its  immediate  neighbourhood.  I 
have  now  undertaken  to  consult  every  father  of  a 
family  as  to  how  much  he  requires.  This  means  that 
from  seventy  to  eighty  persons  have  to  be  talked  to. 
The  morning  hours  between  nine  and  eleven  are 
devoted  to  this  business,  and  it  is  transmitted  to 
paper  in  the  afternoon.  The  building  foreman  has 
been  seen,  and  things  are  being  hurried  on.  We  hope 
the  men  will  go  to  the  forest  in  a  week's  time,  axe  in 
hand,  and  begin  the  work  of  felling  the  timber;  but 
where  that  is  to  be,  we  don't  yet  know.  We  had  to 
protest  against  the  Grilssauer  Forest,  which  is  four 
miles  off,  on  account  of  transport ;  now  we  are  awaiting 
the  final  decision.  Every  one  is  burning  with  eagerness 


1837]        BUYING   AND   SPINNING   FLAX          247 

to  fell  the  first  tree.     In  this  as  in  everything  else, 
may  God  give  happiness  and  prosperity. 


To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

December  30. 

I  have  a  great  deal  of  business  about  the  flax.  I 
have  two  great  aims  in  view  which  require  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  writing  and  working — that  of  ob- 
taining splendid  flax  from  the  district  of  Hainau,  where 
I  shall  buy  one  thousand  bales,  if  I  am  fortunate ;  and 
I  am  ordering  twenty  bales  of  yarn  at  four  hundred 
and  eighty  Reichthalers  (which  I  have  to  advance, 
it  is  true)  for  the  penitentiary  at  Jauer.  Strict  control 
and  hard  work  are  necessary,  but  I  will  gladly  do 
anything  to  keep  my  poor  people  from  dire  misery 
in  this  time  of  scarcity.  You  can  imagine  how,  waking 
and  sleeping,  I  think  of  nothing  but  flax.  Six  women 
are  spinning  samples  to-day,  and  a  portion  of  my  flax 
is  to  be  weighed  out  for  the  first  Tuesday  sale. 

The  winter  was  a  severe  one,  and  through  the  partial 
failure  of  the  crops  and  the  great  cold,  the  distress  in 
Silesia  increased  to  such  a  pitch  that  most  active  help 
was  necessary.  It  is  easy  to  imagine  who  stood 
in  the  front  rank  to  help  and  advise.  In  addition  to 
all  this,  there  were  the  Tyrolese  at  Schmiedeberg 
not  only  to  support,  but  to  guide  and  advise  in  small 
things  as  well  as  great  ones.  Their  settlement  had 
to  be  undertaken  and  their  houses  to  be  built,  and 
although  Countess  Reden  had  the  assistance  of  earnest 
associates  in  these  matters,  she  had  also  open  and 
secret  enemies,  who  used  every  effort  to  stand  in  her 
way.  To  these  belonged  President  Count  Merkel,  a 
strict  bureaucrat,  and,  as  such,  already  unfavourable 
to  her.  In  official  circles  especially  her  active  in- 
terference in  public  affairs  was  viewed  with  hostility, 
particularly  when,  eluding  the  committee,  she  addressed 
herself  direct  to  the  King.  But  Merkel  was  also  her 
decided  opponent  in  religious  matters.  It  is  said  that 


248  NEW   TASKS  [1838 

he  allied  himself  with  one  who  shared  his  views  to 
endeavour  to  suppress  all  living  Christianity  in  Silesia. 
And  this  man  it  was  who  had  in  the  province  over 
which  he  was  chief  a  woman  of  such  far-reaching 
influence,  of  such  remarkable  intellectual  gifts,  and  of 
such  indefatigable  activity  in  employing  every  means 
in  her  power  for  the  building  up  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God,  and  in  fortifying  living  Christianity. 

It  is  conceivable  that  the  President  did  not  at  all 
agree  to  the  settlement  of  the  people  who  had  emigrated 
on  account  of  their  faith.  He  could  not  act  in  direct 
opposition  to  the  King's  commands,  but  he  sought 
to  hinder  the  Countess's  activity  as  much  as  possible. 
The  monies  assigned  were  negligently  paid,  the 
officials  were  not  appointed  at  the  proper  times,  and 
other  things  were  ill  done. 

Countess  Reden's  letters  give  an  insight  into  all 
this. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

I  kept  quite  quiet  on  Tuesday  in  preparation  for 
the  Holy  Communion. 

January  24,  7  A.M. 

You  should  see  me  in  a  very  cold  room  done  up 
warm  and  snug  in  my  little  bed-jacket,  reading  and 
attending  to  my  chief  correspondence,  whilst  our 
dear  Caroline  is  melodiously  snoring,  and  making 
herself  comfortable  till  eight  o'clock.  I  prepare  my 
seat  in  bed  about  half-past  six,  set  the  pillows  straight, 
put  on  my  shawl,  and  wrap  a  splendid  fox-rug  entirely 
round  my  back  and  shoulders,  and,  thus  established, 
defy  all  cold — often  not  without  shame,  when  I  con- 
sider how  warm  and  comfortable  I  am  here,  and  how 
very  much  the  reverse  it  is  to  so  many  around  me. 
I  cannot  rid  myself  of  the  thought  of  the  distress 
which  the  cold,  the  dearness  of  bread,  the  scarcity 
of  potatoes,  and  the  too  scanty  gain  from  the  spinning 
must  bring ;  and  yet,  I  must  now  first  of  all  try  to 
provide  flax,  and  must  reserve  my  store  of  potatoes 


1838]  A   VERY   SEVERE   WINTER  249 

till  the  end  of  February,  when  they  will  have  come 
to  an  end  in  the  poorest  houses. 

With  the  help  of  a  small  collection  from  the  pastor, 
I  have  ordered  my  two  blind  people  to  make  some 
straw  mats  for  the  church,  which  are  to  cover  the 
stones  round  the  altar  where  the  communicants  stand 
and  kneel. 

My  letter  to  Wittgenstein  went  off  on  Thursday 
with  a  description  of  the  dire  misery.  I  trust  the 
Lord  guided  my  weak  hand !  The  members  of  the 
Tyrolese  committee  came  about  their  axes  at  one 
o'clock,  and  they  wish  them  to  be  after  their  own 
pattern.  They  are  very  charming,  but  exceedingly 
fussy  all  the  same.  Kolland  has  given  us  great  trouble  : 
he  cannot  and  will  not  believe,  much  less  teach  the 
children,  that  the  sun  stands  and  that  we  move  round 
it ;  so  he  no  longer  goes  to  the  arithmetic  classes, 
and  grieves  Hartmann,  who  was  so  delighted  with 
his  progress  and  took  so  much  pains  with  him.  It 
is  very  annoying. 

February  20. 

It  has  been  a  cold  week,  always  between  sixteen 
and  twenty  degrees  of  frost,  and  to-day  again  the 
windows  are  thickly  frozen  over.  We  can  bear  it 
very  well,  but  the  poor  suffer  extremely,  and  in  cases 
where  nothing  is  done  for  them,  there  will  be  un- 
limited suffering.  I  have  already  waited  five  or  six 
days  for  instruction  about  the  distress  and  the 
Zillerthal  house-building.  This  latter  is  pressing,  for 
it  is  high  time  for  the  wood  to  be  felled,  stones 
broken,  and  sand  taken  to  the  building  sites.  Block, 
the  head  bailiff,  arrived  unexpectedly  from  Breslau 
on  Sunday,  and  we  learn  from  him  that  if  wood  is 
to  be  procured  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood,  our 
representations  will  be  yielded  to,  and  they  will  be 
allowed  to  fell  it  here.  I  am  sending  to-day  to  Stons- 
dorf  and  Arnsdorf  to  ascertain  how  many  trees  they  can 
supply  to  each  man  from  the  forests  on  the  two  estates. 
It  will  require  an  entire  wood  to  build  forty  cottages, 
if  they  are,  as  I  wish  them  to  be,  of  wood,  or  even 
only  half  wood.  I  have  had  a  Zillerthal  conference 
every  day  except  Friday  until  twelve  o'clock,  and 
between  whiles,  a  great  deal  to  do  in  connection  with 
my  poor  people  here,  and  also  in  reference  to  the 


250  NEW   TASKS  [1838 

Hirschberg  Bible,  etc.     So  the  days  have  been  fully 
occupied. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

10  P.M. 

What  a  good  thing  it  was  that  I  wrote  early !  I 
was  interrupted  at  eight  o'clock  by  an  "  Immediat  " 
from  President  Stolberg,  announcing  the  arrival  of 
Herr  von  Woringen  from  Landshut  to  confer  with 
me  about  the  poverty.  He  thanked  me  for  having 
written  to  Wittgenstein.  I  got  up  and  dressed 
quickly,  and  found  the  answer  lying  on  the  break- 
fast table.  Oh !  I  could  have  fallen  on  my  knees,  and 
my  hands  involuntarily  folded  in  thankfulness  as  my 
eyes  overflowed  with  tears.  He  thanked  me  for  my 
letter  and  said  :  "  I  hastened  to  lay  your  letter  before 
the  King;  he  was  moved  by  its  contents,  and  is  in- 
clined to  grant  the  support  so  wisely  suggested  by 
you,  so  soon  as  the  report  of  the  President  comes  in. 
His  Majesty  commands  me  to  inform  the  Minister  of 
Finance  of  your  views,  and  of  the  great  destitution  of 
the  people.  He  received  the  communication  in  the 
kindest  and  most  sympathetic  manner,  and  assured  me 
that  he  would  hasten  to  send  the  assistance  on 
receiving  the  President's  report.  It  is  important  that 
your  Excellency  should  urge  him  to  send  it  as  soon 
as  possible.  God  reward  you  for  all  you  have  accom- 
plished, and  may  He  preserve  and  strengthen  you!" 

.  .  .  You  can  imagine  how  letters  will  fly  here  and 
there. 

During  the  distress  that  prevailed  throughout 
Silesia  that  severe  winter,  it  is  easy  to  understand, 
however  sad  it  may  be,  that  the  Zillerthal  immigrants 
aroused  much  ill-will  and  envy  among  the  poor.  It 
was  partly  on  this  account  that  the  Countess  felt 
such  satisfaction  and  delight  in  the  remission  of 
the  taxes  for  the  poorest,  and  in  the  assistance  which 
the  King  granted.  She  arrranged  this  business  with 
the  Regierungsrath,  Herr  von  Woringen,  of  Liegnitz, 
and  she  was  glad  to  be  able  to  help  matters  forward. 

The  Zillerthal  people,  whom  she  had  adopted  with 


1838]          THE   FIRST   TREES   FELLED  251 

such  tender  interest,  gave  their  "  Muetter "  a  good 
deal  of  trouble,  however.  Malcontents,  who  wanted 
not  only  the  daily  grant  of  four  silver  groschens  from 
the  King,  but  also  pay  for  working  on  their  own 
houses  and  fields,  went  to  her  with  their  grievances. 
Other  restless  spirits  wished  to  move  on  again,  hoping 
to  earn  more  elsewhere,  and,  in  fact,  quite  a  number 
emigrated  again  to  Steyermark  and  Carinthia,  where 
they  joined  the  Evangelical  communities  in  those 
places. 

First  of  all,  wood  had  to  be  felled  for  building 
purposes,  and  as  the  designs  were  not  compatible 
with  the  means  provided,  Countess  Reden  resolved 
to  have  the  Tyrolese  build  a  house  from  the  supply 
of  wood,  and  then  reckon  everything  from  that. 

The  first  tree  on  Buchwald  soil  was  felled  on 
March  27,  and  the  work  was  then  vigorously 
begun.  The  Countess  writes  : 

At  the  end  of  the  first  day,  when  my  bailiff  told 
the  people  that  they  might  stop  working,  Fleidl  took 
his  stand  under  a  fine  fir  tree  and  said,  "  Before  we 
go  we  must  give  praise  and  thanks  for  having  lived 
to  see  this  day,  and  that  the  Lord  has  protected  us 
from  dangers."  The  eight  sawyers  and  eight  cutters 
gathered  in  a  circle  around  him,  bared  their  heads, 
repeated  a  prayer,  and  then  quietly  dispersed.  How 
glad  they  were  to  get  to  work  at  last ! 

I  engaged  Stock  with  the  same  number  of  men  to 
work  at  the  Stangenbusch  at  Stonsdorf,  and  the  bailiff 
there  was  enchanted  with  my  people.  Thirteen  men, 
and  a  woman  to  do  the  cooking  for  them,  went  to 
carry  wood  to  a  clearing  under  the  mountain.  What 
a  good  thing  it  is  that  there  is  enough  wood  for  four 
or  five  cottages  at  least ! 

Fifteen  carpenters  are  working  on  the  house  at 
Schmiedeberg,  which  I  settled  that  they  should  build 
quite  alone,  with  a  sufficient  amount  of  wood,  as  it 
is  the  only  means  of  arriving  at  the  objects  in  view. 
Four  or  five  are  making  the  broad  splints  for  the 


252  NEW   TASKS  [1838 

house,  two  are  making  the  necessary  implements  in 
the  smithy  of  a  Christian-minded  man  at  Erdmanns- 
dorf,  as  no  one  else  would  allow  them  to  do  this 
work.  Geissler  went  with  the  others  to  help  at 
carrying  wood  at  Stonsdorf. 

April  1 6. 

There  is  more  than  enough  work  going  on  now,  and 
the  fulness  of  the  next  few  days  rather  alarms  me. 
Stock  came  with  a  letter  from  the  Burgomaster  re- 
quiring an  immediate  answer  just  as  I  was  going  to 
church.  It  seems  that  Jacobi,  the  Privy  Councillor  for 
the  district,  he  who  directed  the  negotiations,  both  in 
Tyrol  and  in  Munich,  respecting  the  Zillerthalers,  and 
who  is  third  in  the  "  Immediat-Kommission,"  arrived 
at  Schmiedeberg  yesterday. 

April  17. 

Jacobi  was  here  from  half-past  six  until  nine  o'clock, 
an  hour  and  a  half  of  the  time  alone  with  me.  It 
seems  that  my  letter  to  Princess  Wilhelm  about  the 
disturbed  state  of  feeling  among  the  peasants  here, 
and  their  desire  to  return,  raised  a  storm  in  Berlin, 
and  the  King  was  exceedingly  surprised  at  the  news. 
Strauss  informed  him  of  everything.  He  will  not 
hear  of  any  return,  has  granted  the  people  more 
advantageous  conditions,  and  sent  Jacobi  off  at  once, 
to  regulate  the  colonisation  with  us  and  Block.  So 
much  the  better  for  all  concerned.  He  is  the  second 
man  whom  I  have  asked  to  come  here  :  another  person 
might  have  been  afraid  to  urge  them  ;  but  why  should 
I  be  afraid,  since  I  am  doing  what  is  right,  and 
could  not  act  differently?  The  President  of  the 
Province  will  soon  become  alarmed  when  he  finds 
the  "  Immediat "  man  here.  I  am  very  glad  of  it. 
Jacobi  said  the  King  had  expressed  himself  thus  : 
"  You  may  have  as  much  land  as  you  want ;  the 
castle  and  garden  are  to  be  left  for  me,  and  what 
more  do  I  require  ? "  This  must  not  be  repeated, 
though,  or  else,  instead  of  an  inch  they  will  take  an 
ell,  and  the  evil  will  go  on  for  ever. 

Evening, 

It  has  been  a  full  day.  Distribution  of  flax  and 
potatoes,  and  I  had  hardly  finished  with  this  when  the 
Schlieffens  came  with  their  little  girl,  and  Wilhelm 


1838]  A   STORMY    MEETING  253 

Stolberg  and  his  wife  soon  after,  but  they  only  stayed 
an  hour.  Then  there  was  a  committee  meeting,  I 
working  with  it  in  another  room ;  at  half-past  two 
the  Geheimrath  and  his  son,  who  is  Kammegerichts- 
Referandarius,  called.  Various  matters  were  dis- 
cussed, and  several  things  explained  to  the  Tyrolese. 
The  request  for  higher  wages  was  refused,  and  we  got 
through  with  a  great  deal  of  business.  .  .  .  Jacobi 
and  I  had  a  great  deal  of  conversation  ;  he  stayed  and 
had  a  talk  with  Fleidl  and  Stock,  and  is  well  disposed 
toward  the  Tyrolese.  He  rather  dreads  the  arrival 
of  the  ambitious  Merkel. 

April  21. 

President  Merkel's  reception  must  have  been  a 
stormy  one  on  Thursday,  for  the  obstinate  old  man 
fairly  foamed  with  rage.  Block,  who  is  the  chief 
official  adviser,  came  at  eleven  to  consult  me  in  pri- 
vate, and  the  committee  met  at  twelve,  President  von 
Merkel  and  Privy  Councillor  Jacobi  being  present. 
The  President  opened  the  meeting  with  a  boastful 
speech,  and  I  have  never  attended  anything  more 
tedious.  The  old  man  quite  lost  his  head,  insulted  the 
Royal  Commissioner,  would  not  let  him  get  a  word  in, 
nor  permit  any  propositions  concerning  the  deeds,  and 
kept  on  mystifying  us  just  as  he  has  always  done. 
He  fell  out  with  every  one  in  turn,  nor  did  he  spare 
me.  The  gentlemen  said  afterwards,  with  a  thousand 
eulogies  and  thanks,  which  I  will  not  repeat,  that  they 
were  astonished  at  the  calm  dignity  and  firmness  with 
which  I  defended  my  cause  and  reduced  the  old  man 
to  silence.  This  was  the  Lord's  doing,  and  for  which 
I  had  most  earnestly  prayed.  The  main  business  did 
not  advance  much,  owing  to  the  President's  chatter, 
but  I  fully  understood  his  ominous  intentions.  Under 
the  pretext  of  protecting  the  Tyrolese,  he  incited  them 
to  demand  so  much  more  land  than  they  can  possibly 
obtain  at  Erdmannsdorf  and  Seidorf,  that  they  will 
eventually  be  sent  off  to  the  sandy  wastes  of  Upper 
Silesia,  or  to  Gumbinnen,  and  then  the  Commissioner 
will  have  to  return  without  having  succeeded  in  his 
mission. 

The  conference  closed  at  half-past  four,  every  one 
being  out  of  tune,  though  I  certainly  tried  not  to 
be  so.  They  all  enjoyed  the  cook's  really  exquisite 


254  NEW  TASKS  [1838 

dinner,  except  my  gloomy  neighbour,  who  was  on  my 
right,  while  Jacobi  was  on  my  left,  with  Caroline  on 
his  other  side,  and  Block  was  on  Merkel's  right  All 
at  once  the  last  named  turned  to  me  and  said  almost 
aloud,  "  That  gentleman  seems  to  be  cock  of  the 
walk,  and  the  honour  due  to  me  has  been  neglected, 
contrary  to  all  rules  of  precedence."  I  thought  that 
I  could  not  have  heard  rightly,  and  merely  made 
some  sort  of  civil  reply,  which,  indeed,  I  was  obliged 
to  make,  to  the  effect  that  the  arrangement  of  the 
table  had  placed  my  sister  on  the  other  side,  and 
that  I  thought  I  had  given  him  the  place  of  honour, 
and  if  I  had  failed,  I  was  sorry.  He  was  a  regular 
wet  blanket  on  the  company.  I  did  not  say  a  word 
to  his  murmur  of  argument,  and  at  last  there  was  a 
general  silence.  Then  I  took  up  the  conversation 
again,  and  my  weak  but  proud  neighbour  gradually 
recovered  himself.  He  hardly  ate  anything,  and  was 
piqued,  though  civil,  but  he  kept  casting  terrible 
glances  at  Jacobi.  He  left  about  half-past  six,  and 
then  we  all  looked  at  each  other  in  dismay.  Every 
one  commiserated  me,  but  I  laughed  it  off.  I  was  so 
tired  in  the  evening  that  I  fell  asleep  as  I  talked. 

We  were  at  Seidorf  to-day,  and  returned  at  half- 
past  five.  The  Burgomaster  appeared  soon  after,  and 
what  was  his  report?  That  the  President,  who 
wanted  to  stay  over  to-day  and  go  to  Seidorf,  had 
gone  away  unexpectedly  this  morning  without  taking 
leave,  ana  here  the  matter  rests.  I  had  the  question 
before  me,  what  was  to  be  done,  and  was  driven  to 
consider  it.  I  think  that  the  minutes  of  yesterday's 
conference  should  be  fairly  copied  out  and  sent  after 
him  for  his  signature  ;  and  if  he  will  not  sign,  we  must 
consider  ourselves  as  having  severed  connection  with 
him,  and  must  address  ourselves  to  our  committee 
and  to  the  "  Immediat-Kommission,"  and  things  will 
go  on  better  than  before. 

May  3. 

I  have  employed  the  precious  days  since  the  ist 
like  a  child  or  a  colt  which  has  been  let  loose,  for 
the  moment  I  feel  myself  free  from  the  writing-table, 
from  my  Zillerthal,  from  the  sick,  etc.,  I  go  out, 
and  only  come  in  to  take  a  rapid  meal  and  go  out 
again.  I  have  sown  more  than  a  thousand  seeds — that 


1838]  THE   LAND   MEASURED  255 

is  to  say,  I  have  written  the  labels,  opened  the 
packets,  sorted  them,  and  planted  an  innumerable 
quantity.  I  came  indoors  yesterday  and  to-day  after 
half-past  seven,  because  it  was  so  warm.  I  sat  out 
writing  without  my  jacket,  with  not  an  extra  stitch 
on ;  in  a  word,  it  is  lovely,  and  the  green  lawns  are 
like  a  parlour.  I  am  getting  the  village  children  to 
pick  the  cowslips  before  they  blossom,  and  shall  have 
the  hoeing  done  every  three  weeks,  if  I  can.  We  had 
a  pleasant  conference  on  Wednesday.  The  results 
of  the  measurements  have  shown  that  in  the  part  of 
Erdmannsdorf  which  we  wished  to  divide  up  at  once, 
there  are  not  eight  hundred  and  sixty-eight  acres, 
but  twelve  hundred  and  seventeen,  and  that  is  just 
what  I  require  within  a  few  acres,  so  all  our  dear 
people  can  be  housed  right  and  left  of  the  high  road. 
Thus  all  desires  will  be  gratified,  and,  if  God  will, 
peace  and  happiness  will  be  their  lot  and  mine. 
There  is  no  lack  of  hearty  thanks,  nor  of  their  saying 
that  "  Muetter's  "  word  has  been  proved  of  some  value, 
etc.  Thank  God  !  for  I  should  indeed  feel  the  contrary 
hard  to  bear.  I  can  but  say,  "  Thy  counsel  is  wonder- 
ful, and  Thou  performest  all  things  well." 

May  5. 

I  am  writing  on  the  Mariannensizt,  and  have  been 
seeing  to  the  benches  being  properly  placed,  have 
measured  and  given  out  more  Tyrolese  cloth,  have 
interviewed  seven  Tyrolese  on  business,  and  also 
seen  the  bailiff.  The  Burgomaster  has  just  gone, 
at  half-past  ten.  He  came  at  half  past-seven  to  place 
before  me  the  long  and  beautifully  copied  colonisation 
schedule,  which  is  to  be  sent  at  once  to  the  "  Immediat- 
Kommission,"  and  which  contains  our  plans  for  their 
approval.  I  shall  be  very  eager  for  the  result.  The 
Privy  Councillor  stayed  till  seven  o'clock,  and  I  drove 
with  him  to  the  Observatory  and  to  the  farm.  He  is 
going  to  remain  till  Wednesday.  Our  last  conference 
will  be  on  Tuesday,  when  I  hope  we  shall  receive 
exact  instructions. 

May  8. 

I  am  so  thankful  that  all  chatter  and  gossip  keep 
away  from  me.  I  don't  know  why  it  is,  but  I  am 
thankful  that  such  is  the  case.  Is  it  because  of  my 
unspoken  principle  of  never  allowing  an  accusation 


256  NEW   TASKS  [1838 

to  be  made  against  any  one,  either  in  my  house  or  in 
my  presence,  who  is  not  present  to  defend  himself? 
A  man  has  nothing,  in  my  opinion,  more  precious 
than  his  good  name,  and  to  take  it  from  him  sur- 
reptitiously, is  robbery  and  is  as  deserving  of  punish- 
ment as  theft. 

Our  dear  Tyrolese  have  had  many  hard  things  to 
bear  lately,  and  it  is  those  who  have  been  tried  who 
have  had  opportunity  of  showing  what  real  faith  is. 

The  Countess  writes  about  her  birthday : 

The  Buchwald  children,  some  two  hundred  and 
thirty,  celebrated  the  i2th,  according  to  my  dear 
husband's  directions,  at  the  Pavilion  in  the  morning, 
and  eighty  Tyrolese  children  in  the  afternoon,  in  the 
drawing-room  under  the  supervision  of  their  teacher. 
They  were  charming  and  splendidly  decked  out,  with 
tall  green  tufts  in  their  hats,  and  adorned  with  flowers, 
so  that  the  little  group  down  in  the  hall,  seen  from 
the  staircase  above,  looked  like  the  moving  wood  of 
Dunsinan. 

The  greater  part  of  the  Erdmannsdorf  property 
was  first  given  by  the  King  for  the  settlement  of 
the  Zillerthal  people.  The  committee  bought  more 
land  at  Erdmannsdorf  and  in  the  neighbouring  parish 
of  Seidorf.  This  land  was  partly  paid  for  by  the 
proceeds  of  land  sold  in  the  Tyrol,  and  partly  by 
the  people,  who  paid  it  off  by  instalments.  It  was 
divided  according  to  the  proportion  of  each  man's 
means,  and  the  building  of  cottages,  in  the  Tyrolese 
style,  was  begun.  The  King  made  Erdmannsdorf  into 
a  separate  parish,  the  Evangelical  community  of 
which  had  hitherto  been  connected  with  that  of 
Lomnitz,  and  he  built  a  church.  This  building  seems 
to  have  been  too  hastily  completed,  for  on  June  8 
the  tower  fell  into  the  church,  killing  fourteen  persons. 
It  happened  a  few  days  before  the  King's  arrival  at 
Fischbach,  and  caused  great  excitement.  The  Crown 
Prince  and  Princess  came  a  little  later. 


1838]  FRIEDRICH   WILHELM    III  257 

IN  THE  PAVILION,  June  16,  1838. 

I  have  fled  from  the  house  because  I  could  not 
write  eight  minutes  without  interruption.  Two 
separate  sets  of  Tyrolese  kept  me  over  two  hours, 
and  at  twelve  the  Government  architect  Oels  is 
coming  to  see  me  in  reference  to  the  building,  for 
the  ominous  fall  [of  the  tower]  makes  us  more  anxious 
and  careful  about  everything. 

In  this  dilemma  I  have  proposed  to  turn  the  large 
barn  at  the  new  farm  at  Erdmannsdorf  into  a  place 
where  the  prayer  meetings  might  be  held,  to  put 
in  windows,  and  provide  benches.  Seven  or  eight 
hundred  can  be  seated  there.  Pastor  Roth,  of  Reibnitz, 
is  to  be  transferred  to  Erdmannsdorf. 

BUCHWALD,  June  21,  Elisabethplatz. 

I  am  expecting  the  King,  who  has  announced  his 
intention  of  calling  early  to-day,  so  I  am  waiting  for 
him  in  my  everyday  cotton  gown  and  white  cap, 
reading  and  writing  meanwhile  as  usual.  May  the 
Lord  give  me  wisdom  to  use  the  right  words,  and 
be  at  my  side,  not  for  myself,  for  the  King  is  very 
good  to  me,  but  for  the  King  of  kings !  I  must  not 
spoil  His  cause,  nor  say  a  syllable,  even  for  the  good 
of  those  entrusted  to  my  care,  except  such  as  He  wills 
and  tells  me  to  say.  The  task  is  not  easy,  but  it  must 
be  gone  through  with. 

Afternoon. 

I  had  got  so  far  when  my  videttes  called  out,  "  The 
King ! "  Five-and-twenty  handsome  Tyrolese  boys 
were  playing  on  the  lawn  or  boating  on  the  lake 
with  their  teacher  when  the  carriage  drove  up.  They 
came  without  any  state — Princess  Friedrich  of  the 
Netherlands  with  her  pretty  little  daughter,  and 
Princess  Liegnitz,  with  the  King,  on  their  way  to 
Fischbach.  I  received  them  as  they  alighted,  and 
the  dear  old  King  thanked  me  with  a  kindness  and 
tenderness  such  as  I  cannot  describe,  and  he  would 
not  allow  me  to  thank  him  for  his  trust  in  me.  "  You 
have  more  than  justified  it ;  you  have  sacrificed  your- 
self to  your  work.  I  know  everything  about  it.  It 
has  been  a  religious  duty  with  you,  and  you  could 
not  have  acted  otherwise,"  etc.  And  he  said  the 
same  during  our  conversation,  which  God  indeed 

17 


258  NEW   TASKS  [1838 

blessed,  for  the  King  permitted  me  to  talk  quite  freely, 
as  if  to  an  equal,  discussing  Church  affairs,  the  mal- 
contents, the  tenants,  etc.  He  spoke  so  graciously 
and  kindly,  so  calmly  and  clearly,  that  I  was  able  to 
tell  him,  with  lively  emotion,  how  he  filled  my  heart 
with  reverence  and  devotion.  I  ventured  to  touch 
on  every  subject,  not  forgetting  those  of  my  Tyrolese 
who  wish  to  move  off  again.  This  was  an  important 
matter,  and  it  was  a  relief  to  get  it  off  my  mind,  and 
I  thank  God  that  I  succeeded.  The  King  remained 
talking  with  me  for  over  an  hour  on  the  balcony. 

June  23. 

Minister  Rother  was  here  yesterday  on  business, 
and  from  all  that  he  told  me,  I  feel  more  admiration 
for  the  King  than  ever  before.  He  said  that  the  King 
expressed  great  distress  at  the  destruction  of  the 
church  and  the  consequent  loss  of  life,  and  though 
he  felt  severely  towards  the  careless  builders,  he  was 
most  kind  to  Rother  himself.  Instead  of  reproaching 
him  (and  he  allows  that  he  deserved  to  be  reproached 
for  his  over-confidence),  the  King  advanced  to  meet 
him  when  he  entered  the  room,  held  out  his  hand, 
and  condoled  with  him  about  the  accident.  The  next 
day  the  King  went  to  see  the  wounded,  gave  them 
handsome  sums,  and  also  to  the  orphans  of  those 
who  were  killed.  Herr  Muller,  a  Cabmetsrath,  called 
in  the  afternoon,  and  we  discussed  the  distribution 
of  orders  and  remuneration  among  the  people  at 
Schmiedeberg  who  have  been  specially  active  in 
helping  the  Tyrolese,  and  we  both  had  a  laugh  at 
the  importance  which  people  attach  to  such  things. 
In  the  meanwhile  General  Lindheim  arrived,  but  I 
had  him  taken  to  Caroline  till  we  had  finished  our 
conversation  in  the  course  of  the  next  half-hour.  I 
could  not  but  be  sensible  of  the  great  condescension 
of  our  bigwigs. 

July  6. 

My  third  of  July,  my  day  of  memories  which  fills 
my  mind  with  sorrowful  reflections,  was  greatly 
broken  into.  I  had  a  letter  from  the  Crown  Prince  in 
the  morning,  asking  me  whether  I  could  manage  for 
him  to  see  some  of  my  Tyrolese  people.  He  and  the 
Crown  Princess  drove  up  punctually  at  one  o'clock 
on  their  way  to  Fischbach,  and  I  had  the  big  boys  and 


1838]  THE  CROWN  PRINCE  AND  PRINCESS   259 

girls  from  school  out  on  the  water  in  two  boats, 
singing,  when  the  royal  couple  arrived,  and  twenty-one 
lined  the  road  up  to  the  house.  They  were  very  much 
struck  and  delighted  by  the  sight,  and  spoke  to  them 
before  they  drove  off  at  two  o'clock.  I  had  asked  the 
Harrys  to  come  from  Stonsdorf  in  the  evening,  and 
we  all  awaited  the  Crown  Prince  and  Princess  in  the 
Pavilion,  where  we  had  tea  and  light  refreshments 
quite  informally.  We  came  indoors  at  eight,  and 
the  Fischbach  and  Hesse  royalties  arrived  soon 
afterwards,  remaining  half  an  hour  while  we  worked 
and  chatted.  The  Crown  Prince  drew  the  design  of 
the  church  at  Kreuth  for  me,  as  a  model  for  the  one 
to  be  built  at  Erdmannsdorf.  He  told  us  some  in- 
teresting details  of  his  youth,  which  quite  astonished 
us,  for  his  reminiscences  go  back  to  his  third  year. 
I  had  a  confidential  conversation  with  him  during 
the  day,  and  accomplished  much  good  in  various 
ways  for  the  Tyrolese  and  for  many  others,  who  had 
requested  me  to  do  so  for  them,  and  for  whom  I 
also  asked  advice,  which  was  sincerely  given  me.  At 
prayers,  I  read  a  beautiful  meditation  from  the 
Sonntagsgast  [a  newspaper].  We  had  supper 
after  prayers  for  our  party  of  seventeen,  and  we 
passed  a  very  agreeable  evening  till  half-past  eleven. 

July  13. 

I  have  spent  this  fine  day  in  the  two  arbours.  My 
Tyrolese  found  me  out,  however — three  herb  and 
asbestos  [byssolite]  gatherers — and  asked  me  for  a 
travelling  passport,  as  they  intend  to  come  back  in 
the  autumn. 

Two  detachments  (thirty-one  people)  have  gone 
already  to  Carinthia,  amid  many  tears  from  the 
children,  who  parted  from  their  teacher  with  lamenta- 
tions and  regrets,  as  did  the  parents  from  me,  their 
affection  for  me  having  grown  stronger  of  late.  Some 
of  the  scenes  were  really  tragic,  and  yet  they  won't 
have  things  otherwise.  The  homesickness  of  the 
women,  and  the  pictures  their  fancy  paints,  entice 
them  away.  It  is  a  continual  hard  fight,  but  it  will 
pass,  as  other  things  have  passed. 

August. 

It  is  interesting  to  watch  the  rise  of  the  colony  in 
the  valley,  on  the  mountain  side,  and  at  Seidorf,  and 


26o  NEW   TASKS  [1838 

I  do  hope  that  most  of  them  will  be  able  to  get  into 
their  cottages  before  November  i,  even  if  the  barns 
are  not  finished. 

Those  who  wished  to  emigrate  again  are  all  off, 
and  on  that  side  things  are  quieter.  .  .  .  Others  are 
coming  from  Tyrol,  especially  from  Schwatz.  I  have 
just  at  this  time  a  woman  from  Schwatz  to  look 
after.  I  have  lodged  her  at  the  school-house,  and 
Pastor  Haupt  is  instructing  her.  She  has  left  every- 
thing on  account  of  her  faith,  and  not  knowing  the 
Zillerthalers,  she  feels  desolate  and  forsaken. 

September  21. 

The  fire  is  blazing  up  again,  which  a  meddlesome 
hand  has  lighted  it — whose,  we  do  not  know. 

I  received  a  very  gracious  letter  from  the  King  on 
Sunday  evening  in  reference  to  hastening  on  the 
building  of  the  church,  so  that  it  may  be  finished  by 
the  end  of  October.  It  has  come  to  "  his  knowledge  " 
that  the  Tyrolese  are  likely  to  spend  another  winter 
at  Schmiedeberg  (we  have  provided  against  that, 
however),  and  as  this  must  be  prevented — he  knowing 
that  proper  support  was  needed  for  our  indefatigable 
labours,  for  mine  particularly — he  has  commanded 
President  von  Merkel  to  place  them  abundantly  at 
our  disposal,  and  has  also  told  President  Stolberg 
to  provide  workmen,  materials,  etc.,  on  the  spot,  if 
required ;  he  has  also  ordered  Rother  to  bestow  all 
the  resources  of  the  Erdmannsdorf  property. 

The  interest  and  care  which  the  King  devotes  to 
this  Tyrolese  business  is  really  incredible.  At  first 
the  affair  seemed  to  me  to  be  fated  ;  but  after  mature 
consideration  of  the  pros  and  cons,  I  felt  glad  that 
new  life  had  been  put  into  it,  and  that  others  see  what 
we  have  done,  and  have  yet  to  do.  I  told  the  Burgo- 
master about  the  letter  when  he  called  yesterday,  and 
he  went  to  Bockshorn,  and  drove  direct  to  Erdmannsdorf, 
and  ordered  the  master  mason  and  carpenter  to  come 
here  to-day.  But  President  von  Merkel,  only  too  glad 
to  make  it  up  with  us,  and  help  where  he  can,  has 
saved  me  the  trouble.  He  arrived  yesterday,  was 
put  au  fait  of  everything  by  Fleidl,  and  betook 
himself  early  this  morning  straight  to  the  settlement 
with  the  clerk  of  the  works,  the  architect,  and  others. 
Every  one  was  on  the  spot,  and  the  Burgomaster 


FRIEDRICH   WILHELM   IV.,   KING  OF  PRUSSIA,    AS   CROWN   PRINCE. 
(/.  Kirclwf  del.     G.   IV,  Lehmann  sc.) 

[To  face  p.  260. 


1838]     COTTAGES   FOR   THE   TYROLESE        261 

brought  me  the  result  at  half-past  eight.  I  had  settled 
to  inspect  some  building  at  Seidor^  and  drove  there 
at  once.  On  my  way  back  I  met  the  President  with 
two  carriages,  and  he  made  them  stop,  jumped  out, 
and  testified  to  his  devotion — wanted  to  report  every- 
thing to  me  to-morrow,  made  a  statement  of  the  whole 
business ;  and  upon  my  expressing  the  wish  that  the 
work  should  be  so  furthered  by  those  in  authority 
as  to  allow  half  of  the  cottages  being  ready  for  occu- 
pation in  the  autumn,  he  replied  that  his  Majesty 
desired  that  all  of  them  should  be  ready — that  is, 
that  before  the  end  of  autumn  all  the  forty-six  must 
be  up,  and  to  this  I  said  "  Amen,"  and  went  on  my 
way.  Now  we  shall  see  what  his  authority  accom- 
plishes. I  shall  be  very  glad  if  he  storms  a  bit ;  all 
the  better,  it  is  all  the  same  to  me.  .  .  .  You  fancy 
how  all  eyes  were  upon  us.  I  hope  I  did  not  make 
a  face. 

There  was  no  falling  off  of  guests  at  Buchwald 
during  the  summer  and  autumn,  .  .  .  among  whom 
were  President  von  Gerlach  with  his  wife  and  nephew 
from  Frankfort.  The  Countess  observes  : 

He  seems  firmly  grounded  in  the  faith,  the  spreading 
of  God's  kingdom  lies  very  near  his  heart ;  he  belongs 
to  the  Church  Militant,  and  is  sometimes  sharp-tongued, 
or,  to  put  it  better,  he  is  rough  and  cutting. 

MEADOW  HOUSE,  October  i,  12.30. 

Here  jour  old  friend  is  sitting :  who  could  have 
believed  it  ?  But  what  can  the  weather  and  love  for 
the  two  dear  boys  [Ferdinand  and  August  Carolath] 
not  do?  They  said  long  ago  that  they  could  not 
have  a  greater  pleasure  than  to  go  up  the  mountains 
once  more  with  their  aunt.  We  started  at  half-past 
seven  in  cool,  but  very  fine  weather ;  Caroline  and 
I  in  the  chaise,  the  Carolaths,  Krause,  and  our  pastor 
in  the  carriage.  Hampel  was  waiting  for  us  on  the 
height  and  waving  his  hat.  Four  strong  bearers  met 
us  at  Exner,  and  we  set  off  in  high  spirits  at  five 
minutes  to  nine.  We  reached  Hampel's  house  at 
eleven  o'clock,  rested  for  ten  minutes,  and  then  went 
on,  the  air  somewhat  cooler,  but  delicious.  The  scenery 


262  NEW   TASKS  [1838 

was  sublime,  and  the  horizon  so  clear  that  we  counted 
twenty-eight  places  from  SeifFengruben  Plateau,  where 
we  breakfasted  at  half-past  ten  off  cheese,  fresh  butter, 
and  rolls.  The  three  Zillerthal  colonies  looked  splendid 
from  all  points.  Faithful  to  our  promise,  we  got  up 
here  about  twelve  o'clock.  I  have  never  penetrated 
so  far  before. 

October  2. 

After  we  had  partaken  of  an  excellent  meal,  we 
walked  and  were  carried  to  the  Ziegenrucken  ["  The 
Goat's  Back  "],  and  at  our  feet  both  right  and  left  lay 
the  seven  valleys,  S.  Peter's  Peak,  and  the  church  on 
the  greensward.  It  is  a  wonderful  scene,  charming, 
and  yet  terrible.  According  to  our  plan,  we  were 
back  at  the  Meadow  House  punctually  at  three 
o'clock,  packed  up,  and  went  off  to  the  big  pond. 
But  what  a  climb  for  dizzy  heads  like  Caroline's  and 
mine  especially!  Ferdinand  and  Hampel  led  me. 
I  walked  on,  happy  when  we  reached  firm  foot-hold, 
and  rejoiced  to  have  seen  this  lofty  mountain  once 
more  and  the  lovely  views  from  its  heights,  which, 
however,  become  more  charming  as  one  descends. 
We  reached  the  Schlingel  building  about  five  o'clock, 
and  pretty  Bruckenberg  at  half-past  five ;  by  six  we 
were  at  Krummhubel,  where  we  had  a  capital  supper 
of  rolls,  bread,  butter,  partridges,  and  field-larks,  and 
at  half-past  seven  we  were  at  the  tea-table  at  home. 

I  brought  back  some  little  souvenirs  of  the  day 
for  the  household — small  pictures  of  the  Meadow 
House,  and  mountain  scenes — which  gave  great 
pleasure. 

We  went  to  Siegert's  last  Bible  lesson ;  it  was 
admirable,  and  impressed  the  Zillerthalers,  though 
too  affecting  now  and  then.  Their  unanimous  thanks 
afterwards  affected  me  still  more. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

October  12. 

I  despatched  the  daily  messenger,  a  woman,  at  six 
o'clock,  whose  commissions  all  lie  ready  by  my  bed- 
side ;  the  coachman  knocks  at  seven,  and  I  give  him 
the  orders  for  the  day  through  the  door  (just  now 
especially  there  is  a  good  deal  of  peat  to  be  sent 
away) ;  then  I  am  disposed  for  sleep  again,  and  I  often 


1838]     THE  MEETING-ROOM  DEDICATED       263 

yield  to  the  inclination  on  the  first  days  of  the  week, 
but  later  on,  when  it  is  a  question  of  answering  your 
letter,  I  steel  myself  against  it,  and  after  looking  out  the 
hymns  for  the  evening  and  performing  my  devotions, 
I  take  pen  in  hand,  and  scare  sleep  away  as  much 
as  possible,  as  I  am  doing  to-day,  to  wish  you  good- 
morning  and  have  a  chat  with  you. 

We  drove  to  the  colony  on  Wednesday,  and  to 
see  the  new  pastor,  who  was  solemnly  consecrated 
the  day  before.  I  have  known  him  a  long  time ;  he 
is  my  second  Bible  director,  and  I  respect  him  very 
much.  I  delight  in  him  and  in  his  unaffected  wife, 
and  in  their  simple  style  of  life.  .  .  . 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

October  13. 

We  attended  the  dedication  of  the  meeting-hall  at 
Erdmannsdorf  to-day,  and  thank  God  that  this  has 
been  finished  for  my  Zillerthalers.  .  .  .  Superintend- 
ent Nagel  discoursed  for  two  hours  and  a  half  on 
the  dedication,  expressing  himself  in  a  pompous  and 
highly  ornate  style.  .  .  . 

It  would  be  a  good  thing  if  the  three  colonies 
received  names,  so  that  they  could  be  distinguished 
one  from  the  other.  Would  not  the  King  name  them 
Upper,  Middle,  and  New  Zillerthal  ?  The  pastor  also 
wisnes  it,  for  the  sake  of  definite  arrangement. 

In  the  autumn  Countess  Reden's  nephew  Heinrich 
LXXIV.  (Henly)  was  seriously  ill  at  Jankendorf,  and 
she  and  her  sister  Caroline  went  to  see  him  when 
he  became  stronger.  It  was  a  trial  to  her  that  he 
was  not  at  Neuhof,  within  reach  of  Buchwald,  for 
there  had  been  almost  daily  intercourse  between 
them.  He  gave  her  a  son's  affection,  and  partici- 
pating in  all  her  varied  interests,  he  was  a  great 
comfort  to  her.  He  was  wont  to  say  in  after-years. 
"  It  used  to  be  so  at  Buchwald.  I  thought  every- 
thing there  was  good  and  beautiful."  And  he  often 
said  how  grateful  he  was  for  his  aunt's  influence,  and 
how  much  he  owed  to  having  lived  near  her.  The 


264  NEW   TASKS  [1838 

motherliness  of  her  nature,  the  need,  as  it  were,  to 
take  some  one  under  her  wing,  is  shown  in  her 
relations  with  Princess  Wanda  Czartoryska  at 
Ruhberg,  with  whom  she  sympathised  in  word  and 
deed,  and  who  repaid  her  with  a  daughter's  affection. 
The  Princess,  on  her  side,  took  a  lively  interest  in 
the  Countess's  labours  for  the  Kingdom  of  God,  and 
shared  her  work  for  the  Bible  Society,  and  for  the 
Zillerthal  settlers,  which  was  remarkable,  when  one 
considers  that  the  Princess's  husband  was  a  Roman 
Catholic,  as  were  also  her  brothers  and  sisters.  The 
Countess  was  intimate  with  Prince  Czartoryski,  and 
also  with  her  other  Roman  Catholic  neighbours, 
Count  and  Countess  Schafgotsch,  at  Warmbrunn, 
though  in  their  case  there  were  many  difficulties  to 
be  overcome. 

To  these  difficulties  belonged  the  ill-will  which 
Pastor  Feldner  had  to  endure  at  Schreiberau,  of 
which  parish  Count  Schafgotsch  was  patron.  Feldner 
had  become  pastor  in  1831,  and  was  at  that  time  the 
only  pastor  in  the  Hirschberg  valley  who  preached 
the  Gospel  with  power.  He  exercised  widespread 
influence,  and  many  souls  were  awakened  to  the 
living  faith  by  his  means.  But  at  the  same  time 
there  was  bitter  hostility  against  him,  and  the  most 
extraordinary  lies  were  circulated  about  him. 
Countess  Reden  had  watched  the  blessed  evidences 
of  his  zeal  with  sincere  pleasure,  and  she  defended 
him  against  all  accusations.  It  was  about  this 
time  that  the  glass-workers  were  paid  off  by  their 
employers  and  rendered  destitute.  A  legacy  which 
had  been  placed  in  his  hands  was,  by  the  Countess's 
advice,  applied  to  the  work  of  reviving  this  industry ; 
and  when  that  sum  came  to  an  end,  and  the  pastor 
applied  to  Countess  Reden,  she  at  once  sent  him 


1838]  PASTOR  FELDNER  265 

two  hundred    Reichthalers    to    help    him    carry   on 
the  work. 

Pastor  Feldner's  enemies  succeeded  at  last  in 
effecting  a  sudden  and  illegal  suspension  of  his  office, 
and  it  was  chiefly  owing  to  the  Countess's  representa- 
tions that  he  was  reinstated.  A  lasting  memorial 
to  his  zeal  at  Schreiberau  is  the  Refuge  there,  of 
which  Countess  Reden  became  a  patroness  and  a 
true  friend. 

The  Zillerthalers  were  able  to  move  into  their  new 
cottages  before  winter  set  in,  but  the  "  Muetter's  " 
labours  were  in  no  way  relaxed.  They  needed  advice, 
admonition,  mediation,  and  assistance,  and  she  had 
many  trials  with  her  children,  though  a  great  deal 
of  pleasure  as  well. 

There  was  a  good  deal  to  do  in  connection  with 
the  distribution  of  the  field-fruits  among  the  colonists, 
which  had  been  reaped  on  the  Erdmannsdorf  estate, 
so  much  per  head,  according  to  the  amount  of  land 
held  by  each  man — no  slight  task ;  but  the  Countess's 
exact  knowledge  of  the  proper  proportions,  and  the 
great  confidence  which  the  Zillerthalers  had  in  her, 
made  it  possible  to  satisfy  them. 

Countess  Reden  writes,  while  on  a  visit  at  Janken- 
dorf: 

October  29. — I  miss  my  faithful  Tyrolese  tormentors, 
to  whom  one  becomes  accustomed. 

And  concerning  the  opening  of  the  school  in 
December  she  writes  : 

I  cannot  tell  you  what  I  felt  on  entering  the  building, 
so  simple,  and  yet  so  entirely  suitable.  I  could 
have  knelt  down  and  worshipped  at  the  sight  of 
the  children,  when  I  saw  them  hanging  with  child- 
like affection  on  my  glances  and  on  those  of  the 
master.  I  had  been  very  much  touched  on  awaking 


266  NEW   TASKS  [1838 

in  the  morning  by  the  beautiful  texts,  "  Ask  what 
I  shall  give  thee"  (i  Kings  3-5),  and  "Then  had  the 
churches  rest  and  were  edified,  and  walking  in  the 
fear  of  the  Lord,  and  in  the  comfort  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  were  multiplied"  (Acts  ix.  31).  And  also  by 
the  verse  which  so  exactly  applied  to  the  founding 
of  the  colony  and  of  the  school,  "  Preserve,  O  Lord, 
Thy  house  and  Thy  flock,  who  are  so  dear  and 
precious  to  their  Shepherd.  Build  them  up  without 
and  within,  and  may  the  undertakings  of  all  the 
inhabitants  be  firmly  established." 

I  took  the  words  with  me,  and  how  happily  I  was 
impressed  by  Pastor  Roth  beginning  with  them,  and 
giving  a  beautiful  address  upon  the  text !  He  was 
delighted  to  have  chanced  upon  it.  The  dedication 
and  the  induction  of  the  master  followed.  .  .  .  There 
was  an  examination  of  the  children,  and  I  said  a 
few  words  as  an  expression  of  these  dear  children's 
gratitude  to  the  King,  and  then  announced  to  the 
grateful  community  that  the  whole  contents  of  the  old 
schoolhouse  at  Schmiedeberg  were  to  be  presented  to 
the  new  one  by  our  beloved  Prince  Wilhelm.  .  .  . 

Lovely  sunshine  pouring  into  the  room  drives  me 
out  of  doors.  We  are«  sleighing  at  present,  and  the 
goal  of  my  drives  is  in  my  colony.  I  am  visiting  by 
degrees  all  the  cottages,  and  I  am  delighted  with 
many  of  them,  but  others  leave  something  in  the 
way  of  order  and  cleanliness  to  be  desired. 

Countess  Reden  received  a  gift  from  the  King  in 
recognition  of  her  services.  It  was  a  bronze  statuette 
by  Rauch,  the  celebrated  sculptor,  of  three  figures- 
two  children  standing  on  each  side  of  August  Hermann 
Francke.  It  was  accompanied  by  an  official  letter. 

BERLIN,  December  16. 

The  sympathy  which  you  have  shown  in  the 
Zillerthal  affair,  from  the  time  of  the  immigration 
until  the  founding  of  their  dwellings,  claims  my 
gratitude  in  the  highest  degree.  Whilst  testifying 
to  this,  I  have  chosen  these  children  who  stand  look- 
ing at  their  benefactor  with  grateful  feelings,  in  the 
conviction  that  the  Zillerthal  people  are  filled  with 
the  like  sentiments  for  you,  and  which  will  therefore 


1838]  THE   KING'S   GIFT  267 

give  you  that  satisfaction  which  must  be  of  all  others 
that  which  your  heart  most  values. 

(Signed)  FRIEDRICH  WILHELM. 

The  Countess  writes : 

Even  if  one  does  not  deserve  so  much  favour,  yet 
the  kind  act  of  the  King  is  very  pleasing  to  me,  and 
I  know  it  will  rejoice  you  too.  The  answer  and  the 
thanks  will  be  easy  for  me,  for  I  know  well,  as  I 
have  said,  who  really  is  the  benefactor,  and  my  two 
children's  gaze  is  lovingly  directed  towards  him. 
The  dear  King  will  of  course  say,  "  I  did  not  mean 
it  so,"  but  so  it  is. 

"  The  Memorable  Incidents  in  the  Life  of  the 
Duchess  Dorothea  Sibylla  von  Liegnitz  und  Brieg" 
was  published  at  this  time,  and  it  inspired  many  with 
admiration  for  "die  Liebe  Dorel"  ("dear  Dora"),  as 
she  was  called.  The  Crown  Princess  also  shared 
this  enthusiasm,  and  had  a  portrait  of  the  noble 
woman,  which  had  been  found  in  the  castle  at  Berlin, 
lithographed.  She  asked  Countess  Reden's  advice 
as  to  the  best  way  of  employing  the  money  produced 
by  it,  and  the  latter  decided  upon  a  distribution  of 
Bibles  in  Brieg,  like  that  which  the  "  Liebe  Dorel " 
had  instituted  in  1619.  This  institution  was  affiliated 
to  the  Buchwald  Bible  Society,  and  Bibles  were  sent 
to  Brieg  for  distribution,  with  a  facsimile  of  the 
Duchess,  on  October  19  every  year,  the  anniversary 
of  her  birthday. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  the  Countess  writes  : 

To  my  grateful  shame  all  my  dear  neighbours  came 
to  congratulate  me.  The  Upper  and  Lower  Zillerthal 
colony  sent  their  children  with  the  most  touching 
letters  and  verses.  It  was  almost  too  much  for  my 
old  bones.  Joyful  tidings  came  from  Berlin  on  the 
ist,  that  our  King  had  himself  asked  for  information 
concerning  Feldner's  affair  from  the  Minister;  that 
the  latter  was  as  favourable  as  possible ;  and  that  the 


268  NEW   TASKS  [1839 

King  commanded  suspension  to  be  at  once  removed, 
and  for  Pastor  Feldner  to  be  provisionally  reinstated 
in  his  office.  The  dear  Crown  Prince  has  co-operated 
powerfully  and  actively,  and  we  can  but  return  praise 
and  thanks  that  the  true  faith  has  won  this  victory. 


9. 

I  drove  to  the  colony  with  August  Carolath,  where 
the  carpenter  greatly  desired  to  put  the  King's  mono- 
gram on  his  balcony.  I  inquired  of  the  King  through 
Princess  Wilhelm,  who  said  with  a  smile,  "  I  won't 
forbid  it  to  the  '  Muetter  '  "  ;  and  so  now,  making  a 
brave  show  in  fine  large  letters  on  a  black  board  there 
is,  "God  bless  King  Friedrich  Wilhelm  III." 

The  Countess's  tenants  gave  her  a  good  deal  of 
trouble  at  this  time.  Most  of  them  refused  to  pay 
arrears  of  taxes,  and  to  give  the  services  required  of 
them.  A  pettifogging  attorney  talked  them  over, 
saying  that  their  mistress  had  no  right  to  make  such 
demands. 

Countess  Reden  herself  thought  the  burden  too 
heavy  for  them  —  some  among  them  were  very  poor  — 
and  she  had  a  plan  for  relieving  them.  But  she 
demanded  unconditional  recognition  of  her  rights, 
which  many  of  the  people  acknowledged,  although 
a  great  number  of  them  were  unsubmissive,  even 
when  the  highest  court  of  justice  had  sentenced  them 
to  the  fulfilment  of  their  duties. 

Amid  all  these  interests  the  smaller  ones  were 
not  neglected,  and  she  pursued  her  botanical  studies 
industriously,  and  had  the  piano  and  harmonium 
thoroughly  repaired. 

JOURNAL 

February.  —  I  took  up  my  choral  playing  again. 
Botany  and  the  piano  bring  back  one  s  youth.  The 
Lord  is  merciful  in  permitting  it. 


1839]  WILHELM  HI'S  LAST  VISIT  269 

The  Countess  was  at  Jankendorf  in  May  for  the 
marriage  of  Marie  Stolberg  to  Count  Albert  von 
Schlieffen,  and  this  occasioned  another  meeting  with 
Countess  Eberhardine,  whom  she  visited  in  the  course 
of  the  summer  at  Salzbrunn. 

Countess  Reden  continued  in  the  closest  inter- 
course with  Theophilus  Reichel,  who,  both  as  a  school- 
boy and  as  a  student  at  the  Theological  Seminary  of 
the  Moravian  Brotherhood  at  Gnadenfeld,  had  nearly 
always  spent  his  holidays  at  Buchwald,  and  she 
followed  the  course  of  his  development  with  motherly 
affection.  He  was  now  a  master  in  an  educational 
establishment  at  Niesky,  and  had  among  his  pupils 
a  number  of  boys  to  whom  she  was  related,  or  much 
interested  in.  Levin  Reichel,  the  elder  of  the  two 
brothers,  was  a  minister  in  an  American  parish,  and 
had  married. 

Fritz  von  Kalckreuth  also  came  as  a  summer  guest 
to  Buchwald,  as  well  as  many  others. 

King  Friedrich  Wilhelm  III.  came  again  to 
Erdmannsdorf  this  summer,  when  Countess  Reden 
saw  him  for  the  last  time. 

JOURNAL 

August  9. — It  rained  yesterday  morning,  but  I  did 
my  work  in  the  Pavilion,  and  manufactured  the 
annual  flag,  which  is  flying  to-day,  as  the  King  has 
arrived.  I  drove  with  Fraulein  Teschner  and 
Elisabeth  to  the  settlement  in  the  afternoon,  to  impress 
upon  foreman  and  several  others  that  they  must  tidy 
up  their  houses  as  much  as  possible,  and  dress 
themselves  neatly,  for  this  is  what  the  King  likes, 
and  he  might  visit  them  unexpectedly. 

The  children  from  the  Zillerthal  school  who  are 
to  welcome  the  King  this  evening  came  at  eight 
o'clock  to  fetch  the  thirty-two  nosegays  which  we 
have  made  for  them. 

PAVILION,  August  10. — Thank  God  for  this   lovely 


2;o  NEW   TASKS  [1839 

weather!  The  Koppe1  is  beautiful,  covered  with  a 
delicate  haze,  but  perfectly  visible,  and  welcomes  the 
King  as  he  welcomes  it.  We  have  already  heard  that 
he  received  both  schools  up  at  the  hall,  first  the 
Zillerthal  children,  because  they  were  the  earliest 
arrivals,  and  then  the  others,  and  that  he  said  some 
kind  words  of  admonition  to  them. 

August  14. — We  were  punctual  at  church  on 
Sunday  at  Erdmannsdorf,  and  were  received  by  the 
pastors  wife. 

We  felt  a  thrill  when  the  King  entered  in  full 
uniform  with  his  daughter  and  son-in-law,  Prince 
Friedrich  of  the  Netherlands,  and  his  devout  bearing 
as  he  bowed  his  head  at  every  mention  of  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ  touched  us.  The  sermon,  upon  the 
Gospel  for  the  day,  was  quite  excellent,  powerful,  and 
convincing.  One  could  distinctly  observe  the  King's 
interest.  There  was  no  allusion  to  his  presence, 
nothing  special  said.  We  sang  Luther's  fine  hymn, 
"  Aus  tiefer  Noth  schrei  ich  zu  Dir."  The  King  greeted 
us  as  he  came  and  went.  Then  I  drove  with  Elisabeth 
to  call  upon  Princess  Friedrich,  who  with  her  husband 
and  daughter  gave  us  a  hearty  welcome.  As  we  were 
leaving,  Thumen,  the  Court  Marshal,  invited  us  with 
Elisabeth  in  the  King's  name  to  dinner  for  to-morrow, 
and  begged  me  to  ask  Wanda  also.  We  picked  up 
Fraulein  Teschner  and  Kalckreuth — they  had  taken 
a  walk  meanwhile — and  we  met  Brandenburg  and 
Merkel,  who  ran  after  us  for  a  chat.  The  latter  has 
been  treated  very  coolly. 

As  I  was  dictating  on  Monday,  Thumen  came  and 
hurriedly  announced  the  King,  who  was  already 
coming  upstairs.  I  threw  on  my  mantilla,  which  I 
keep  constantly  at  hand,  for  it  is  useful  in  covering 
deficiencies,  and  went  to  meet  his  Majesty,  who  had 
reached  the  last  steps  ;  the  ladies — his  daughter,  grand- 
daughter, and  Princess  Liegnitz — had  already  got  up, 
Prince  Friedrich  following.  I  conducted  the  King 
through  the  hall,  so  that  he  should  catch  sight  of  his 
charming  present  of  the  children,  and  that  I  might  again 
thank  him  for  it.  He  said  too  many  kind  things,  and 
among  others,  that  to  me  alone  belonged  the  place 
between  them,  and  a  bust  of  me  must  be  made  to  go 

1  The  Schnee  Koppe,  the  highest  point  of  the  Riesengebirge. — M.  B.-L. 


1 839]         THE  KING  ON  SCHNEE  KOPPE          271 

there,  and  not  one  of  himself,  etc.  I  had  to  sit  on  the 
divan,  at  Princess  Luise's  request,  between  her  and  the 
King,  and  we  had  a  most  charming  conversation  until 
a  quarter  to  one,  mostly  between  him  and  me,  the 
Tyrolese  being  the  chief  topic.  He  drolly  asked, 
"  But  where  are  we  to  get  chamois  for  them  ?  We 
have  none.  We  shall  have  to  turn  the  goats  out  and 
let  them  grow  wild."  I  could  fill  sheets  with  the 
conversation.  He  thanked  me  again  on  leaving,  and 
said,  "  We  are  going  back  through  your  domain  by 
the  new  road  to  the  wood."  After  I  had  made  my 
toilette,  we  got  into  the  carriage  and  arrived  in  good 
time.  Elisabeth,  whom  I  had  presented  in  the 
morning,  wore  snow  white,  and  I  wore  a  new  thick, 
dark  violet  costume  with  a  white  linen  cape  trimmed 
with  point  lace. 

We  dined  upstairs,  and  there  was  no  one  besides 
the  Czartoryskis  and  ourselves.  It  was  quite  informal 
and  pleasant. 

August  15. — Yesterday  was  a  busy  day,  and  a  very 
enjoyable  one.  .  .  .  Josephine  came  on  Saturday,  and 
we  had  dejeuner  with  her  and  Count  Ferdinand  in  the 
Pavilion.  The  weather  was  lovely  and  we  had  the 
pleasure  of  a  two  hours'  view  of  the  Schnee  Koppe. 
We  could  see  the  King  and  all  his  suite  quite  distinctly 
as  they  were  mounting  the  height,  and  it  was  so 
amusing  to  watch  the  crowd  of  people,  from  three  to 
four  hundred,  in  front  and  behind  him,  the  chaises  a 
porteur,  etc.  The  dear  King  had  a  splendid  day, 
and  is  quite  full  of  it. 

Service  here  yesterday.  Kalckreuth  and  Count 
Ferdinand  at  Erdmannsdorf,  where  they  expected  the 
Jannowitz  ladies.  Ernestine  came  here  with  her 
brother-in-law  in  great  suspense  about  the  invitation, 
but  bringing  everything  necessary  with  her.  The 
President  was  summoned  to  Court  at  eleven  o'clock, 
and  who  else  but  my  poor,  good  Kalckreuth,  whose 
acquaintance  Lindheim  had  made  here,  and  of  whom 
he  had  spoken,  and  of  our  relations  with  him.  This 
is  a  delicate  attention  to  me  from  the  dear  King,  which 
honours  me  more  than  all  outward  fiddle-faddles.  I 
met  him  with  the  invitation  at  the  door,  and  he  was 
quite  dumfounded  but  highly  delighted.  The  President 
took  him  with  him.  He  was  treated  very  graciously 
by  the  King,  who  inquired  concerning  his  father,  his 


272  NEW   TASKS  [1839 

birthplace,  and   our  connection   with    his    life.      He 
spoke  to  him  twice. 

I  had  taken  some  of  my  guests  for  a  drive,  and 
we  were  sitting  in  the  Meadow  House,  when  Elisabeth 
von  Schoning  came  and  said  that  Wilhelm  Stolberg 
had  suddenly  come  to  fetch  his  wife  and  mother, 
as  they  had  been  invited  by  the  King  to  tea  at  the 
chalet — I  was  glad  it  was  not  I — and  then  we  strolled 
on  as  far  as  the  Pavilion,  when  Hermann  comes 
rushing  up  to  say  that  Elisabeth  and  I  are  also 
invited.  The  King  was  going  at  once.  This  was 
beyond  a  joke,  for  my  toilette  and  the  drive  together 
would  have  taken  me  until  eight,  by  which  time  the 
King  generally  drives  home.  I  stayed  quietly  at 
home  and  wrote  to  Thtimen  how  matters  stood,  and 
now  I  await  what  follows. 

Evening. — The  day  has  been  quiet  beyond  expecta- 
tion. I  did  a  great  deal  of  preserving  with  my  girls, 
three  kinds  of  beans  and  cucumbers.  Wanda  called 
at  one  o'clock,  and  Thekla  von  Gumpert  from  Posen. 

To  church  on  Wednesday,  first  having  delighted 
Weigel  by  taking  him  the  Order.1  Minister  Rother 
was  here  from  half-past  eleven  till  one.  He  is  very 
kindly  disposed  towards  my  Tyrolese.  I  had  nothing 
to  ask  for,  for  he  had  again  done  more  than  I  thought 
really  necessary,  so  I  only  had  to  thank  him.  The 
mill  which  has  been  bought  and  presented  I  consider 
a  great  benefit,  as  their  manner  of  grinding  is  so 
entirely  different  from  ours.  Then  to  Erdmannsdorf 
with  Elisabeth ;  the  only  other  visitors  there  were 
the  family  from  Ruhberg  and  Pastor  Roth.  Wanda 
sat  on  the  King's  left,  and  I  sat  next  to  the  Princess 
of  the  Netherlands,  all  most  informal,  kind,  and 
pleasant.  The  King  was  more  than  gracious,  friendly 
and  confidential,  and  talked  to  me  with  infinite  kind- 
ness, and  took  leave  of  me  with  so  many  kind  expres- 
sions of  thanks,  that  I  felt  overwhelmed,  and  quite 
lost  countenance.  I  never  part  from  the  dear  man 
without  a  presentiment  that  it  is  for  the  last  time. 
He  has  never  shown  himself  so  kind  nor  so  cheerful 
as  this  time. 

We  intended  to  pay  a  visit  at  Warmbrunn  on  the 

1  An  Order  conferred  by  the  King  for  his  attentions  to  the  Tyrolese. 
— M.  B.-L. 


1839]  VISIT  TO  BUNZLAU  273 

22nd,  so  we  dined  early  and  were  preparing  to  start 
in  a  heavy  shower,  when  the  Princess  of  the  Nether- 
lands and  Princess  von  Liegnitz  called  in  a  light, 
open  carriage  with  post-horses,  wishing  to  take  leave 
of  us  once  more,  and  invited  us  to  tea  at  Schildau. 
We  had  the  horses  taken  out  and  drove  to  Schildau 
at  five  o'clock,  where  we  awaited  the  Princesses. 
We  spent  some  hours  together,  had  tea,  and  parted 
at  the  house  door.  Princess  von  Liegnitz  was  quite 
fascinating.  The  next  day  they  had  all  gone  and  the 
royal  episode  was  at  an  end. 

The  Fischbach  neighbours  came  in  October  for  a 
two  months'  stay.  The  beloved  Wanda  left  Ruhberg 
early. 

October  18. — Tuesday  was  exclusively  given  to  the 
making  up  of  the  money  accounts  of  my  Tyrolese,  and 
I  got  all  the  difficult  explanations  over  before  we 
drove  to  Fischbach  at  one  o'clock,  in  gala  attire,  in 
honour  of  Princess  Marie's  fourteenth  birthday.  She 
is  growing  very  pretty.  We  were  a  party  of  thirty- 
six,  and  dined  in  the  tent  This  reunion  of  all  the 
neighbours  is  very  pleasant  and  enjoyable. 

We  had  the  Fischbach  royalties  here  on  Wednesday 
evening  till  ten  o'clock,  and  Ottilie  Gneisenau's  port- 
folios supplied  capital  material  for  conversation. 
They  were  here  yesterday,  and  we  lunched  at  the 
farm  and  drove  out  afterwards,  admiring  the  fine 
view.  We  went  through  Middle  Zillerthal,  and  parted 
at  the  high  road. 

Countess  Reden  accompanied  her  niece  Elisabeth 
von  Schoning,  when  she  left  Buchwald  early  in 
November,  as  far  as  Gross-Krausche,  where  she 
spent  some  days  with  friends.  How  she  employed 
her  journey  for  the  benefit  of  the  Zillerthal  people 
she  herself  describes : 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

November  6. 

I  spent  a  long  while  at  the  rich  potter's  [Gothard],  at 
Bunzlau.  ...  I  wished  one  thousand  pieces  of  crockery 

1 8 


274  NEW   TASKS  [1839 

for  the  Zillerthalers,  who  are  in  great  need  of  this 
sort  of  dark  brown  ware.  The  old  man  is  a  loyal 
patriot.  He  was  anxious  to  help  them,  and  is  reduc- 
ing the  things  one  quarter  of  their  value,  and  will 
send  it  all  carriage  free  for  Christmas,  including  a 
case  of  Saxony  ware.  The  consignment  is  to  come 
to  the  school-house,  where  Hermann  will  undertake 
the  sale  of  it  at  the  cheap  rate  at  which  we  shall  be 
enabled  to  sell  it,  and  our  object  will  have  been 
attained.  So  the  "  Muetter"  is  obliged  to  look  after 
her  children's  interests,  and  reward  them  for  their 
confidence  in  her. 

BUCHWALD,  November  14. 

On  Wednesday  we  found  Princess  Wilhelm  at 
church,  she  having  been  at  the  Infirmary  and  the 
school  before  service.  She  came  to  us  afterwards, 
saying  that  she  was  very  much  edified,  as  every  one 
else  was,  and  she  had  a  talk  with  Feldner,  which  was 
interesting  to  her.  She  is  a  grand  woman,  and  so 
humble  and  so  affectionate. 

Countess  Reden  was  very  much  taken  up  with 
efforts  to  relieve  the  distress  among  the  weavers 
about  this  time,  and  she  was  assisted  in  her  en- 
deavours by  Madame  Lippert,  of  Hirschberg,  in 
redeeming  pieces  of  linen  which  had  been  pledged. 
Then  she  had  them  bleached  and  prepared  to  be 
sent  to  the  West  Indies,  where  they  were  in  demand 
for  mosquito  curtains.  The  Countess  carried  this 
business  through  with  the  help  of  Minister  Rother 
and  the  merchant  service.  Thus  a  friendly  connection 
was  established  between  the  Countess  and  Madame 
Lippert,  and  when  the  former  sometimes  drove  into 
Hirschberg,  she  found  it  pleasant  to  stop  at  the  well- 
to-do  burgher's  house,  and  Madame  Lippert  passed 
many  a  pleasant  day  at  Buchwald. 

In  December  Countess  Reden  writes  : 

Invited    by  the   dear    royalties    to    Fischbach    on 
Wednesday  at  half-past   nine,   and   we   lunched,   or 


1 840]  DEATH  OF  MADEMOISELLE  GENEVOIS  275 

rather  dined,  with  the  three  of  them  at  a  little  round 
table  in  the  Princess's  room,  and  spent  such  a  delight- 
ful hour  and  a  half  with  them. 

The  parting  affected  them  all  deeply,  and  the 
Princess  wept  bitterly.  "  It  is  harder  for  me  to  leave 
you  each  year ;  you  belong  to  my  life,"  were  her  last 
words,  and  I  could  only  press  her  silently  and  with 
deep  emotion  to  my  heart. 

The  Countess  was  not  well  at  the  beginning  of  the 
year.  She  writes  : 

I  can  work  and  be  industrious,  and  I  can  rejoice  in 
the  Lord. 

The  winter  was  a  very  quiet  one,  with  few  visitors, 
but  it  was,  as  usual,  a  busy  one.  The  Countess  was 
better  in  the  spring,  and  able  to  enjoy  her  home  and 
to  receive  some  particular  friends.  The  death  of  her 
old  governess  and  friend,  Mademoiselle  Genevois, 
who  had  spent  the  last  years  of  her  life  at  Cothen, 
in  the  loving  care  of  the  Duchess  Auguste,  was  a 
great  sorrow  to  Countess  Reden. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

March   16. 

I  had  an  indescribable  pleasure  this  morning,  for 
the  Moravian  Brotherhood  at  Herrnhut  has  asked  me 
to  help  them  to  find  a  copyist  and  translator  of  some 
important  folios  which  are  in  the  archives  at  Lissa,  in 
Poland.  Twelve  hundred  imperial  thalers  were  asked 
as  the  price,  which  was  collected  ;  but  now,  however, 
the  possessors  will  not  sell,  though  they  are  willing 
to  send  them  on  loan  to  Niesky.  You  may  imagine 
that  I  at  once  thought  of  my  persecuted  old  Hoek  in 
Bohemia,  to  whom  the  work  would  be  a  delight, 
besides  giving  him  a  peaceful  and  pleasant  old  age  at 
Niesky.  Such  are  the  Lord's  chosen  ways  !  Happy 
are  those  whom  He  will  use  as  His  feeble  tools  ! 

I  answered  Theophilus  at  once,  saying  how  it  could 
be  managed.  A  dwelling  would  be  provided  at  the 
house  of  the  Brotherhood,  plenty  of  paper,  pens,  and 
ink,  free  board  and  attendance,  and  six  silver 


276  NEW   TASKS  [1840 

groschens  a  day.  The  dear  old  man  will  be  over- 
joyed and  his  cares  at  an  end.  I  am  expecting  a 
speedy  reply,  and  then  the  glad  news  will  be  posted 
to  Hoek  at  Leutomischl. 

May  19. 

I  found  Stock,  from  Seidorf,  with  a  man  from  Upper 
Austria,  a  nailsmith,  who  had  arrived  with  his  wife 
and  five  children  at  his  house  the  previous  day,  and 
wanted  me  to  arrange  matters  concerning  a  dwelling 
for  him  and  for  his  admission  into  the  settlement.  I 
sent  him  to  have  his  passport  viseed  at  Schmiedeberg, 
and,  in  the  afternoon,  to  the  Landrath  with  my  recom- 
mendation, and  the  next  day  obtained  a  temporary 
shelter  for  them  in  Middle  Zillerthal. 

This  nailsmith  is  a  worthy  man,  and  has  left  his 
country  for  the  sake  of  his  faith.  He  will  join  our 
Church  after  due  probation.  He  is  an  excellent  nail- 
maker,  uses  machinery  without  fire,  has  brought 
money  with  him,  and  is  not  afraid  of  not  earning  his 
livelihood,  if  he  can  only  find  a  place  with  a  proper 
water  supply  for  the  manufacture  of  his  tools. 

This  temporary  settling  has  again  occasioned  a 
good  deal  of  writing  and  negotiating,  but  it  is  all 
done  now,  and  the  mother  richer  by  seven  children. 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

BUCHWALD,  June  15. 

I  can  hardly  describe  the  state  of  anxiety  and 
sorrow  we  have  lived  in  for  the  last  fortnight,  and 
yet  what  unspeakable  consolation  a  life  like  that  of 
our  dear  King,  of  most  blessed  memory,  gives  to  his 
family  and  to  all  his  sorrowing  subjects !  Surely  no 
ruler  has  ever  been  more  beloved,  and  our  present 
well-beloved  King  might  well  feel  afraid  at  having 
to  replace  such  a  loss,  if  he  did  not  place  his  whole 
confidence  and  hope  in  the  mighty  help  of  the  Lord, 
Who  will  never  forsake  him.  He  has  great  help  and 
support  in  the  faithful  companion  who  has,  by  God's 
mercy,  been  bestowed  on  him.  May  she  long  be  pre- 
served to  him  !  My  thoughts  rise  in  continual  inter- 
cession for  and  with  him.  Oh,  how  sad  and  yet  how 
happy  it  makes  me  to  think  of  the  Divine  guidance 
especially  shown  in  my  being  brought  so  much  nearer 
to  our  late  dear  King  through  the  Zillerthal  business, 


1840]  THE   KING'S   DEATH  277 

and  thus  learning  how  full  his  heart  was  of  faith  and 
love  and  wisdom  ! 

The  poor  Zillerthal  people  feel  this  loss  deeply,  and 
gather  round  the  "  Muetter  "  tearfully  listening  to  many 
things  about  their  father  and  truest  friend.  "What  a 
comfort,"  they  say,  "  it  is  to  know  that  he  rests  in  the 
Lord's  arms,  and  is  receiving  rich  reward  for  what 
he  has  done  for  his  poor  people ! " 

As  I  sat  in  the  Pavilion  yesterday,  a  very  heavy 
storm  arose  about  twelve  o'clock  with  incredible 
rapidity,  and  with  noise  and  great  violence ;  it  became 
so  dark  I  could  hardly  see  to  write.  I  had  never  seen 
anything  of  the  kind  to  equal  it,  and  all  at  once  there 
sounded  from  those  black  clouds  the  first  funeral  bell, 
and  soon  all  the  other  bells  in  the  neighbouring  moun- 
tains followed  it.  I  shall  never  forget  the  impression 
— it  was  as  if  the  whole  of  nature  had  shrouded  itself 
in  mourning  for  the  good  King,  as  the  bells  began 
to  toll. 

June  19  was  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the 
Buchwald  Bible  Society,  which  had  been  founded  by 
Count  Reden,  and  this  jubilee  was  especially  affecting 
to  his  widow,  as  it  was  associated  with  some  of  the 
most  sorrowful  days  of  her  life. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

The  important  annual  festival  of  the  Bible  Society 
was  on  Friday,  and  it  was  a  very  trying  day  for  me, 
for  all  that  I  went  through  long  ago  came  back  to  my 
mind,  more  so  than  I  could  have  believed  possible 
after  twenty-five  years,  and  it  cost  me  many  tears.  So 
it  is  with  true  widows — the  wounds  seem  to  close,  but 
they  never  will  and  ought  not  to  be  healed.  I  had 
very  much  to  do  and  read  over  before  six  o'clock,  and 
at  nine  all  the  members  assembled  here,  quite  a 
hundred.  The  school  came,  the  bells  began  to  ring,  and 
the  procession  walked  slowly  towards  the  church,  I 
walking  between  the  two  directors  of  1816  and  1817. 
Caroline,  as  treasurer,  walked  with  Haupt,  the  repre- 
sentative ;  then  the  members  two  and  two.  Boys 
distributed  hymns  to  everybody,  and  we  sang  the 
first  one  when  about  three  hundred  paces  from  the 


278  NEW   TASKS  [1840 

church.  An  introit  was  sung  as  we  entered,  and  we 
sat  on  benches  round  the  altar.  Siegert's  prayer 
there  was  very  beautiful ;  then  there  was  a  splendid 
choral  sung  by  four  voices,  men's ;  after  which  an 
account  of  the  Society  was  read  from  the  altar, 
dealing  with  its  first  commencement  up  till  now. 
Good  Haupt's  precision  made  it  rather  too  detailed, 
but  it  was  subject  for  adoration  when  one  heard 
how  from  a  grain  of  mustard  seed  a  mighty  tree 
had,  by  God's  help,  grown  up.  The  collection 
brought  in  twenty-nine  Reichthalers.  The  school 
did  not  return  with  the  procession,  and  we  went 
straight  to  the  salon,  where  I  read  the  report.  It  was 
half-past  one  when  the  register  was  signed.  The 
meeting  was  opened  and  closed  by  our  singing  a  verse 
of  a  hymn.  Everything  was  ready  in  the  house, 
where  four  tables  were  spread  for  seventy-six  members; 
several  others,  with  their  families,  went  to  the  brewer's. 
The  whole  affair  went  off  quietly  and  decorously. 
My  two  favourites,  Franckhauser  and  Stock,  dined 
with  us  as  members.  Coffee  was  served  in  two  rooms. 
Four  handsome  Bibles  were  presented  to  the  church- 
wardens, as  a  remembrance  for  the  good  people 
of  their  parishes.  We  must  indeed  praise  and  glorify 
God  for  all  this ;  and  to  fully  realise  what  has 
been  done,  it  is  necessary  to  know  the  work  from  the 
beginning.  The  schoolmaster,  his  assistant,  and  I  are 
the  only  ones  left  of  the  original  seven  members. 

THE  COUNTESS'S  REPORT 

It  is  said, '  Out  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh,'  but 
I  do  not  feel  the  truth  of  this  saying  to-day.  I  am 
poor  in  words,  deeply  moved,  humiliated,  and  over- 
whelmed by  the  mercy  of  God,  and  by  the  memory  of 
our  dear  founder.  On  this  day,  and  at  this  hour,  five- 
and-twenty  years  ago,  in  great,  but  undeserved  love 
for  me  he  nominated  me  to  the  office  of  President  for 
life,  to  this  society,  which,  after  mature  consideration, 
he  founded  for  his  own  parish.  A  fortnight  later  he 
was  at  rest  with  the  Lord,  and  I  am  convinced,  from 
having  experienced  much  unexpected  assistance  in  my 
weakness,  that  we  owe  the  special  blessing  which  lies 
on  our  Bible  work  to  his  faithful  prayers.  On  June 
19, 1815,  our  little  assembly  consisted  of  seven  persons  ; 


1 840]      REPORT  OF  THE  BIBLE  SOCIETY        279 

and  to-day  we  number  four  hundred  and  five  members. 
From  a  tiny  grain  of  mustard  seed  it  has  become  a 
mighty  tree  which  spreads  its  branches  with  beneficial 
effect  over  two  hundred  and  twenty  parishes.  Our 
festival  to-day  is  not  suited  to  sad  recollections,  only 
to  thankfulness  and  joy.  But  we  must  all  remember 
that,  however  much  has  been  accomplished,  much 
more  might  be  done  if  all  our  members  were,  as 
in  apostolic  days,  of  one  heart  and  mind  in  recog- 
nising it  as  a  duty  and  privilege  to  make  God's 
Word  a  universal  possession.  Oh !  let  us  all  pray 
that  God  will,  in  His  mercy,  grant  what  is  yet 
lacking  in  each  one  of  us,  without  exception,  in  the 
active  fulfilment  of  our  duties  as  true  members  of 
this  society. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  remind  you  of  the  exhortation 
and  prayer  of  our  great  German  Reformer,  Martin 
Luther,  which  had  especial  weight  with  our  beloved 
founder.  He  was  the  first  who  ventured  to  give  the 
Holy  Scriptures  to  the  laity  in  their  intelligible 
mother-tongue,  and  desired  that  the  Word  of  God 
might  be  sent  into  all  the  world,  to  the  strong 
and  to  the  weak,  to  princes  and  to  serfs,  to  the  wise 
and  to  the  foolish  ;  and  with  the  same  joy  in  our 
faith,  we  too  wish  to  send  the  Holy  Scriptures  forth 
to  all  mankind,  particularly  into  all  houses  of  the 
two  hundred  and  five  parishes  connected  with  us. 
Let  each  one  contribute  according  to  his  power,  the 
rich  man  of  his  riches,  the  poor  man  of  his  poverty, 
and  thus  promote  the  salvation  of  our  brethren,  and 
lead  them  to  eternal  life.  For  this  life  is  eternal, 
that  they  may  know  Thee,  the  only  true  God,  and 
Jesus  Christ  Whom  Thou  hast  sent. 

The  summer  of  1840  was  an  extremely  busy  one, 
and  there  was  a  continual  coming  and  going  of  many 
guests,  enough  to  make  one  giddy  on  looking  through 
the  journal. 

Sometimes  breakfast  would  be  served  in  the 
Orangery,  and  the  Countess  would  do  her  writing 
and  dictation  at  the  Muttersitz,  or  the  Rosenmantel ; 
Tyrolese  would  come  on  business,  sometimes  Princess 
Wanda,  or  passing  guests  would  be  taken  quickly 


280  NEW   TASKS  [1840 

round  the  park.  Then  early  lunch  in  the  salon,  and 
some  of  the  party  despatched  on  a  mountain  ex- 
pedition, while  the  hostess  drives  to  the  Zillerthal 
colony,  or  pays  a  call  at  Ruhberg ;  perhaps  she  would 
go  to  tea  at  Neuhof,  whither  some  of  her  guests 
would  follow  her,  or  it  would  be  in  the  Pavilion  with 
her  guests.  Then,  again,  she  is  busy  preserving 
cucumbers,  beans,  and  cherries,  with  the  help  of 
Sister  Steengord,  Frau  von  Richthofen,  Princess 
Wanda,  or  whoever  else  chanced  to  be  staying  with 
her.  And  though  she  alludes  to  feeling  indisposed, 
she  far  exceeds  the  average  daily  work  of  those  who 
are  sound  in  health. 


CHAPTER  VI 

FRIENDSHIP  WITH   THE   KING 
1840 — 1854 

FRIEDRICH  WILHELM  IV.  had  ascended  his 
father's  throne.  One  can  easily  imagine  how 
much  Countess  Reden's  mind  was  occupied  with  the 
new  King — her  friend,  as  he  called  himself.  "  My 
King "  is  an  expression  which  often  occurs  in  her 
letters.  He  belonged  to  the  number  of  her  particular 
favourites,  and  stood  very  near  to  her  as  a  friend,  as 
one  of  her  adopted  children  ;  and  now  he  had  ascended 
the  throne.  How  much  that  meant  to  her,  who 
thought  so  highly  of  the  office  of  King!  In  her 
sanguine  fashion  she  expected  a  sort  of  golden  age, 
in  which  mercy  and  truth  should  meet  together,  and 
righteousness  and  peace  kiss  each  other.  Ah !  this 
golden  age  had  indeed  existed  in  the  good  King's  mind, 
but  he  was  not  able  to  realise  it,  and  this  brought,  not 
only  to  himself,  but  to  his  old  friend,  bitter  sorrow  as 
time  went  on.  But  just  now  a  constant  jubilation 
seems  to  ring  through  everything  she  says. 

The  royal  couple  went  to  Erdmannsdorf  in  August, 
and  the  Empress  of  Russia  to  Fischbach  at  the  same 
time.  The  five  Wernigerode  sisters  all  met  at  Buch- 
wald,  some  of  them  with  their  families ;  countless 
other  visitors  came  and  went,  and  there  was  incessant 
distraction  all  the  summer. 

281 


282  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING       [1840 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

A  courier  arrived  in  the  night  of  August  15,  with  a 
letter  from  the  dear  King,  who  wished  to  write  before 
coming  to  see  me.  He  wrote  most  charmingly.  .  .  . 

We  had  hardly  breakfasted  before  we  had  visits 
from  Anton  and  Henrich  Stolberg.  .  .  .  Then  Herr  von 
Stein  and  the  Prince  Bishop,  Count  Sedlnitzky,  who 
stayed  till  half-past  twelve.  Stein  and  Schoning  took 
a  long  walk  with  me,  and  talked  quite  openly  and 
naturally  about  the  Bishop's  position.  Upon  receiv- 
ing a  Brief  from  the  Pope,  he  sent  in  nis  resigna- 
tion to  him,  and  soon  after  to  the  King.  He  has 
not  had  an  answer  from  the  former  yet ;  the  King 
has  reluctantly  given  his,  and  reserves  to  himself 
the  right  of  appointing  him  Privy  Councillor  in  the 
Roman  Catholic  division  of  the  new  Consistory  which 
is  about  to  be  established,  and  where  he  can  do  great 
things  for  Silesia.  We  all  went  to  church  on  the  i6th. 
The  dear  King,  with  his  wife,  had  arrived  the  day 
before,  and  every  one  was  full  of  his  kindness,  and 
there  was  a  large  concourse  of  people.  All  the 
gentlemen  were  commanded  to  wait  on  the  King  at 
eleven  o'clock,  and  they  assembled  here  on  their 
return  en  grand  costume,  and  we  dined  in  the  salon. 

JOURNAL 

August  17. — A  full  measure.  Crowds  of  messengers. 
To  the  Queen  at  half-past  eleven  at  Erdmannsdorf. 
I  waited  at  Fraulein  von  Werdeck's,  as  the  Empress 
was  there.  We  three  sisters  had  a  delightful  hour 
with  her.  The  King  was  holding  a  Council  and  could 
not  see  us.  We  dined  at  Fischbach,  the  two  girls 
with  us.  All  the  Stolbergs  were  there,  and  all  the 
royalties.  I  sat  by  Princess  Agnes  of  Dessau — a  very 
nice  girl. 

August  1 8. — Herr  von  Thiimen  came  again,  and  all 
he  told  me  about  the  King,  and  his  manner  of  speaking, 
touched  me  very  much.  The  King  surprised  us  at 
five  o'clock.  He  was  indescribably  kind,  so  I  was 
able  to  express  my  feelings  in  a  few  words.  Then 
the  Queen  arrived.  .  .  .  They  are  a  dear  couple,  and 
charmed  every  one. 

August  19. — A  memorable  day.  The  King  came  with 
Anton  Stolberg,  and  talked  to  Feldner  for  a  quarter  of 


1 840]  OATH  OF  ALLEGIANCE  TO  THE  KING    283 

an  hour,  or  rather  listened  to  him  and  graciously 
acquiesced  in  what  he  said.  When  Feldner  left,  I 
had  a  conversation  with  the  King,  which  I  shall  never 
forget.  The  subject  was  faith,  and  the  extermination 
of  rationalism.  .  .  .  The  King  promised  to  speak  to 
Leopold  Schafgotsch,  and  has  done  so. 

August  23. —  I  was  commanded  to  Fischbach,  and 
sat  between  Wanda  and  Agnes  of  Dessau.  After 
dinner  I  had  the  pleasure  of  a  delightful  quarter  of  an 
hour  with  the  King.  I  hope  the  Lord  put  truth  and 
justice  into  my  mouth,  and  that  my  words  went  to  his 
noble  heart.  I  shall  never  forget  what  he  said.  Then 
back  home,  and  at  six  the  royalties  came — nineteen 
persons.  We  had  light  refreshments  in  the  Pavilion. 
The  Empress's  presence  attracted  a  crowd  of  people, 
many  hundreds  of  them.  She  went  out  at  seven,  and 
every  one  had  to  go  with  her.  She  saw  the  nursery 
garden  and  arbour,  and  took  her  departure  at  half- 
past  seven  with  most  of  the  company.  The  best  part 
was  to  come,  for  the  royal  couple  went  upstairs  with 
me,  and  we  had  another  delightful  hour. 

August  31. — In  pain  the  whole  morning,  and  none 
the  better  for  hurrying  back  from  the  Meadow  House 
to  receive  the  Empress.  The  rapid  walk  upset  me 
very  much.  Besides  the  Empress,  there  were  Prince 
and  Princess  Wilhelm  and  Princess  Elisabeth  with 
her  little  son  Waldemar,  and  the  Duchess  of  Dessau. 
I  was  able  to  have  a  pleasant  and  quiet  talk  with  the 
Empress. 

Evening. — We  had  a  pleasant  dinner  party,  the  two 
Czartoryskis,  five  Kiisters,  and  Pastor  Valette.  I 
introduced  five  special  Zillerthalers  to  him  after 
dinner,  with  whom  he  conversed  a  long  while  as  he 
followed  me  to  the  Pavilion,  whither  the  rest  of  the 
party  had  gone  and  were  awaiting  us  for  coffee.  .  .  . 
I  intend  to  let  the  King  find  my  oath  of  allegiance  on 
his  writing-table.  Hardly  any  one  will  take  a  truer 
oath  to  him. 

October. — People  talk  of  nothing  but  the  King.  .  .  . 
The  enthusiasm  has  risen  to  the  highest  pitch.  .  .  . 
My  Wanda  has  sent  me  a  State  newspaper  containing 
two  splendid  speeches — what  shall  I  say  about  them 
that  you  have  not  also  thought  and  felt  and  exclaimed  : 
"  It  is  unparalleled  "  ?  Just  think  of  that  "  Ja  ! "  from 
between  sixty  and  seventy  thousand  voices. 


284  FRIENDSHIP   WITH    THE   KING       [1840 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

November  10. 

What  shall  I  say  about  all  we  have  read,  and  learnt 
by  word  of  mouth,  from  Berlin  respecting  those 
speeches,  which  are  unequalled,  since  the  King  who 
has  delivered  them  has  not  his  equal.  Oh,  how 
distinctly  one  feels  whence  he  draws  his  inspiration, 
uttering  words  which  go  from  his  heart  to  the  hearts 
of  millions,  stirring  and  touching  them,  filling  them 
with  enthusiasm,  and,  if  God  will,  winning  them  to 
himself  for  ever!  I  could  talk  of  it  for  days,  could 
fill  sheets,  and  not  come  to  an  end.  This  much,  how- 
ever, I  know,  that  my  Lord  and  King  has  filled  my 
old  age  with  joy  and  peace;  every  one  says  it  can 
be  seen  in  my  face,  and  I  know  best  how  the  fulfil- 
ment of  all  my  wishes  and  prayers  for  him  appears 
to  me  as  a  blessing  from  God. 

December  6. 

I  was  at  Erdmannsdorf  to-day  for  the  farewell 
sermon,  and  I  took  leave  of  the  dear  and  oft-visited 
church  with  a  feeling  of  gratitude  and  emotion,  which 
I  cannot  describe.  For  the  Lord,  in  His  mercy,  vouch- 
safed to  use  me  as  a  weak  instrument  in  obtaining 
its  success.  I  shall  never  forget  how  deeply  moved 
I  was  by  the  sight  of  our  late  King  among  his  Ziller- 
thalers,  to  whom  he  granted  liberty  of  religion  and 
conscience  in  his  own  country. 

December  24. — Very  busy  with  Christmas  prepara- 
tions, sending  off  mottoes  and  sausages.  The  giving 
of  my  presents  took  place  before  dinner.  We  stayed 
at  home,  and  Fritzcnen  carried  out  Wanda's  com- 
missions, for  she  never  forgets  us.  Then  we  gave  each 
other  our  presents.  The  fairest  of  all  gifts,  and  one 
that  surpasses  all  thought,  is  our  dear  Lord  and 
Saviour  Himself,  at  Whose  manger  bed  we  stand 
to-day.  Oh,  what  a  light  streams  from  it  upon  every 
heart  which  will  open  itself  to  receive  it !  Oh,  take 
mine  and  make  it  more  and  more  Thine  own ! 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

January  18,  1841. 

We  had  the  Schafgotschs  to  dinner  and  also  the 
Kusters,  who  came  in  sleighs.  Quiet  reunions  like 
this  are  so  pleasant  in  winter ;  we  exchange  news  and 


1841]     PRINCE  CARL  WISHES  BUCHWALD    285 

experiences,  and  though  we  are  only  together  for  a 
short  time,  the  meeting  is  very  agreeable. 

The  Countess  was  repeatedly  begged  to  sell  Buch- 
wald  about  this  time.  Prince  Carl  wanted  to  have  it 
a  tout  prix  ,  and  another  gentleman  in  a  high  position 
actually  said  that  it  had  been  offered  to  him  by 
Countess  Reden,  which  she  declared  was  absolutely 
false.  Her  whole  heart  clung  to  it,  and  she  valued 
very  highly  the  rights  and  duties  it  gave  her.  It  was 
therefore  doubly  hard  to  bear  the  disaffection  of 
tenants  when  they  were  called  upon  to  pay  the  lawful 
taxes.  The  number,  however,  increased  of  those  who 
begged  for  pardon,  and  acknowledged  her  rights. 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

February  10. 

The  mere  thought  of  selling  Buchwald  seems  so 
monstrous  to  me  that  I  cannot  understand  how  any 
one  who  knows  me  can  think  of  it  for  an  instant.  The 
Abbey  is  here,  and  every  tree  and  every  bush  has 
associations,  or  is  a  monument  of  affection.  And  then 
the  tenants  who  were  entrusted  to  me,  though  many 
among  them  have  grieved  me  and  still  do  so,  the 
greater  number  are  faithful,  and  some  are  coming  over 
every  day  to  a  sense  of  their  duty  and  of  my  rights. 
I,  of  course,  readily  forgive  them,  and  pray  the  Lord 
to  grant  me  forgetfulness  also,  which  is  not  so  easy. 
The  lawsuit  which  they  compelled  me  to  bring  against 
them  has  been  decided  in  my  favour,  but  forty  of 
them  do  not  believe  in  it  and  want  to  appeal,  very 
much  to  their  own  detriment. 

May  1 8. 

The  boat  has  crossed  the  water  and  brought  me 
your  Royal  Highness's  charming  letter,  which  gives 
me  so  gratifying  a  proof  of  your  remembrance  of 
the  i2th. 

This  spring  has  not  had  its  equal  since  1811,  and 
I  shall  ever  regret  that  you  did  not  spend  it  in  the 
mountains.  All  nature  is  in  festal  array,  I  might  say 
in  its  bridal  dress,  there  is  such  a  splendour,  such  a 


286  FRIENDSHIP   WITH    THE   KING      [1841 

luxuriance   of  leaf  and   blossom,   which    often   quite 
carries  me  away. 

I  went  to  breakfast  this. morning  at  the  Mariannensitz, 
and  as  I  felt  the  mild  air  and  saw  the  beautiful  moun- 
tains and  the  wealth  of  lilac  blossom,  I  folded  my 
hands  in  adoration  of  God,  Who  has  granted  so  mucn 
loveliness  to  be  my  portion  through  my  dear  husband, 
who  entrusted  it  to  my  care. 

Fraulein  Teschner  was  at  Buchwald  for  a  few  days 
in  the  summer.  Countess  Reden,  who  had  watched 
the  growth  of  her  educational  establishment  at  Walden- 
burg,  very  strongly  advised  her  to  buy  a  house  and 
garden  which  had  been  offered  her.  Fraulein  Teschner 
replied  that  she  would  be  hard  put  to,  to  borrow  the 
necessary  money.  Then  Countess  Reden  showed  her 
a  letter,  which  announced  the  repayment  at  Christmas 
of  a  loan  amounting  to  exactly  the  required  sum.  The 
loan  was  gratefully  accepted,  and  the  house  bought,  in 
which  the  school  flourished  for  over  twenty-five  years. 
The  Countess  added  :  "  It  was  my  husband's  gift  on  my 
marriage,  and  it  has  always  brought  a  blessing."  She 
also  stipulated  that  it  should  be  paid  back  in  gold. 
Her  husband  had  added  the  sum  to  her  wedding 
portion  the  day  after  her  marriage  in  gold  pieces 
(Friedrichs  d'ors). 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

September  21. 

Writing  is  almost  too  much  for  me  just  now,  for 
the  arrival  of  Mrs.  Fry  and  her  relations — a  blessed 
visit  for  us — takes  up  the  whole  of  my  time,  and  I 
devote  it  gladly  to  her  and  her  cause.  But  what  days 
they  have  been,  and  how  poor  everything  seems  by 
contrast  !  We  met  her,  Caroline  and  I,  at  Fischbach 
on  Friday ;  she  was  in  a  superb  travelling-berlin  with 
four  post-horses.  Princess  Wilhelm  introduced  us  to 
each  other,  and  was  quite  delighted  at  bringing  about 
our  meeting,  and  our  hearts  found  each  other  at  once, 
and  went  out  to  one  another  in  love.  The  tall,  fine 


1841]  MRS.   FRY'S   VISIT  287 

figure,  dressed  in  brown  satin,  with  a  beautiful  mantle 
and  a  Quaker  cap,  as  well  as  her  delightful  niece  Anna 
Gurney,  daughter  of  her  handsome,  dignified  brother 
Joseph,  and  the  charming  Elizabeth,  a  daughter  of  her 
brother  Samuel,  are  one  and  all  most  attractive.  The 
interpreting  began  at  once,  and  we  sat  together  for 
an  hour  before  dinner.  Think  of  all  the  exaltation 
that  united  dignity,  calmness,  and  gentleness  can 
give,  and  you  will  see  this  splendid  woman,  from 
whose  lips  flow  nothing  but  loving  Christian 
words.  Her  brother  and  the  girls  are  remarkable 
characters,  but  every  one  disappears  before  this 
woman,  the  loving  helper  of  mankind.  Besides  all 
this,  she  is  frank  and  cheerful.  But  no  more  of  her 
outward  appearance  and  conversation,  except  to  say 
shortly,  that  she  is  gentle  and  fluent  in  style,  and 
speaks  with  both  power  and  modesty.  I  hardly  ever 
heard  such  wealth  and  brilliancy  of  language,  and  this 
makes  it  very  difficult  to  translate,  though  it  is  a 
blessed  thing  to  listen  to.  We  dined  in  the  tent  at 
Fischbach,  and  I  sat  next  to  Mrs.  Fry  to  interpret 
for  her. 

I  was  present  at  the  audience  the  Queen  gave 
Mrs.  Fry  and  her  party  from  half-past  eleven  till  one 
o'clock.  The  good  Friends,  for  whom  I  was  obliged 
to  find  lodgings  at  Schmiedeberg,  dined  and  remained 
to  tea  with  us,  leaving  at  half-past  eight.  Count  Anton 
also  dined  here.  Princess  Wilhelm  stayed  from  six 
till  seven,  and  Countess  SchOnberg  and  Countess 
Dohna  were  also  delighted  to  find  Mrs.  Fry  when  they 
came  at  six.  She  sat  on  the  sofa  and  told  us  about 
her  life,  and  we  were  deeply  interested.  Theophilus 
and  a  dear  young  schoolmaster  arrived  about  eight. 
I  had  sent  for  them  at  Joseph  Gurney's  request. 
Herr  Wiinsche  is  very  proficient  in  English,  as  is 
Theophilus.  Mrs.  Fry  came  after  church  at  half-past 
eleven,  and  carried  us  all  off  with  her — thirteen  persons 
in  all.  I  placed  Wanda  in  the  carriage  with  them,  and 
I  drove  with  Gurney  and  my  two  interpreters,  who 
kept  translating  the  most  beautiful  things  he  said 
concerning  the  slave  trade  and  prisoners.  Princess 
Wilhelm  received  us  with  open  arms,  and  we  had  an 
excellent  meeting  of  two  hours'  duration  in  the  large  red 
room.  Ernestine  and  Elisabeth  Stolberg  were  there, 
and  returned  back  with  us  afterwards.  Our  dear 


288          FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING       [1841 

Friends  came  to  us  in  the  afternoon,  and  brought  the 
most  beautiful  tracts,  bound  with  gold  edges,  but  in 
ordinary  covers ;  and  although  they  had  a  hundred 
copies,  the  crowd,  all  sorts  of  people,  was  so  great 
that  we  distributed  them  all,  and  could  have  given 
away  more  if  we  had  had  them.  The  neighbours  from 
Fischbach,  Neuhof,  Stonsdorf,  Schildau,  and  the  Court 
from  Erdmannsdorf  all  came,  one  after  another,  till  at 
last,  after  eight  o'clock,  our  two  dear  Sovereigns 
arrived.  The  dear  King  had  only  just  come,  arriving 
at  Erdmannsdorf,  at  four  o'clock,  and,  suddenly  re- 
membering that  it  was  Sunday,  "  for  in  my  life  one 
forgets  everything,"  consoled  himself  with  the  thought, 
"  But  I  can  go  to  my  dear  Countess  Reden  in  the 
evening,  for  I  shall  hear  the  Word  of  God  there." 
Then  "  Elise"  had  said  that  she  would  like  so  much  to 
hear  Mrs.  Fry.  "  But,  child,  that  is  exactly  what  I 
want  to  hear  also  " ;  and  so  the  dear  couple  came.  I 
had  misgivings  about  the  hall,  which  was  getting  very 
full.  One  hundred  and  twenty  Tyrolese  came,  for 
Mrs.  Fry  wished  to  give  them  an  address,  and  to  keep 
their  Sabbath  with  them.  There  were  forty  or  fifty 
people,  at  least,  in  the  next  room  whom  I  had  not 
expected ;  and  who  should  help  me  out  of  my  difficulty 
but  the  King  himself?  He  followed  me  into  the  hall 
to  see  his  people,  and  suggested  that  chairs  should  be 
differently  placed.  "  My  people  can  stand,  and  then 
double  as  many  can  be  got  in,"  he  said.  Then  he 
called  them,  and  helped  me  to  arrange  the  chairs, 
asked  the  other  people  to  come  in,  and  said  that  those 
who  could  not  get  in  must  stand  in  the  doorway  of 
the  large  room.  He  himself  took  a  seat  by  the  ladies, 
and  signed  for  me  to  come  also. 

The  addresses  were  uncommonly  fine,  and  were 
capitally  rendered  into  German,  and  the  meeting 
closed  with  the  blessing.  The  Frys  spoke  with  every- 
one after  it  was  over.  We  did  not  break  up  till  half- 
past  ten,  for  dear  Mrs.  Fry  said  another  prayer,  and 
thus  the  eventful  day  ended.  I  was  alone  with  the  dear 
Friends  for  an  hour  and  a  half  on  Monday.  They  read 
me  a  document  which  is  to  be  laid  before  the  King — 
an  unusually  beautiful  one  upon  the  improvement  of 
reformatories,  hospitals,  and  schools.  Then  they  drove 
to  Erdmannsdorf,  where  they  stayed  for  two  hours, 
and  were  enchanted  with  the  King.  He  conducted 


1841]  PARTING   FROM    MRS.   FRY  289 

Mrs.  Fry  to  her  carriage  and  kissed  her  hand.  I  had 
sent  for  the  interpreters,  who  were  overcome  with  it 
all.  Theophilus  was  obliged  to  return  to  Niesky,  but 
Wiinsche  and  the  Councillor  Hinckeldey  accompanied 
the  Friends  to  Jauer  to  inspect  the  Reformatory.  .  .  . 
After  a  hasty  toilette  we  two  went  with  Mrs.  Fry  and 
her  party  to  Fischbach.  There  was  another  serious 
discourse  and  a  beautiful  prayer  after  dinner,  and  then 
we  took  leave  of  one  another.  We  were  deeply  moved, 
as  they  were  also,  and  we  gazed  long  after  the 
carriage  as  it  drove  away. 

Elizabeth  Fry  writes  of  those  days  : 

We  arrived  at  Hirschberg  on  September  10.  It  is 
a  charmingly  situated  mountain  town,  about  a  mile 
from  the  royal  castle  of  Erdmannsdorf,  and  Fischbach, 
Schildau,  and  Buchwald  are  not  far  from  it.  The 
Countess  Reden  lives  in  the  last-named  place,  and  we 
have  been  hearing  a  great  deal  about  her  and  her 
benevolent  and  truly  Christian  character.  The  ex- 
cellent Countess  Reden,  who  is  always  ready  to  help 
where  she  can,  was  our  interpreter  at  Princess 
Wilhelm's. 

There  is  to  be  a  meeting  at  Countess  Reden's  this 
evening  for  every  one  who  may  care  to  attend.  She 
is  a  mother  in  Israel,  to  both  rich  and  poor.  We 
dined  with  her  yesterday.  How  charmed  you  would 
be  with  her  and  her  sister !  They  are  true  ex- 
amples of  the  beauty  of  holiness.  Though  all 
eyes  are  fixed  on  them,  their  appearance  is  modest 
and  unassuming.  The  Countess  dresses  in  a  style 
suited  to  her  position,  but  in  no  way  exaggerated. 
The  dinner  was  very  good,  but  only  one  kind  of  wine. 
In  honour  of  us  there  were  (English)  apple-dumplings, 
which  were  regarded  as  curiosities,  but  were  very 
nice.  The  company  remained  silent  for  a  few  moments 
before  and  after  the  meal,  instead  of  grace  being  said.1 

1  Elizabeth  Gurney,  niece  of  Elizabeth  Fry,  and  afterwards  Madame 
Ernest  de  Bunsen,  writes  from  Fischbach,  September,  1841,  an 
account  of  this  visit  to  Silesia  : 

The  Countess  Reden  was  there,  talking  English  perfectly,  an 
excellent  Christian  lady  belonging  to  one  of  the  first  families  in  Silesia. 
We  dined  at  four.  .  .  .  Our  aunt  sat  by  Countess  Reden,  who  served 
as  interpreter  to  the  Princess  and  made  herself  most  agreeable.  .  .  . 
I  wish  you  could  see  Princess  Wilhelm,  Countess  Reden,  and  our 

19 


290  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING       [1841 

Countess  Reden  writes : 

October  3  was  an  eventful  day,  and  a  most  im- 
portant one.  The  King  called  and  stayed  until 
half-past  two.  We  were  quite  alone  in  the  nursery 
garden  at  first,  for  an  hour  and  a  half.  All  that  was 
discussed  and  brought  under  notice  would  fill  many 
sheets,  for  which  I  have  no  time ;  nothing  great  or 
small  that  I  knew  anything  about  was  omitted,  and 
perfectly  grand  ideas  were  suggested.  The  weavers, 
spinners — he  wished  to  know  about  everything;  he 
said  he  "was  still  so  ignorant."  The  result  is  that 
I  am  to  buy  the  grey  linen  (at  his  order),  just  as  I 
wish ;  the  benefit  is  therefore  doubled.  "  I  am  so 

aunt  together — such  a  trio,  and  with  something  alike  in  the  manner 
of  all  three  of  them. 

HiRSCHBERG,  September  29. 

Countess  Reden  is  truly  a  wonderful  person,  so  beaming  with 
goodness.  Many  of  the  magnificent  mountains  belong  to  "die  Grafin," 
as  she  is  called  here — a  complete  mother  in  Israel,  which  is  especially 
manifested  by  her  being  the  counsellor  and  protector  of  four  hundred 
poor  Tyrolese,  who  fled  from  their  country  in  1838  on  account  of 
religious  persecution,  and  settled  in  a  lovely  valley  close  to  Erdmanns- 
dorf,  under  the  protection  of  the  late  King,  in  little  Swiss  cottages 
which  he  built  for  them,  having  sent  his  chaplain  Strauss  to  the  Tyrol 
to  inquire  into  their  religion  before  he  would  allow  them  to  come. 
Countess  Reden,  who  was  a  near  friend  of  the  late  King,  and  is  a 
friend  of  all  the  present  royal  family,  did  all  she  could  for  them, 
established  a  school  for  them,  and  is  considered  the  very  life  of  the 
party.  She  lives  in  the  lovely  chateau  of  Buchwald,  the  land  for  six 
miles  round  belonging  to  her — a  beautiful  combination  of  lake,  mountain, 
and  woodland  scenery.  Her  husband  died  many  years  ago,  but  her 
sister  lives  with  her. 

At  eleven  we  started  for  the  King's  palace  at  Erdmannsdorf — a 
truly  picturesque  spot,  and  the  view  from  the  balcony  in  front  of  the 
house  unspeakably  lovely.  Here,  with  a  lady-in-waiting,  and  with 
the  Countess  Reden  and  her  sister,  we  sat  waiting  for  the  Queen, 
who,  as  soon  as  she  appeared,  took  our  aunt,  our  circle,  and  Countess 
Reden  into  the  next  room.  .  .  .  Our  aunt's  part  of  the  visit  went  off 
most  satisfactorily ;  the  Queen  looked  so  pleased  and  gracious,  and 
spoke  with  so  much  heart  of  her  wish  to  join  Countess  Reden's 
reunion  in  the  evening.  For  the  Countess  was  bent  upon  my  aunt 
and  uncle  having  a  meeting  with  her  "Tyrolese,"  and  sent  sixty  miles 
for  an  interpreter  to  be  at  her  residence,  Buchwald,  at  the  time 
appointed  for  the  meeting.  .  .  .  Countess  Reden  met  us  at  the  top 
of  the  flight  of  steps  that  leads  to  the  house,  and  gave  us  a  hearty  kiss 
of  welcome,  and  we  were  introduced  to  her  guests,  the  Princess  of 
Holstein-Richthofen  and  her  daughter,  Count  Stolberg  and  his  niece 
Countess  Helene  Stolberg.  At  three  we  dined  on  trout,  roebuck,  etc. 
Afterwards,  when  our  aunt  had  had  her  rest,  we  strolled  about  the 
grounds  with  Countess  Reden,  who  interested  us  extremely  by  her 
wonderful  anecdotes,  and  by  her  tales  of  her  husband,  who  founded 


1841]        ELIZABETH  GURNEY'S  LETTER         291 

happy  under  your  faithful,  motherly  wing,"  he  said — 
"so  happy  to  be  able  to  say  everything,  and  to  hear 
nothing  but  the  truth  ;  if  only  you  do  not  become 
tired." 

I  received  a  hasty  message  at  four  o'clock,  to  say 
that  the  King  would  come  again  in  the  evening  with 
Prince  and  Princess  Wilhelm,  accompanied  by  Anton 
and  Carl  Roder,  and  I  had  everything  arranged.  Then 
the  King  was  announced,  and  it  was  certainly  a  case  of 
"  Here  we  are  again,"  as  he  remarked.  We  were 
thirteen  at  two  tables.  There  were  a  great  many 
things  to  look  over  and  to  say,  so  that  the  conversation 
did  not  flag  for  a  moment,  and  the  King  was  the  soul 

the  Bible  Society  in  Silesia,  which  is  now  such  a  large  concern,  54,000 
copies  of  the  Bible  having  been  distributed.  We  returned  from  the 
end  of  the  garden  by  water,  the  boatmen  rowing  us  across,  and 
we  entered  into  the  pleasure  she  had  in  showing  off  every  new  view 
of  "  my  dear  Buchvvald,"  as  she  called  it.  In  the  evening,  when  many 
of  the  Countess's  friends  had  come,  my  aunt  told  the  story  of  her 
early  life,  which  the  Countess  interpreted,  and  which  was  received 
with  the  deepest  interest. 

The  next  day  was  the  Sabbath.  At  eleven  we  again  started  from 
our  inn  for  Buchwald.  It  was  a  fresh  autumnal  morning,  and  the 
country  looked  lovelier  than  ever.  On  reaching  Buchwald  we  found 
the  Princess  Czartoryska,  terribly  altered  by  illness,  but  she  made  an 
effort  to  go  with  us  to  Fischbach.  Countess  Reden  had  brought  two 
interpreters,  Moravian  Brethren,  with  her.  .  .  .  We  returned  to  our  inn 
at  Schmiedeberg,  enjoyed  our  dinner,  had  a  little  reading,  .  .  .  and  at 
six  started  again  for  Buchwald.  The  Fischbach  party  arrived  soon 
after  us.  As  the  party  began  to  assemble  for  my  aunt's  meeting, 
gentlemen  from  the  Court  gave  notice  that  the  King  and  Queen 
were  both  coming.  My  uncle  was  not  well,  and  my  aunt  felt  deeply 
the  weight  of  the  meeting,  which  was  in  Countess  Reden's  large  dining- 
room,  and  which  gradually  filled  by  Tyrolese  peasants,  till  it  was 
crowded.  Our  uncle  and  aunt  were  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  room 
before  a  table.  "Now,  dear  Mrs.  Fry,"  said  Countess  Reden,  "we  will 
begin  with  psalm-singing ;  then  you  shall  speak,  then  your  brother, 
and  then  we  will  have  another  psalm."  The  psalm  was  very  sweetly 
chanted,  the  King  and  royal  family  joining.  Then  from  her  seat,  our 
aunt  spoke,  addressing  herself  to  the  Tyrolese,  who  stood  opposite. 
"I  have  been  thinking,"  she  said,  with  great  sweetness,  "of  the  text, 
'  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in  :  naked,  and  ye  clothed  me  : 
I  was  sick,  and  ye  visited  me:  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye  came  unto  me,' 
and  I  applied  it  in  my  heart  to  your  case,  and  the  story  of  the  late 
beloved  King's  dealings  with  you  "  ;  and  as  she  went  on,  she  united 
the  peasants  and  the  royal  family  in  a  way  equally  touching  to  both  ; 
as  she  expressed  her  words  and  prayers  for  those  in  the  most  exalted 
station  in  the  country,  the  King  was  moved  to  tears.  Then  our  uncle 
spoke  of  the  duty  of  the  King  on  the  throne  and  the  peasant  in  the 
cottage  equally  and  readily  to  acknowledge  Christ  as  their  Master 
and  Guide.  Another  psalm,  "  Lobet  dem  Herrn." 


292  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING      [1841 

of  it.  Several  people  came  to  prayers  at  half-past 
eight,  just  to  see  him.  The  prayers  touched  him  very 
much.  He  let  me  accompany  him  to  his  carriage,  and 
repeated,  as  he  heartily  embraced  me,  that  I  need  but 
address  myself  direct  to  him  whenever  I  was  in  any 
difficulty  about  any  good  cause,  and  to  Anton,  on 
behalf  of  the  poor  and  needy. 

October  18. 

May  the  Lord  be  with  him  !  This  King  has  not  his 
equal  anywhere.  His  chamberlain  has  brought  me 
two  thousand  Reichthalers  free  of  tax  for  the  Hirsch- 
berg  Bible,  and  six  hundred  and  twenty-five  Reich- 
thalers, with  the  request  to  buy  linen,  fifty-three  bales, 
at  different  prices,  which  the  King  desires  to  present 
to  his  travelling  retinue. 

He  leaves  on  Monday  morning,  and  has  delayed 
his  departure  so  as  not  to  interfere  with  the  harvest 
festivals  and  sermons. 

Harry  Reuss  died  at  Stonsdorf  just  at  the  time  of 
the  King's  visit.  His  Majesty,  who  had  a  great  regard 
for  the  dying  man,  and  appreciated  him  very  much, 
was  in  the  chamber  of  death,  and  went  to  the  funeral. 
Countess  Reden,  who  had  spent  the  last  days  at 
Stonsdorf,  was  too  ill  to  go  to  the  funeral,  so  Princess 
Wanda  Czartoryska  stayed  with  her  at  the  farmhouse, 
reading  with  her  hymns  suited  to  the  occasion. 

The  new  edition  of  the  Hirschberg  Bible  was  taken 
in  hand  about  this  time,  and  the  Countess  writes  on 
October  16: 

I  have  discussed  and  talked  over  the  whole  thing 
to-day  with  Krahn,  the  printer,  and  gave  him  two 
thousand  thalers  in  ready  money,  and  three  thousand 
by  subscription  on  five  hundred  copies. 

It  is  remarkable  how,  when  one  task  was  fulfilled, 
another  claimed  the  Countess's  interest.  The  Ziller- 
thalers  were  settled,  and  though  they  had  become 
accustomed  to  the  new  conditions  of  life,  they  often 


1 841]  THE    NORWEGIAN   CHURCH  293 

went  to  her  for  counsel  and  help.  The  business  con- 
nected with  their  colonisation  was  completed,  and 
now  she  turned  her  attention  to  the  edition  of  the 
Hirschberg  Bible,  which  had  long  been  partially 
settled,  and,  with  the  assistance  of  the  King,  could 
now  be  put  forth. 

An  ancient  church  in  Norway  of  peculiar  archi- 
tectural beauty  had  been  pulled  down  and  sold,  and 
Friedrich  Wilhelm  IV.,  acting  on  his  old  friend's 
advice,  bought  it  and  had  it  re-erected  in  the  moun- 
tains, founding  a  pastorate  and  school  for  the  in- 
habitants of  the  mountain  villages. 

How  Countess  Reden  fell  in  with  the  King's  ideas 
her  correspondence  testifies. 


To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

December  20. 

I  had  a  splendid  day  yesterday,  owing  to  our  dear 
King's  confidence  and  regard.  God's  guidance,  and 
the  use  He  makes  of  the  services  of  His  old  handmaid, 
however  imperfectly  she  carries  out  His  charge,  fill 
me  with  gratitude.  You  are  my  most  trusted  and  best 
friend,  and  you  will  be  silent,  and  will  share  my 
joyful  astonishment.  I  was  just  going  to  church,  when 
the  post  arrived,  and  Karl  Roder's  handwriting  with 
the  royal  seal  I  cannot  resist,  so  I  open  it.  The  words 
"  Norwegian  Church,"  "  my  friend  Countess  Reden," 
"  the  mountains,"  catch  my  eye,  and  I  divine  the  rest, 
slip  away  quickly  to  my  room,  and  fall  on  my  knees 
and  thank  the  Lord.  The  pastor  preached  upon 
means  of  grace,  and  I  thought,  "  Here  is  another,  and 
the  King  is  the  instrument."  I  read  the  letter  atten- 
tively as  soon  as  I  got  home.  The  gist  of  it  is  that 
he  has  bought  the  well-known  ancient  and  beautiful 
church  in  Norway  for  eighty  marks,  at  Steffen's  sug- 
gestion, is  anxious  to  put  it  up  and  to  dedicate  it  to 
the  Evangelical  worship  of  God,  and  I  am  to  advise 
him.  I  am  to  choose  the  site  and  give  the  directions. 
I  have  long  since  settled  in  my  own  mind  where  the 
site  should  be.  It  must  stand  in  full  view  of  Erdmanns- 


294  FRIENDSHIP  WITH   THE   KING      [1842 

dorf,  for  the  use  of  the  mountain  villages.  There 
ought  also  to  be  a  wooden  parsonage  in  the  same 
style,  simple  and  rustic,  large  enough  for  the  pastor 
and  schoolmaster.  The  services  of  the  little  church 
cannot  be  conducted  by  the  pastor  at  Schmiedeberg 
and  Arnsdorf.  No  pastor  ever  goes  up  there,  the 
people  die  without  the  consolation  of  the  Sacrament, 
and  the  children  are  often  baptized  when  six  weeks 
old,  or  die  on  the  six-hour  journey  in  winter.  An 
earnest,  active  candidate  should  be  ordained  for  that 
place,  and  it  would  be  a  practical  probation  for  him. 
Another  candidate  should  live  with  him,  to  help  him 
in  the  parish  and  be  trained  for  the  work,  and  to 
teach  the  wild  children.  The  children  are  often  naked 
till  they  are  nine  years  old.  Do  you  not  recollect,  my 
dear'  brother,  the  sight  you  witnessed  at  the  Hampel 
hamlet?  Now  there  will  be  an  end  to  that,  and  the 
people  will  go  to  church  and  no  longer  scoff  at  God. 
All  this  and  much  more  I  told  Roder  and  the  King, 
yesterday,  and  the  letter  went  this  morning.  May 
the  Lord  give  His  blessing  and  direct  our  hearts  ! 

The  King  replied  to  the  Countess  : 

Your  thoughts  respecting  my  Norwegian  church 
delight  me,  and  we  must  try  to  carry  them  out.  There 
will  be  no  great  difficulty  about  a  parish  room.  Only 
find  an  active,  earnest  minister. 

To  THE  KING 

January  2. 

What  has  not  the  Lord  in  His  mercy  given  me 
through  your  Majesty !  From  your  earliest  youth,  the 
highest  degree  of  joy  and  satisfaction,  and  now,  in  my 
old  age,  the  fulfilment  of  all  my  petitions  and  desires 
for  you.  Your  condescending  regard  and  confidence 
in  making  use  of  me  to  carry  out  your  aims  and 
objects  fulfil  my  heart's  warmest  desire,  and  will  always 
have  the  strongest  claim  upon  my  sympathy. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

February. 

My  thoughts  at  present  are  devoted  to  five  charges 
from  the  King  and  Queen.  First  concerns  the  business 
respecting  the  distribution  of  Bibles  at  Brieg,  in 


1842]      COMMISSIONS   FROM  THE   KING        295 

memory  of  the  "  Liebe  Dorel " ;  the  second  is  the 
order  for  having  sixty-four  pieces  of  linen  bleached, 
embroidered  and  marked  for  the  King;  the  third, 
the  Church  of  the  Redeemer ;  fourth,  the  Hirschberg 
Bible,  the  printing  of  which  is  at  last  to  begin  on 
March  i,  and  for  which  much  preparation  is  still 
required,  especially  the  correct  orthography,  which 
we  are  to  choose,  instead  of  using  the  antiquated 
spelling  of  Liebig ;  and  the  fifth  thing  is  the  hospital 
at  Erdmannsdorf  May  God  give  His  blessing  on  all 
these  works ! 

Just  now  we  particularly  need  immediate  permission 
to  fell  timber  for  building  the  church ;  the  foundations 
did  not  come  with  the  rest  of  it.  I  am  asking  the 
King  to  make  a  drawing  himself  for  the  parsonage, 
to  suit  the  character  of  the  church.  If  we  do  not 
bring  the  wood  up  from  Wolfshau  during  the  snow- 
fall, it  will  be  almost  impossible  to  do  so  later  on, 
and  would  cost  double.  There  is  time  for  everything 
else.  My  two  agents,  Herr  von  Berger,  the  director 
of  the  finances,  and  Herr  Hamann,  the  architect,  dined 
here  on  Sunday  and  Wednesday,  and  we  spent  several 
hours  working  at  this  business.  They  went  up  the 
mountain  on  Tuesday,  in  sixteen  degrees  of  cold — on 
the  top  it  was  twelve  and  a  half — to  choose  the  site 
for  the  church. 

March  10. 

You  should  see  how  the  King,  in  his  reply  about 
building,  goes  into  every  detail,  and  always  nits  upon 
the  right  thing,  even  in  the  matter  of  covering  the 
parsonage  and  school-house  with  "  composition," 
which  would  stand  the  wear  and  tear  of  the  severe 
climate,  and  which  is  not  inflammable,  in  case  of  fire, 
which  God  avert ! 

I  have  received  one  hundred  ducats  from  the  King 
for  the  Evangelical  community  at  HermannsseifTen,  in 
Bohemia,  to  be  added  to  the  schoolmaster's  salary, 
which  is  very  small.  I  am  now  expecting  the  pastor 
and  can  imagine  his  delight. 

March  23. 

If  the  days  have  not  been  rich  in  events  outwardly, 
they  have  been  all  the  more  full  of  signs  of  the  Lord's 
mercy,  signs  which  have  been  blessed  to  me.  On 
Monday  Krahn,  the  printer,  sent  me  the  first  complete 


296  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING       [1842 

sheet  of  the  Bible,  consisting  of  thirty-two  pages,  a 
really  successful  piece  of  printing.  I  cannot  describe 
the  humility  and  delight  with  which  I  opened  it — it 
was  through  God's  mercy,  all  the  result  of  ten  years 
of  hoping,  working,  and  praying.  Now  my  eyes 
behold  it.  And  yesterday,  what  do  you  think  I  got 
by  the  nine  o'clock  post  ?  Uhde,  a  Cabinet  Councillor, 
writes  that  the  King  sympathises  with  me  about  the 
Bible,  and  fully  recognises  how  important  it  is  that 
this  clear  explanation  should  be  circulated  for  the 
schools.  He  only  spoke  of  the  Hirschberg  district,  but 
he  wishes  to  take  into  consideration  the  whole  of 
Silesia,  and  proposes  to  take  ten  thousand  copies  in- 
stead of  three  thousand,  and  is  placing  as  much  as 
seven  thousand  Reichthalers  at  my  disposal.  He  is 
so  wise,  so  gracious,  so  affectionate  to  me,  but  too 
liberal,  more  so  than  is  necessary !  You  can  under- 
stand that  I  felt  as  if  dazed,  but  I  could  have  fallen 
on  my  knees  before  the  Lord,  Who,  by  means  of  His 
anointed,  has  again  chosen  His  old  servant  to  be  His 
instrument  of  great  beneficence. 

I  can  scarcely  wait  to  tell  Krahn  the  joyful  news. 
If  dear  Liebig  had  only  lived  to  see  this  day  !  Caroline 
is  copying  his  portrait  at  Lomnitz,  and  is  going  to 
have  it  lithographed  in  the  same  size  as  the  volume. 

April. 

We  had  a  meeting  yesterday  about  the  Hirschberg 
Bible — Pastor  Roth,  Haupt,  and  our  learned  and  very 
able  corrector,  the  candidate  Herbst. 

The  comparison  with  all  the  better  editions  of  the 
Bible  of  many  unintelligible  words,  descriptions,  etc., 
interested  me  very  much.  I  took  the  Meyer  edition, 
Roth  the  Basel,  and  Haupt  the  Halle  edition.  We 
got  as  far  as  the  Psalms,  and  did  not  dine  until  three 
o'clock. 


To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

April  25,  6  30  A.M. 

I  have  just  been  told  that  the  Church  of  the 
Redeemer  arrived  last  evening  at  Berbisdorf,  and 
that  it  is  to  be  taken  to  Stock's  at  Hohenzillerthal 
at  ten  o'clock,  and  there  unloaded.  How  inscrutable 
are  the  ways  of  the  Lord  !  From  the  coasts  of  Norway 


1842]     THE   ARRIVAL   OF   THE   CHURCH       297 

to  Hohenzillerthal !  Yonder  it  was  despised,  and  here 
it  is  received  with  reverence  and  joy  by  one  who  has 
been  outlawed  for  the  confession  of  his  faith.  It  will 
remain  there  until  the  site  is  levelled  for  it,  where  our 
dear  King  will  have  it  again  set  up  in  honour  and 
peace.  I  need  wisdom  for  each  work  entrusted  to 
me  by  the  dear  King.  People's  views  are  so  diverse, 
and  are  so  little  after  the  King's  mind,  that  it  is  given 
to  how  few  to  comprehend  him !  I  believe  I  have 
learnt  to  do  so,  from  having  known  him  since  he  was 
four  years  old,  having  followed  him  through  every 
period  of  his  life,  and  having  always  found  him  the 
same,  even  under  the  appearance  of  difference  which 
comes  with  age.  I  may  indeed  say  that  it  is  an 
indescribable  joy  to  me  when  he  can  find  something 
for  me  to  do,  and  that  I  neither  fear  opposition  nor 
will  yield  compliance  with  it. 

Afternoon,  5  o'clock. 

We  left  in  the  closed  carriage  at  ten  o'clock  on 
account  of  the  wind,  for  Caroline  was  very  anxious 
about  her  old  sister.  My  dear  portfolio  with  the 
drawings  of  the  church,  three  new  sketches  of  the 
lovely  belfry,  together  with  the  orders  for  the  church, 
must  have  reached  Wang  shortly  before  this,  which 
was  an  important  matter.  We  went  to  Stock's,  where 
the  second  waggon  had  arrived  and  was  in  the  act  of 
being  unloaded,  the  architect  and  his  clerks  taking  out 
the  pieces  and  numbering  them.  He  was  as  delighted 
as  I  was.  My  second  colleague  appeared  soon  after, 
Herr  von  Berger,  the  manager  of  the  finances,  and  we 
examined  the  various  old  bits  with  a  sort  of  respect. 
Portions  of  them  were  still  firmly  joined  together,  but 
very  much  damaged  here  and  there,  and  the  ornaments 
broken  away,  so  no  one  can  get  any  real  idea  what 
the  whole  thing  is  like.  I  should  despair  of  seeing 
anything  complete  arise  out  of  them,  did  I  not  know 
what  Hamann  is  capable  of  accomplishing,  and  with 
what  devotion  he  is  undertaking  this  difficult  task.  I 
thought  that  I  had  heard  that  the  church  was  of  oak ; 
but  no,  it  is  of  nothing  but  pine  wood,  and  notwith- 
standing this  it  has  held  together  for  one  thousand 
years.  This  is  encouraging  for  the  use  of  the  same 
wood  which  can  be  supplied  here.  The  whole  build- 
ing was  brought  in  nine  large  waggons.  I  remained 


298  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING      [1842 

on  the  spot  until  the  sixth  was  unloaded,  and  returned 
home  at  half-past  three. 

There  was  a  great  concourse  of  people  as  we  drove 
through  Hirschberg;  in  Seidorf  everybody  was  out, 
and  the  Tyrolese  very  much  to  the  fore.  Stock  called 
to  me,  "  Muetter,  have  you  read  to-day's  portion  ?  " 
"Yes,"  I  replied,  "and  I  have  brought  it  with  me," 
and  then  I  read  it  aloud,  and  the  words  seemed  to 
make  a  great  impression.  It  was  from  Isaiah  Iviii.  12, 
"And  thou  shalt  be  called,  The  repairer  of  the  breach, 
The  restorer  of  paths  to  dwell  in." 

Lord,  help  us  to  fulfil 
All  Thy  most  holy  will ; 
This  house  beneath  Thy  care, 
Here  may  we  dwell  with  Thee 
In  service  full  and  free, 
And  all  Thy  blessings  share. 

I  expect  Count  Stolberg  the  day  after  to-morrow, 
and  he  is  going  to  try  and  have  himself  carried  to  the 
place  where  the  Church  of  the  Redeemer  is  to  stand, 
For  it  appears  that  it  is  fairly  clear  of  snow,  and 
approachable  again.  To-morrow  I  am  going  through 
me  sketches  for  the  building  with  the  architect.  The 
belfry  will  quite  satisfy  him,  as  it  does  me,  and  it 
seems  so  completely  in  keeping  with  the  character  of 
the  whole,  that  there  is  no  mistake  as  to  its  being 
furnished  by  our  chief  master-builder.  May  I  ask 
you  to  inform  his  Majesty  of  the  arrival  of  the  church  ? 
I  felt  compelled  to  announce  it  to  your  Royal  Highness, 
like  everything  else  that  is  near  my  heart. 

To  THEOPHILUS  REICHEL 

March  27. 

They  are  working  hard  at  the  Norwegian  church. 
The  King  is  going  to  give  two  bells,  and  is  making 
sketches  for  the  belfry  himself.  May  the  Lord  only 
send  us  a  faithful  pastor  for  the  church,  one  who  is 
sound  in  body  and  soul,  and  entirely  devoted  to  the 
Lord  !  How  would  your  Werkenthin  do  ?  Can  he 
preach  ?  Have  you  heard  him  ?  Where  has  he 
studied  ?  The  position  up  there  will  be  a  unique  one. 

To-day,  shepherds  and  field-labourers ;  to-morrow, 
princes  and  the  King.  Great  solitude,  and  then  daily 
visitors.  One  must  be  humble  and  unassuming,  strong 
and  firm,  entirely  devoted  to  the  Lord.  Answer  my 


1842]  A   PASTOR   IS   SOUGHT  299 

questions  soon,  and  if  your  choice  inclines  to  him, 
sound  him  on  your  own  account,  and  tell  me  your 
opinion,  your  views,  but  keep  it  a  strict  secret. 

May  21. 

Perhaps  you  have  a  week  to  spare  to  your  old 
adopted  mother,  and  if  possible  bring  your  friend 
Werkenthin  with  you  on  a  tour  of  inspection  in  the 
mountains,  so  that  he  may  see  the  little  church  and 
the  place,  and  I  may  make  his  acquaintance ;  the 
Heynitzes  will  be  sure  to  spare  him.  The  church  will 
not  be  in  thorough  order  before  Whitsuntide,  1843,  at 
the  earliest,  for  the  labour  preparatory  to  making  a 
level  site,  and  the  very  difficult  task  of  restoring  a 
whole  from  pieces,  cannot  be  finished  under  a  year. 
I  am  anxious  to  know  what  Herr  Werkenthin  replies 
to  your  confidential  questions. 

On  May  1 1  Theophilus  Reichel  writes  from  Niesky 
to  Werkenthin,  tutor  at  Herr  von  Heynitz's,  at  KQn- 
igshayn : 

DEAR  FRIEND  AND  BROTHER, — 

I  have  been  hoping  to  see  you  some  day 
or  other  at  Niesky,  for  I  have  something  to  discuss 
with  you.  ...  I  ought  properly  to  sound  you,  but 
I  am  awkward  at  that,  so  I  prefer,  as  I  always  try 
to  do  in  such  cases,  to  come  straight  out  with  the 
subject,  and  tell  you  all  I  have  to  say. 

You  know,  of  course,  about  the  putting  up  of  the 
Norwegian  church  in  the  Riesengebirge.  A  pastor 
will  be  required  for  it  next  year,  at  the  latest. 
Countess  Reden  has  not  the  power  to  offer  the 
living  to  any  one,  but  much  depends  on  her  recom- 
mendations to  the  King.  So  she  has  asked  me  whether 
you  would  be  likely  to  be  the  fit  man  for  the  place, 
etc.,  and,  finally,  asked  me  to  sound  you  about  it.  I 
had  written  to  her  before  about  you,  of  our  friendship, 
and  so  on ;  how  much  else  she  may  know  of  you 
besides,  I  am  unaware. 

I  have  now  written  all  I  know  about  you,  and 
though  I  tried  to  make  you  out  as  black  as  possible, 
I  have  not  succeeded  in  dissuading  her  from  making 
inquiries  again,  and  more  earnestly  than  before.  But 
to  be  serious. 


300  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING      [1842 

To  the  question  as  to  whether  you  were  suited  to 
the  position,  I  have  answered,  very  decidedly,  "  Yes," 
and  have  given  her  my  reasons  for  saying  so,  for 
our  friendship,  short  though  it  may  be,  gives  me 
at  least  a  little  right,  I  think,  to  speak  of  you.  To  the 
question  whether  or  not  you  would  accept  it,  I  could 
answer  neither  "  Yes  "  nor  "  No."  That  you  will  not 
willingly  leave  Konigshayn,  I  can  imagine,  and  I  shall 
be  very  sorry  for  the  Heynitzes  if  you  do  go.  Tell 
me  soon  what  you  think  of  it  all.  I  wish  we  could  talk 
it  over  before  long,  for  I  could  explain  better  by  word 
of  mouth  all  that  you  ought  to  know,  though  there 
is  really  no  great  need  Tor  much  more.  Countess 
Reden  has  you  in  mind,  and  I  have  told  her  what  I 
know.  Of  course,  a  few  details  about  the  place  I 
can  give  you.  It  will  be  an  interesting  but,  in  many 
respects,  a  troublesome  position. 

Theophilus  Reichel  brought  his  friend  to  Buchwald 
in  June,  and  the  Countess  was  much  pleased  with 
him ;  and  his  manner  of  conducting  evening  prayers, 
at  which  Princess  Wilhelm  was  present,  impressed 
and  satisfied  her. 

Many  guests  came  and  went  as  usual  that  summer, 
amongst  whom  were  Mr.  Pinkerton,  the  Bible  Society 
agent,  and  Sir  James  and  Lady  Riddell  and  their 
daughter. 

Countess  Reden  confided  to  her  dear  Princess 
Wilhelm  her  hopes  and  anxieties  when  Princess 
Marie,  not  seventeen  years  old,  was  betrothed  to 
the  Crown  Prince  of  Bavaria.  The  Roman  Catholic 
fiance  came  to  her  confirmation,  and  the  King  and 
Queen  of  Prussia  also  came  to  Silesia  for  the  occasion. 

All  these  things  gave  the  Countess  many  social 
duties.  For  the  church  at  Wang  Countess  Reden 
had  two  candidates  in  mind,  and  she  presented  them 
both  to  the  King. 

Concerning  the  laying  of  the  foundation  stone  of 
the  church,  she  writes  to  her  sister-in-law : 


1842]  FRIENDS   FROM    ENGLAND  301 

THE  PAVILION,  July  28. 

After  your  poor  correspondent  has  already  given 
audience  to  six  sets  of  people,  and,  so  far  as  she  was 
able,  given  them  good  advice,  she  is  now  making  use 
of  an  interval  to  write.  The  good  souls  firmly  be- 
lieve that  I  am  almighty,  and  will  not  be  persuaded 
that  I  am  able  to  do  very  little.  My  present  appli- 
cants were  :  three  pastors,  in  their  gowns,  upon  matters 
connected  with  school  and  church,  whom  I  referred  to 
Uhde  ;  then,  a  schoolmaster  and  a  governor,  whom 
I  referred  to  the  Cabinet  Councillor  Muller;  an  officer 
of  the  Landwehr,  who  has  been  condemned  to  im- 
prisonment on  account  of  a  duel — I  sent  him  to 
General  Neumann.  None  of  them  received  a  line, 
and  yet  they  left  me  with  thanks  and  scraping  of 
feet,  such  is  the  way  of  the  world.  The  King  and 
Queen  arrived  yesterday.  I  have  been  sitting  here 
since  half-past  nine ;  the  roll  of  the  carriages  does 
not  trouble  me.  Notes  come  pouring  in ;  an  invitation 
to  tea  at  Erdmannsdorf. 

July  30. 

To  Erdmannsdorf  the  day  before  yesterday.  I  pre- 
sented my  English  friends  the  Riddells  to  Countess 
Brandenburg,  and  then  to  the  Queen.  We  all  drove 
to  the  Tyrolese  house,  and  there  the  King  took  me 
to  the  gable  side  of  the  gallery,  and  we  had  an  earnest 
and  confidential  conversation  for  half  an  hour  about 
Church  affairs  and  many  other  things.  The  result  of 
this  was  that  messengers  were  sent  off  the  same 
night  to  both  candidates.  I  could,  but  thank  God. 
Then  tea,  at  which  I  sat  next  to  the  King,  and  a  crowd 
of  youthful  recollections  were  revived.  We  had  a 
reception  in  the  Pavilion  yesterday,  from  ten  till  two 
o'clock ;  the  two  fine  telescopes  were  set  up ;  and 
then  came  cold  lunch  and  cherries.  I  spent  first  an 
hour  with  my  dear  Luise  von  SchOnberg,  who  arrived 
yesterday ;  then  her  husband  came,  then  President 
Stolberg  called,  and  Prince  Albrecht  and  his  aide- 
de-camp  ;  next  Lord  Harwick,  who  went  over  my 
Buchwald  con  amore,  followed  by  the  Minister  Alvens- 
leben,  General  Henkel,  and  others. 

July  31. 

Only  a  few  lines  to  mark  this  day,  which  may  God 
bless !  I  drove  after  church  to  the  Abbey,  to  see  my 


302  FRIENDSHIP   WITH    THE  KING       [1842 

under-gardener,  Scholtz,  who  has  been  ill  for  four 
weeks.  I  hurriedly  paid  for  his  nursing,  and  took  a 
walk  with  Luise  von  Schonberg  and  Ferdinand.  Herr 
von  Heynitz  came  with  Werkenthin  at  one  o'clock. 
I  was  about  to  despatch  a  messenger  to  Fischbach, 
but  the  King  arrived  before  he  started,  and  announced 
that  he  was  coming  to  tea  and  would  stay  for  prayers. 
I  presented  the  candidate  and  Herr  von  Heynitz  to  him. 
The  King,  with  the  Queen  on  his  arm,  came  at  half- 
past  seven,  the  dear  Fischbach  neighbours,  Strauss 
and  others,  to  tea.  A  beautiful  prayer  meeting,  edifying 
to  all.  The  King  is  much  prepossessed  with  Werken- 
thin, to  whom  he  spoke  most  kindly.  It  was  an 
important  moment.  They  stayed  till  half-past  ten, 
and  thus  closed  the  day.  My  heart  was  filled  with 
gratitude  and  happiness. 

August  4. 

We  had  rain  and  storm  on  the  ist,  from  morning 
till  night,  but  people  came  and  went  notwithstanding. 
Herr  von  Heynitz  and  his  excellent  tutor  left  us  at 
five  o'clock.  Wichmann,  the  second  candidate,  at 
twelve  o'clock — quite  a  different  personality,  but  yet 
so  attractive !  .  .  .  The  Riddells  dined  with  us. 
SchSning,  the  Keeper  of  the  Privy  Purse,  came  to  me 
on  business  from  trie  King,  connected  with  the  hospital, 
the  linen,  etc.  I  had  a  great  deal  to  attend  to  about  all 
this — to  look  over  all  the  sets  that  had  come  from  the 
mangle,  and  from  the  bleaching,  and  to  make  up  the 
lists  and  the  accounts.  I  got  through  it  all,  and  with- 
out any  fuss.  The  King^s  commands  came  late  in 
reference  to  the  expedition  for  the  following  morning. 
I  was  to  decide  whether  it  could  be  made  to  the  site 
of  the  church.  A  fine  commission  !  I  was  uneasy 
about  the  weather,  and  the  orders.  The  King  had 
asked  me  to  send  him  a  liver  sausage  and  a  ham  in 
jelly  for  the  dejeuner  on  the  mountains.  But  where 
was  I  to  send  them  ?  The  first  mounted  messenger 
came  from  Erdmannsdorf  at  half-past  six  (to  make 
inquiries) ;  I  begged  him  to  wait  a  while.  No  rain,  but 
not  a  glimpse  of  the  mountain  to  be  seen ;  everything 
seemed  enveloped  in  a  veil.  Another  messenger 
came  at  eight  o'clock.  I  begged  for  another  hour.  At 
nine  o'clock  a  third  messenger  on  horseback,  saying 
that  I  was  to  go  to  the  King  myself.  What  was  to  be 


1843]  THE  KING  LAYS  FOUNDATION  STONE  303 

done — my  bearers  at  Krumhilbel  ?  and  how  about  the 
ham  ?  As  the  weather  showed  signs  of  improvement, 
I  sent  my  provisions  straight  up  the  mountain,  advised 
all  the  others  to  start  soon,  and  drove  off  with  Caroline. 
The  King  received  us  at  the  door.  I  advised  setting 
out  immediately,  and  hastened  off  to  Seidorf  with 
Caroline,  and  we  reached  the  wished-for  height  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  later  than  the  royalties. 

We  were  welcomed  with  rejoicings,  and  every  one 
came  forward  to  receive  us,  even  the  dear  royal 
couple.  The  committee  and  I  discussed  everything 
there  on  the  spot,  and  the  dear  builder-in-chief  gave 
his  gracious  sanction  to  every  proposal,  even  to  the 
pointed  roofs. 

Every  one  was  charmed  with  the  site,  which  is 
unique  in  its  way.  I  asked  the  King  to  lay  the 
foundation  stone,  for  which  a  place  at  the  entrance 
had  been  left.  The  King  called  upon  Strauss,  the 
Court  Chaplain,  to  say  a  few  words,  which  he  did 
with  great  unction  and  feeling,  choosing  the  remark- 
able words  in  Haggai  i.  8 :  "  Go  up  to  the  mountain, 
and  bring  wood,  and  build  the  house  ;  and  I  will  take 
pleasure  in  it,  and  I  will  be  glorified,  saith  the  Lord." 
The  King  was  overcome,  and  his  expression  is  not  to 
be  described.  The  foundation  stone  was  then  laid 
with  much  solemnity. 

The  King  approached  me  and  pressed  and  kissed 
my  hand,  without  saying  anything,  after  the  ceremony 
was  over. 

We  dined  at  Rothersberg,  near  Erdmannsdorf — sixty 
persons.  The  King  of  Holland  also  appeared.  I 
thought  him  very  much  altered.  It  was  a  very  merry 
gathering,  and  lasted  until  half-past  eight.  .  .  .  Thus 
ended  a  joyous  and  delightful  day,  favoured  by 
beautiful  weather. 

August  ii. 

Fancy  what  your  old  sister  has  had  to  do  all  the 
morning !  You  won't  guess.  She  has  been  sitting 
stock  still  for  her  portrait  in  a  large  picture,  measuring 
nine  feet  by  seven  in  height,  which  is  to  be  the  chief 
object  over  the  chimney-piece  at  Erdmannsdorf ;  she 
is  to  be  on  show  with  the  rest.  Princess  Wilhelm 
appears  as  S.  Hedwig,  Princess  Elizabeth,  afterwards 
Abbess,  stands  below  her,  then  Princess  Marie  in  a 


304  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE    KING      [1843 

very  charming  attitude,  and  I  appear  in  the  place  of 
my  choice,  below  Princess  Wilhelm.  The  King 
ordered  these  four  portraits  last  year,  and  when 
Herrmann  brought  his  very  rough  sketches  this  year, 
he  was  commissioned  to  begin  them.  What  may  one 
not  come  to  in  life ! 

To  THEOPHILUS  REICHEL 

The  Duchess  of  Cothen's  visit  lasted  four  days,  and 
we  seized  the  opportunity  to  take  her  to  Wang, 
where  the  building  had  made  splendid  progress.  I 
can  see  the  church  growing  quite  distinctly  from  the 
Pavilion,  and  the  parsonage  and  schoolmaster's  house 
are  also  rising  rapidly,  and  both  will  be  roofed-in 
before  the  winter,  if  the  weather  holds  good.  I  took 
a  great  number  of  tracts  with  me,  and  was  very  much 
gratified  by  the  eagerness  with  which  the  workmen 
gathered  round  me  and  begged  for  them.  How  ripe 
the  bare  field  up  there  is  for  the  sowing ! 

In  January,  1843,  Countess  Reden  celebrated  the 
founding  of  the  Bishopric  of  Jerusalem,  in  which  she 
warmly  sympathised.  She  hoped  great  things  from 
it  for  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

Great  sorrow  entered  the  circle  of  those  near  to  her 
this  year.  Her  great-niece  Marie  Reuss,  who  had 
been  ailing  for  a  long  time,  died  at  Jankendorf  in 
March. 

The, building  of  the  Norwegian  church  engaged  a 
great  deal  of  the  Countess's  time  and  attention,  and 
there  was  a  long  correspondence  with  Werkenthin, 
the  pastor-designate.  The  printing  of  the  Hirschberg 
Bible  also  claimed  much  of  her  attention.  In  addition 
to  these  things,  a  glove  manufactory  was  started,  in 
order  to  provide  employment  for  the  poor  of  the 
mountain  districts. 

Countess  Reden  had  a  special  gift  for  managing 
children,  and  understood  how  to  let  them  share  her 
pursuits.  She  writes  in  April : 


1843]    ANOTHER  ORDER  FROM  THE  KING    305 

The  Stonsdorf  children  went  to  the  Infirmary  with 
me  at  twelve  o'clock,  when  the  foundation  festival  was 
celebrated  on  Septi's  birthday.  We  had  to  accom- 
modate ourselves  to  our  surroundings,  but  got  on  all 
right.  The  three  children  sat  with  the  Superintendent, 
and  enjoyed  their  meal.  I  presided,  and  read  the 
grace  and  thanksgiving  before  and  after  dinner,  and 
thanked  God  that  I  had  celebrated  this  festival  now 
for  fourteen  or  fifteen  years. 

Countess  Reden  visited  her  old  friend  Eberhardine, 
Countess  Stolberg,  at  Salzbrunn  in  the  summer,  and 
also  Fraulein  Teschner  at  Waldenburg,  with  whom 
she  had  many  interests  in  common. 

The  plan  for  founding  an  institution  for  maid- 
servants was  carried  into  effect  about  this  time,  and 
the  Countess  was  able  to  obtain  the  Queen's  patronage 
for  it. 

Among  the  numerous  summer  visitors  was  a  Mr. 
Sherman,  minister  at  the  Surrey  Chapel  in  London, 
for  whom  the  Countess  had  much  esteem. 

A  commission  from  the  King  to  provide  his  house 
at  Erdmannsdorf  with  bedding  gave  Countess  Reden 
a  good  deal  of  work,  but  also  much  satisfaction,  for 
by  this  means  she  was  enabled  to  give  work  to  several 
poor  weavers,  seamstresses,  etc.  She  had  also  to 
provide  the  furniture,  and  rejoiced  that  the  workmen 
earned  good  wages,  and  had  opportunity  at  the 
same  time  of  learning  various  things.  Her  practical 
mind  knew  how  to  choose  what  was  suitable  for 
both  castle  and  parsonage.  She  also  had  the  fur- 
nishing arrangements  for  Werkenthin's  parsonage 
to  settle. 

The  distress  among  the  spinners  and  weavers  was 
very  great  this  year,  and  a  central  association  was 
formed  in  Berlin  for  their  relief,  with  branch  associa- 
tions in  the  Silesian  mountains  under  directors,  who 

20 


306  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING      [1844 

undertook  orders  for  linen,  and  thus  gave  the  weavers 
employment.  Countess  Reden  was  naturally  a  pro- 
minent figure  in  these  associations,  and  had  her  full 
share  of  work.  Orders  came  from  all  parts,  even  from 
Bucharest.  Among  other  things,  she  became  respon- 
sible for  fitting  out  a  man-of-war  with  linen.  Minister 
Rother,  by  the  Countess's  advice,  let  the  spinners 
have  flax  from  the  stores  kept  for  the  Erdmannsdorf 
spinning  industry,  at  cost  price.  The  spinners  were 
well  paid  for  their  work,  which,  after  being  thoroughly 
sorted,  was  handed  over  to  the  weavers.  So  all 
usury  was  put  down,  and  the  earnings  of  the  poor 
workers  were  undiminished.  She  kept  a  list  of  the 
needy  spinners  and  weavers,  who  went  to  the  manager 
provided  with  certificates.  She  was  in  constant  com- 
munication with  the  manager,  sent  him  a  reliable 
sorter,  and  looked  after  every  detail. 

During  the  winter  the  Countess  was  seriously  ill 
for  a  short  time,  but  this  did  not  interrupt  her  active 
labours.  She  gratefully  prides  herself  with  being 
provided  with  all  sorts  of  good  things  by  her  dear 
ones :  a  baumkuchen  from  Cothen,  a  pheasant  from 
the  Munchhausens,  oysters  from  Prince  Wilhelm, 
and  the  Crown  Princess  Marie  sent  chestnuts ;  from 
Princess  Wanda  came  oranges  and  entertaining 
literature.  "You  see  how  the  old  lady  is  spoilt," 
she  writes. 

In  this  spring  of  1844  there  were  blouses  to  be 
made  for  the  drivers  and  bearers  (in  the  mountain 
districts),  and  the  Countess  cut  out  five  hundred  of 
them.  They  were  sent  to  the  village  authorities  for 
distribution  as  a  present  from  the  King.  Then, 
again,  she  buys  cotton,  and  measures  it  out  for  the 
upholsterers  who  are  working  at  the  King's  chateau 
of  Erdmannsdorf. 


1844]  THE   HIRSCHBERG   BIBLE  30; 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

May  15,  Evening. 

So  I  have  reached  my  seventieth  year,  and  my 
heart  overflows  when  I  consider  all  the  compassion, 
mercy,  and  patience  which  the  Lord  has  shown  me 
since  my  birth,  and  how  often  He  has  sheltered  me 
under  His  wings,  and  allowed  me  to  experience  in 
full  measure  that  the  feeble  who  wait  upon  Him 
have  their  strength  constantly  renewed.  An  !  may  it 
please  Him  to  employ  His  aged  handmaid  until  her 
life's  end  in  His  service,  whatever  it  may  be ;  and  may 
He  ever  grant  me  the  sweet  feeling  that  I  am  His  and 
shall  only  be  found  in  Him ! 

June  7,  7  A.M. 

I  have  just  bought,  while  still  in  bed,  a  piece  of  linen 
of  a  woman  from  Straupitz,  and  have  been  pondering 
for  an  hour  over  the  distribution  for  Berlin,  according 
to  General  Diest's  lists.  There  are  over  eight  hundred 
different  pieces  of  all  sorts  of  linen. 

As  soon  as  I  get  up,  I  shall  fly  with  my  secretary  to 
some  remote  spot  and  work  with  him  undisturbed, 
and  finish  this  great  business  to-day,  if  possible. 

THE  PAVILION,   about  eleven  o'clock. 

What  a  view  ! — what  a  picture  !  and  Wang  so  clear, 
that  with  it  fresh  in  my  memory  I  seem  to  see  every 
movement.  Schiller  is  writing  out  my  list  for  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  linen,  Mathilde  is  sewing,  Julius1  is 
ruling  the  housekeeping  book  and  casting  his  eyes 
occasionally  towards  his  father's  house,  the  one  next 
our  church.  I  am  having  dinner  prepared  by  my  dear 
ones  in  the  farmhouse,  and  tea  will  be  at  the  Pavilion, 
if  it  does  not  rain,  of  which  there  is  every  appearance. 

June  30. 

I  received  the  very  beautifully  bound  Hirschberg 
Bible  with  great  delight,  and  was  very  much  moved. 
So  hath  the  Lord  heard  and  blessed  the  prayers,  the 
waiting,  the  work  of  fourteen  years,  and  brought  it  all 
to  the  desired  end,  through  the  dear  King.  .  The  25th 
was  the  great  Bible  Society  day,  an  unusually  solemn 
and  beautiful  one.  Lovely  weather  till  late  in  the 
evening,  when  it  rained  very  hard.  A  very  fine 
sermon  from  Superintendent  Bellmann.  The  meeting 

1  A  boy  from  Bruckenberg  — E.  K. 


308  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING       [1844 

was  in  the  salon,  and  lasted  from  half-past  twelve 
until  two  o'clock.  The  sight  of  the  Hirschberg  Bible, 
which  I  laid  before  them  all  without  previous  mention 
of  it,  aroused  a  great  sensation. 

The  news  of  the  death  of  her  faithful  friend  Herr 
von  Stein  reached  Countess  Reden  in  July.  It  was 
strange  that  a  pupil  of  Goethe's,  a  child  of  that 
genial  abode  of  the  Muses,  Weimar,  should  have  been 
a  friend  of  the  house  at  Buchwald.  He  had  come 
every  year,  was  always  welcome,  and  had  helpfully 
entered  into  the  Countess's  interests.  One  after 
another  disappeared  from  the  circle  of  her  friends. 

Countess  Reden  completed  her  seventieth  year  in 
1844,  and  the  same  year  brought  the  completion  of 
two  works  into  which  she  had  put  her  heart,  and  to 
which  she  had  devoted  her  time  and  strength — the 
edition  of  the  Hirschberg  Bible,  and  the  erection  of  the 
Church  of  the  Redeemer  at  Wang.  Literally,  almost 
every  part  of  the  work  had  passed  through  her 
hands  :  writing  to  and  consultations  with  the  author- 
ities and  the  architect,  the  drawings  and  sketches, 
and  finally,  the  altar  linen  and  sacred  vessels.  Some 
of  these  were  old  ones,  sent  by  the  King.  Con- 
cerning the  inscription  on  the  chalice,  Evangelical 
considerations  arose. 

A  rather  grave  indisposition  of  the  Countess  made 
it  uncertain,  almost  to  the  last  day,  whether  she  would 
be  able  to  attend  the  consecration. 

She  conducted  all  the  preparations  for  the  day,  and 
writes  about  them  as  follows  : 

July  19. 

There  is  a  great  deal  yet  to  be  done ;  among 
other  things,  to  adapt  the  pulpit  cloth  to  the  proper 
size,  and  Minchen,  the  choirmaster's  daughter,  has 
to  go  up  there  with  it.  Werkenthin's  ordination 
takes  place  at  Breslau  to-day  at  nine  o'clock.  His 


I844J  ATTEMPT  TO  ASSASSINATE  THE  KING  309 

wedding  will  be  at  Herrnhut  on  the  23rd.  The  young 
couple  are  coming  to  me  on  the  26th,  and  they  take 
up  their  residence  at  Wang  on  the  2/th.  "All  to 
arms,"  is  the  one  thought  at  present.  The  folio  Bible 
is  to  be  sent  to  the  church  to-morrow,  but  I  shall 
take  the  chalice,  the  paten,  and  the  wine  stoup  with 
me  on  the  28th.  So  everything  is  approaching  com- 
pletion. I  have  had  a  great  deal  to  do,  and  every 
one  wants  to  put  in  a  word. 

July  23. 

The  precious  ecclesiastical  seal  came  yesterday 
for  the  Church  of  the  Redeemer  at  Wang.  On  one 
side  is  a  beautiful  head  of  Christ.  I  shall  have 
fifty-four  admission  cards  for  the  inhabitants  of 
Brilckenberg,  Querseiffen,  and  Brodbaude  sealed  with 
it  to-day.  There  ought  to  be  one  member  from  every 
household  in  these  parishes  at  the  service.  The 
bailiff  has  been  appointed  inspector  of  police,  with 
from  twelve  to  fourteen  of  the  village  authorities,  and 
every  sort  of  precaution  against  accidents  in  the 
crowd  will  be  taken.  But  where  the  Lord  is,  I  feel 
that  all  will  be  well. 

The  Countess  enumerates  her  guests  for  this 
occasion  : 

Eight  Schonings,  the  President,  Count  Ferdinand 
Stolberg,  with  his  daughter  Helene,  General  Rsder, 
the  General  Superintendent  Hahn,  Wichmann,  six 
Heynitzes,  Kalckreuth,  the  Henlys,  two  Fraulein 
Tschirsky,  and  Emma  Plitt,  making  twenty-four  to 
twenty-six  to  meals  every  day — rather  a  number, 
especially  for  my  dear  Caroline. 

The  King  was  shot  at  by  a  man  named  Tschech, 
formerly  a  Burgomaster,  as  he  and  the  Queen  were 
about  leaving  Berlin  to  attend  the  consecration ;  but 
as  he  was  not  touched,  he  continued  his  journey. 

The  company  had  assembled  at  Buchwald  without 
any  forebodings,  and  the  gentlemen  drove  to  Erd- 
mannsdorf  to  be  present  on  the  King's  arrival,  leaving 
Countess  Reden  with  her  relations  and  friends  sitting 
together  around  the  lamp  in  the  large  room ;  but  they 


310  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING      [1844 

returned  with  grave  and  troubled  faces.  The  news 
which  Prince  Reuss  LXXIV.  told  his  aunt  greatly 
agitated  her,  and  filled  all  hearts  with  horror,  thankful 
though  they  were  that  the  King  had  not  been  injured. 

July  28  was  a  beautiful  summer  day,  and  the 
Countess  drove  with  her  many  guests,  making  a  long 
line  of  carriages,  up  to  the  church  at  Wang,  and 
from  there  they  watched  the  approach  of  the  King 
and  Queen.  The  clergy  and  local  authorities,  the 
school,  and  the  parishioners  all  assembled  in  front 
of  the  church  to  receive  their  Majesties,  who  were 
accompanied  by  Prince  and  Princess  Wilhelm,  Princess 
Albrecht,  Prince  and  Princess  Friedrich  of  the  Nether- 
lands, and  the  Princess  Liegnitz.  The  procession  was 
formed  and  walked  solemnly  all  round  the  church,  the 
clergy  carrying  the  Bible  and  sacred  vessels.  Upon 
reaching  the  church  door,  the  architect,  Herr  Hamann, 
handed  the  key  of  the  church  to  the  King,  who  laid  it 
in  Countess  Reden's  hand,  which  he  took  in  his  own 
and  thus  opened  the  door.  It  was  a  moment  full 
of  deep  feeling  for  the  Countess,  that  she  should  thus 
with  the  King  open  the  mountaineers'  church — a 
blessing  which  they  had  not  had  till  then. 

Some  of  those  who  were  gathered  there  were 
obliged  to  wait  at  the  parsonage  and  in  the  school- 
house  ;  there  was  not  room  in  the  little  church. 

The  King  and  Queen,  on  entering,  knelt  down  on 
the  altar  steps,  for  the  first  prayer  in  a  holy  place 
should  be  for  protection  against  mortal  danger,  and 
so  the  King's  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving  was  the  first 
dedication  of  the  newly  founded  church. 

After  the  singing  of  a  hymn  Dr.  Hahn  conse- 
crated the  church,  the  altar,  and  the  pulpit,  and  made 
a  short  and  powerful  address.  Pastor  Jackel,  the 
chief  officiating  minister,  inducted  the  new  pastor  to  his 


1 844]     CONSECRATION   OF   THE   CHURCH     311 

living.  The  liturgy  followed  the  hymn,  and  then  Herr 
Werkenthin,  the  new  pastor,  gave  the  first  of  those 
simple,  spiritual  sermons,  which,  henceforward  were 
to  be  delivered  Sunday  after  Sunday  to  the  mountain 
congregation. 

The  King  with  his  guests  and  Countess  Reden  with 
hers  then  went  to  the  parsonage  for  luncheon.  The 
parish  of  Bruckenberg  sent  deputies  to  express  thanks 
to  the  King  for  founding  the  church.  Countess  Reden 
accompanied  the  King  afterwards  to  inspect  the  ancient 
wood  carving  in  the  church,  and  the  imitation  of  it 
which  it  had  been  necessary  to  add.  The  font  was  of 
finely  polished  Kunzendorf  marble,  and  there  was  a 
tall  wood  cross  well  executed  by  a  wood-carver 
named  Jacobs,  of  Jannowitz,  from  a  drawing  done  by 
Caroline  von  Riedesel.  The  King  expressed  lively 
satisfaction  with  the  beautiful  church,  with  the  pastor's 
sermon,  and  with  the  Bruckenberg  people  for  sending 
its  deputies — a  satisfaction  which  was  re-echoed  in 
the  Countess's  heart.  Although  she  had  done  her  work 
in  the  service  of  the  King  of  kings,  the  recognition  of 
it  by  her  royal  friend  was  a  source  of  gratification 
to  her. 


To  THEOPHILUS  REICHEL 

August  12. 

The  consecration  and  the  induction  at  Wang  making 
one  service  was  uncommonly  beautiful.  I  thank  God 
that  I  was  present,  for  I  had  been  kept  indoors  by 
indisposition  for  a  fortnight,  and  also  mat  I  was  able 
to  receive  the  King.  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it  as 
soon  as  you  come  ;  meanwhile,  my  Theophilus,  the 
picture  of  Wang  will  lead  you  here. 

I  wish  you  had  seen  the  good  King,  who  seemed  to 
diffuse  an  atmosphere  of  sincerity  and  kindness.  He 
sank  down  on  his  knees  upon  the  altar  steps,  when  he 
entered  the  church,  in  earnest  prayer.  The  Lord 
granted  me  to  speak  very  confidentially  to  him,  as  he 


312  FRIENDSHIP   WITH    THE   KING       [1844 

did  to  me ;  we  discussed  some  grave  matters,  with  a 
blessing,  I  hope.  There  was  no  lack  of  guests,  every 
place  was  filled ;  and  yet  I  kept  expecting  you :  for 
you  there  is  always  room. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

I  went  to  tea  at  Erdmannsdorf  on  August  5.  A  very 
pretty  entertainment  in  the  lighted  hall,  which  looked 
quite  fairy-like  ;  tea  and  supper  were  at  several  tables 
set  crosswise.  The  King  had  an  armchair  placed  for 
me  next  his  own ;  Princess  Wilhelm  was  on  the  other 
side,  and  we  chatted  together  as  though  we  had  been 
in  the  most  private  council  chamber.  He  gave  sketches 
of  forty-one  Berlin  pastors,  and  spoke  a  great  deal 
about  Wang  that  was  of  importance.  It  was  a  very 
nice  evening,  of  great  interest  to  me,  and  I  hope  of 
much  use  to  others. 

You  can  have  no  conception  of  the  crowd  of  people 
and  of  the  numerous  petitions.  This  conviction  that 
everything  can  be  done  through  my  poor  self — I,  who 
never  presented  an  appeal — the  general  boldness  of 
the  petitions,  often  embitter  my  days  and  hours,  and 
rob  me  of  much  important  time.  This  time  the  Queen 
took  a  tender  farewell,  and  was  full  of  kindness  and 
very  confidential.  The  royalties  leave  to-morrow. 

My  dear  Pinkerton  with  his  daughter  Eflfy  arrived 
on  the  /th,  and  also  Pastor  Wimmer  from  Hungary 
and  Bohemia,  where  he  has  distributed  eighty  thousand 
Bibles  and  Testaments  since  1838.  He  is  a  winner  of 
hearts  without  an  equal,  so  full  of  faith,  so  frank,  and 
so  attractive. 

The  1 8th,  a  full  day.  Wimmer  preached.  .  .  . 
Wanda,  the  Henlys,  Ernestine  and  Marie,  with  many 
others,  were  in  our  pew,  and  most  of  them  came  to 
dinner. 

The  King  came  at  half-past  six,  Natzmer  in  attend- 
ance. We  had  a  capital  chat  till  Prince  and  Princess 
Wilhelm,  with  Princess  Liegnitz,  arrived  at  seven. 
The  tea-table  was  in  the  hall. 

The  King  spoke  to  Werkenthin  and  his  wife ;  .  .  . 
then  Wimmer  was  presented.  He  conducted  a  very 
interesting  meeting;  the  royalties  with  their  suite 
were  present,  and  some  Tyrolese  came,  making  in 
all  forty-nine  persons. 


1  844]  TEA    AT   ERDMANNSDORF  313 


Tea  at  Erdmannsdorf  with  Wimmer  on  the 
There  was  a  long  table  by  the  sofa,  and  six  round 
tables.  The  King  commanded  me  to  sit  in  an  arm- 
chair on  his  left  at  the  long  table.  .  .  .  Our  dear 
King  has  assigned  a  million  marks  for  the  relief 
of  the  distress  in  Prussia,  saying  that  he  should  try 
to  refund  the  sum  by  economy,  denying  himself  some 
of  his  special  hobbies,  such  as  building,  etc.  His 
heart  is  of  gold,  and  to  think  that  they  would  destroy 
it  !  But  the  hand  of  a  faithful  Father  guards  him  as 
the  apple  of  an  eye. 

The  King's  friendship  with  the  Countess  caused  her 
to  be  overwhelmed  with  petitions.  Many  she  simply 
refused,  but  many  benefits  and  much  help  were 
obtained  through  her.  She  once  writes,  when  trying 
to  get  a  place  for  some  one  : 

I  am  convinced  the  opportunity  of  serving  people 
comes  from  the  Lord,  and  should  never  be  refused  if 
He  beckons  and  gives  His  help. 

There  were  many  guests  and  much  going  on  at 
Buchwald,  and  on  looking  at  the  month  of  September 
we  find  Marie  Stolberg  (nee  Reuss)  there  ;  then  a  young 
relative  of  Theophilus  Reichel  for  two  days  ;  on  the 
2nd,  the  Werkenthins  ;  on  the  5th,  Princess  Liegnitz 
to  tea  ;  on  the  6th,  an  ordination  candidate  who 
solicited  a  neighbouring  living,  and  the  Miinchhausen 
nephew  and  niece  for  several  days  ;  on  the  ;th,  the 
Countess  drove  to  the  spinning-factory  at  Erdmanns- 
dorf; and  the  8th  was  passed  at  Wang  with  the 
friends  from  Jannowitz. 

Baron  von  Riedesel  and  his  wife  spent  a  few  weeks 
with  their  sisters,  and  in  the  late  autumn  Marline  and 
her  husband  were  there  with  some  of  their  children. 

The  most  intimate  intercourse  existed  between 
Buchwald  and  Fischbach,  and  the  Countess  describes 
Princess  Wilhelm  on  her  birthday  wearing  "  a  dark  blue 
dress,  looking  quite  fresh  and  pretty  for  fifty-nine." 


314  FRIENDSHIP   WITH    THE   KING       [1844 

There  was  also  the  usual  intercourse  with  Princess 
Czartoryska  (Wanda),  at  Ruhberg.  The  relations  be- 
tween the  young  neighbour  and  the  old  one  were  most 
charming.  Messengers  went  to  and  fro  almost  daily 
with  notes,  in  which  news  is  given  of  the  children, 
their  housekeeping,  and  their  guests ;  the  motherly 
friend  is  asked  to  give  advice  and  help,  and  visits 
are  arranged.  Princess  Wanda  passed  the  winter  in 
Berlin,  and  thence  came  copious  letters,  with  accounts 
of  her  interest  in  hearing  Gossner  preach,  of  her  visits 
to  him,  and  of  the  dear  friends  whom  she  meets  every 
Sunday  at  the  Bohemian  church.  Certain  of  the 
liveliest  sympathy,  the  Princess  reports  her  endeavours 
to  assist  those  poor  who  are  ashamed  to  beg  ;  and  she 
also  writes  about  her  acquaintance  with  Fliedner,  who 
laid  his  plans  for  building  the  deaconess's  homes 
before  her,  and  in  mentioning  the  deaconesses,  she 
suggests  having  a  regular  infirmary  for  the  sick  and 
poor  at  Schmiedeberg,  under  their  care.  The  spirit 
of  a  noble,  mature  Christian  speaks  from  these 
letters,  and  a  heart  full  of  love  and  tenderness.  In 
the  autumn  Thekla  von  Gumpert,  Princess  Wanda's 
early  friend,  was  with  her  at  Ruhberg.  Countess 
Reden  had  heartily  enjoyed  her  first  writings,  "  The 
Little  Father  and  the  Grandchild"  and  "The  Aunt's 
Tour." 

Princess  Wanda  left  Ruhberg  and  her  dear  neigh- 
bour at  Buchwald  little  thinking  that  this  parting 
was  to  be  for  life.  She  died  the  following  year. 

As  Count  Reden  had  always  driven  cream-coloured 
horses,1  the  Countess  continued  to  do  so,  though 
they  were  not  always  easy  to  buy.  She  writes  to 
her  brother  in  April : 

1  The  Hanoverian  horses  used  on  state  occasions  in  England  since 
the  time  of  George  I.,  and  called  in  Germany  "  Isabellen." — M.  B.-L, 


1844]     THE   CREAM   COLOURED   HORSES       315 

Now  about  the  horses,  which  is  a  matter  very 
near  my  heart,  as  it  is  of  the  greatest  necessity, 
and  a  great  pleasure  would  be  taken  from  me  were 
I  to  be  obliged  to  renounce  the  cream-coloured  ones. 
If  strong  and  docile,  and  if  they  go  well,  it  is  worth 
while  waiting ;  but  the  delay  is  tiresome,  and  I  do 
not  know  what  I  shall  have  to  drive,  especially  if 
the  King  comes. 

By  the  autumn  she  was  able  to  announce  that  they 
had  been  put  into  their  stable. 

In  the  young  Werkenthin  couple  Countess  Reden 
gained  two  more  adopted  children,  and  it  is  charming 
to  note  the  pleasure  she  took  in  their  housekeeping, 
and  how  she  enters  into  everything  that  happens 
up  at  the  parsonage,  and  how  she  provides  their 
little  establishment  with  good  things,  sending  them 
vegetables,  grapes,  sausages,  etc.  They  are  frequent 
guests  at  Buchwald,  where  Frau  Agnes  lends  a  hand 
in  whatever  is  going  on,  and  Werkenthin  conducts 
evening  prayers  for  the  household. 

The  religious  movement  and  that  of  the  Rationalists, 
Ronge,  and  the  Roman  Catholics,  were  all  followed 
with  burning  interest  at  Buchwald.  Democratic 
intrigues  in  the  Hirschberg  district  were  upsetting 
people's  minds,  and  the  Countess  welcomed  the  new 
magistrate,  Wilhelm  Stolberg,  the  son  of  her  friend 
Ernestine — "  my  magistrate,"  as  she  calls  him. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

January  9,  1845. 

A  tiring  day  on  the  2nd.  A  parcel  arrived 
from  that  awful  Upper  Council  of  Finance,  a  parcel 
which  weighed  one  hundred  and  fifty-six  pounds, 
and  which  contained  the  Tyrolese  building  bills  of 
1838 — 1842,  and  there  were  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  memoranda  attached  to  them. 

I  worked  at  them  with  Count  Matuschki  and 
Hamann,  and  though  this  was  never  my  part  of  the 


316  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING      [1845 

business,  I  had  all  the  trouble  of  looking  over  them 
and  taking  notes.  The  Count  is  exasperated,  so 
Hamann  must  do  the  rest. 

I  am  having  the  dry  wood  collected  for  Caroline's 
room  without  letting  her  know,  for  I  so  enjoy  giving 
her  a  treat. 

...  I  have' just  read  a  letter  from  Ronge1  to  the 
inferior  clergy,  but  it  does  not  please  me,  for  it  lacks 
the  true  faith  which  can  remove  mountains  ;  he  draws 
the  clergy  of  his  communion  away  from  the  Pope  and 
the  Roman  See,  but  he  does  not  lead  them  to  Christ. 
I  fear  he  does  not  know  the  way  himself,  and  he 
may  lead  many  astray. 

February  15. 

We  have  read  and  examined  Ronge's 1  shallow 
teaching,  and  his  wretched  twenty-nine  theses,  and 
sigh  to  think  that  a  universal  church  of  the  kind 
should  attract  so  many  believers,  and  should  spread. 
I  think  that,  as  it  is  built  on  unstable  ground,  it  will 
not  hold  together  long,  but  will  fall  to  pieces.  Fancy 
such  people  comparing  themselves  to  Luther,  they 
who  preach  everything  but  Christ,  and  would  have 
the  Bible  used  conditionally — miserable  creatures ! 

The  immense  approval  which  the  new  teaching 
finds  in  the  world  appears  to  me  the  best  sign  that 
it  is  not  of  faith,  but  of  unbelief.  Ronge  has  expressed 
his  positive  belief  only  by  his  silence ;  a  few  indica- 
tions alone  show  that  it  is  pure  reason  which  cannot 
submit  to  the  obedience  of  faith.  His  following 
appears  to  consist  of  Liberals  who  wish  for  emancipa- 
tion, not  only  from  the  domination  of  priests,  but 
also  from  the  control  of  faith — who  desire  freedom, 
in  short,  to  believe  in  nothing. 

It  would  be  a  wholesome  and  good  thing  for  the 
Roman  Church,  which  boasts  as  its  privilege  that 
no  root  of  Rationalism  can  ever  find  a  hold  within 
its  fold,  to  recognise  that  it  is  really  there  and  wide- 
spread, as  this  present  movement  certainly  indicates. 

March  3. 

The  Schafgotschs  called  the  day  before  yesterday 
in  the  morning,  and  stayed  two  hours,  when  it  was 

1  Johannes  Ronge,  the  leader  of  the  German  Catholic  Reform  move- 
ment in  1845.  Born,  1813. 


1 845]  VISIT  TO   WARMBRUNN  317 

really  like  an  excise  day  here  :  it  was  flax  day,  savings- 
bank  day,  and  large  purchases  had  just  come  from 
Berlin. 

Ronge  is  very  much  in  their  minds — they  think  that 
he  ought  to  join  us;  but  we  reply  that  we  have  little 
interest  in  him. 

March  14. 

Early  this  morning  a  man  was  announced  from 
Hirschberg,  and  what  do  you  suppose  that  he 
wanted  ?  To  collect  signatures  for  Ronge.  He  came 
just  at  the  right  moment,  for  our  pastor  was  here, 
and  we  both  gave  him  the  categorical  reply  that 
we  had  nothing  in  common  with  the  man,  and  that 
we  hoped  the  collector  would  take  his  departure  as 
soon  as  possible.  Pastor  Reinike,  of  Stonsdorf,  in- 
formed me  to-day  that  Ronge  had  recently  asked  to 
stand  godfather  at  an  Evangelical  christening,  and 
that  he  appeared  in  a  fashionable  coat — a  paletot,  I 
believe — and  that  during  prayers  he  had  his  hands  in 
his  pockets.  Deacon  Weiss  requested  him  to  fold 
them,  in  vain ;  before  the  Lord's  Prayer  he  repeated 
the  request.  Then  he  slowly  drew  them  out,  but 
immediately  thrust  them  in  again,  to  the  scandal  of 
all  present. 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

WARMBRUNN,  May  17. 

Your  dear  letters  for  the  i2th  are  a  great  and  precious 
treasure  to  me,  which  I  always  receive  and  preserve 
with  delight  and  gratitude.  May  the  Lord  reward 
you  for  them !  I  received  the  last  on  the  evening  of 
the  1 4th,  the  day  of  our  coming  here.  It  was  a  great 
affair,  for  we  were  a  party  of  nine,  so  we  have  a  tidy 
little  household  about  us,  and  comfortable  and  con- 
venient lodgings.  A  little  attic  in  the  gable  of  the 
third  story  is  my  Eldorado ;  it  has  a  view  towards 
the  Zacken  and  the  mountains.  Here  are  all  my 
records,  Bible  work,  and  papers,  and  here  I  write 
and  dictate  to  my  little  secretary.  Only  a  narrow 
staircase  leads  to  it,  but  once  up,  I  am  quite  a  mon 
aise,  and  free  from  interruption. 

The  following  letters,  written  by   Catherine  and 
Mary  Stanley  when  on  a  visit  to  Countess  von  Reden, 


318  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING      [1845 

find  a  suitable  place  here,  and  are  printed  by  kind 
permission  of  Miss  Jane  Adeane. 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  NORWEGIAN  CHURCH  AT  WANG 
IN  NORWAY  BY  MARY  STANLEY 

When  Professor  Dahl,  whose  pictures  we  saw  at 
Dresden,  was  revisiting  his  native  country  several 
years  ago,  he,  with  a  great  taste  for  antiquities,  was 
shocked  to  find  the  curious,  old,  wooden  church  about 
to  be  destroyed,  and  a  modern  brick  one  erected 
instead.  He  bought  the  whole  and  offered  it  to  the 
King  of  Prussia  for  eighty  roubles.  The  King  bought 
it,  and  wrote  to  ask  Countess  Reden  if  she  knew  of 
any  place  requiring  a  church  of  this  size.  She  answered 
that  she  had  long  wished  for  a  church  and  pastor  in 
a  mountain  hamlet.  He  was  delighted,  and  in  due 
time  the  church  arrived  in  seven  waggons,  and  the 
mountaineers  all  came  with  acclamations  to  receive 
their  church.  The  first  stone  was  laid  by  the  King 
three  years  ago,  and  a  very  impressive  address  was 
delivered  by  his  chaplain,  on  Haggai  i.  8.  The 
church  was  finished  and  was  to  be  opened,  all  was 
arranged,  and  Countess  Reden  was  deeply  grieving 
over  a  nervous  attack  which  she  thought  would  pre- 
vent her  attending,  when  the  very  day  before  came 
the  news  of  an  attempt  to  assassinate  the  King.  He 
came  straight  from  Berlin  to  Erdmannsdorf  to  fulfil 
his  engagement  at  the  church.  The  agitation  cured 
the  Countess,  and  she  went.  It  was  a  glorious  day. 
Crowds  assembled  on  the  mountains  as  the  King  with 
his  four  horses  drove  up,  followed  by  the  royal  family. 
The  excitement  was  extreme  on  seeing  him  at  such  a 
moment,  after  such  an  event ;  and  on  the  church  doors 
being  opened,  the  King  and  Queen  walked  up  to  the 
altar  and  offered  a  fervent  and  simple  thanksgiving 
for  their  late  merciful  preservation.  It  was  a  most 
affecting  sight,  and  this  mountain  church,  three 
thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  was  doubly 
consecrated  by  being  the  scene  of  the  first  royal 
thanksgiving,  and  to  this  church  she  proposed  taking 
us  on  Sunday  [August  3],  and  sending  us  back  over 
the  mountains  another  way  after  the  service.  "  I  am 
not  fond  of  Sunday  parties,"  said  she,  "  but  such  a 
party  I  cannot  think  wrong."  We  wound  through 


1845]  CATHERINE   STANLEY  319 

woods  of  fir  and  by  mountain  torrents.  The  day 
began  doubtful,  cleared,  and  was  most  beautiful. 
The  peasantry  came  out  to  see  us  as  we  passed.  At 
last  Wang  church  appeared.  Compared  to  the  ruins 
of  Zittau,  it  is  nothing  ;  but  then  it  is  a  living  church. 
The  churchyard  was  enlivened  by  groups  ;  and  as  we 
drew  near,  the  young  clergyman  and  his  wife  came 
down  hand-in-hand  to  meet  us,  and  kissed  the 
Countess's  hand.  They  were  such  simple,  good 
people,  and  their  parsonage  house  so  nice  !  His  study 
was  filled  with  such  books  as  you  would  see  in  an 
English  clergyman's  house.  We  dined  with  them. 

After  church  C.  and  I  started  on  our  round,  and 
beautiful  it  was.  We  came  back  about  nine  to  a  sub- 
stantial tea.  We  were  the  first  English  ladies  that 
had  been  at  that  church. 

The  Countess  asked  us  at  once  what  time  we  had 
for  the  neighbourhood,  and  then  drew  up  a  plan  for 
us,  and  I  was  too  glad  to  depend  entirely  upon  her 
arrangements.  She  entered  into  great  detail,  most 
considerately  telling  us  what  not  to  eat,  and  what  to 
take,  and  what  to  pay.  She  was  very  eager  about  it, 
saying  that  English  ladies  never  saw  the  beauties  of 
the  Silesian  mountains ;  but  it  was  very  amusing  to 
hear  Fraulein  Caroline's  comments  upon  her  sister's 
plans,  and  the  discussion  as  to  what  could  or  could  not 
be  done.  She  thought  the  Countess  proposed  a  great 
deal  too  much.  However,  it  was  quite  clear  to  me 
that  we  must  start  upon  the  plan  she  laid  down,  and 
deviate  from  it  or  not,  according  to  circumstances. 
She  was  greatly  delighted  with  the  Archbishop  of 
Dublin's  motto,  "Things  that  can  be  helped  and 
things  that  cannot  be  helped,"  which  I  quoted  as  the 
motto  I  tried  to  go  by  in  my  journey,  on  her  saying 
we  were  not  to  be  put  out  by  bad  weather.  Phcebe 
went  to  sit  with  her  work  with  the  maids,  taking  her 
dialogue  book  with  her.  It  was  wonderful  how  much 
information  she  managed  to  pick  up.  In  another 
three  months  she  would  have  talked. 

CATHERINE  STANLEY'S  LETTER 

BUCHWALD,    August  3,    184$. 

Madame  de  Reden  is  an  extraordinary,  active 
woman  of  seventjT-one.  She  is  all  life,  animation,  and 
benevolence,  but,  you  see  in  a  moment,  is  accustomed 


320          FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING      [1845 

to  command ;  and  one  should  be  afraid  of  her,  I  think, 
she  is  so  acute  and  sees  everything  with  lynx  eyes. 
Her  sister  is  a  picture  of  everything  that  is  good- 
humoured  and  good-natured.  She  makes  the  tea,  she 
manages  the  interior  arrangements  of  the  house, 
she  does  all  the  drudgery,  and  is  so  ugly.  It  is 
charming  to  see  how  happily  they  live  together. 
They  talk  of  "  Clinton "  with  all  a  mother's  tender- 
ness. The  sister  draws  magnificently,  and  showed 
me  a  picture  of  him  which  is  not  only  like  what  I  can 
imagine  him  to  be,  but  it  contains  a  likeness  of  all  the 
family.  I  have  been  out  every  moment  of  the  day 
since  we  arrived.  How  I  wished  you  could  have  seen 
us  driving  through  the  wood  in  the  little  char-a-banc 
with  the  two  white  horses,  with  our  feet  dangling, 
and  ourselves  holding  fast  for  fear  we  should  fall  out ! 
Madame  de  Reden  dressed  like  grandmamma  in  a 
great  black  silk  cloak,  a  drawn  large  grey  silk  bonnet, 
and  an  enormous  green  fan  by  way  of  parasol.  She 
talks  very  fast,  something  like  Bunsen,  and  her 
English  is  delightful.  She  talks  of  "  educating  the 
trees,"  and  of  "gracious  "  mountains,  instead  of  grace- 
ful, and  she  calls  her  spectacles  "looking-glasses." 
Each  day  has  been  more  delightful  than  the  last. 

Yesterday  [August  2\  after  having  been  over  the 
King's  country  house  (Erdmannsdorf),  and  the  Prince 
William's  (Fischbach),  and  the  Duchess  of  Liebegen's(?) 
summer-house,  she  took  us  into  one  of  the  Tyrolese 
huts.  The  young  wife,  in  a  black  Tyrolese  hat  and  a 
dark  sunburnt  face,  was  standing  over  the  fire  baking 
cakes,  the  husband,  just  come  in  from  work,  was  lifting 
his  child  out  of  its  cradle,  and  the  grandmother  was 
standing  at  the  door.  As  we  came  in,  the  young  wife 
left  the  cakes,  the  husband,  a  handsome  man  with 
moustaches,  took  off  his  hat,  and  brought  his  child  to 
the  Countess,  and  the  old  grandmother  came  with  a 
delighted  face  to  meet  her.  It  was  a  very  clean,  neat 
cottage,  only  the  kitchen  was  blue  with  the  smoke  of 
the  wood  fire  where  the  cakes  were  baking.  It  did  me 
good  to  see  them.  The  Countess  called  them  "  dear 
children "  when  she  spoke  to  them,  and  they  called 
her  "  dear  mother."  We  sat  down,  and  she  talked  to 
them  just  as  Louise  does  to  her  poor  people ;  and 
when  she  went  away,  they  kissed  her  hand  and  said, 
"  Farewell,  dear  mother." 


1 845]      M.   AND   C.   STANLEY   AT   WANG         321 

The  Norwegian  church  was  very  interesting.     Mary 
has   told   you   its    story.     We   were    carried   up   the 
mountain   in   chairs   by   men  with   blue    frocks    and 
green  Tyrolese  hats  with  peacocks'  feathers  in  them. 
As  we   drew  near  the  church,  we  met  the   people 
coming  down  the  hill  after  their  morning  service — 
girls  without  bonnets,  but  with  sprigs  of  heather  in 
their  hair.     A  little  further  the  young  pastor  and  his 
little  wife  came  rushing  down   to  meet   us  hand-in- 
hand.     They  have  only  been  married  a  year,  and  she 
looks  like  a  little  girl.     She  kissed  the  Grafin's  hand, 
and  they  walked  by  our  side  till  we  were  set  down 
at  the  door  of  their  little  wooden  house  in  the  church- 
yard.    The  church   is  like    a  child's  toy   and  more 
singular  than  beautiful.     It  is  indeed  a  church  set  up- 
on a  hill ;  above  it  the  Schnee  Koppe  rises,  and  from 
the  firwoods  below  a  vast  expanse  of  country.     The 
church,  instead  of  looking  what  it  is,  one  thousand 
years   old,  seems  quite  new.     It   is   built  of  golden- 
coloured  pine-wood   beautifully  carved.     The  pastor 
and  his  wife  keep  a  donkey  on  which  they  ride  by 
turns  whenever  they  go  down  into  the  world  below ; 
but  this  is  an  event  which  seldom  happens,  and  yet 
the  little  wife  was  just  as  well  bred  and  dignified  in 
her  simplicity  as  if  she  had  been  used  to  sit  at  the 
head  of  a  table  of  twenty   every  day.     The  service 
delighted  me  ;  it  began  by  catechising  the  children,  and 
then  a  sermon.     It  was  a  missionary  sermon,  and  I 
was  beside  myself  with  vexation  that  Mary  could  not 
understand  it,  for  it  was  the  perfection  of  what  one 
should  like  all  such  sermons  to  be — short,  simple,  and 
intensely  earnest. 

Monday,  August  4. 

I  am  writing  in  the  middle  of  the  mountains,  after 
the  most  lovely  day.  I  am  very  well,  no  headache, 
and  sound,  delightful  sleep,  and  everything  is  charming. 
Buchwald  is  indescribable.  I  had  no  idea  we  should 
have  felt  so  much  at  home,  but  the  whole  house  is  an 
atmosphere  of  love  and  kindness  and  affection.  We 
took  our  leave  of  them  with  as  much  sadness  as  if  we 
had  been  staying  a  month.  We  have  been  carried 
over  the  mountains  most  luxuriously.  Pray  give  me 
credit  for  not  climbing  the  Schnee  Koppe.  I  was  tired 
and  prudent,  and  stayed  at  the  bottom  drawing  the 

21 


322  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE    KING       [1845 

view  and  the  guide,  while  the  other  guides  sang  the 
most  lovely  German  songs.  I  was  called  upon  at 
the  Norwegian  parsonage  to  explain  the  state  of 
Newmanism  in  England.  CATHERINE.1 

For  the  first  time  for  years  the  sisters  took  a  more 
extended  journey  at  the  end  of  August,  going  first 
to  Jankendorf,  and  then  with  their  nephew  and  his 
wife  set  out  for  Neuenhof,  their  first  railway  journey. 
On  all  journeys  the  Countess  was  accustomed  to  en- 
trust her  strong-box,  which  contained  all  her  various 
papers,  to  the  care  of  the  servant  or  secretary  who 
accompanied  her,  and  to  make  inquiries  respecting 
this  article,  which  was  of  so  much  importance  to  her, 
very  often.  This  was  easy  to  do  when  travelling  in 
her  own  carriage  with  post-horses.  On  leaving 
Dresden  the  aunts  had  been  safely  conducted  by 
their  nephew  Henly  to  the  coupe,  and  the  train  was 
about  to  start,  when  she  called  out  in  her  wonted 
way  from  the  window,  "  Hermann,  Hermann,  Her- 
mann ! "  The  cry  was  passed  on  from  carriage  to  car- 
riage, and  people  thought  something  had  happened. 
The  guard  beckoned  to  the  engine-driver.  "  Hermann, 
have  you  got  my  strong-box?"  "Yes,  Excellency." 
Then  the  train  was  allowed  to  start. 

Countess  Reden  received  the  news  of  her  beloved 
Princess  Wanda's  death  during  her  stay  at  Neuenhof. 

To  PRINCESS  WILHELM 

Ah,  how  I  long  for  your  Royal  Highness  !  I  cannot 
express  how  much  in  words.  How  I  want  to  talk  to 
you  of  our  Wanda !  The  ladies'-maid  and  nurse  are 
often  here,  and  tell  me  much  that  is  heartrending.  A 
fortnight  ago  I  spent  the  whole  morning  alone  in  her 
room,  looking  over  her  papers  and  making  a  selection 

1  Mary  and  Catherine  Stanley,  daughters  of  the  Bishop  of  Norwich, 
and  sisters  of  Dean  Stanley  of  Westminster.  Mary  died  in  1879. 

(Catherine  married  the  Rev.  C.  J.  Vaughan,  Master  of  the  Temple  and 
Dean  of  Llandaff,  and  died  in  1899. 


1 845]         PRINCESS   WANDA'S   DEATH  323 

from  them,  as  the  Prince  desired.  Ah,  what  remem- 
brances there  were !  I  had  to  arrange  all  her  mother's 
and  Elise's  papers,  and  how  much  I  learned  about 
those  dear  people !  Your  notes  and  mine  of  last 
summer  were  together  in  one  envelope ;  it  comforted 
me,  yet  it  moved  me  to  tears  at  the  same  time. 

The  King  had  put  up  a  marble  seat  at  Buchwald,  and 
its  erection  cost  the  Countess  much  anxious  thought, 
as  it  did  not  suit  the  character  of  the  place.  It  was  at 
last  placed  in  view  of  the  mill  pond,  where  the  oft-men- 
tioned Rosenmantel  stood,  and  where  the  little  island 
Isola  Bella,  so  called  from  its  flowering  shrubs,  could 
be  seen,  and  it  was  dedicated  on  August  15. 

The  death  of  good  Mrs.  Fry,  to  whom  Countess 
Reden  had  become  much  attached,  affected  her  pain- 
fully. The  illness  of  Princess  Wilhelm,  who  had  been 
more  or  less  ailing  since  the  autumn,  touched  her  far 
more  deeply.  Her  ladies-in-waiting  sent  frequent 
reports,  as  did  other  friends  in  Berlin,  who  knew  well 
how  the  thoughts  of  her  old  friend  at  Buchwald  would 
be  constantly  about  the  sick-bed.  The  end  came  in 
April,  1846,  and  the  Countess  writes : 

The  dearly  loved  one's  sufferings  are  over,  and  she 
is  with  her  Lord,  to  Whom  her  heart  was  given.  She 
is  indescribably  happy ;  but  what  a  void  is  left  by  her 
death  to  all  her  own  family,  to  the  royal  couple,  to 
thousands  of  souls  who  owe  so  much  to  her  and 
whose  advocate  she  was,  and  to  us  who  loved  her  so 
deeply  !  Ah  !  it  is  a  gap  in  one's  life  which  can  never 
be  filled.  How  could  I,  in  my  old  age,  think  that  1 
should  outlive  this  dear  friend  who  was  ten  years 
younger  than  myself? 

Countess  Reden's  birthday  was  celebrated  in  a 
manner  that  was  quite  to  her  taste.  She  writes  : 

I  was  agreeably  awakened  on  the  1 2th,  and  received 
many  good  wishes,  letters,  and  gifts,  which  kept 
pouring  in.  The  Henlys,  the  Eberhards  (Stolbergs), 
the  Kiisters,  the  family  from  Jannowitz,  and  all  the 


324  FRIENDSHIP   WITH    THE   KING       [1846 

family  from  Stonsdorf,  came  to  see  me.  We  all  went 
to  church,  where  the  lower  seats  were  filled  with  two 
hundred  and  sixty-one  school  children.  Our  dear 
Stobwasser  gave  them  a  delightful  sermon,  which 
quite  charmed  our  Stolberg  and  Reuss  children  also. 
'  How  well  we  understood  everything,  and  he  only 
spoke  to  us.  We  can  repeat  it  all.'  It  ought  to  be 
like  this  every  Sunday  for  the  children.  He  has  a 
peculiar  talent  and  a  peculiar  love  for  children,  for 
the  same  man  led  the  children's  games  afterwards. 
The  sermon  glorified  the  whole  festival,  and  he 
prayed  for  me,  begged  all  the  tenants  to  do  the  same, 
and  he  told  the  children  that  instead  of  any  gifts, 
which  they  were  too  poor  to  give,  they  might  give  me 
an  abundance  of  riches  by  their  faithfulness  and  devo- 
tion, and  their  earnest  prayers  for  the  Lord's  mercy 
and  blessing.  And  it  was  all  so  simple  for  them  to 
understand.  Everything  was  in  the  Pavilion  as 
usual.  I  found  several  more  congratulations  there, 
from  Erdmannsdorf,  Schmiedeberg,  Ruhberg,  and  so 
on.  The  children's  games  were  in  the  hall,  and  lasted 
until  half-past  one.  There  were  thirty-one  to  dinner. 

Countess  Reden  was  very  much  moved  by  her 
meeting  with  Prince  Wilhelm.  He  stayed  at  Fisch- 
bach,  where  his  children  visited  him,  and  with  them 
alone  he  kept  up  intercourse  with  Buchwald. 


To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

A  full  day  on  the  2nd.  The  morning  in  the 
Garden  House,  Kolbing,  the  pastor,  with  me.  He  is 
very  agreeable.  The  dear  Stonsdorf  family  came  at 
six,  and,  after  seven,  all  the  family  from  Fischbach.  A 
long  walk  past  the  Meadow  House,  and  every  one 
went  to  take  the  boat ;  only  the  Prince  and  I  on  foot, 
and  we  had  a  great  deal  of  conversation  together. 
Tea  in  the  house,  and  then  Kolbing  read  prayers 
beautifully. 

They  did  not  leave  till  half-past  ten.  Marie  took 
a  touching  leave,  after  we  had  had  a  talk  in  the 
breakfast-room,  all  in  the  dark.  Weeping  in  my 
arms,  she  promised  to  become,  by  God's  help,  more 


1846]       PRINCESS   WILHELM'S   DEATH  325 

like  her  mother.     She  is  a  dear  creature,  but  needs  a 
stronger  support  than  man  can  give  her. 

To  THE  KING 

Prince  Wilhelm  is  a  rare  example  of  the  rich  fruit 
of  forty-nine  years  of  life  with  such  a  noble  com- 
panion as  his  wife;  deep  sorrow,  but  goodness, 
patience,  and  silent  resignation  are  diffused  in  an  in- 
describable way  throughout  his  whole  being.  He 
lives  with  his  great  sorrow,  and  the  Lord  visibly 
helps  him  to  endure,  and  he  recognises  this  and  kisses 
the  hand  that  has  dealt  him  this  blow.  It  affords  me 
the  greatest  consolation  that  Buchwald  and  the  old 
neighbour  here  have  remained  near  and  dear  to  him, 
like  a  heritage  from  the  dear  one  who  has  gone  from 
us.  We  can  often  go  to  him,  and  he  come  to  us,  and 
the  remembrance  of  the  dear  Princess  is  and  will 
continue  to  be  the  subject  of  conversation  between  us. 

The  English  minister  Mr.  Sherman  was  at  Buch- 
wald in  August  with  his  wife,  and  the  latter  writes  of 
this  visit  as  follows : 

We  turned  to  the  left  at  Erdmannsdorf,  and  the 
postillion  blew  his  horn  for  a  halt,  which  announced 
that  we  had  reached  Buchwald ;  in  a  few  minutes  we 
saw  the  venerable  house.  The  Countess  and  her 
sister  came  to  the  carriage  and  embraced  me  affec- 
tionately ;  the  first  sight  of  them  told  me  that  they 
were  no  ordinary  persons.  The  charm  and  dignity 
of  their  features,  and  their  manner,  as  well  as  the 
great  simplicity  and  neatness  of  their  dress,  showed 
that  their  worth  was  not  in  outward  appearance  only. 
Taking  my  arm,  the  dear  Countess  led  me  with 
youthful  alertness  into  the  three  large  rooms,  each 
with  a  different  view,  which  were  destined  fo  r  us.  I 
was  glad  to  be  alone,  and  tried  to  grasp  the  fact  that 
my  reception  at  Buchwald  was  not  a  dream,  but  a 
reality.  Scarcely  had  I  changed  my  dress,  than  the 
dear  Countess  herself  knocked  at  the  door,  and 
announced  that  tea  was  ready.  We  were  introduced 
to  "  my  excellent  young  friend  Theophilus  Reichel, 
pastor  of  Gnadenfrei,  who  speaks  English."  Then  a 
picture  of  our  Surrey  Chapel  was  shown  us,  and 


326  FRIENDSHIP    WITH   THE   KING       [1846 

another  of  its  pastor,  and  the  lovely  view  from  the 
corner  window.  We  soon  felt  quite  at  home,  and 
with  what  French  I  had  at  my  command  I  began 
talking  to  the  dear  sister  Caroline,  whose  friendly 
indulgence  encouraged  me  to  continue,  and,  with  the 
help  of  German  and  English  when  French  did  not 
suffice,  I  weaved  the  bonds  of  a  friendship  which  I 
hope  will  never  be  broken. 

At  seven  o'clock  Prince  Wilhelm  appeared  in  a 
four-horse  carriage,  with  his  son  Waldemar  and  the 
aide-de-camp.  .  .  .  The  two  sisters  received  him  at 
the  carriage,  conversed  with  them  a  while,  and  took 
them  to  a  spot  near  the  waterfall. 

Theophilus  fetched  us  to  tea,  and  we  were  presented 
to  the  guests,  and  accompanied  them  to  the  salon, 
where  we  sat  talking  at  the  tea-table.  The  princes 
left  at  nine  o'clock  with  a  friendly  shake  of  the  hand, 
and  so  closed  as  friendly  and  pleasant  a  day  as  any  I 
ever  passed  with  my  equals." 

Later. 

.  .  .  The  Countess  drove  us  to  the  Abbey,  ...  to 
the  Pavilion,  and  then  to  the  Moss  Hut,  a  lovely  and 
well-kept  summer-house,  from  the  large  windows  of 
which  magnificent  views  were  obtained.  We  drove 
to  Erdmannsdorf  after  dinner,  and  went  over  the 
whole  chateau. 

We  assembled  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  for 
prayers.  A  schoolmaster  accompanied  the  hymn. 
The  men  sat  on  one  side,  and  the  maid-servants  on 
the  other.  The  Countess  read  a  chapter  in  a  very 
pleasing  voice,  after  we  had  sung  several  verses  of  the 
nymn ;  then,  after  singing  the  closing  verse,  we  all 
rose,  and  the  Countess  led  me  into  the  sitting-room, 
where,  a  few  moments  later,  a  servant  brought  us 
each  a  little  tray  with  a  salt-cellar  and  a  knife  and 
fork.  Soup,  fowls,  etc.,  were  handed  round,  and  each 
took  what  he  liked.  I  was  very  tired,  and  retired 
early.  The  Countess  conducted  me  to  my  room. 

The  next  morning  after  breakfast,  which  we  had  in 
a  most  delightful  garden  room  next  to  the  Orangery, 
a  little  carriage  drove  up  which  the  Count  had  had 
built  for  use  in  the  surrounding  country.  It  is  a  sort 
of  Irish  car,  small  and  light  with  only  one  seat,  which 
is  hung  very  low,  and  can  be  turned  round  so  that  one 


1846]  MRS.   SHERMAN'S   LETTER  327 

can  sit  on  either  side  for  the  view.  One  can  drive  in 
this  to  points  which  would  be  inaccessible  to  an 
ordinary  carriage.  We  drove,  first  of  all,  with  the 
dear  Countess  among  winding  roads,  wooded  hills, 
and  rocky  places,  to  the  Observatory.  The  view  is 
far  finer  than  from  the  Schnee  Koppe.  The  Tyrolese 
colonies,  the  royal  chateau  of  Erdmannsdorf,  ravishing 
ponds  and  park-like  grounds,  a  large  spinning-factory, 
several  churches,  sweet  villages,  and  little  towns,  also 
a  mass  of  fantastically  shaped  and  richly  wooded  hills, 
and  the  whole  chain  of  the  mountains  called  the 
Riesengebirge,  whose  highest  point  is  the  Schnee 
Koppe,  almost  five  thousand  feet  high,  and  valleys  of 
rare  beauty,  well  covered  with  ripe  corn,  can  all  be  seen 
from  this  spot,  and  makes  one  of  the  most  attractive 
and  magnificent  views  I  have  ever  seen.  The  only 
thing  wanting  in  this  panorama  is  water. 

The  baptism  of  their  great-grandnephew  George 
Carolath  took  both  the  sisters  to  Sabor  in  the 
summer.  There  they  met  their  Riedesel  brother  and 
sisters,  who  returned  with  them  to  Buchwald.  Other 
guests  filled  the  house  almost  to  overflowing — the 
Munchhausen  relations,  Countess  Anton  Stolberg  with 
four  daughters  and  five  grandchildren,  and  a  host  of 
others. 

The  King  and  Queen  were  at  Erdmannsdorf  in 
September  and  sought  out  their  friends  at  Buchwald. 
There  was  a  particularly  intimate  intercourse  with 
them  both ;  their  common  grief  for  those  they  loved 
united  all  their  hearts,  and  it  was  a  comfort  to 
share  it. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

BUCHWALD,  September  13. 

Interruptions  of  all  sorts  are  beginning ;  visitors 
announcing  themselves,  petitions  pouring  in,  inquiries 
from  all  quarters,  and  a  houseml  of  guests  to  be 
entertained  and  looked  after,  take  up  all  our  time. 

The  dear  royal  couple  came  in  unexpectedly  at 
twelve  and  remained  till  half-past  one,  we  two  and 


328  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING       [1846 

Antonie,  receiving  them  as  they  alighted.  It  chanced 
to  be  a  good  opportunity  to  look  at  the  King's  seat, 
so  I  begged  them  to  come  to  it.  The  decorations 
are  charming.  The  remembrance  of  our  dear  lost 
neighbour  was  very  painful  to  us  all.  The  Queen 
wept  very  much. 

The  dear  King  talked  to  me  about  a  great  many 
things — church  matters,  Bunsen,  and  especially  about 
Wanda  and  our  dear  Princess  Wilhelm.  The  Queen 
said  that  she  felt  bereaved,  and  the  King,  that  he 
was  deprived  of  his  truest  councillor. 

September. 

Yesterday,  on  the  finest  day  of  the  whole  year, 
the  King  went  up  to  the  Schnee  Koppe  at  seven 
o'clock,  with  his  brother-in-law  Prince  Johann  of 
Saxony  and  a  party  of  nine  in  attendance,  besides 
the  Bishop  of  Breslau,  Minister  Bodelschwing,  and 
Henly.  An  invitation  came  at  eight  for  Caroline 
and  me  and  Count  Ferdinand  [Stolberg]  to  dine  with 
the  King  at  Wang.  We  called  all  hands  to  the 
pumps,  for  everything  had  to  be  got  ready  for  all 
the  guests,  including  the  Jannowitz  party,  who  were 
also  to  come.  There  was  such  a  coming  and  going ; 
messengers  and  bearers  were  ordered,  and  we  started 
at  half-past  ten,  arriving  there  at  one.  We  found 
the  Queen  with  her  sister  already  there,  and  all  her 
court.  She  received  us  with  open  arms,  and  said 
it  was  a  charming  surprise  which  the  King  had  pre- 
pared for  her.  We  saw  the  King  reach  the  Koppe 
at  twelve  o'clock,  and  at  three  the  beautiful  royal  pro- 
cession arrived  at  Wang.  It  was  a  festive  occasion. 
The  Werkenthins  behaved  admirably.  The  cooks, 
the  Master  of  the  House,  and  servants  had  been  there 
since  two.  Places  were  laid  in  both  rooms  for  forty 
guests.  The  King  was  kindness  itself.  I  sat  by  him, 
and  the  conversation  did  not  flag  for  a  moment. 
The  Queen  introduced  the  Bishop,  Diepenbrock,  to 
me,  with  whom  I  had  a  long  talk.  Sailer  was  the 
subject  of  it,  one  which  quickly  drew  us  together. 

I  begged  the  King  to  look  at  the  crucifix  before  it 
became  dark,  and  he  went  with  me  and  the  Bishop 
to  the  church ;  and  was  very  much  pleased.  He 
graciously  accepted  the  short  account  of  the  church 
from  Pastor  Werkenthin,  and  gave  his  permission 


1846]  THE   CARVED   CRUCIFIX  329 

for   it   to   be  printed   for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  at 
Briickenberg. 

So,  by  God's  grace,  everything  went  off  satis- 
factorily beyond  expectation — even  the  fact  of  the 
King's  insisting  on  making  the  return  journey  by  way 
of  Krummhubel,  because  I  had  advised  it,  and  he  liked 
following  my  advice.  To  my  delight,  it  pleased  him 
very  much ;  at  Steinseiffen  they  found  triumphal 
arches,  and  the  rest  of  the  way  was  over  my  roads, 
the  alle'e,  etc. 

The  crucifix  here  mentioned  had  been  done,  under 
the  eyes  of  the  two  artistic  sisters,  by  the  wood- 
carver  Jacob,  from  a  beautiful  little  model  in  ivory 
at  Warmbrunn. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

October. 

An  enormous  breakfast  here  after  eleven  o'clock 
church — the  family  from  Stonsdorf,  the  young 
Stolbergs  of  Peterswaldau,  and  the  Jannowitz  party. 
We  all  went  to  a  great  dinner  at  Erdmannsdorf  at 
four  o'clock.  No  end  of  toilettes.  Hamann  was  near 
me,  Count  Keller,  Count  Sandretzky,  and  so  on. 
I  sat  by  the  King,  and  opposite  to  the  Queen, 
with  whom  I  was  able  to  speak.  The  King's 
conversation  was  admirable,  his  topics  serious  and 
confidential.  I  had  to  tell  him  about  my  dear 
husband's  life,  the  discovery  of  the  mines,  and  of 
the  coal.  Then  we  talked  on  religious  subjects,  and 
he  made,  what  was  to  me,  the  most  beautiful  confes- 
sion of  a  true  believer.  The  Queen  presented  me 
to  the  Duke  of  Brunswick  after  dinner.  I  did  not 
care  for  him  at  all.  We  two  had  been  asked,  as 
old  Brunswickers,  to  meet  him.  We  had  a  long 
talk  about  his  father  and  various  acquaintances. 
On  the  1 2th  to  tea  at  Erdmannsdorf,  when  I  again 
sat  between  the  King  and  Queen,  like  their  spoilt 
child.  Both  said  as  I  left,  "  Sans  adieu ;  we  must 
see  you  on  the  isth"  [Princess  Wilhelm's  birth- 
day]. And  so  it  was.  At  half-past  nine  in  the 
morning,  they  announced  "The  King,"  and  in  came 
the  dear  couple  quite  alone,  very  affectionate,  very 
sad,  thinking  about  the  dead  Princess,  whom  all  miss 


330          FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING      [1846 

so  much.  They  sat  on  the  balcony  with  us  and  then 
with  Ferdinand  Stolberg.  I  fetched  Iris  Richthofen 
in,  and  she  asked  their  Majesties  to  write  in  her 
album.  They  wrote  on  a  text  which  pleased  us  very 
much,  particularly  under  the  text  From  the  dear 
Princess  Wilhelm's  favourite  hymn.  The  Queen 
asked,  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  "  Could  we  not  sing 
it?"  We  went  into  the  hall,  the  Stolbergs, 
Miinchhausens,  and  others,  and  sang  the  hymn,  and 
ended  with  the  blessing. 

Then  there  was  a  hurry  as  they  were  going  away. 
The  King  asked  for  my  husband's  picture,  and  the 
Queen  accepted  a  nosegay  [Reiserickel\  as  the  dear 
Princess  always  did.  They  again  said  good-bye  to 
every  one,  and  we  conducted  them  to  their  carriage, 
and,  with  one  more  loving  kiss  from  them  both,  trie 
carriage  drove  from  our  sight. 

To  THEOPHILUS  REICHEL 

November  i. 

It  often  happens,  dear  Theophilus,  that  though  one 
has  a  great  deal  of  writing  to  do,  and  is,  in  fact,  buried 
under  the  weight  of  it,  letter-writing  seems  impossible. 
Such  has  been  my  case  again.  We  had  visitors  with 
us  until  yesterday,  so  there  were  many  hindrances; 
but  now  I  think  that  quiet  is  going  to  set  in,  and  it 
is  time  it  did,  for  there  are  piles  of  things  to  be  put 
in  order,  and  at  the  present  moment  the  completion 
of  the  Hirschberg  Bible  takes  up  all  my  time.  Nine 
thousand  five  hundred  copies  have  to  be  sent  to 
the  Consistorial  Councillor  Siegert,  who,  as  royal 
commissioner,  has  to  provide  for  their  distribution 
to  the  schools  of  the  five  provinces,  and  for  this 
reason  he  was  working  all  yesterday  with  me. 


To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

November  15. 

The  young  artist  Schwencke  dined  with  us.  When 
he  was  eight  years  old  I  took  him  to  Caroline,  who 
gave  him  drawing  lessons.  To  please  me,  Prince 
Wilhelm  had  him  taught  in  Berlin,  and  then  he  went 
to  the  Duke  of  Lucca,  and  has  not  been  here  for  ten 
years.  He  has  made  extraordinary  progress  as  a 


1847]     THE   YOUNG  ARTIST   SCHWENCKE     331 

landscape  painter  a  grand  coup.  His  genre  pictures 
are  admirable.  Caroline  is  much  taken  with  his 
work. 

Prince  Wilhelm  and  the  Reusses  were  here  to 
tea,  and  were  quite  enchanted  with  the  contents  of 
his  portfolio.  He  is  going  to  stay  two  months  with 
his  delighted  parents  at  Schmiedeberg,  and  then 
he  is  going  to  Berlin  to  the  King,  who  wishes  to 
see  his  work. 

November. 

All  sorts  of  work  on  the  i7th — Bible  affairs,  dis- 
tribution of  buckskin  and  Tyrolese  cloth,  and  the 
whole  of  the  large  bed  linen  dried  out  of  doors. 
Schwencke  came  from  Fischbach  in  the  afternoon. 
He  is  very  interesting. 

To  church  on  the  i8th,  and  in  the  garden  for  a 
little  time.  I  had  a  good  deal  to  attend  to  about  the 
buckwheat,  which  I  am  having  prepared  for  groats 
and  meal  for  the  Infirmary  and  home  use.  In  order 
to  get  a  correct  idea  of  how  much  is  required  for  four, 
six,  or  eight  persons,  I  am  having  it  weighed  out.  I 
have  got  some  excellent  cheap  turpentine  soap  for 
myseli,  the  neighbours,  and  tenants,  which  I  can  allow 
to  these  last  at  an  advantage  both  in  money  and  weight, 
two  silver  groschens  instead  of  five  silver  groschens — 
a  great  help.  I  rejoiced  some  people  who  had  lost 
things  by  fire  by  giving  them  new  clothes  and  Bibles. 
I  spoke  to  Superintendent  Roth  about  an  institution 
of  the  Queen's  at  Erdmannsdorf  for  supplying  clothing 
for  new-born  children. 

In  consequence  of  the  potato-disease  and  the  dryness 
of  the  summer  of  1846,  the  year  1847  was  one  °f  distress, 
and  great  care  had  to  be  taken  to  prevent  the  people 
from  feeling  the  pressure  of  extreme  poverty.  Rice 
and  pearl  barley  were  deposited  at  Erdmannsdorf  by 
means  of  the  Minister  Rother,  and  Countess  Reden 
sold  them  at  cheap  prices,  and  flour  as  well.  "  I 
venture  to  hope  that  no  one  is  hungry,"  she  writes 
after  one  of  the  distributions. 

The    Countess    followed    the    proceedings    of   the 


332  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING      [1847 

Prussian  Diet  with  great  interest.     She  read  the  King's 
speech  aloud  twice,  and  writes : 

It  is  uncommonly  fine  and  far-reaching,  and  goes 
deep.  The  most  important  point,  to  my  mind,  is  the 
determined  monarchical  language,  the  rejection  of  every 
constitution.  If  only  they  will  be  able  to  hold  fast 
to  it !  God  has  given  to  the  dear  King  a  very  en- 
lightened mind,  and  what  is  it,  properly  speaking, 
which  gives  such  a  reassuring  stamp  to  the  whole  ? 
The  undisguised  fear  of  God.  God  be  thanked,  and 
may  He  be  near  him  with  the  riches  of  His  mercy ! 

Countess  Reden  had  a  trial  to  bear,  because  one  near 
and  dear  to  her  belonged  to  the  Opposition,  and  especi- 
ally because  he  spoke  in  favour  of  the  emancipation 
of  the  Jews.  But  she  knew  that  noble  motives  lay 
at  the  bottom  of  it,  and  always  defended  him  against 
many  who  condemned  him  and  turned  from  him. 
She  even  defended  him  to  the  King,  whom  people 
had  sought  to  set  against  him.  Later,  after  the  year 
1848,  he  had  other  views  on  many  subjects  with 
which  the  Countess  could  quite  agree.  But  her  affec- 
tion had  bridged  over  the  gulf  made  by  differences 
of  opinion. 

The  design  for  a  statue  which  was  to  be  erected 
to  her  husband  was  submitted  to  Countess  Reden 
at  this  time.  It  touched  her  very  much,  and  she  was 
glad  that  the  artist,  a  pupil  of  Kiss,  and  a  son  of 
Kalide,  the  Foundry  Inspector  at  Konigshiitte,  was 
a  godson  of  her  husband. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

May  ii. 

To-day  was  busy  to  overflowing.  What  a  joy  to 
have  my  Marline  with  me  !  Now  listen  :  at  ten  o'clock 
I  established  myself  in  the  cellar,  and  began  the  dis- 
tribution of  my  potatoes,  strictly  according  to  means — 
those  who  can  give  nothing  at  all  because  they  had 


1 847]  THE   STARVING   MOUSE  333 

no  potatoes,  those  who  can  give  only  a  few  pecks 
beqause  they  cannot  spare  more,  and  so  on.  .  .  .  After 
I  had  got  this  clearly  arranged,  the  sacks  were  filled, 
and  only  a  quarter  of  the  current  price  paid.  Thus 
sixty-one  families  were  considered  and  went  happy 
away.  In  the  midst  of  my  business,  what  do  my 
eyes  behold,  but  Ferdinand  and  Jenny  [Carolath]. 
This  was  a  great  pleasure,  and  then  my  dear  Werken- 
thin  called.  The  Kusters  came  at  five  o'clock,  followed 
by  Fraulein  Teschner  and  dear  Frau  Schubertin. 
So  far  have  we  got  to-day,  and  so  far  has  the  Lord 
brought  me,  forgiving  my  faults,  and  showing  mercy 
beyond  all  my  prayers. 

The  following  little  anecdote,  which  Countess  Reden 
related  to  one  of  her  nieces,  is  highly  characteristic  : 

Fancy  what  happened  to  me  to-day.  I  was  sitting 
in  my  chair  at  the  table  in  the  large  room,  when  a 
mouse  came  creeping  very  slowly  out  of  the  closet, 
seated  itself  in  front  of  me  as  if  it  wanted  to  look  at 
me,  then  fell  down,  and  died.  They  all  said  it  was 
starving,  for  there  was  no  poison  about,  and  it  could 
not  have  found  anything  to  eat  in  the  room.  It  was 
really  hard  for  me  to  think  of  anything  starving  in 
my  house. 

Countess  Reden  records  a  short  visit  from  the  King : 

June  28. 

Here  I  sit  at  the  window  expecting  our  King, 
who  arrived  at  Erdmannsdorf  at  ten  o'clock,  almost 
taking  me  by  surprise.  True  to  his  custom,  he  has 
thought  of  his  old  friend,  and  is  coming  to  see  her 
this  morning,  so  I  am  awaiting  him.  Werkenthin  is 
preparing  an  address  in  my  room  upon  the  text  "  I 
and  my  house  will  serve  the  Lord,"  in  case  the  King 
should  come  to  prayers  in  the  evening.  The  house 
is  being  decorated  outside. 

Later. 

It  has  been  a  full  but  an  enjoyable  day.  The  King 
did  not  come  from  Warmbrunn  till  two  o'clock.  He 
had  been  calling  on  old  Field-Marshal  Ziethen.  The 
Prince  of  Prussia  was  in  the  carriage  with  him.  A 


334  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING      [1847 

most  charming  meeting  !  After  half  an  hour's  stay  his 
brother  drove  on  to  Fischbach,  and  the  King  remained 
quite  alone  with  me,  and  we  had  a  heart-to-heart 
conversation.  I  can  scarcely  think  of  a  subject  which 
was  not  touched  upon.  He  spoke  modestly,  clearly, 
kindly,  and,  at  the  same  time,  firmly,  about  the  Diet, 
assuring  me  that  he  himself  had  gained  much  by  it — a 
nearer  knowledge  of  men,  a  more  distinct  insight 
into  the  relation  of  things.  He  praised  individual 
members,  blamed  others,  and  sketched  things  with 
a  master-hand.  The  Prince  of  Prussia  had  shown, 
he  said,  great  fidelity.  He  spoke  in  a  husky,  moved 
voice  about  the  Queen's  illness,  and  what  the  loss  of 
her  would  have  been  to  him.  We  remained  thus 
talking  together  until  half-past  three,  while  Caroline 
sat  in  the  breakfast-room  with  Anton  Stolberg  and 
Werkenthin,  and  I  heard  about  many  things.  As  he 
went  away,  the  dear  King  asked  whether  he  might 
come  again  in  the  evening,  saying,  "  For  I  really 
come  to  the  mountains  on  your  account." 

There  was  a  good  deal  to  arrange  after  he  had  gone. 
A  messenger  was  despatched  for  Caroline  Reuss,  who 
was  much  pleased  to  come,  but  did  not  arrive  until 
half  an  hour  after  the  King,  who  was  here  at  half-past 
six.  We  sat  down  to  tea  in  quite  a  homely  way  in 
the  dining-room.  The  gentlemen  were  Anton,  General 
Neumann,  Count  Nostiz,  and  Count  Brandenburg.  The 
Prince  of  Prussia  has  become  very  agreeable,  and  he 
talked  with  me  very  naturally  and  intelligently.  The 
relations  between  the  two  brothers  seem  to  be  very 

f)od.  .  .  .  The  leave-taking  was  cordial,  and  the 
ing  continued  his  journey  the  next  morning  at  five 
o'clock.  I  remained  in  my  armchair  for  half  an  hour, 
meditating  over  the  whole  day;  and  what  I  heard 
from  the  King  has  given  me  something  to  think  about 
for  a  long  time. 

The  appointment  of  a  schoolmaster  for  Wang  lay 
very  near  the  Countess's  heart,  but  there  were  many 
difficulties  in  the  way  of  the  appointment,  on  the 
part  of  the  local  authorities,  and  of  those  interested 
in  it,  one  of  which  was  the  fact  that  the  Lord  of  the 
Manor  of  Briickenburg  was  a  Roman  Catholic.  There 


1 847]    AN  ACCIDENT  TO  COUNTESS  REDEN    335 

were  very  lengthy  negotiations  which  are  no  longer 
of  any  present  interest.  The  Countess  wrote  to  the 
King,  among  others,  about  the  affair : 

If  your  Majesty's  Ministry  and  Government  could 
be  united  in  one  person,  and  that  person  yourself,  how 
easily  and  quickly  all  business  could  be  despatched ! 
If  only  the  two  words  "  obstinate "  and  "  naiv "  did 
not  occur  in  your  gracious  letter,  I  would  show  it  to 
N.  N.,  and  we  should  get  to  the  point  at  once.  But  I 
dare  not,  unless  I  wish  to  spoil  everything,  for  both 
words  are  strikingly  true. 

Countess  Reden  had  a  visit  from  her  niece  Hedwig 
von  Muffling,  me  Bernstorff,  with  her  husband  and 
children  in  August.  She  took  them  to  see  the  moun- 
tain-church at  Wang  on  the  22nd,  as  she  took  most 
of  her  guests. 

Pastor  Werkenthin  writes  of  the  accident  that  befell 
her  there : 

Countess  Reden  came  to  divine  service  at  Wang 
with  near  relations  on  August  22. 

It  was  a  bright,  pleasant  day,  the  twelfth  Sunday 
after  Trinity.  ...  I  do  not  know  for  what  reason 
the  hymn  had  been  chosen.  It  is  by  Israel  Clauder, 
and  the  first  verse  runs  thus : 

My  God  alone,  Thou  knowest  best 

All  good  things  for  me  to  provide, 
On  Thee  doth  my  salvation  rest  ; 

Grant  me,  Lord,  setting  self  aside, 
On  Thee  to  build  continually, 
And  with  my  whole  heart  trust  in  Thee. 

As  I  entered  the  pulpit,  I  noticed  among  the  number 
of  the  poor  mountain  congregation  the  aged  figure  so 
dear  to  my  heart,  she  who  had  ever  shown  me  and 
mine  a  truly  motherly  affection  and  confidence,  for 
which  I  shall  thank  her  throughout  eternity.  She 
followed  the  course  of  the  sermon  with  devout  atten- 
tion, and  waited  with  the  rest  of  the  congregation  for 
the  Celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  after  the 
service  was  over,  came  into  the  parsonage  to  greet  me 


336  FRIENDSHIP   WITH    THE   KING      [1847 

and  speak  of  some  necessary  matter.     Seeing  different 
people  in  my  study,  who  had  come  to  make  various 
requests,  she  said,  "  I  will  go  to  my  dear  ones  in  the 
church  and  show  them  the  fine  carving,  especially  the 
beautiful  crucifix  by  Jacob  the  wood-carver."     About 
ten  minutes  later  the  bell-ringer  appeared  in  my  room, 
and  said  that  Countess  Reden  had  fallen  on  the  altar 
steps,  and  seemed  to  have  broken  her  arm.     In  great 
consternation,  I  hurried  to  the  church,  where  I  found 
the  beloved  Countess,  with  a  white  face,  sitting  on  a 
chair,  surrounded  by  her  relations.     Without  letting 
us  see  the  great  pain  she  was  suffering,  she  said  to  me, 
"  Dear  Werkenthin,  I  have  had  a  fall ;  but  it  was  under 
the  cross,  and  before  the  altar  of  the  Lord.     He  knows 
well  why  it  was  good  for  me."     I  sent  a  messenger  in 
haste  for  the  nearest  doctor,  whose  arrival,  however, 
could  not  be  expected  for  several  hours.     Meanwhile, 
we — that  is,  my  wife,  who  was  attached  with  child-like 
affection  to  the  Countess,  and  I — exerted  ourselves  to 
do    everything    that    could    alleviate    the    pain,    the 
sufferer  herself,  who  was  the  most  composed  of  all  of 
us,  helping   to  make  arrangements  with  her  wonted 
forethought.     It  was  truly  touching  to  me  to  see  how 
full   of  care   she  was   for  others,  especially   for  her 
beloved  sister  Caroline,  who,  usually  never   absent 
from  her  side,  chanced,  just  this  time,  to  have  been 
prevented    from    accompanying  her.      In    the    most 
severe  pain  she  looked  with  humble  submission  to  the 
Lord,  Who  could  not  wish  to  make  her  suffer.     "  I  did 
not  know,"  she  said,  "how  necessary  it  was  for  me 
that  you  had  the  verse  at  the  end,  sung : 

Whate'er  Thou  send'st,  help  me  always 

In  patience,  Lord,  to  bear  my  pain, 
And  through  both  good  and  evil  days, 

Ah  !  do  Thou  comfort,  guide,  sustain. 

But  now  I  know,  and  He  will  give  me,  in  His  mercy, 
what  is  needful  and  wholesome  for  me." 

So  this  dear  soul,  so  highly  favoured  by  the  Lord, 
proved  herself  again  His  true  disciple.  After  waiting 
some  hours,  she  left  the  parsonage  for  Buchwald, 
accompanied  by  the  doctor,  who  had  bound  up  her  left 
arm,  which  had  been  broken  at  the  wrist.  I  thought 
of  Psalm  cxxiii.,  which  pictures  the  consolations  of  the 
righteous,  as  I  looked  at  her. 


1847]  A  LETTER  TO  THE  KING  337 

Countess  Reden  wrote  to  her  dear  King,  who  had 
desired  constant  reports  as  to  her  condition  from 
the  doctor  : 

August  31. 

I  should  like,  as  far  as  I  am  able,  to  add  a  few  more 
words  in  my  own  hand  to  my  lord  and  King,  for 
I  well  know  that  you  will  be  grieved  by  the  news 
that  your  old  friend  of  seventy-three  has  broken  her 
left  arm.  It  was  on  the  altar  steps  at  Wang,  where 
you  knelt  on  July  28,  1844,  to  express,  from  a  full 
heart,  your  gratitude  for  a  wonderful  deliverance.  I 
shall  have  to  suffer  from  the  effects  of  the  accident 
for  a  long  time  before  it  is  cured.  And  yet  it  was 
God's  exceeding  mercy  which  preserved  me  perhaps 
from  a  still  greater  calamity,  and  has  shed  peace  and 
calm  into  my  soul,  and  sustained  me  through  all  the 
pain  and  the  many  sleepless  nights.  To  Him  be 
praise  and  thanks.  We  heard  a  splendid  sermon  from 
Werkenthin  on  the  22nd,  on  the  law  and  the  gospel ; 
and  at  the  conclusion  of  the  service  the  two  verses  of 
a  hymn  were  sung  to  my  great  edification ;  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  later,  and  I  was  lying  at  the  foot  of  the 
cross,  which  I  was  showing  to  my  friends.  It  is  well 
with  him  who  lies  there. 

To  such  an  active  woman  this  accident  was  a  real 
trial,  for  although  it  was  the  left  arm,  it  always 
hindered  her,  and  she  was  ill  for  some  days.  In  a 
letter  which  she  dictated  to  Marline  on  August  26, 
we  read  : 

It  is  for  me  now,  as  it  has  been  from  the  beginning, 
to  thank  and  praise  God,  and  to  pray  Him,  as 
heretofore,  to  grant  me  patience  to  bear  with  joy 
what  He  has  laid  upon  me.  .  .  .  All  the  dear 
neighbours  came  on  Monday,  in  spite  of  torrents  of 
rain,  and  there  was  no  lack  of  inquiries  and  touching 
sympathy.  Everything  that  can  relieve  me  outwardly 
and  make  me  comfortable  has  been  done  for  me  in 
rich  measure,  and  my  inner  strengthening  I  leave 
to  the  Lord. 

Her  nephew  Henly  was  at  Neuhof  with  his  wife, 

22 


338  FRIENDSHIP   WITH   THE   KING       [1847 

and  visited  his  aunt  assiduously.  She  always  saw 
him,  as  well  as  her  friends  Ernestine  Stolberg  and 
Caroline  Reuss ;  and  her  devoted  sister  Caroline  was 
fully  occupied  with  the  many  callers  who  could  not 
be  admitted  to  the  invalid.  In  a  letter  of  September  7 
we  read : 

I  dine  in  the  breakfast-room  and  the  others  in  the 
hall ;  but  for  tea  I  go  into  the  large  room,  where  only 
a  select  few  are  admitted,  such  as  the  families  from 
Jannowitz  and  Stonsdorf  and  Neuhof,  and  there  I 
remain  all  the  evening.  My  favourite  occupations  are 
dictating  and  doing  accounts  with  Schiller. 

Dear  English  guests,  Sir  Robert  and  Lady  Inglis, 
friends  of  Sir  James  Riddell,  came  to  Buchwald,  and 
the  Countess  was  able  to  enjoy  Sir  Robert's  con- 
versation, and  his  anecdotes  about  Wilberforce,  Mrs. 
Fry,  and  Hannah  More.  "  He  was  quite  a  ray  of 
brightness  for  us  all,"  she  writes. 

On  September  12  Countess  Reden  was  able  to 
record : 

I  had  the  pleasure  of  going  out  in  a  wheeled 
chair  for  the  first  time,  in  company  with  the  doctor 
and  his  wife,  who  dined  with  me  afterwards  in  the 
Infirmary  garden.  My  heart  was  filled  with  gratitude 
for  so  much  mercy. 

On  the  Hth  she  writes  : 

The  Lord  has  granted  me  the  blessing  of  having 
evening  prayers  these  last  two  days. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE    LAST   YEARS 
1847—1854 

breaking  of  her  arm  in  1847  niarks  off  a 
JL  period  in  Countess  Reden's  life.  Her  great 
activity  was  from  henceforth  very  much  checked,  and 
she  entered  upon  years  of  which  it  is  said,  "  I  have 
no  pleasure  in  them."  The  shades  of  evening  were 
drawing  in. 

A  retrospect  of  her  full  and  active  life,  and  likewise 
a  picture  of  her  personality,  are  given  us  in  a  descrip- 
tion from  the  pen  of  her  beloved  protege  and  adopted 
son,  Theophilus  Reichel,  which  finds  a  suitable  place 
here. 

The  Countess  was  of  medium  height,  a  slender, 
delicate  figure.  She  was  not  so  imposing  that  one 
felt  embarrassed  in  her  presence,  for  she  addressed 
everybody  with  cordial  affability.  She  was,  never- 
theless, decidedly  distinguished  in  appearance.  The 
simplest  people,  who  gained  access  to  her  without 
difficulty,  lost  all  shyness  when  they  came  in  contact 
with  her  winning  friendliness,  whilst  those  in  high 
position,  or  in  one  higher  than  her  own,  bowed 
respectfully  before  her. 

Her  face  was  refined  and  delicate,  and  the  expres- 
sion of  her  eyes  was  particularly  gentle,  often  some- 
what sad.  In  it  seemed  mirrored  the  grief  for  her 
dearly  loved  and  honoured  husband  who  had  been 
taken  from  her  so  early.  She  was  very  short-sighted, 
and  always  had  to  make  use  of  an  eye-glass  for  distant 
objects.  I  mostly  saw  her  dressed  in  widow's  weeds 
(only  for  great  ceremonies,  such  as  those  at  Fischbach 

339 


340  THE   LAST   YEARS  [1847 

and  Erdmannsdorf,  would  she  wear  grey  silk),  and 
with  a  simple  tulle  cap  on  her  head,  from  beneath 
which  peeped  fine  little  curls. 

The  picture  of  her  sitting  in  her  easy-chair  at  the 
table  in  the  large  room,  absorbed  in  writing,  is  one 
which  will  have  made  a  lasting  impression  on  those 
who  were  near  her.  She  used  an  ordinary  writing- 
pad,  and  would  often  dictate  to  a  guest  or  to  her 
secretary  at  the  same  time.  A  black  paste-board 
basket,  or  one  of  white  chip,  stood  close  by,  which 
contained  all  kinds  of  writing,  etc.,  and  also  knitting 
materials,  which  would  be  set  in  motion  as  soon  as 
her  hands  were  not  otherwise  engaged.  But  the 
special  object  in  her  basket  was  the  key  of  her 
writing-room,  an  object  of  much  concern  to  all  her 
young  friends  and  obliging  guests.  "  Children,  where 
is  the  key  of  my  writing-room  ?  "  When  those  words 
were  heard,  every  one  set  eagerly  to  work  to  hunt 
for  the  key,  and  very  lucky  did  he  think  himself  who 
was  able  to  give  it  into  her  hands. 

As  she  grew  older,  she  often  sat  in  her  chair,  in  a 
half-reclining  position,  but  for  the  most  part  she  held 
herself  as  straight  and  upright  as  in  her  youth.  She 
could  not  bear  to  see  young  people  stooping,  and 
"  Shall  I  fetch  a  yard  measure  to  strengthen  your  back 
and  make  you  sit  straight?"  was  what  I  sometimes 
heard  her  say.  One  would  not  care  to  hear  that 
reproof  a  second  time.  It  has  been  remarked  that 
the  society  of  young  men  was  more  attractive  to  her 
than  that  of  young  girls. 

She  understood  particularly  well  how  to  set  young 
people  to  do  little  services,  and  help  her  in  her  work, 
and  it  was  a  proud  moment  for  nim  to  whom  an 
errand  was  entrusted.  Often  have  I  been  sent  into 
the  writing-room  to  fetch  something,  with  very  com- 
plicated details  as  to  the  place  where  it  was  to  be 
found.  If  I  chanced  to  return  saying  that  I  could 
not  find  it,  she  would  say,  "  My  dear  child,  must  I 
go  myself?  "  "  No  ;  I  will  look  again,"  I  would  answer ; 
and  happy  I  was,  if  I  found  it. 

In  the  affairs  of  her  estate  she  took  a  lively  interest, 
and  was  delighted  when  others  did  the  same.  During 
the  haymaking  she  used  to  sit  nearly  the  whole  day 
on  the  "  Wiesenthron,"  an  elevated  space  where  the 
road  from  the  house  crossed  the  highway  to  the  large 


1 847]  LIFE   AT   BUCHWALD  341 

pond.  At  the  last  waggon-load  the  peasants  brought 
her  a  garland,  and  received  a  present  from  her  in 
return.  Once  a  potato-field  had  to  be  cleared  of  rank 
weeds.  The  maids  from  the  house  and  we  lads  who 
were  visiting  her  set  to  work,  and  he  who  finished 
his  row  first  received  a  little  prize.  Once  when  I 
was  at  Buchwald  in  the  holidays  I  drove  with  the 
Countess  to  the  Birkberg,  where  the  young  cattle  were, 
and  one  kept  for  breeding  purposes  had  not  been 
named.  "  Oh  !  he  can  have  your  name"  [Theophilus], 
she  said ;  and  so  it  was  given.  When  I  came  again 
the  following  year,  one  of  my  first  drives  was  to  the 
Birkberg,  where  the  Countess  showed  my  well- 
groomed  namesake  to  me.  If  I  remember  rightly, 
there  was  also  a  Marline  among  the  cows. 

One  peculiarity  of  life  at  Buchwald  was  the  use 
made  of  the  fine  park  and  of  the  various  summer- 
houses  in  it,  which  were  used  according  to  the  time 
of  day.  The  picture  of  a  summer  day  there  comes 
vividly  before  me.  The  Countess's  morning  work 
began  soon  after  six  o'clock.  After  she  had  taken 
a  cup  of  tea  in  bed,  she  read  the  portion  for  the  day 
in  a  Moravian  book  of  devotions,  and  a  passage  of 
Scripture  ;  then  she  settled  the  Bible  reading  and  the 
hymns  for  evening  prayers,  and  attended  to  other 
matters  of  business.  Breakfast  was  at  half-past  eight 
in  the  breakfast-room  in  winter,  and  in  the  orange- 
room  or  in  the  rose-room  whenever  the  weather 
permitted  in  summer,  the  windows  of  which  were 
entirely  surrounded  by  climbing  roses  of  different 
colours.  The  necessary  breakfast  service  was  kept 
there,  and  also  in  each  of  the  other  summer-houses 
in  the  park,  each  one  specially  suited  to  its  particular 
place.  There  was  a  view  on  to  the  Infirmary  garden — 
a  charming,  quiet  little  spot,  the  only  one  that  was 
really  closed  to  the  public.  Sometimes  the  nearest 
part  of  the  nursery  garden  was  used  for  breakfast, 
but  more  often  in  the  afternoon  when  there  were 
guests  to  coffee.  After  breakfast,  Eisenmenger, 
the  cook,  appeared,  with  whom  the  Countess  settled 
the  menu.  The  kitchenmaid  came  next,  to  whom 
Fraulein  Caroline  gave  out  the  required  things.  She 
directed  the  smaller  affairs  of  the  house,  and  had 
the  store-room,  the  linen-closet,  and  the  guests  under 
her  charge.  The  two  sisters,  whom  I  never  saw  other 


342  THE   LAST   YEARS  [1847 

than  united,  fulfilled  each  one  what  was  lacking  in 
the  other. 

After  breakfast  the  guests  followed  their  own 
devices.  The  Countess  went  to  one  of  her  favourite 
places  for  working,  and  I  often  accompanied 
her  thither.  Adjoining  the  nursery  garden  was  an 
arbour — the  Muttersitz — which  she  frequently  made 
use  of.  If  she  wished  to  be  quite  undisturbed,  she 
would  go  to  the  Wiesenhaus,  which  contained  two 
rooms  for  the  Countess,  besides  the  dwelling  of  the 
gardener  and  his  family.  On  one  side  was  a  little 
pond  in  the  wood,  and  in  front,  large,  flat  stretches  of 
meadow,  broken  by  clumps  of  trees,  and  it  was  so 
surrounded  with  oaks  that  nothing  could  be  seen 
of  the  neighbouring  mountains.  Many  a  fine  morning 
have  I  spent  here  with  the  Countess,  drawing,  writing, 
or  helping  her  in  some  of  her  work.  The  front 
room  was  decorated  entirely  with  pictures  of  birds, 
and  the  cups  which  were  kept  there  also  had  birds 
painted  on  them.  Behind,  was  a  most  charming  little 
room  with  a  fireplace,  and  nothing  but  pictures 
of  children — Englisn  engravings — on  the  wall.  Some- 
times she  had  dinner  there,  but  only  when  there  were 
two  or  three  persons.  The  place  used  for  larger 
dinners  was  the  salon  adjoining  the  rose-room,  an 
apartment  which  would  hold  thirty  people  comfortably. 
There  too  were  held  the  sittings  01  the  Bible  Society. 
Through  door  and  windows  there  was  a  view  over 
a  long  expanse  of  water  shut  in  by  groups  of  beautiful 
trees,  and  above  all  the  Schnee  Koppe  was  visible. 
The  guests  whose  backs  were  turned  to  the  windows 
could  see  the  view  in  a  large  mirror.  A  blue-patterned 
service  was  kept  there.  After  ordinary  meals  the 
Countess  would  generally  fill  a  number  of  small  dishes 
with  the  remainder  of  the  meal  for  the  poor  widows 
and  sick  people. 

She  worked  again  in  the  afternoon.  She  took  drives 
with  her  guests  through  the  park,  or  paid  calls  in 
the  neighbourhood.  Now  and  then  the  destination 
would  be  the  Birkberg,  a  farm  with  fruit  plantations  ; 
but  the  vineyard  which  had  been  attempted  there  did 
not  succeed.  The  two  rooms  there  which  she  reserved 
for  friends  were  often  given  up  to  guests  who  stayed 
on  for  a  longer  time.  The  Grove  Arbour  was  also 
often  visited ;  the  approach  to  it  was  through  the 


1 847]     THEOPHILUS  REICHEL'S  MEMORIES   343 

cowyard,  and  strawberries  with  milk  were  served 
there  by  preference. 

The  most  beautiful  spot  in  the  park  was  the  Pavilion. 
There  may,  indeed,  be  more  extensive  mountain  views, 
but  such  a  completely  beautiful  and  secluded  picture 
of  the  Schnee  Koppe  can  scarcely  be  found  elsewhere. 
The  Countess  reserved  to  herself  the  pleasure  of 
bringing  to  that  favourite  place  guests  who  came  for 
the  first  time,  and  whom  I  had  taken  round  the  rest 
of  the  park.  .  .  .  Tea  was  served  there,  and  the  service 
used  was  of  a  single  colour,  each  piece  in  a  different 
delicate  shade.  .  .  .  Visitors  would  look  at  the  Koppe 
through  the  telescope  in  the  next  room.  When  there 
were  only  a  few  guests,  and  the  weather  uncertain, 
tea  was  served  in  the  porch  at  the  front  of  the  house. 
All  the  household  and  visitors  assembled  for  evening 
prayers  about  eight  o'clock.  The  Countess  read  a 
portion  of  Scripture,  and  before  and  after  a  few  verses 
of  a  hymn  were  sung.  On  the  table  in  the  large  room 
a  light  supper  was  spread,  and  each  guest  was  given  a 
wooden  tray  with  a  plate,  knife,  fork,  spoon,  etc., 
for  which  place  was  made  between  the  books  and 
papers  lying  on  the  table,  so  that  as  little  time  as 
possible  was  spent  over  the  meal,  and  it  sped  in  talk, 
grave  and  gay. 

She  could  not  endure  to  see  young  people  idle,  so 
they  had  to  have  some  employment ;  there  were  all 
kinds  of  writing  and  drawing  to  be  done,  lint  to 
be  scraped,  capsules  for  homoeopathic  powders  to  be 
made,  herbs  to  be  picked  and  sorted,  seeds  to  be 
selected,  and  many  things  of  that  sort  to  be  done — 
work  which  must  have  seemed  odd  to  many  of  the 
fine  young  men.  Nor  did  the  Countess  ever  remain 
idle  herself.  The  company  broke  up  at  about  eleven 
o'clock. 

My  mind  retains  a  very  vivid  picture  of  dear  Countess 
Reden,  whom  I  saw  almost  every  year  from  1822, 
when  I  stayed  at  Buchwald ;  but  I  fear  my  pen  is  not 
clever  enough  to  place  it  before  others  as  I  see  it 
myself. 

There  is  an  amusing  anecdote  connected  with  serious 
things.  Friedrich  Wilhelm  had  said  to  the  Burgo- 
master of  Krausnick,  on  the  occasion  of  the  transports 


344  THE   LAST   YEARS  [1847 

of  enthusiasm  shown  by  the  people  at  the  time  of 
paying  him  homage,  "  It  is  indeed  intoxication,  real 
drunkenness ;  let  us  hope  that  no  Katzenjammer  [re- 
vulsion after  drinking]  will  ensue." 

Several  people  recalled  this  expression  in  the  year 
1848.  Countess  Reden  and  her  sister,  who  esteemed 
every  word  of  their  King,  had  no  precise  idea  what  a 
Katzenjammer  really  meant;  so  it  happened  that  the 
Countess,  in  the  course  of  a  conversation,  remarked, 
"  Children,  our  dear  King  foresaw  it,  for  he  said, 
'  This  is  inebriation  ;  let  us  hope  that  no  Katzenjagd 
[cat  hunt]  will  ensue.' "  Shortly  afterwards  an 
amused  auditor  in  another  part  of  the  room  heard 
Caroline  von  Riedesel  repeat  the  same  saying  thus : 
"Now  it  is  inebriation;  the  Katzendanz  [cat  dance] 
will  follow." l 

We  have  already  alluded  to  the  nai've  way  in  which 
the  Countess  twisted  proverbs,  etc.  She  would  trans- 
pose titles  in  addressing  people,  calling  the  pastor 
"  Lieber  Amtmann  "  ("Dear  Bailiff"),  or  the  doctor, 
"Dear  Pastor."  It  was  even  asserted  that  she  had 
addressed  Prince  Wilhelm,  "Lieber  Hofrath,"  which 
he,  at  any  rate,  did  not  take  amiss  from  her. 

After  breaking  her  arm  the  Countess  took  to  several 
invalid  habits.  Two  servants  always  had  to  remain 
with  her  by  turns  during  the  night,  sitting  in  an 
armchair  asleep  or  awake,  according  to  the  Countess's 
condition.  She  mostly  conversed  with  her  attendant, 
or  repeated  portions  from  her  letters  to  her.  Often 
she  would  exchange  her  bed  for  a  folding-chair,  and 
in  the  last  five  years  of  her  life  she  never  got  into 
bed  at  all. 

Countess    Reden   was   very   ill  again   in   the   next 

1  Katzendanz,  instead  of  tanz,  may  perhaps  have  been  a  slip 
from  her  early  English  speaking  as  a  child. — E.  R. 


1848]         THE   REVOLUTION   IN   PARIS  345 

winter  from  a  nervous  cold,  and  she  began  the  hard 
year  of  1848  in  a  feeble  and  suffering  condition. 
In  February  the  Countess  writes  to  Marline  : 

There  is  no  lack  of  short  daily  calls,  there  is  plenty 
to  do,  letters  keep  pouring  in,  and  the  days  are  always 
too  short.  My  arm  still  burns  and  pains  me,  and  it 
often  cracks  in  moving.  .  .  .  You  will  be  glad  to  hear 
that  I  have  been  able  again  lately  to  wear  my  wedding 
ring,  which,  to  my  real  pain,  I  had  to  have  filed  off 
on  the  i4th,  after  I  broke  my  arm,  on  account  of  the 
enormous  swelling  of  my  fingers.  .  .  . 

The  aunts  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  marriage  of 
their  niece  Elisabeth  von  Schoning  to  Count  Bliicher, 
and  they  were  delighted  to  provide  the  trousseau. 
The  bride's  mother  fell  ill  directly  after  the  wedding, 
and  the  news  of  her  death  reached  Buchwald  shortly 
after.  The  announcement  was  also  made  in  church, 
for  Frau  von  Schoning  had  lived  at  Buchwald  a  great 
deal,  had  been  married  there,  and  had  had  her  children 
baptized  and  confirmed  there,  and  was,  in  fact,  almost 
a  resident  parishioner. 

The  Revolution  in  Paris  occurred  about  the  same 
time,  and  political  news  poured  in  from  all  sides. 

To  MARLINE 

March  10. 

I  had  just  had  evening  prayers,  and  the  reading 
was  upon  the  Passion  of  our  Lord,  and  I  had  dwelt 
on  the  part  about  His  coming,  which  is  so  important 
and  so  suitable  now,  amid  the  outbursts  of  the  present 
time.  Then  the  papers  arrived.  With  what  different 
feelings  were  our  nearts  filled !  When  we  think  of 
our  Lotte,  it  is  nothing  but  hallowed  sorrow,  rest, 
peace,  and  blessedness.  Even  for  those  left  behind, 
1  am  not  anxious,  for  they  also  are  the  Lord's,  and 
He  will  defend  and  protect  them.  But  when  I  look 
out  upon  the  world,  there  is  nothing  but  unrest, 
horror,  disobedience,  immorality,  everything  in  re- 
bellion, here  to-day,  there  to-morrow.  The  people 


346  THE   LAST   YEARS  [1848 

demand — the  princes  yield ;  the  results  cannot  be 
foreseen.  .  .  .  What  times  these  are  !  My  old  nerves 
are  much  upset,  and  our  Caroline  is  often  ailing; 
rest  is  needed,  but  one  cannot  get  it — perhaps  it  is 
better  so. 

The  meeting  of  the  Bible  Society  is  near,  and  it 
requires  much  time  and  thought.  How  good  it  is 
to  be  in  this  quiet  nook,  and  to  feel  the  nearness  of 
the  Lord,  Who  shows  us  what  we  ought  to  do,  and 
gives  courage  and  strength  where  they  are  needed  ! 

March  18. 

The  Bible  Society  affairs  take  up  my  whole  time. 
Many  important  things  have  come  together,  and  I 
am  moved  at  seeing  how  the  course  of  the  times  does 
not  affect  these  sacred  matters.  Ah !  when  our  Lord 
and  Master  appears  and  says,  "Thus  far  and  no 
farther,"  then  all  will  be  changed.  This  is  my  hope. 

But  the  quiet  nook  in  which  the  Countess  rejoiced 
was  not  to  remain  quiet  for  long.  The  high  billows 
of  that  evil  time  flooded  the  Hirschberg  valley  also. 
It  has  often  been  said,  and  it  is  also  stated  in  the 
inscription  on  the  monument  at  Wang,  that  Countess 
Reden  was  obliged  to  flee  from  her  tenants  for  whom 
she  had  done  so  much  good.  This  does  not,  however, 
agree  with  the  true  facts  of  the  case.  She  did  not 
actually  fly  from  fear — fear,  which  at  that  time  had 
taken  possession  of  all  hearts.  But  the  position  of 
the  two  old  ladies  in  the  face  of  the  surrounding 
rabble,  who  might  at  any  moment  attack  Buchwald, 
was  a  very  difficult  one.  At  that  time  all  the  upper 
classes  granted  concessions ;  she  felt  the  conduct  of 
her  tenants  as  ingratitude,  for  she  had,  before  this, 
lightened  their  burdens  of  her  own  free  will,  and 
presented  the  poor  with  a  portion  of  the  sum  remitted. 
She  writes  in  those  days : 

JANKENDORF,  March  23. 

Ah !  you  dear  ones,  what  will  you  say  to  this 
address  ?  The  old  sisters  have  fled  hither,  almost 


1848]      RIOTOUS  TIMES  AT  BUCHWALD         347 

without  preparation,  just  as  they  were.  I  do  not  know 
where  to  begin  or  end — and  I  find  writing  difficult,  for 
my  thoughts  are  so  confused.  The  2oth  was  an  anxious 
day ;  the  parishes  had  received,  God  knows  whence, 
the  authority  to  ask  for  concessions.  Deputations 
from  ten  places  went  to  Leopold  Schafgotsch,  who 
spoke  to  and  appeased  them,  and  gave  in  to  them  as 
far  as  was  possible.  I  had  my  little  possessions,  papers, 
valuables,  and  whatever  I  could  lay  hands  on,  packed 
and  hidden,  as  well  as  fifteen  hundred  Reichthalers, 
the  balance  of  the  Bible  Society  accounts,  which  I 
closed  at  six  o'clock,  when  I  felt  somewhat  quieted 
and  strengthened  by  reading  Isaiah  li.  10,  13,  16. 
A  wild,  drunken  mob  of  riotous  people  were  making 
havoc  at  Schmiedeberg,  and  we  heard,  the  evening 
of  the  day  before  yesterday,  that  they  were  coming 
here.  It  was  a  fearful  night — men  were  placed  on 
guard  at  the  house,  the  mills,  the  farms ;  but  what 
could  they  have  done  if  the  mob  had  been  a  large 
one  ?  The  bailiff  came  and  went,  and  I  provided 
food  and  drink  for  many  people.  The  son  of  the 
bailiff  at  Fischbach  came  at  eleven  o'clock  and  said 
that  things  were  quiet,  and  that  the  rioters  were 
sleeping  off  their  intoxication.  But  three  houses  had 
been  robbed  and  destroyed  at  Schmiedeberg,  where 
a  civic  guard  had  been  formed.  We  lay  down,  dressed, 
on  our  beds  at  one  o'clock,  and  messengers  arrived 
ever}''  hour  with  news.  At  half-past  two  we  heard 
them  say,  "They  are  coming."  Every  one  got  up 
again,  and  remained  up  till  five  o'clock.  It  was  hoped 
that  they  had  been  pacified ;  but  at  nine  o'clock  the 
news  came  that  they  were  gathering  together  in 
troops.  Their  plan  was  to  attack  Buchwald  first,  and 
Erdmannsdorf  next,  and  then  the  spinning-factory.  I 
had  a  great  struggle  to  make  up  my  mind  what  to  do. 
I  have  always  had  a  fear  of  insurrection.  The  bailiff 
begged  me  to  go,  the  people  begged  me  to  stay.  Ah, 
.  howT  diffcult  it  was  to  decide,!  At  last  a  mounted 
messenger  came  from  good  Wilhelm  Stolberg,  with 
a  circular  letter.  Everything  that  was  possible  was 
to  be  granted  to  the  tenants,  but  I  was  to  leave  at 
once,  for  the  mob  had  a  special  grudge  against  me 
on  account  of  the  King's  favour.  Ah,  what  a  moment ! 
We  gathered  things  together,  forgot  necessary  ones, 
and  took  superfluous  things  with  us.  The  people 


348  THE   LAST   YEARS  [1848 

were  at  their  posts  round  the  house  and  the  mill.  .  .  . 
All  at  once  we  hear,  "They  are  coming."  The 
carriage  was  all  ready  to  start,  and  was  packed  full ; 
at  that  moment  they  shout,  "  Halt ! "  The  concessions 
were  to  be  settled  at  Kretscham,  and  I  ought  not  to 
leave.  Imagine  my  position.  They  would  defend 
me  with  their  lives  and  goods,  but  I  must  not  go.  I 
said  all  I  could ;  I  think  I  promised  what  I  was  obliged 
to  promise,  and  declared  that  I  was  only  going  to 
Stonsdorf  to  be  out  of  the  way  of  the  tumult,  and 
would  return  soon.  At  last  we  drove  off,  but  our 
hearts  beat  lest  we  should  be  overtaken.  We  reached 
Stonsdorf  at  half-past  twelve,  and  were  gladly  re- 
ceived, but  with  tears.  We  found  poor  Ernestine 
looking  very  ill.  I  wished  to  take  a  little  nap  in  the 
afternoon,  but  Caroline  Reuss  came  and  said  that  the 
rabble  wanted  to  follow  me  there,  and  that  the  tenants 
were  going  to  send  and  ask  me  to  sign  and  stay. 
She  might  be  brought  into  danger.  She  entreated  me 
not  to  wait  for  all  this.  I  wrote  out  the  main  points 
of  the  concessions  twice,  left  one  copy  with  Caroline 
in  case  they  came,  and  sent  the  other  to  the  bailiff. 
I  dared  not  wait  for  the  return  of  the  coachman  who 
was  to  bring  more  things,  on  account  of  the  mob. 
Caroline  Reuss  had  the  horses  put  in,  and  we  went 
under  assumed  names  to  Greifenberg,  where  every- 
thing was  quiet.  We  slept  there,  left  at  half-past 
seven  this  morning,  and  arrived  here  at  three. 

JANKENDORF,  March  29. 

It  is  surprising  how  difficult  I  find  it  to  do  much 
writing,  for  your  old  sister  feels  as  if  she  were  broken 
down,  not,  perhaps,  b}'  that  which  still  lies  before  her, 
but  by  the  ingratitude  of  the  people,  and  by  that 
which  they  have  compelled  her  to  sign  unless  she 
would  endanger  others — and  there  was  my  poor 
bailiff  at  the  forefront  to  bear  the  brunt  of  it  all. 
Here,  we  are  all  right — outwardly  everything  is  as  one 
would  wish ;  but  we  are  all  sad  at  heart,  above  all  as 
regards  our  royal  couple,  whose  position  is  heart- 
rending. 1  cannot  describe  what  a  support  Henly  is 
to  me  in  the  difficult  interviews  I  have  with  the  four 
parish  deputies ;  without  him  I  should  have  been 
forsaken,  and  should  certainly  not  have  observed  the 
proper  form  in  the  difficult  renunciation  of  my  rights, 


HEINRICH   LXXIV.    REUSS, 
"  Henly,"  Countess  Reden's  Nephew,  and  Husband  of  the  Author  of  this  Book. 

(By  Hellwig.    Lithographed  by  Jentzcn.     Copy  at  Buchwald.    Photographed 
by  Van  Bosch,  of  Hirschberg.) 


[To  face  p.  348, 


1848]  LAUTERBACH   DESTROYED  349 

and  the  restitution  of  the  whole  of  the  remitted  sum, 
etc.  You  have  now  a  very  impoverished  sister,  im- 
poverished particularly  of  her  trust  in  people  who 
were  confided  to  her,  and  that  is  the  worst  of  all,  and 
that  is  such  a  strange  experience  for  me. 

In  the  district  of  Hesse  a  rebellious  mob  set  fire 
to  the  old  castle  of  Lauterbach,  and  countless  precious 
associations  were  destroyed  with  it. 

Countess  Reden  writes  to  her  brother : 

April  i. 

We  received  your  letter  last  night  at  eleven  o'clock, 
and  passed  a  sleepless  night.  Is  it  possible  that  such 
horrors  could  have  been  perpetrated,  and  that  our 
Dorette  could  have  escaped  unharmed  ?  Ah,  what  a 
consolation  it  is ! — my  whole  heart  trembled  until  I 
found  her  name  and  knew  her  to  be  safe.  My  dear 
and  only  brother,  let  us  cling  fast  to  the  Lord's  mercy. 
His  hour  will  come  when  He  will  bring  all  things 
gloriously  right.  Alas !  the  old  house  of  our  fathers, 
with  all  its  thousand  associations  ! 

A  large  party  assembled  at  Jankendorf,  the  family 
from  Stonsdorf  including  Ernestine,  Countess  Stolberg. 
In  spite  of  all  the  anxiety,  the  friends  enjoyed  the 
beautiful  spring,  and  kept  Holy  Week  at  Niesky ;  and 
in  June  Countess  Reden  went  to  Herrnhut,  where  the 
Synod  of  the  Moravian  Brotherhood  was  assembled. 

She  returned  to  Buchwald  in  July,  but  in  a  very 
unhappy  state  of  mind,  and  in  health  she  was  feverish 
and  upset,  complaining  of  trembling  of  the  hands. 
But  a  great  many  people  came  and  went  notwith- 
standing, and  the  society  of  her  friends  Count  Anton 
Stolberg  and  his  family,  who  were  again  at  Kreppelhof, 
did  her  good.  Latrobe  came  from  Herrnhut,  and 
various  English  and  American  friends  and  acquain- 
tances. 

A  gathering  of  the  people  at  Erdmannsdorf  was 
thought  to  threaten  landowners,  and  the  sisters  were 


350  THE   LAST   YEARS  [1849 

driven  from  Buchwald  for  a  few  days  in  October, 
and  stayed  with  General  Natzmer  at  Malsdorf. 

The  deaths  of  Princess  Dorothee  Reuss  and  of 
Mariagnes,  Countess  Stolberg  zu  Wernigerode,  affected 
Countess  Reden  deeply,  and  she  was  agitated  by  the 
political  news  from  Berlin  and  Frankfort  a.  Main, 
where  Marline's  husband,  Freiherr  von  Rotenhan, 
sat  in  the  Diet.  All  this  acted  upon  her  health,  till 
she  became  ill  from  an  intermittent  nervous  fever. 
Caroline  Ruess  went  to  stay  with  her  aunts  in 
November,  that  she  might  devote  herself  entirely  to 
the  Countess. 

The  winter  of  1848 — 1849  was  a  sad  and  suffering- 
one.  The  relations  from  Stonsdorf  were  at  Buchwald 
again  in  January.  The  sisters  busied  themselves 
in  knitting  stockings  for  the  soldiers  quartered  at 
Schmiedeberg,  and  interested  themselves  in  the  circu- 
lation of  the  Sunday  edition  of  the  Kreuz  Zcitung. 
Despite  all  her  weakness,  the  Countess  found  it  diffi- 
cult to  resign  many  of  the  rights  and  duties  of  her 
position,  when  forced  thereto  by  the  new  order  of 
things. 

To  HER  SISTER-IN-LAW 

BUCHWALD,  March  23. 

I  am  sleepy  and  good-for-nothing,  but  I  must  employ 
myself  in  registering  the  deposits  for  the  orphans, 
which,  according  to  the  new  order,  have  all  to  be 
handed  over  to  the  district  officials. 

The  deeds  are  to  be  written  down,  and  I  see  with 
distress  the  good  old  order  of  things  going  to  ruin. 
I  have  kept  the  books  for  twenty  years,  as  treasurer, 
and  my  task  to-day  was  a  difficult  one,  and  I  finished 
it  with  a  heavy  sigh  at  the  universal  overthrow  of 
everything — anyway,  it  was  for  the  last  time. 

How  gladly  I  would  write  oftener  and  more,  but  the 
strength  for  it  frequently  fails  me  suddenly  !  Since 
writing  to  you  last,  my  nights  and  often  my  days 


1 849]         THE  OLD  ORDER  CHANGETH  351 

have  been  for  the  most  part  worse.  My  dear  Buch- 
wald  presents  now  a  mournful  picture — and  yet,  how 
rich  we  are  in  God's  blessing  and  help  !  When  He  is 
with  us,  everything  becomes  clear,  and  our  sufferings 
assuaged.  What  a  comfort  the  beautiful  verses  which 
I  know  by  heart,  are  to  me,  or  those  read  aloud  to  me 
by  dear  ones !  Ah,  what  a  treasure  they  are ! 

March  30. 

A  part  of  the  statutes  are  to  be  fetched  to-day  from 
the  chancery,  and  sent  to  the  new  district  council  at 
Hirschberg.  It  is  hard,  this  giving  up  of  the  old  docu- 
ments and  the  deposit  book  and  manuals.  The  people 
don't  take  kindly  to  it,  and  would  like  to  put  matters 
back.  What  I  have  to  go  through !  I  had  to  sign 
thirty-two  extracts  for  the  manuals  yesterday.  To-day 
something  else — thirty-three  communion  books  for 
to-morrow's  confirmation  candidates,  and  so  there  are 
many  things  about  to  happen.  How  much  longer  ? 

In  the  spring  the  Countess  was  able  to  get  out  in 
her  wheeled  chair  and  to  enjoy  her  garden  once  more. 
The  death  of  her  nephew's  (Henly)  wife  in  June  was 
a  sorrow  to  her. 

Her  niece  the  Duchess  of  Cothen,  her  brother- 
in-law  Herr  von  Schoning  and  his  daughters,  and  the 
Riedesel  relations-were  at  Buchwald  in  the  summer. 
The  Countess  was  warmly  interested  about  this 
time  in  the  engagement  of  her  great-niece  Princess 
Auguste  Reuss  to  the  Grand  Duke  of  Mecklenburg- 
Schwerin.  Her  friend  the  King  wrote  to  her  on 
the  subject  in  his  own  charming  way : 

I  lay  it  before  you  as  a  duty  to  prepare  dear 
Auguste  properly  for  a  position  of  severe  trial.  May 
your  motherly  counsels  and  the  Lord's  grace  give 
her  the  sword  and  shield  of  prevailing  prayer,  that 
she  may  be  established  victoriously  upon  a  throne 
which  at  the  present  moment  has  its  four  feet  in 
the  air !  The  Grand  Duke  is  a  dear,  fine  fellow,  but 
needs  encouragement.  He  is  susceptible  to  every- 
thing that  is  good  and  noble  and  princely,  and  a 


352  THE   LAST   YEARS  [1849 

faithful,  courageous  wife,  who  has  learnt  that  the 
crown  is  a  gift  from  heaven,  and  not  a  golden  orna- 
ment to  tickle  the  vanity,  will  make  him  increase  in 
the  divinely  consecrated  courage  which  he  needs. 

In  the  spirit  of  these  words  the  Countess  bore 
the  young  people  in  mind,  and  rejoiced  in  the  happy 
marriage  and  in  the  beneficent  influence  of  the  young 
mother  of  her  people. 

The  Countess  writes  concerning  the  third  edition 
of  the  Hirschberg  Bible : 

We  are  sitting  outside  the  door  with  dear  Werken- 
thin,  who  always  is  a  comfort  and  strength  to  me,  and 
are  talking  over  the  Hirschberg  Bible  affairs.  He 
gives  me  courage,  and  I  am  now  only  awaiting  the 
answer  as  to  how  many  copies  the  King  will  take ;  if 
these,  with  the  money  saved,  cover  the  expense,  then 
I  shall  start  upon  the  work,  and  in  a  year's  time  the 
third  edition  will  appear.  Shall  I  live  to  see  it  ? 

Countess  Reden  records  in  September,  with  a 
grateful  heart,  that  she  is  able  to  go  to  church  again 
for  the  first  time  for  a  year. 

The  centenary  of  the  Evangelical  Church  was 
celebrated  at  Buchwald  soon  afterwards.  The 
Countess  writes  about  it : 

The  bells  began  to  peal  at  half-past  seven,  and 
both  schools  assembled  and  sang  hymns.  The  pro- 
cession walked  to  the  place  of  meeting  through  the 
herb  plantation. 

A  hymn,  and  the  whole  parish  walked  in  procession 
to  the  music  of  a  band.  The  pastor  and  the  local 
council  led  the  way  to  Buchwald,  where  I  greeted 
them  from  the  open  window.  There  were  between 
five  and  six  hundred  persons  at  least ;  four  verses 
were  sung,  and  with  cheers  they  marched  off  to 
church,  where  there  was  service  and  good  music. 
Then  the  sermon,  recounting  past  blessings  with 
gratitude.  A  good  deal  of  it  was  historical.  .  .  .  The 
church  was  adorned  like  a  bride.  Home  again  at 
half-past  twelve. 


1849]  THE  CENTENARY  OF  THE  CHURCH     353 

I  conducted  the  present  and  former  pastors  of 
Buchwald  to  the  table,  and  Caroline  was  taken  in  by 
Superintendent  Roth.  Toasts  were  drunk,  and  the 
conversation  was  agreeable  and  animated. 

Caroline  drove  off  to  afternoon  church,  and  was 
greatly  impressed  and  edified.  There  was  a  celebra- 
tion of  Holy  Communion  at  six  o'clock.  The  church 
was  quite  light,  both  pastors  officiated,  and  there 
were  eighty-eight  communicants. 

To-day  is  the  third  day  of  the  festival  and  the 
Harvest  Festival  as  well.  I  did  not  go.1  Mathilde 
and  I  read  aloud  to  each  other  one  of  Hofacker's  fine 
sermons.  Then  I  dictated  the  Ten  Commandments 
to  her,  which  I  could  scarcely  remember.  Pastor 
Scholz  and  the  bailiff  came  back  to  dinner,  and  at 
two  o'clock  there  was  a  procession  of  the  two  schools 
carrying  their  banners  as  an  after-fete,  there  having 
been  no  room  in  church  yesterday  for  the  children. 

Countess  Reden  having  recovered  her  health  again 
in  great  measure,  we  find  at  the  end  of  September 
the  announcement :  "  I  am  able  to  be  quite  busy, 
and  I  am  very  glad  of  it."  She  enumerates  one 
hundred  and  thirteen  letters  received,  and  one 
hundred  and  five  written  or  dictated  in  October. 
She  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving  many  guests 
in  the  late  autumn — the  Rotenhans  with  four 
children,  and  Mary  von  Schoning,  who  remained  till 
January. 

Two  Frauleins  von  Ressdorf,  who  lived  at  Hirsch- 
berg,  we  now  find  very  often  at  Buchwald,  particularly 
Marie  von  Ressdorf,  who  stayed  for  weeks  at  a  time. 
The  Countess  was  very  fond  of  her,  and  she  made 
herself  very  useful  during  her  visits  by  reading  aloud, 
writing,  etc. 

On  account  of  Caroline's  failing  health  it  became 
necessary  that  the  two  old  sisters  should  not  live 
quite  alone.  Their  old  friend  Countess  Carmer 

1  The  Countess's  maid. — E.  R. 

23 


354  THE   LAST   YEARS  [1850 

came  now  and  then,  and  the  Werkenthins  would  be 
there  very  often  for  a  day  or  so. 

In  the  spring  of  1850  the  Countess  writes: 

April  20  was  the  birthday  of  my  dear  brother-in-law 
Reuss,  which  I  kept  in  memory  of  that  really  Biblical 
character,  by  completing  my  important  Bible  contract 
with  the  printer,  Krahn. 

She  writes  of  May  12  very  gratefully: 

The  Lord  has  done  great  things  again  for  me  in 
these  twelve  months,  but  the  greatest  mercy  is  that 
He  has  so  far  restored  His  old  servant  that  she  is 
able  to  serve  Him.  Of  this  He  gives  me  daily  proof, 
and  the  chief  aim  of  my  life  is  to  follow  and  under- 
stand His  guidance. 

But  in  June  the  Countess  again  laments  her 
great  weakness.  A  slight  lameness  came  on,  and 
attacks  of  blindness  henceforth  often  recurred.  Be- 
tween whiles,  however,  she  received  visits,  drove 
frequently  to  Jannowitz,  wrote  and  dictated  letters, 
and  was  read  aloud  to,  delighting  at  this  time 
particularly  in  the  "Volksblatt  fur  Stadt  und  Land." 
On  one  occasion  she  writes : 

I  cannot  read  and  hear  enough  about  Luther,  and 
the  accounts  of  his  sufferings  are  written  for  a  con- 
solation to  those  who  have  been  tortured  by  illness, 
and  anxiety  about  their  salvation,  and  I  think  they 
must  also  be  very  comforting  to  my  brother,  for  he, 
like  myself,  has  more  than  once  had  a  blow  which 
has  prostrated  him,  and  we  can  pray  the  Lord  to 
take  away  from  us  that  which  has  often  bowed  us 
down  in  great  affliction. 

July  7. — Marie  [Ressdorf]  has  been  reading  aloud 
to  me  the  sermon  for  the  seventh  Sunday  after 
Trinity,  which  is  remarkably  adapted  to  the  needs  of 
my  case.  [She  refers  to  her  relations  with  her  tenants.] 
An  !  how  gladly  will  I  forgive  and  forget  everything, 
since  the  Lord  has  forgiven  me  so  many  faults ;  how 


1 8so]  MOBILISATION   OF   TROOPS  355 

gladly  will  I  make,  and  even  offer,  indulgence,  if  only 
it  is  right ! 

July  14. — Marie  has  read  a  fine  sermon  of  Gossner's 
to  me ;  it  is  upon  the  miracle  of  the  loaves,  which 
I  always  call  the  sermon  of  order — that  order  which 
is  observed  least  of  all  by  preachers,  and  which  is 
plainly  enjoined  upon  us  in  the  arrangements  of 
guests,  so  that  their  numbers  could  be  correctly 
known,  and  in  the  gathering  up  of  the  fragments 
that  remained. 

Among  various  guests,  the  Countess  mentions  : 

Minister  von  der  Heydt  came  unexpectedly  with 
our  President  Westphal.  He  is  the  first  minister  of 
the  new  era  whom  I  have  met.  In  manner  he  is 
quite  unlike  those  whom  I  have  hitherto  known,  and 
he  wears  no  beard.  I  found  him  well  informed,  very 
polite,  and  agreeable.  He  was  quite  enchanted  with 
the  works  01  my  husband,  which  he  saw  in  Upper 
Silesia.  His  first  words  were  the  warmest  greeting 
from  the  dear  King  to  his  "loved  and  honoured 
friend." 

Countess  Reden  wrote  to  her  beloved  King  for  his 
birthday  : 

...  It  is  a  beautiful  thing  to  live  in  a  state  of 
grace,  to  be  protected,  guided,  and  counselled  by 
the  Most  High  ;  and  since  my  King  is  well  practised 
in  prayer,  all  that  remains  for  us  is  to  pray  with  him 
and  for  him  most  sincerely,  and  have  earnest  faith 
in  the  Lord's  bringing  everything  to  pass  gloriously, 
and  that  all  his  enemies  will  be  put  to  shame  as 
heretofore. 

The  mobilisation  of  troops  against  Austria  in  the 
late  autumn  caused  much  disquiet,  and  friends 
advised  the  sisters  to  leave  Buchwald.  Countess 
Reden  writes  on  December  i  : 

I  am  writing  when  I  can ;  the  time  is  filled  up, 
I  cannot  exactly  say  with  what,  nor  how  everything 
goes  on  ;  one  thing  following  upon  another.  Mes- 
sengers come  and  go;  Bibles  and  mission  concerns 


356  THE    LAST   YEARS  [1850 

and  writing  have  to  be  attended  to.  There  are  letters 
in  unheard-of  numbers  to  write  and  receive,  and  the 
Kreuz  Zeitung  every  evening  takes  up  a  great 
deal  of  time  with  its  beautiful  leading  articles.  Then 
we  have  to  provide  for  those  who  are  going  away 
[the  Landwehr],  and  for  those  who  stay  behind.  .  .  . 

Anton  Stolberg  came.  .  .  .  He  believed  there  would 
be  war,  and  that  the  first  shot  might  be  fired  within 
forty-eight  hours.  He  advised  our  leaving.  We  can 
fly,  but  how  shall  we  return  ?  It  is  very  sweet  here 
in  the  midst  of  one's  own  pursuits,  and  everything 
seems  so  dear  to  me  now,  and  neither  of  us  are  fit 
for  travelling.  Leave  me  my  trust  and  hope,  dear 
George ;  what  is  the  good  of  thinking,  and  what  is 
the  use  of  political  arguments  ?  The  Lord  alone 
knows  the  why  and  wherefore.  We  poor,  miserable 
creatures  judge  according  to  our  senses  ;  but  His 
judgment  is  quite  a  different  one,  and  after  that 
judgment  only  is  the  world  governed.  If  we  were 
all  in  the  King's  place,  should  we  do  better  ?  I  scarcely 
think  so. 

Count  Wilhelm  Stolberg  had  re-entered  the  military 
service  and  left  the  neighbourhood,  but  Countess 
Reden  soon  learnt  to  esteem  the  new  Landrath,  Herr 
von  Gravenitz,  very  highly,  and  she  often  praises 
his  energy  and  zeal  in  the  district,  while  the  con- 
fidence and  respect  he  showed  her  were  very  grati- 
fying to  her. 

The  spinning-schools  which  had  been  opened  in 
the  country  interested  her  exceedingly,  as  did  every 
good  work.  She  continued  to  look  after  everything 
that  had  been  commended  to  her  care,  but  her  hand 
was  weak  and  tired,  and  the  days  were  past  in  which 
she  could  take  up  and  carry  things  through  energeti- 
cally, as  of  old.  It  is  almost  melancholy  to  come 
across  her  notice  of  a  meeting,  presided  over  by 
Pastor  Werkenthin,  for  the  discussion  of  means  of 
relief  for  the  poor,  while  she  remains  quietly  at 
home. 


1850]  PRINCE   WILHELM'S   DEATH  357 

May  12,  her  birthday,  brought  her  a  great  many 
affectionate  letters  and  congratulations. 

The  meeting  with  Prince  Czartoryski  and  his  second 
wife  affected  her  extremely,  as  well  as  the  seeing  her 
dear  Wanda's  children  again. 

Countess  Briihl,  a  daughter  of  Field-Marshal  Count 
Gneisenan,  with  her  husband  and  children,  spent 
some  weeks  at  Buchwald  at  this  time. 

The  King  paid  the  Countess  a  short  visit  in 
September,  of  which  she  writes  : 

Caroline  went  to  receive  him,  and  he  hastened  to 
meet  me  in  the  large  room,  and,  shutting  the  door, 
took  me  in  his  arms  with  overflowing  emotion.  I 
was  reassured  by  his  fresh,  unchanged  appearance. 
Of  what  did  we  not  speak !  I  may  say  that  he 
opened  his  heart  to  me,  and  we  went  over  everything 
from  1847  up  to  the  present  time.  I  was  able  to  talk 
writh  him  as  I  scarcely  ventured  to  think  possible, 
and  he  understood  and  permitted  me  to  speak  as  I 
felt.  .  .  .  What  he  finds  particularly  hard  to  bear  now 
is  that  the  Queen  is  so  misunderstood,  and  that  she 
is  believed  by  many  to  be  a  Roman  Catholic.  I 
consoled  him  by  saying  that  it  would  be  more  readily 
believed  about  him  than  about  her.  His  reply  to 
this  was  charming,  and  so  was  his  acknowledgment 
that  he  had  failed  in  many  ways,  and  that  God's 
mercy  alone  had  been  the  undeserved  means  of 
saving  him. 

Ernestine,  Countess  zu  Stolberg,  left  Jannowitz 
for  Berlin,  and  Count  Anton  also  left  Kreppelhof,  in 
obedience  to  the  King's  commands.  This  meant 
parting  for  a  long  time  or  for  life. 

Countess  Reden  was  destined  to  outlive  many 
friends,  and  she  received  a  great  shock  at  the  end 
of  September,  on  hearing  of  Prince  Wilhelm's  sudden 
death,  and  a  still  more  painful  one  in  October,  in  the 
death  of  her  faithful  old  friend  Eberhardine,  Countess 
zu  Stolberg-Wernigerode. 


358  THE   LAST  YEARS  [1852 

Those  devoted  friends  who  yet  remained  to  her 
came  and  went  constantly,  such  as  Fritz  von 
Kalckreuth,  Theophilus  Reichel,  and  her  nephews 
and  nieces.  Henly  especially  devoted  himself  to  her, 
working  for  her  like  a  son,  and  to  him  she  confided 
everything,  and  he  understood  how  to  soothe  her  in 
hours  of  great  weakness  and  prostration.  Caroline 
Reuss  was  often  sent  for  from  Stonsdorf,  and  stayed 
with  her  by  day  and  night.  "  She  is  my  angel,"  she 
said  in  unforgettable  accents  to  a  friend.  Another 
valued  guest  was  Marie  Stolberg  (nee  Reuss),  who 
often  went  over  from  Kreppelhof  for  a  few  days  or 
even  hours,  bringing  brightness  with  her.  These 
were  they  to  whom  she  clung  the  most.  They  were, 
fortunately,  able  to  visit  her  often,  and  she  let  them 
go  reluctantly. 

Marline  left  her  foster-sister  and  attendant  with 
her  aunt  during  the  last  two  years  of  her  life,  as 
her  special  assistant.  The  two  old  sisters  could 
not  be  left  alone,  for  Caroline  von  Riedesel  was  often 
ill  and  confined  to  her  room,  or  even  her  bed,  for 
long  periods.  Frau  Eulalie  Reichel,  a  Swiss  by  birth, 
used  to  go  from  Niesky  to  keep  the  old  ladies 
company,  and  she  was  a  great  favourite  with  them. 

The  winter  and  spring  brought  frequent  attacks 
of  weakness  and  giddiness  with  some  difficulty  of 
speech,  but  when  the  Countess  felt  rather  better, 
she  wrote  or  dictated,  or  drove  out,  sometimes  going 
to  Hain  or  to  the  Zillerthal,  where  she  found  many 
blanks  among  the  list  of  her  old  friends.  Stock  died 
in  the  autumn  of  1850,  and  Fleidl  in  January,  1853. 
When  Henly's  son  brought  his  young  wife  home, 
Countess  Reden  was  able  to  enjoy  the  hospitality 
of  Neuhof  once  more,  and  she  welcomed  the  young 
pair  with  hearty  and  affectionate  sympathy. 


ELEONORE,    PRINCESS   REUSS, 

Second  Wife  of  Heinrich  LXXIV.  Reuss,  Authoress  of  Countess 
von  Reden's  Life. 

From  a  photograph  by  Wilhelm  T/iiettie,  of  Halbersladt. 

[To  face  p.  358. 


i8S3]      THE   KING   ON    CHURCH    RITUAL       359 

She  was  seldom  able  to  go  to  church  in  these 
days,  but  sermons  were  read  aloud  to  her,  and  she 
and  her  sister  Caroline  received  the  Holy  Communion 
together  at  home. 

Her  beloved  King  corresponded  with  her  at  this 
time  concerning  his  ideas  upon  Church  constitution, 
and  sent  her  a  rough  draught  of  his  letter  to  the 
Consistory,  saying : 

.  .  .  You  may  communicate  the  above-mentioned 
sketch  of  church  ritual  to  Pastor  Werkenthin,  also 
the  rough  draught,  if  you  think  it  well  to  do  so,  and 
if  he  likes,  he  may  enter  into  polemics  against  me. 
I  would  willingly  read  or  listen  to  what  he  says, 
and  dispute  with  him  in  the  fulness  of  my  affection. 
This  same  affection  recommends  itself  to  you  with 
the  old  fidelity  and  respect,  dearest  Countess  and 
friend. 

Your  faithful  and  devoted 

FRITZ. 

The  Countess  sent  the  King  Werkenthin's  reply 
of  approval,  and  says,  "with  a  feeling  of  greatly 
increased  weakness,"  as  follows  : 

.  .  .  Your  confidence  has  touched  and  honoured 
me  very  much  ;  it  has  occupied  my  mind  a  great  deal, 
and  led  me  to  pray  most  fervently  to  my  Lord, 
that  He  will  visibly  bless  your  good  and  earnest 
endeavours  for  the  good  of  the  Church. 

One  feels  that   she    cannot  any    longer    follow  the 
flight  of  the  King's  thoughts. 

Her  letters,  partly  written,  partly  dictated,  give 
accounts  of  friends  and  relations,  and  they  also  record 
drives  and  visits,  of  which  there  was  no  lack.  The 
Schonings  were  at  Warmbrunn,  the  Miinchhausens 
are  mentioned.  Amerika  with  her  daughter,  Luise 
von  Brandenstein  and  two  grandchildren,  and  Frau 


36o  THE   LAST   YEARS  [1853 

Stengard,  stayed  with  her,  and  Queen  Marie  of 
Bavaria  came  from  Fischbach.  Countess  Reden's 
great-nephew,  her  dear  Marline's  eldest  son,  George 
von  Rotenhan,  was  working  with  Herr  von  Gravenitz, 
the  Landrath,  and  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  Buchwald 
in  these  years,  to  the  great  joy  of  his  aunt. 

A  monument  to  Count  Reden  was  unveiled  at 
Konigshutte  in  August,  1853,  and  the  King,  who  was 
present,  went  direct  thence  to  the  Countess,  to  give 
her  a  detailed  account  of  the  ceremony,  which  greatly 
touched  her.  It  was  her  last  meeting  in  this  life 
with  her  royal  friend. 

In  the  same  month  she  held  another  Bible  Society 
festival,  but  Caroline,  to  her  sorrow,  was  too  ill  to 
be  present,  and  to  receive  the  subscriptions  as 
heretofore.  The  Countess  wrote  afterwards  : 

I  was  able  to  hold  out  till  late  at  night.  Wonderfully 
helped.  Anything  may  happen  now,  for  the  Lord 
has  made  Himself  known  to  His  feeble  servant. 


So  the  last  winter  of  her  life  arrived.  She  was 
often  feeble,  but  not  more  so  than  she  had  been  of 
late  years.  She  still  dictated  her  Bible  Society  letters 
and  her  accounts,  talked  over  the  affairs  of  the  estate 
with  her  bailiff,  and  provided  for  the  sick  and  poor 
from  her  armchair.  Now  and  then  she  would  conduct 
the  evening  prayers  herself,  or  would  give  out  the 
hymn,  and  Fraulein  Stegmann,  sitting  beside  her, 
would  read  the  Meditation.  Letters  to  Marline, 
written  in  her  own  hand,  are  mostly  filled  with 
remarks  about  her  dear  niece's  children,  but  they 
also  mention  little  events,  and  something  about  her 
own  health.  She  writes  on  January  6 : 

Our  Henly  is  stopping  at  Neuhof  till  the  pth,  and 
is  such  a  charming  companion,  particularly  in  the 


1 854]  FAILING   STRENGTH  361 

evening,  when  we  talk  over  old  times.  From  early 
this  morning  we  have  been  living  over  again  the 
memorable  day  which  entirely  transformed  our  lives. 
Caroline  and  I  were  alone  with  our  dear  father  when 
he  died ;  his  last  words  were,  "  Lord  Jesus,  be 
merciful  to  Thy  servant ! "  Oh  !  honoured  is  his  dear 
memory. 

January  8. 

I  expect  Leopold  Schafgotsch  on  Wednesday 
to  read  aloud  our  Sailer's  letters,  written  to  me  in 
his  own  handwriting — me,  the  Evangelical — and  I 
will  not  let  them  go  out  of  my  hands.  You  may 
imagine  of  what  value  they  are  to  our  friends.  .  .  . 
My  nights  are  still  not  free  from  attacks,  and  are 
very  much  disturbed ;  I  am  leaving  things  solely 
to  the  Lord's  guidance,  and  am  taking  no  thought. 

March. 

I  know  you  will  put  up  with  a  few  lines  from 
your  very  feeble  old  aunt.  .  .  . 

Her  sympathy  and  affection  never  ceased.  She 
was  especially  grieved  by  the  deaths  of  two  almost 
lifelong  friends,  those  of  Count  Henrich  and  Count 
Anton  Stolberg-Wernigerode,  the  one  following  rapidly 
after  the  other  in  February. 

Countess  Reden  held  the  Bible  Society  meeting 
again  on  March  23,  and  writes  concerning  it  in  her 
journal : 

Very  weak,  but  was  able,  after  all  my  preparations, 
to  read  out  the  Bible  report,  and  to  stop  for  the 
conference  and  to  preside  at  it.  The  dear  guests  left 
at  four  o'clock  ;  there  were  twelve.  I  lay  down,  thank- 
fully filled  with  a  sense  of  the  mercy  which  the  Lord 
has  shown  me  in  my  weakness. 

Towards  evening  on  May  7,  the  third  Sunday 
after  Easter,  the  two  sisters  received  the  Holy 
Communion — the  last  one  they  received  together  on 
earth. 

Dr.   Fliegel  called  to  see   his   patients   afterwards, 


362  THE   LAST   YEARS  [1854 

and  then  went  down  to  the  maid-servants'  room  and 
told  them  that  the  Countess  might  not  live  more  than 
a  week,  and  that  they  must  be  prepared  for  her 
death. 

Her  nephew  Henly  had  spent  a  long  time  with 
his  aunt  the  day  before.  Without  being  ill,  she  was 
growing  weaker,  but  she  still  kept  her  writing  up, 
and  signed  letters  to  the  representatives  of  the  Bible 
Society.  Caroline  Reuss  was  frequently  at  Buchwald 
during  the  last  days,  and  the  Countess's  sister 
Countess  Bernstorff,  with  her  daughter  and  a  grand- 
child, arrived  on  May  10. 

Countess  Reden  completed  her  eightieth  year  on 
May  12.  The  anniversary  was  passed  in  great 
weakness.  Though  she  was  no  longer  able  to  see 
the  school-children  when  they  sang  before  the  house 
on  that  day,  she  sent  them  little  presents.  Her 
relations  from  Stonsdorf  and  Neuhof,  and  many  others, 
came  to  congratulate  her,  but  she  remained  quietly 
in  her  room. 

She  busied  herself,  however,  in  writing  on  the  little 
Ebenezer  picture  (see  under  the  year  1832)  the  names 
of  those  she  loved  to  whom  she  wished  to  give  a 
copy  'of  the  drawing.  She  had  her  silk  dress  and 
her  best  cap  made  ready,  intending  to  dress  for  her 
.guests,  but  she  was  not  equal  to  the  exertion. 

In  the  evening  she  fancied  she  saw  figures  dressed 
in  the  fashion  of  her  youth,  and  wondered  at  these 
unknown  persons  entering,  and  thought  them  im- 
pertinent, and  her  nephew  sought  to  convince  her 
that  they  were  mere  fancies. 

He  read  to  her  the  next  day  a  number  of  birthday 
letters,  and  she  charged  him  to  write  her  thanks  for 
them.  She  talked  to  several  people,  and  made  in- 
quiries about  the  Bible  Society  affairs. 


1854]  THE   SUNSET   OF   LIFE  363 

She  lay  back  in  her  chair  in  great  weakness  till  ten 
o'clock  at  night,  and  though  very  restless,  she  did 
not  speak  again  during  the  night.  She  was  quieter 
in  the  morning,  but  still  lay  with  her  head  resting 
on  her  hand.  Prayers  were  said  for  her  in  church, 
her  dear  ones  surrounded  her,  and  her  faithful  sister 
Caroline  sat  near  her.  The  breathing  became  fainter 
as  the  pastor  pronounced  the  blessing  over  her,  and 
Dr.  Fliegel  said,  "  She  is  dying."  Her  spirit  gently 
took  its  flight,  and  the  weary  pilgrim  rested  from 
her  labours  at  noon  on  May  14,  the  fourth  Sunday 
after  Easter. 

Many  came  from  far  and  near  to  gaze  once  more 
upon  the  peaceful  body,  and  many  tears  were  shed 
for  the  beloved  friend  and  benefactress. 

The  funeral  took  place  on  May  19,  at  the  Abbey. 
Pastor  Roth  said  a  prayer  by  the  coffin  in  the  hall 
at  Buchwald,  and  then  the  procession  passed  through 
the  park  and  grounds  she  had  so  loved  and  tended, 
up  to  the  Abbey,  whose  little  bell,  so  rarely  heard, 
rang  out  a  solemn  greeting  to  her. 

Hundreds  of  people  in  mourning  followed — relations, 
friends,  tenants  of  all  classes,  from  far  and  near  were 
there.  Pastor  Haupt's  address  in  the  chapel  of  the 
Abbey  was  on  the  words  from  Job,  "  The  Lord 
gave,  the  Lord  hath  taken  away;  blessed  be  the 
name  of  the  Lord." 

Pastor  Werkenthin  read  the  burial  service,  and 
then  her  earthly  remains  were  laid  to  rest  beside 
those  of  her  beloved  husband. 

The  Rotenhans  arrived  on  the  22nd,  and  the  will 
was  read  on  the  29th. 

Countess  Reden  left  Buchwald  to  Marline.  Her 
devoted  sister  Caroline,  who  was  left  widowed,  as 
it  were,  suffered  severely  during  the  days  succeeding 


364  THE   LAST   YEARS  [1854 

her  Fritze's  death.  One  of  the  quiet  ones  of  the 
earth,  a  chosen  disciple  of  Christ,  she  had  been  a 
blessing  to  many  souls,  not  the  least  among  them 
that  of  her  active  sister,  and  together  with  this 
woman,  who  wrought  a  far-reaching  work  for  God's 
kingdom,  the  quiet  and  godly  Caroline  deserves  a 
word  of  loving  remembrance. 

The  Bible  Society  festival  took  place  on  July  12, 
for  the  first  time  without  the  President  who,  with 
her  warm  heart,  richly  endowed  mind,  and  great 
knowledge  of  business,  had  superintended  its  work 
for  thirty-nine  years.  Pastor  Werkenthin  preached 
the  sermon  upon  the  story  of  Tabitha,  and  the  words 
which  he  spoke  in  memory  of  the  departed  shall 
be  placed  here  at  the  end  of  this  Biography,  for  they 
comprehend  all  that  can  be  said  about  this  noble- 
minded  woman. 

I  cannot  look  at  the  picture  of  Tabitha  without 
being  reminded  of  the  noble  woman  whom  we  all 
miss  so  painfully  to-day,  and  who — although  a  sinner 
by  nature  like  all  of  us — was  a  living  witness  among 
us  of  what  becomes  the  children  of  God,  and  of  what 
is  pleasing  to  Him,  for  He  wrought  in  her  by  His 
Spirit  and  His  grace. 

Yes,  in  the  late  Countess  Reden,  the  faithful 
patroness  of  this  church,  the  richly  endowed  and 
highly  favoured  President  of  this  our  Buchwald 
Bible  Society,  we  have  known  a  true  follower 
of  the  Tabitha  of  the  Apostolic  days,  and  we  are 
bound  to  acknowledge  mis  to  the  glory  of  the 
Lord,  to  Whom  honour  alone  is  due,  and  Who  gave 
her  to  us,  and  found  her  a  fit  instrument  of  His 
grace. 

Sprung  of  a  noble  race,  possessed  of  rare  advan- 
tages of  mind  and  body,  blessed  with  material  gifts, 
honoured  by  princes  and  kings,  and  sincerely  loved 
by  all  who  really  knew  her,  still,  the  highest  title  of 
honour  which  can  be  bestowed  upon  her  is  this,  that 
she  was  a  true  disciple  of  Jesus,  a  humble  handmaid 


1854]     PASTOR  WERKENTHIN'S  TRIBUTE       365 

of  the  Lord,  and  an  obedient  child  of  God,  walking 
in  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ  her  Saviour. 

All  this  she  became  more  and  more  the  longer  she 
lived.  Her  life  was  passed,  under  God's  guidance, 
in  the  school  of  Christ,  in  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  in  the  companionship  of  God's  Word. 
This  letter  of  God  to  the  sons  of  men,  this  best  of 
earthly  treasures,  this  golden  tree  with  ever-new 
fruits,  this  imperishable  seed  of  the  new  birth,  this 
unfading  flower,  this  Book  of  books  which  she  read 
prayerfully  early  and  late  alone  in  her  chamber,  and 
in  common  with  her  household — she  applied  its  con- 
tents perseveringly  to  her  own  heart  and  life,  and  its 
healing,  sanctifying,  and  illuminating  power  was 
shown  forth  more  gloriously  to  the  last  day  of  her 
life,  in  the  simplicity  of  her  heart,  in  her  humility, 
and  in  her  child-like  faith. 

And  as  her  heart  belonged  to  the  Lord,  so  also 
did  her  life  and  actions.  And  I  know  I  am  not  saying 
too  much  when  I  assert  that  she  lived  a  life  which, 
rich  in  loving  service  to  the  glory  of  God,  may  be 
ranked  with  the  life  of  a  Tabitha,  of  a  Dorothee 
Sibylla  of  Liegnitz  and  Brieg,  that  noble  Duchess  of 
the  Hohenzollern  race,  of  an  Elizabeth  Fry,  and  other 
notable  Christian  women,  who  esteemed  it  a  favour 
to  serve  the  Lord  in  the  poor  and  forsaken.  Yes, 
whoever  has  considered  her  life  and  work  must,  with 
the  utmost  truth,  say  of  her  what  our  text  says 
of  Tabitha,  "  She  was  full  of  good  deeds  and  alms- 
deeds  which  she  did." 

Her  motto  seemed  to  be  the  Lord's  words,  "  I  must 
work  while  it  is  day  :  for  the  night  cometh,  when  no 
man  can  work."  Her  divine  service  was  in  praying, 
and  singing,  and  hearing  the  Word  of  God,  and  in 
hearing  sermons  on  it,  and  in  visiting  the  fatherless 
and  widows  in  their  affliction,  and  in  keeping  herself 
unspotted  from  the  world. 

Her  daily  work  was  to  care  for  others  from  early 
morning  until  late  at  night,  serving,  in  the  brethren, 
that  Lord  Who  has  said,  "  Inasmuch  as  ye  have 
done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  My  brethren, 
ye  have  done  it  unto  Me."  Her  neighbours  were  the 
poor,  the  forsaken,  and  the  sick.  And  she  did  not 
bear  in  mind  the  physical  needs  only  of  her  fellow- 
men,  her  brothers  and  sisters  in  the  Lord ;  no,  she 


366  THE   LAST   YEARS  [1854 

laid  their  souls'  salvation  also  to  heart,  as  if  it  were 
her  own.  What  a  subject  for  earnest  prayer,  what 
an  object  of  care  it  was  to  her,  that  the  sheep  and 
lambs  of  Christ's  flock  should  be  led  by  true 
shepherds,  both  in  church  and  in  school,  in  the  green 
pastures  of  the  Divine  Word,  and  to  the  still  waters 
of  His  grace !  How  open  were  her  eyes,  her  heart, 
her  hand,  to  the  cause  of  missions  !  How  active  she 
was  in  circulating  good  books,  for  the  advancement 
of  a  living,  working  Christianity  and  true  piety  of 
heart !  And  with  what  a  prayerful  heart  she  devoted 
herself  to  the  work  of  the  Bible  Society,  founded  by 
her  husband,  and  an  inheritance  of  his  pious  mind  ; 
how  she  worked  for  this  the  Lord's  work,  the  child 
of  her  heart,  by  day  and  night,  in  sickness  and  in 
health,  until  the  tired  body  could  hold  out  no  longer, 
and  she  made  ready  for  death  and  her  departure  to 
a  better  world !  And  just  as  she  lived  in  the  Lord, 
so  was  her  death  also  in  the  Lord.  The  Lord  of 
Whom  the  prophet  Malachi  says,  "  He  shall  sit  as  a 
refiner  of  silver :  and  He  shall  purify  the  sons  of 
Levi,  and  purge  them  as  gold  and  silver,"  this  faithful 
Lord  did  not  fail  in  this  refining,  but  prepared  His 
handmaid  in  His  school  of  adversity  to  enter  into 
His  heavenly  kingdom.  To  His  name  be  praise  !  He 
strengthened  her  in  faith,  and  supported  her  by  His 
grace  until  the  end,  and  granted  the  prayer  which 
she  so  often  prayed,  especially  in  days  of  trial  and 
weakness : 

May  the  light  of  faith  direct  me, 
And  the  thought  of  Him  Who  died; 

May  Thy  love  for  aye  protect  me — 
I  trust  in  Thee,  my  Friend  and  Guide. 

Give  me  the  comfort  to  be  Thine, 

The  sinner's  grateful  heart  be  mine  ; 

Oh !  grant  my  love  like  Thine  to  glow ; 

On  me,  best  gift,  Thyself  bestow. 

This  is  also  shown  by  the  words  which  were  the 
last  I  heard  from  her  lips,  when,  referring  to  the 
twenty-third  Psalm,  she  said,  "  Yes,  the  Lord  is  with 
me,  His  rod  and  staff  comfort  me,  for  with  Him  there 
is  mercy  and  plenteous  redemption." 

And  so  she  was  when  her  last  hour  came  on  May  14 
of  this  year,  and  from  the  couch,  surrounded  by  the 


1 854]  COUNTESS   REDEN'S   DEATH  367 

sorrowing  care  of  those  who  loved  her,  the  Lord 
led  her  painlessly  sleeping,  through  the  gate  of  death 
to  the  place  where  there  is  no  pain,  nor  sorrow, 
nor  any  more  death,  but  the  fulness  of  peace,  and 
happy  existence  at  the  Lord's  right  hand  for  ever- 
more. 

Yes,  her  soul  is  with  the  Lord  in  Whom  she 
believed,  and  loved,  and  served,  because  He  first 
loved  her,  and  gave  His  life  and  blood  for  her;  but 
her  tired  body  rests  in  peace  from  its  labours  in  the 
silent  tomb,  awaiting  the  day  when  the  Lord  shall 
come  down  from  heaven  with  a  shout,  and  the  voice 
of  the  archangel  and  the  trump  of  God  shall  call  the 
dead  in  Christ  to  arise  in  their  glorified  bodies.  We 
should  not  be  showing  love  to  the  departed  if — were 
we  able  to  do  so — we  should  wish  to  fetch  her  back 
by  the  power  of  the  Lord  to  this  mortal  life.  There- 
fore, with  the  picture  of  Tabitha  before  us,  and  having 
in  remembrance  our  dear  departed  who  walked  among 
us  as  a  faithful  disciple  of  the  Lord,  in  faith  acting  by 
love,  let  us  each  on  his  own  account  examine  his  heart 
and  life  with  these  questions  :  Do  Tabitha's  faith  and 
love  dwell  in  us  ?  Is  there  in  us  any  resemblance  to 
this  picture  of  her?  Has  the  most  merciful  Lord 
been  formed  within  my  heart,  in  mine,  a  poor 
sinner's  ?  And  if  we  can  say,  "  Yes,  blessed  be  God  ! 
I  am  crucified  with  Christ :  I  live ;  yet  not  I,  but 
Christ  liveth  in  me :  and  the  life  which  I  now  live 
in  the  flesh  I  live  by  faith  in  the  Son  of  God, 
Who  loved  me,  and  gave  Himself  for  me," — if,  I 
repeat,  we  can  say  this,  then  let  our  faith  break 
forth  from  our  hearts  like  the  morning,  and  reveal 
its  heavenly  power  in  works  well  pleasing  to  God ; 
let  our  lives  be  lives  of  quiet  obedience  to  the  Lord, 
and  true  love  to  the  brethren  ;  let  us  not  be  indifferent 
to  the  physical  and  spiritual  needs  of  our  fellow-men 
far  and  near ;  let  our  hands  not  only  give  clothing  to 
the  shivering  child,  a  gown  to  the  poor  widow,  a 
covering  to  trembling  age,  bread  to  the  hungry, 
restoring  and  healing  medicine  to  the  faint  and  sick  ; 
but  let  us  offer  to  all,  especially  to  the  erring  brethren, 
the  Balm  of  Gilead,  the  Light  that  leads  to  peace,  the 
Bread  of  Life,  and  the  Word  which  has  saved  our 
souls,  and  which  we  ourselves  can  never  do  without, 
since  it  serves  for  instruction,  for  reprimand,  for 


368  THE   LAST   YEARS  [1854 

improvement,   and   for  chastisement — in  the  way  of 
righteousness. 

Let  our  feet  walk  in  the  steps  of  Tabitha,  to  the 
cottage  of  the  poor,  to  the  cells  of  prisoners,  to  the 
bedside  of  the  sick ;  and  let  our  hearts  find  joy  in 
helping  and  serving,  in  conferring  benefits  and  carry- 
ing blessings,  as  disciples  of  Him  Who  came  "  not  to 
be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister,  and  to  give  His 
life  a  ransom  for  many,"  and  Who  said,  "  By  this  shall 
all  men  know  that  ye  are  My  disciples,  if  ye  have  love 
one  to  another." 


THE  END 


LIST  OF  PLACES   MENTIONED   IN   THE 
"PIETIST" 

Arnsdorf.     Near  Schmiedeberg ;  the  residence  of  Count    von 

Matuschki. 
Buchwald.     Count  von  Reden's  place  ;  situated  about  an  hour's 

drive  from  both  Hirschberg  and  Stonsdorf. 
Erdmannsdorf.     Between  Buchwald  and  Stonsdorf;  Field-Marshal 

Count  von   Gneisenau's   place,   after  whose  death   it  "was 

bought  by  King  Friedrich  Wilhelm  III. 
Fischbach.     Purchased  by  Prince  Wilhelm,  brother  of  Friedrich 

Wilhelm  III.     It  is  a  drive  of  three-quarters  of  an  hour  from 

Buchwald. 
Jankendorf.    In  the  Ober  Lausitz ;  an  estate  which  belonged  to 

Heinrich  XXXVIII.  Reuss,  and  after  his  death  was  in- 
herited by  his  nephew  Heinrich  LXXIV.  Reuss. 
Jannowitz.     Half-an-hour's  drive  from   Fischbach;   the   country 

home  of  Ernestine  Countess  Constantin  Stolberg,  and  the 

property  of  her  son  Count  Wilhelm. 
Kreppelhof.     A  drive  of  about  an  hour  and  a  half  from  Buchwald; 

the  residence  of  Count  Anton  Stolberg. 
Kupferberg.  A  small  town  near  Jannowitz. 
Klipphausen.  Near  Dresden  ;  the  property  of  Heinrich  LXIII. 

Reuss. 
Lauterbach      In   Hesse;    the    family   estate    of   Freiherr    von 

Riedesel.     It  was  destroyed  by  the  mob  in  1848. 
Lomnitz.     Near  Erdmannsdorf ;  Herr  von  Vunter's  place. 
Neuhof.     Near   Erdmannsdorf;  a  small  property  purchased   by 

Heinrich  LXXIV.  Reuss  in  1823. 
Neuenhof.      Near  Eisenach ;    a    favourite    place   belonging  to 

Freiherr  von  Riedesel,  and  also  to  his  son  George  Freiherr 

von  Riedesel. 
Niesky.     Near  Jankendorf,  where  there  was  a  settlement  of  the 

Moravian  Brothers. 

3«9  24 


370          LIST  OF  PLACES   MENTIONED 

Rentweinsdorf.      An    estate    in    Franconia    belonging    to    the 

Rotenhan  family. 
Ruhberg.     Near  Schmiedeberg  ;  the  country  home  of  Prince  and 

Princess  Radziwill.     They  bought  it  in  1822. 
Trebschen.     In  the  Neumark,  Province  Brandenburg ;  the  estate 

of  Heinrich  LXIV.  Reuss. 
Stonsdorf.     Near  Hirschberg ;  an  estate  of  Heinrich  XXXVIII. 

Reuss. 
Warmbrunn.     Property  of  Count  von  Schafgotsch ;    a    noted 

health-resort. 
Zillerthal,  Upper,  Middle,  and  Lower.  The  Tyrolese  settlements, 

and  named  after  their  old  home  in  Tyrol. 

E.  R. 


INDEX 


BERNSTORFF,  Countess  von, 
birth  in  America,  6  ;  mar- 
riage, 30  ;  visit  to  Buchwald, 
104  ;  visit  to  Dresden,  156  ; 
at  Langensalza,  1 80  ;  next 
visits  to  Buchwald,  213,  359 

Bible  Society,  the,  founded  in 
Silesia,  102  ;  meetings  and 
reports,  115,  128,  187,  194, 
195,  212,  237,  264,  307,  346, 
360,  361,  362  ;  twenty-fifth 
anniversary,  277,  278 

Blankenburg  Castle,  17,  18 

Brunswick,  Duke  of,  2,  18,  63, 

329 
Bunsen,  Baron  von,  320,  328 

CAMBRIDGE,  Duke  of,  140 

Carl,  Prince,  recovering  from 
illness,  68 ;  at  Buchwald, 
173,  174,  181  ;  wishes  to  buy 
Buchwald,  285 

Carmer,  Countess  von,  96,  101, 
105,  115,  116,  217,  353 

Clinton,  General  Sir  Henry,  in 
America,  6,  8  ;  in  Berlin,  56 

—  Henry,  visit  to  Neuenhof, 
139,  140  ;  at  Buchwald,  142, 
193,  200,  210  ;  on  the  Birk- 
berg,  212,  213,  216,  218;  at 
Buchwald,  320 

Continental  blockade,  89 


Crown  Prince,  the,  as  a  child, 
29,  30 ;  visit  to  the  iron 
foundry,  53  ;  his  tour  in  the 
mountains,  121,  122,  143, 
144  ;  his  tender  heart,  158  ; 
on  a  visit  at  Buchwald,  159, 
1 60 ;  visits  to  Buchwald,  172, 
174,  1 80,  181  ;  another  stay 
at  Buchwald,  202,  203,  205, 
206,  209,  256,  259,  268 

Czartoryska,  Princess  (Wanda), 
marriage,  189 ;  visit  to 
Buchwald,  204,  206 ;  gifts 
to  the  poor,  214  ;  inherits 
Fischbach,  216;  goes  to 
Schmiedeberg,  231  ;  to  the 
Tyrolese  school,  233  ;  friend- 
ship with  Countess  Reden, 
264  ;  dines  with  the  King, 
270  ;  calls  at  Buchwald,  272  ; 
left  Ruhberg,  280 ;  sends 
the  Countess  fruit,  306  ;  last 
stay  at  Ruhberg,  314  ;  her 
children,  357 

DELBRUCK,  Herr,  30,  57 
Dorothee  Sibylla,  Duchess  von 

Liegnitz  und  Brieg,  267,  295, 

365 


FRIEDRICH       WILHELM 
funeral  of,  21 


II., 


371 


372 


INDEX 


Friedrich  Wilhelm  III.,  interest 
in  a  newspaper,  57;aletter,  72 ; 
Napoleon's  respect,  73  ;  his 
decree,  74,  77,  78,  100,  131, 
144,  159,  172,  173  ;  visit  to 
Buchwald,  174,  175  ;  gives 
a  grant  for  the  poor,  250, 
251  ;  grants  land  for  the 
Tyrolese,  256 ;  presents  a 
statuette  to  Countess  Reden, 
266,  268,  269  ;  in  Silesia,  270, 
271  ;  death,  276 

—  Wilhelm  IV.,  becomes  King, 
281,  282,  283,  284,  288  ;  at 
Buchwald,  290,  291  ;  a 
letter,  294 ;  interest  in 
Hirschberg  Bible,  297  ;  bells 
for  the  church  at  Wang,  298  ; 
gives  a  commission,  302,  303, 
304,  309,  310,  311  ;  conver- 
sation, 328,  329  ;  sorrow  at 
Princess  Wilhelm 's  death, 
330 ;  visits  the  Countess, 
333.  334.  344;  letter,  351, 
355  ;  visit  to  Buchwald,  357  ; 
letter,  359 

Fry,  Mrs.,  286,  287,  288,  289  ; 
death  of,  323,  338 

GENEVOIS,  Mademoiselle,  be- 
comes the  Countess's  gover- 
ness, 7  ;  visit,  198  ;  death  of, 
275 

Gessler,  Count  von,  joins  Stein, 
8 1  ;  at  Dresden,  97  ;  at 
Buchwald,  no,  132,  133, 135, 
148,  150;  his  pictures,  126; 
takes  Fritz  von  Kalckreuth, 
138  ;  dines  at  Buchwald,  142 ; 
death,  166 

Gneisenau,  Field-Marshal 
Count  von,  joined  by  British 
officers,  93  ;  buys  Erdmanns- 


dorf ,  115;  calls  at  Buchwald, 
1 20  ;  death  of  his  daughter, 
133  ;  sends  money  for  Kalc- 
kreuth, 138  ;  calls  at  Buch- 
wald, 143,  150,  158,  173,  182; 
his  daughter,  357 
Gossner,  Pastor,  at  Stonsdorf, 
149,  150;  letter  from,  153; 
a  book  by  him,  165  ;  at 
Buchwald,  198,  199 ;  preaches 
in  Berlin,  314,  355 

HARWICH,  Lord,  at  Buchwald, 

301 

Hesse,  Prince,  of,  10,  13, 90 
Heynitz,  Minister  von,  35,  36, 

37,  38 
Hirschberg  Bible  the,  292,  293, 

295,  296,  307,  308,  330,  352 
Humboldt,    Alexander,    Baron 

von,  56,  64,  101,  173 

ITZENPLITZ,  Countess  von, 
letters  to,  29,  50,  61,  65,  73, 
74,  75,  92,  94,  96,  98,  100, 
105,  106,  108,  no,  129 

KALCKREUTH,  Fritz  von,  at 
Buchwald,  120,  121, 152,  199, 
200,  216,  217,  269,  270,  271, 
300,  309,  358 

Koln,  Archbishop  of,  239  ;  re- 
moved from  his  See,  241 

LAUTERBACH,  7,  n,  13,  139; 
visits  to,  156,  1 80;  destroyed, 

349 

Liegnitz,  Princess  von,  158,  160, 
204,  205,  270,  273,  310,  312, 

313 

Louis  Ferdinand,  Prince,  falls 
at  Saalfeldt,  61 


INDEX 


373 


Luise,  Queen,  wears  the  iron 
necklace,  27,  29  ;  Court  ball, 
33 ;  at  Count  Haugwitz's 
ball,  47,  57  ;  at  Memel,  73  ; 
her  bust,  1 74  ;  her  cabinet  at 
Potsdam,  204 

Luther,  Anton,  169,  208 

MASSOW,  Baron  von,  21,  50,  66, 

68 
Matuschki,    Count    von,     144, 

172,  222,   316 

Merkel,  Count  von,  a  letter 
from,  222  ;  goes  to  Berlin, 
223  ;  prepares  to  receive  the 
Zillerthalers,  224;  a  letter  to, 
225,  230,  232,  247,  253,  260 

Miltitz,  General  von,  114,  115, 
116, 117,  123,  127 

Moore,  Hannah,  338 

Munchhausen,  Frau,  Fritz, 
Luise,  and  Otto  von,  88, 
91,  120,  123,  306,  313,  327, 
329.  359 

NAPOLEON,  56, 64  ;  at  a  Council, 
65  ;  leaves  Tilsit,  71  ;  leaves 
Dresden,  72,  73  ;  outlaws 
Stein,  8 1  ;  rejects  peace 
proposals,  94  ;  escapes  from 
Elbe,  100,  101 

Nicholas,  Grand  Duke,  142,  144 

—  I.,  Tsar,  152,  206 

PlNKERTON,  Dr.,    IO2,  171,  194, 

217,  300,  312 
Pitt,  William,  death  of,  56 

RADZIWILL,  Princess  Louise,  in 
Silesia,  134,  138  ;  a  soiree  at 
Ruhberg,  144,  150,  158;  ill, 
203  ;  death  of,  214  ;  funeral, 
215,  216 


Radziwill,    Wanda,     Princess, 

134 ;  marriage,  189 
Reck,    Eberhardine    von    der, 

helps  cook,  23  ;  diary,  26,  32, 

33»34,35»  37, 43. 44. 45. 48, 52 

—  Ernestine  von  der,  marriage, 

49 

—  Luise  von  der,  marriage,  87 
Reden,  Count  von,  3,  16,  19,  24, 

27,  33,  34,  36,  38,  45,  46,  49, 
64,  65,  72,  73,  74,  83,  90,  99, 
102,  105,  107,  124,  136,  157, 
277,  278,  363 

Reichel,  Bishop,  at  Jankendorf, 
127 ;  his  sons,  128,  133 ; 
death,  148 

—  Theophilus,  128  ;  holidays  at 
Buchwald,   188,  216;    letter 
to,  246,  269,  275  ;    as  inter- 
preter, 289,  298,  299,  300, 311, 

313,  330,  339,  358 

—  Levin,  128,  188,  195,  269 
Reuss,  Auguste,  Countess,  first 

child,  16;  17,  18,  29,  31,  34, 

44,  50,  53,  55,  56 

—  Heinrich  XXXVIII.,  18,  40, 
77,  127,  134,  149,  189,  191, 
20 1 

—  Heinrich  XLIV.,  13,  14,  29, 
35,48,64,88,97,  157,188 

—  Heinrich  LX.  (Schock),  16, 
44,  92,  193 

—  Heinrich  LXIII.  (Harry),  16, 
44,95,  156,  1 88,  197,  202,  292 

—  Heinrich  LXX.  (Septi),   16, 
29,  44,93,  H9,  127,  129 

—  Heinrich  LXXXIV.(Henly), 
24,  141,  148,  184,  202,  244, 
245,  263,  309,  337,  351,  358, 
362 

Riddell,  Sir  James,  79,  80,  103, 
104,  125,  126,  300,  301,  302, 
338 


374 


INDEX 


Riedesel,  Adolf,  Freiherr  von,  2, 
3,4,  5,6,7.25 

—  America  von,  birth,  3  ;  mar- 
riage, 30 

—  Auguste  von,  3,   5,   12,   13, 

14 

—  Caroline  von,  3,  5,  21,  28,  30, 
3i>  32,  3S»  58,  60,  63,  65,  67, 
123,  147,  152,  165,  174,  175, 
187,  208,  209,  263,  309,  311, 

358,  363.  364 

—  Caroline  von  (sister-in-law), 
marriage,  79;  letters  to,  84, 
85,  88,  97,  101,  103,  109,  in, 
112,  118,  131,  136,  147,  152, 
153,  154,  158,  163,  164,  165, 
180,  183,  189,  192,  195,  199, 

2O2,  213,   214,   219,   222,   226, 

229,  236,   237,   239,   247,   248, 

25O,  262,   273,   277,   282,   284, 

286,  293,   294,   312,    321,   327, 

329,  330,   332,   350 

—  Dorette  von,  8,  26,  35,  37, 
38,  40,  51,  88,  99;  goes  to 
Buchwald,  118,  121,  122;  at 
Buchwald,   202,   349 

—  Freifrau  von,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  9, 
26,  50,  79 

—  Fritze  von,  i,  3,  4,  5,  7,  9, 
10,    n,   12,    13,   15,  33,    38, 

39 

—  George,  Freiherr  von,  birth, 
7;  44,  53,  67,79,  96,  97.  "2i 
118,  166,  218,  313,  349 

—  Lotte  von,  7,  26  ;   treasurer 
of  the   Bible   Society,    103 ; 
engagement,   114;  marriage, 

"5 

—  Marline  von,  85,   112,   118, 
148,  177 

Ronge,  Johannes,  315,  316,  317 

Rotenhan,     Marline,     Freifrau 

von,  177,  1 80,  185,  187,  192, 


198,  212,  332,  345,  350,  358, 

363 
Rumford  Soup-kitchen,  59,  69, 

70,  116,  184 
Russia,  Empress  of,  172,   174, 

175,  204,  281,  283 

—  Grand  Duchess  of,  142,  143, 
144 

SAILER,  Bishop,  177,  180,  183, 

328 
Schafgotsch,  Count  von,  126, 

150,    200,     283,    284,     316, 

361 
Scharnhorst,  General  von,  93, 

133 
Schonberg,  Countess  von 

(Luise     zu     Stolberg),    287, 

301,  302 
Schoning,    Frau    von    (Lotte), 

123,  139,  156,  1 80,  193,  209, 

345 
Schubertin,  Frau,  125,  134,  137, 

333 
Stein,  Freiherr  vom,  58,  64,  65, 

68,  70,75.  77,  78,  81,  82,  93, 

133,  140,  157,  158,  182 
Stein,  Herr   von,   53,  96,   123, 

194,  202,  213,  217,  227,  282, 

308 
Stolberg,  Anton,  Count  zu,  121, 

144,  156,  167,  175,  178,  282, 

291,  334,  349,  356,  357,  361 

—  Eberhardine,    Countess    zu, 
87,  124,  131,  142,  180,  269, 

305,  357 

—  Ernestine,  Countess  zu  (Con- 
stantin),   49,   188,    211,  271, 

3i5»  349,  357 

—  Ferdinand,  Count  zu,    181, 
271,  302,  328 

—  Luise,  Countess  zu  (Anton), 
87,152,327 


INDEX 


375 


Stolberg,    Luise,   Countess    zu 

(Schonberg),  23,  45,  46,  47 
-  Wilhelm,  Count  zu,  226,  252, 

272,  3i5»  356 
Strauss,  Court   Chaplain,  221, 

222,  229,  235,  236,  237,  252, 

303 

TAUENTZIEN,     General    Count 

von,  68,  69 
Teschner,  Fraulein,    209,    211, 

269,  270,  286,  305,  333 

Voss,  Countess  von,  48 

WANG,  Church  of,  294,  297,  300, 
303»  307»  3".  3i3»  3i9»  328, 
334,  337,  345,  346,  357 
Waterloo,  Battle  of,  103 
Werkenthin,  Pastor,  298,  299, 
311,  312,  313,  315,  319,  328, 


333,  334,  335,  337,  359,  3^3, 

364 

Wernigerode,  Castle  of,  22 
Wilberforce,  William,  338 
Wilhelm,  Prince  of  Prussia,  29, 

121,  137,333,334 

—  Prince,   131,   132,   137,   138, 

145,  146,  148,  152,  167,  172, 
202,  207,  225,  233,  237,  266, 
283,  306,  310,  330,  331,  337, 

357 

—  Princess,  134,  137,  138,  145, 

146,  155,  160,  167,  172,  191, 
196,  197,  201,  202,  204,  213, 
234,  235,  244,  252,  263,  274, 
275,  283,  285,  296,  300,  303, 
307,  312,  317,  323,  330 

ZlLLERTHAL,  22O,  221,  222,  224, 
225,  226,  228,  229,  231,  232, 
234 


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