were more
repugnant to us from the contrast of the familiarity with which it
alternated; she managed to make use of my father's moments of vexation
to gain her objects. But all this did not turn our hearts from her,
as she did us no injury, and often even took our part against the
ill-treatment of our new tutor. It was only that she was not fitted to
captivate childish hearts. From this she took a great aversion to our
nurse, to whom we clung with our whole souls, as she had brought up us
four motherless orphans without any assistance. Belonging to a better
class--her husband had rented a large property at Wernigerode--she had
become impoverished by war, plunder, and a succession of misfortunes,
her husband had died, and her children had partly gone out into the
world and partly been brought up by relations. She had an excellent
woman's head, a clear understanding, endless good-humour, cheerfulness,
and suitable wit. If it is true that I have sometimes humorous ideas, a
certain share in the development of this quality belongs to her. I well
remember that I have gone on for a whole half-hour with her making
bon-mots and allegories. 'With you I can joke.' With this good opinion
I was often rewarded. Besides this she was skilful in a thousand
things, and could always give advice. She was not disinclined to the
'_Stillen im Lande_,' which from her great sufferings the cup of which
she had drained to the dregs, could be easily understood. Her heart was
pure and pious, and she maintained in us the impression of our former
tutor's admonitions, when his successor would almost have exterminated
them by his teaching and course of life. Many of her relations, and
also her son-in-law had become surgeons, and she had, as a maiden,
given medical assistance. Therefore she possessed more than usual
knowledge, and astonished a surgeon when she skilfully set my brother's
foot, which he had dislocated. She understood osteology perfectly;
perhaps indeed she sometimes had too much confidence in herself, but
her remedies healed very quickly; and when the surgeon for four months
vainly endeavoured to cure my brother's foot, and spoke of the bone
being rotten, she shook her head; he was sent away, and in a month the
foot was healed.

"The public even believed that she dealt in the black art, but we knew
better. 'I have sworn to my lady,' (our mother), 'to give my life for
you, if it can be of use to you, and I will keep what I vowed on her
d