. A majority were faithful to the Empire. The few who belonged
to the progressives, or to the ultramontanes, were loud in their
protestation of love for our newly-cemented union.

My friend Loedinger, that true old soul, was also elected. He studied
with me at Jena, was with me in prison, and, for many years, sat near
me in the Parliament. "We two have by this time become quite used to
each other," were his words, as he took the seat next to me. And, as if
by previous agreement, we were always together during the whole
journey.

The days were fresh and spring-like, and, although our hearts were
filled with solemn thoughts, nothing but jokes were heard. Next to
Baribal, the gayest was Professor Rolunt, who, before he entered the
military service, had studied in Berlin, and had here received the
so-called finishing touch. On the way, there was much cheerful
discussion of the peculiarities that distinguish various sections of
our country and the fanaticism with which every district believes that
its customs and modes of expression alone represent the real German
mind.

Offenheimer, the lawyer, who had also been elected a member of the
Reichstag, spoke quite forcibly on this subject, by demonstrating that
we South Germans believed ours to be the veritable language of the
soul. When there is a prejudice to combat, Offenheimer always is
particularly eloquent. He knows Berlin, and lives here with relatives
of his.

Cato Debold, the inveterate South German, thought it hard that the
rough North German manner should now gain the supremacy. When he saw
the first windmills, he scoffed at North German windbags; and when the
Professor added that in North Germany there were no running springs,
but only pumps, he was quite happy, and vaunted the number of springs
we possessed at home.

Rolunt allowed him to finish his harangue, and then replied that the
North Germans, finding themselves without fast flowing streams, had
made an invisible power, the winds, work for them; and that pump water
was as refreshing as that from fountains.

But, against that, Debold showed that the portion of Germany, that lay
on the other side of the Thuringian Mountains had, through being
divided into small farms, become quite different, and far advanced in
comparison with the North. And in municipal liberty, we also stand far
ahead of North Germany; and shall we now submit to have that encroached
upon?

"That will regulate itself. The others will b