r, has carefully concealed his
activity from the eye of the public, and whose name, for that reason,
was never praised. Without Assessor Munter's unwearied care and
assistance--so say the sisters--the undertaking could never have gone
forward. What a wonderful affectionate constancy lies in the soul of
this man! He has been, and is still, the benefactor of our family; but
if you would see and hear him exasperated, tell him so, and see how he
quarrels with all thanks to himself. The whole city is now deploring
that it is about to lose him. He is going to reside on his estate in the
country, for it is impossible that he could sustain much longer the way
in which he is at present overworked both night and day. His health has
for some time evidently declined, and we rejoice that he can now take
some rest, by which he may regain new strength. We all love him from our
hearts; but one of us has set on foot a plot to oblige another of us
to--ally herself with him, and therefore our good Assessor is now
exposed to a secret proceeding, which--but I forget that I was to write
about the daughters of the family.

"There is a peculiar little world in the house--a world into which
nothing bad can enter--where live flowers, birds, music, and Gabriele.
The morning would lose its sweetest charms, if during the same
Gabriele's birds and flowers did not play a part, and the evening
twilight would be duskier if it were not enlivened by Gabriele's guitar
and songs. Her flower-stand has extended itself by degrees into an
orangery--not large to be sure, but yet large enough to shelter a
beautiful vine, which is now covered with grapes, and many beautiful and
rare plants also, so as to present to the family a little Italy, where
they may enjoy all the charms of the south, in the midst of a northern
winter. A covered way leads from the dwelling-house down into the
orangery, and it is generally there that in winter they take their
afternoon coffee. The aviary is removed thither; and there upon a table
covered with a green cloth, lie works on botany, together with the
writings of the Swedish gardening society, which often contain such
interesting articles. There stand two comfortable armed chairs, on which
the most magnificent birds and flowers are worked, you can easily
imagine for whom. There my mother sits gladly, and reads or looks at her
'little lady' (she never grows out of this appellation) as she tends her
flowers in the sun, or plays with