sad to say, I hear that a great deal of cheating and embezzlement is
carried on even in this Republic.

[Knopf to Fassbender.]

.... and tell me, did I ever meet at your house a teacher by the name
of Runzler? It is very important to me to know, this, for he was my
father-in-law.

I think he was at your house, and took snuff out of a large box.

Yes, it is so. I have just, asked my Rosalie. Her father used to take
snuff from a big beech-wood box. So my idea was correct. Memory is a
whimsical thing. We ought, professionally, to take it into
consideration far more than we do. I remember actually nothing but the
beech-wood snuff-box; but I beg you to tell me what we talked about at
that time. You recollect, or rather I remind you, that I was at that
time much saddened by the childish prank which Roland had played off
upon me. I was so troubled, that I cannot remember any thing that
passed. So write me all about it, and you will be doing me a great
favor. You will soon receive a card inscribed thus:

EMIL KNOPF,

ROSALIE KNOPF, _nee_ RUNZLER,

Married.

I tell you the world is full of romances; the whole of life is but a
romance.

The philosopher Schelling is right; poetry, art, government, religion,
everything, had their origin in myths.

My good Roland has described to me his visit to Abraham Lincoln, and I
have a good poem about it in my head. Unfortunately I have as yet only
the title; but it is a beautiful one, for the piece is to be called:
'In Abraham's bosom.' Think how much can be included under such a
heading!

Your son is an extremely practical man, you will have much satisfaction
in him.

If your under-master chooses to come here, I can procure him much
employment in piano lessons. We have teachers enough in Germany to
export some.

[Roland to the Professorin.]

Pardon me if I no longer venture to call you mother. It seems to me
like an injustice to my dead mother that I ever did so. I entreat you
to have her grave carefully attended to, and to keep it strewn with her
favorite flowers, ericas and pinks.

Now that is off my mind, I will write of other things.

When I think of the green cottage, it always seems to me as if it were
floating on the sea, and must come hither to us.

Eric and Manna have, of course, described our voyage to you. While at
sea, I lea