Nothing so nerves a man for the battle with the outer world as the
consciousness of his having a pleasant home, not merely a large and
finely arranged household, but a home in which there reigns an
atmosphere of hope and affection, and where, in days of sorrow, that
which is best in us is met by the sympathy of those who surround us.
Through Gustava, all this fell to my lot. Although the battle with the
world would, at times, almost render me distracted, she would again
restore my wonted spirits; and it is to her faithful and affectionate
care that I ascribe the fact that the long struggle did not exhaust me.
She judged of men and actions with never-failing equanimity, and her
very glances seemed to beautify what they rested upon. Where I could
see naught but spite or malice, she only beheld the natural selfishness
of beings in whom education and morals had not yet gained complete
ascendancy.
She judged everything by her own lofty standard, but strange to say,
instead of belittling men, this seemed to make them appear better. When
she found that she could not avoid assenting to evil report in regard
to any one, she did so with an humble air that plainly signified how
grieved she was that men could be thus.
Speaking of Funk, she would say, "I have no desire to hurt any one's
feelings. In nature there is nothing that can properly be called
aristocratic. In botany the nettle is related to hemp and to hops; and
if Funk seems to have somewhat of the nettle in his composition, one
should be careful to handle him tenderly, and thus avoid pricking one's
fingers."
It was during that very winter, in 1866, that the purity and dignity
that were inborn with her seemed more than ever infused with new and
added grace. She always lived as if in a higher presence.
It soon proved that my anticipations of evil were overwrought. My
compatriots were, for the greater part, in accord with me. On every
hand I received assurances of that fact; and, above all, Joseph omitted
no opportunity of repeating to me the respectful terms in which he had
heard my name mentioned among the people. I really think that he was
instrumental in causing others to bring these good reports to my
notice. Martella had become the blessing, the life and the light, I may
say, of our house. Her readiness to oblige, her adaptability and her
desire for self-improvement, had so increased that we felt called upon
to restrain rather than to urge their exercise.
My wife had learned of Funk's attempt to injure us by dragging the
child's name into publicity. Perhaps the news had been carried even
further; for a letter reached us from my daughter, the pastor's wife,
in which she informed us that the illness of her husband made such
demands upon her time that she required an assistant about the house,
and desired us to send Martella to her. She added that her husband
joined her in this wish, because it seemed improper that Martella
should remain in our house any longer. My wife was not unwilling to
send Martella to her for a while; but I insisted that she should stay
with us in spite of all idle talk.
About that time we received letters from the major and from Richard,
both of whom wrote without the other's knowledge, and to the effect
that Prussia's proposal to the German Diet might lead to a conflict,
the consequences of which it was impossible to foretell. Thus public
and private affairs kept us in unusual excitement, when an unexpected
event claimed our attention.
A rumor had long been current in our family that we had relatives of
high rank living in Vienna. Up to the year 1805, our village and the
whole district had belonged to Austria. All of the more ambitious and
talented among our people had been drawn to Vienna, either by their own
desire to advance themselves, or by the inducements the government held
out to them; for it was the constant aim of Austria to gain the
attachment of the landed interests.
At the beginning of the last century, an uncle of my father had moved
to the Imperial city, where he attained a high position. He had
embraced the Catholic religion, and had been ennobled. Ernst, who
always called that branch of the family "the root brood," had long
cherished the plan of hunting up our relatives, in the hope of thus
finding a better opening for himself.
Towards spring we received a visit from our neighbor, Baron Arven. He
was accompanied by a young bridal couple. He introduced the husband,
who was an officer at the garrison of Mayence, as a relative of mine.
The wife belonged to the family of the Baroness Arven, and was from
Bohemia. They seemed sociable and charming people, and both sides were
inclined to make friends with each other, but without success. Our
thoughts and feelings were pitched in different keys.
The young couple left us in order to repair to the capital. On their
departure, I gave them a letter to Bertha, and the Major. They wrote to
me in the kindest manner, and remarked that they would be pleased if
Ernst could assume the charge of the forests on their estate in
Moravia.