42 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE 



for days to clear the view, it seldom succeeds until later 

 in the season. But the view of the Elbe up stream, and 

 of the little green islands here and there, is truly delight- 

 ful. One can see the Hanoverian coast with its forests 

 and coated hills lining the blue-trimmed horizon for 

 miles. I shall visit the Stintfang as often as possible, for 

 there more than elsewhere the familiar scenes of home 

 and longings of the past are brought before my mind. 

 No matter whether in company or not, I shall never feel 

 lonesome in that place. The sun had long sent its fare- 

 well rays, when I finally made up my mind to seek my 

 temporary abode. During the night following I dreamt 

 of our "Exchange Garden," probably because I had 

 thought of it on my way to the hotel from the Stintfang, 

 Just at this moment, being earnestly at work to famil- 

 iarize you with Hamburg scenes, I am pleasantly inter- 

 rupted by the arrival of your welcome letters, dated the 

 second of May, a. c, and containing messages of love 

 and cheer from you, dear father, my darling mother and 

 my beloved sister, Marie. Nothing will prevent me from 

 reading, enjoying and re-reading them, after which I 

 shall set to work answering these love-whisperings at 

 once, and Hamburg and the Hamburgers, however inter- 

 esting they may be, will have to wait. 



Hamburg, May 8th, 1851. 

 First of all let me thank you a thousand times for the 

 comforting messages contained in your letters. I am 

 really and truly happy, because you all have written so 

 lovingly and given proof thereby that your thoughts are 

 much more in sympathy with my doings than they were 

 before, or immediately after my departure. I person- 

 ally have come to the conclusion that it avails little or 

 nothing to worry 7 about things which cannot be altered. 

 And there I seem to hear the well-known air of Flotow's 

 latest production, "Martha, or the Market of Rich- 

 mond:" "Happy he who can forget that which worried 

 heart and head."* No matter how much pain it may 



*Flotorr's opera, "Martha," appeared in 1846. — Transl. 



