63 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE 



the little fishermen's huts shone reddish from across the 

 river, until one after the other apparently lost its bril- 

 liancy and slowly disappeared entirely from my horizon. 

 The shadows grew until the last glimmer of the setting 

 sun kissed the tree tops a hearty farewell — altogether a 

 scene beautiful to behold. Soon all had become a thing 

 of the past, a mere remembrance. The opposite hills 

 grew darker and difficult to recognize. The air was pure 

 and refreshing and so quiet that I sometimes fancied I 

 heard the ringing of bells such as cows carry when out in 

 pasture. Everything was quiet and peaceful around me, 

 while I was writing in the ocean-sand the names of my 

 beloved ones in the far away home. First yours, father, 

 then mother's, then the name of my beloved Marie, not 

 forgetting Maurice close by. When I had finished my 

 dream, I continued my tramp homeward, my pathway 

 being illumined by the silvery moonlight, while a thin 

 white fog commenced to veil the rural scenes across the 

 river. It was late. "When I reached ,the gate it was 

 closed, which meant a fine of four Hamburg shillings! 

 That was certainly a damper to my sentimental cogita- 

 tions. What business does a reputable merchant's clerk 

 have to sit dreaming upon a stone and write names in the 

 sands of the Elbe, making thereby a fool of himself? 

 Fine: four shillings in Hamburg currency! 



May 19th, p. m. 



During the three weeks which I have been compelled 



to spend here there has been a fire and a flood. The fire 



occurred one night last week and devoured four or five 



houses on "Kehrwieder.'.'* * Such fires are not consid- 



*Translator's "note.— The old Kehrwieder was a typical tene- 

 ment district on the waterfront, inhabited exclusively by long- 

 shoremen and water-rats, as the thousands of wherry-men are 

 called in Hamburg dialect. This neighborhood is now part of 

 the magnificent "bonded ware-house district" called "Freihafen," 

 where foreign importations may be stored as "transient," escap- 

 ing thereby whatever duty they may be subject to, provided the 

 transfer to other parts occurs within a given time. 



