252 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE 



the same advice; the mines being in their opinion, for 

 the present at least, the better place to make a living. 

 Emil even tells me that he might return here, if his 

 health, which has been undermined by fever, will permit 

 him. 



Considering everything, you must see now for your- 

 self, my dear father, that, apparently I can not do any- 

 thing to ease your mind about me. All I can do is, to 

 give you in my letters a plain and true statement of my 

 life here and of my affairs. And then I can and must 

 ask this of you: have the most implicit confidence in your 

 son; you will never have cause to regret it. This, I feel 

 confident will help more than anything else, to relieve 

 your mind of any uneasiness about me. 



This much in answer to your first letter; and now to 

 your second of June 7th, which— I must confess— has 

 pleased me a great deal better than the former, because 

 it shows me that you are beginning to gain confidence in 

 me. In this respect, I hope, you will not, allow Aunt 

 Carola to surpass you! Now, now— that would not be 

 right ! 



To show you that I will do all I can to quiet your ap- 

 prehensions, I sat down immediately upon receipt of your 

 letter and have drawn my own portrait, as well as I could. 

 I herewith inclose it. I dare say, I made a success of it. 

 What do- you say about that large hat, and the still larger 

 boots? (Plague take them for keeping my feet sore con- 

 tinually) ; what do you say about my mustache and my 

 whiskers! Eh? About these however— the whiskers— 

 I must confess that they are just a little exaggerated; I 

 had a little too much ink in my pen when I did them. 

 And then— my pipe; what do you think about that? Is it 

 not a really beautiful ensemble? especially so when you 

 consider that the somewhat dubious background is a — 

 mudbank. 



If Aunt should ever read again mining novels to 

 Froehlich's children, send her this portrait; that she may 

 know exactly how a Konigsberger looks, after he has 

 been transformed into a California miner. But, by-the- 



