332 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE 



nounces the dangerous illness of my father, thus hasten- 

 ing my departure for Konigsberg. On the way I stopped 

 at Grabow, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the native place of 

 my good friends, Lembcke and wife, to deliver a few let- 

 ters and parcels to their relatives. It was there that an- 

 other telegram, this time from Dubois, reached me, which 

 caused me to take the " Express train" via Berlin to 

 Konigsberg. Though it was but two o 'clock in the morn- 

 ing, I was too nervous to rest, and wandered to the Polish 

 graveyard, opposite the School-house, where I received 

 my first instructions. Slowly I returned to familiar 

 places, and finally called on Eosenstock, who accompanied 

 me to the train, by which I reached Bartenstein about 

 noon— in time for my father's funeral. When I reached 

 Hamburg my dear father was breathing his last, but the 

 fact had not been made known to me in the telegrams, as 

 I could not have reached home in time. 



Grabow, i/M., Sept. 30th, 1868. 



The days of family re-union have passed and many were 

 the visits and pleasant hours spent among my relatives 

 and friends. But wherever I went one sad thought 

 marred all else. The most beloved father, who longed for 

 my home-coming, as I longed to see him again, had been 

 called before I could reach him! It seemed almost too 

 hard to bear, but bear it I must and I did. 



Outside of the family I met many old and new friends, 

 but shall mention only a few, whose names sound more 

 familiar: Olias, who is keeping books again; Grunha- 

 gen's family, and Rosenstock. My two weeks' stay at 

 Schleiff's was full of pleasant diversities. 



My California mail is astonishingly regular, as Lemb- 

 cke, Rinaldi, Dr. "Wollweber, and many others prove to be 

 faithful correspondents, who keep me quite busy answer- 

 ing them. 



Tuesday, the 22d of September, was another day which 

 I shall ever remember, the farewell from mother and 

 sister was truly heart-rendering, as it followed shortly 

 after a visit to my father's last resting-place. Many were 



