MENZENDORF. 1 1 



up with the village youth tolerably free and unrestrained. 

 The first years we older children my sister Ma- 



tilda. I and my younger brothers Hans and Ferdinand 

 - roamed at large and unhindered through wood and 

 wold. Our instruction was undertaken by my grand- 

 mother, who lived with us after her husband's death. 

 She taught us reading and writing and exercised our 

 memories by compelling us to learn by heart innumer- 

 able poems. Father and mother were too occupied 

 with their economic cares, and the latter also with 

 the rapidly increasing flock of my young brothers 

 and sisters, to be able to concern themselves much 

 with our education. My father was a thoroughly good- 

 hearted but likewise hot-tempered man, who punished 

 inexorably, if any of us did not do his duty, was 

 untruthful or guilty of a dishonourable action. Fear of 

 the father s wrath and affection for the mother, whose 

 sorrow we never intentionally occasioned, kept our little 

 band, otherwise somewhat unruly, in good order. 

 The care of the elder for the [younger children was 

 prescribed as primary duty. In fact it reached so far 

 that the seniors were punished with their juniors, if the 

 latter ever rendered themselves liable to punishment. 

 The said burden weighed especially upon me as the 

 eldest, and awakened and confirmed in me at a very 

 early age the feeling of obligation to care for my more 

 youthful brothers and sisters. Accordingly I assumed 

 the right to set the penal law in motion in respect of my 

 juniors, which not unfrequently led to counter-coalitions 

 and violent combats, which however were always fought 



