SPOXHOLZ'S SUCCESSOR. 15 



Unfortunately this happiest period of my boyhood 

 did not last long, not even a full year. Sponholz 

 had often attacks of deep melancholy, which probably 

 in part arose from his mistaken theological calling 

 and career, in part from causes which were unintel- 

 ligible to us children. During one such attack he 

 left the house on a dark winter's night, gun in hand, 

 and after a prolonged search was found in a remote 

 part of the estate with shattered skull. Our grief at 

 the loss of the beloved friend and teacher was 

 boundless. My own love and gratitude to him I have 

 retained to the present day. 



Sponholz's successor was an elderly gentleman, 

 who had for years filled the office of private tutor 

 in noblemen's families. He was in almost all respects 

 the reverse of his predecessor. His educational system 

 was of a wholly formal character. He required that 

 before all things we should be docile and mannerly. 

 Anything boisterous was especially his aversion. We 

 had to be attentive and do our tasks at the prescribed 

 times, accompany him with decorum in our walks, 

 and riot disturb him out of school hours. The poor 

 man was sickly and after two years died of con- 

 sumption in our house. A stimulating and moulding 

 influence he certainly did not exert, and had it not been 

 for the previous training of Sponholz, whose effect was 

 enduring, the two years would have been pretty well 

 thrown away, at least as far as I and my brother 

 Hans were concerned. As for me the desire to do my 

 duty and to learn thoroughly had, thanks to Sponholz, 



