EXAMINATIONS. VISIT TO MENZENDORF. 27 



from attacks of intermittent fever, and once also was 

 obliged to lie several months in hospital on account of 

 injury to the shin, yet I contrived to pass successfully 

 the three examinations - - the ensign, the army -officer 

 and finally the artillery -officer examination, although 

 without special distinction. I had with inflexible industry 

 crammed the required matter into my head in order 

 afterwards to forget it as quickly again, but had de- 

 voted all my spare time to my favourite sciences, 

 Mathematics. Physics and Chemistry. The fondness 

 for these sciences has remained all through my life, 

 and has been at the bottom of my after successes. 



Great was the joy when the school course com- 

 pleted. I received a four weeks furlough to visit my 

 home along with my friend Meyer. My brothers and 

 sisters, whose number had risen to ten. and even my 

 parents hardly recognized me. 



The whole village rejoiced with them on the return 

 of the "Muschu", the traditional title of the sons 

 of "the Manor". There were really touching meetings 

 with the worthy people of our own and the neighbouring 

 villages, who for the rest had great respect for the 

 Prussian officers, in whom certainly they perceived no 

 signs of Prussia's starving condition. 



My elder sister Matilda was just celebrating her 

 wedding with Professor Karl Himly from Gottingen, who 

 remained a dear friend of mine until his death. Hans 

 and Ferdinand had become farmers. My third younger 

 brother, William, was at the school at Liibeck and 

 was destined for commerce. The next two, Frederick 



