NEW PLAN OF LIFE. 51 



afford me the means of fulfilling the duties I had 

 undertaken towards my younger brothers. I was 

 therefore intent on the preparation of my new telegraph, 

 which was to form the bridge to the new career, when 

 an event occurred which threatened to throw all my 

 plans to the winds. 



It was a time of great religious and political stir 

 in all Europe. This first found expression in Germany 

 in the free religious movement which ran counter both 

 to Catholicism and to the rigid Protestantism then in 

 the ascendant. Johannes Ronge had come to Berlin, and 

 held public lectures in the Tivoli Gardens, which were 

 attended by all the world and excited great enthusiasm. 

 The younger officers and officials in particular, then 

 almost without exception liberally inclined, raved for 

 Johannes Rorige. 



Just as this Ronge -worship was at its height I 

 along with all the officers of the Artillery workshop - 

 nine in number - happened to take a stroll after 

 working-hours in the Thiergarten. "Under the Tents" 

 we found many people assembled, listening to vivacious 

 speeches, in which all the like-minded were called 

 upon to take part for Johannes Ronge and against the 

 obscurantists. The speeches were good, and were perhaps 

 the more persuasive and captivating as people were not 

 then accustomed in Prussia to public speaking. 



When therefore on going away a sheet was 

 presented for my signature, which was already almost 

 filled with names partly known to me, I did not 

 hesitate to add mine. The other officers, some con- 



4* 



