126 BROTHERS AXD SISTERS. 



taken up to allow of my personally superintending his 

 education. 



Of our two sisters the elder Matilda, married 

 to Professor Himly in Kiel, was already the happy 

 mother of a troop of pretty children. She has always 

 honestly shared with me the care of the younger 

 brothers and sister, and sought as far as possible to 

 compensate them for the maternal love so early with- 

 drawn from them. My youngest sister Sophia had 

 been, as already mentioned, adopted on the death of 

 our parents by uncle Deichmann in Lubeck. At the 

 beginning of the fifties Deichmann took the resolution 

 of emigrating with his family to North America. They 

 were chiefly political reasons, which had occasioned this 

 resolution. After the suppression of the revolution in 

 Germany and Austria, after the surrender of Schleswig- 

 Holstein and the deep humiliation of Prussia a feeling 

 of despair rapidly spread in Germany. 



The power of Russia appeared then so gigantic, 

 that the prophecy of Napoleon at St. Helena, in fifty 

 years Europe would become either republican or Cos- 

 sack, seemed already practically fulfilled. Although 

 I myself was also deeply depressed by the turn things 

 were taking in the political world, I could not sub- 

 scribe to so pessimistic a view. I not only therefore 

 rejected the pressing invitation of the uncle to accom- 

 pany him to America, but also tried to prevent any 

 of my brothers and sisters from participating in the 

 emigration. In particular I refused my consent to the 

 departure of my sister Sophia, in which I was strongly 



