1839-40. BECOMES A RED RIBBON. 223 



" So much for the non-rhyming and what I am not to do. 

 As to what I am to do, that may be speedily told. I have 

 begun German with a very intelligent teacher, Mr. Konibst ; 

 James Eussell, John Mven, Mr. Skae, and another, are in the 

 class, and we get on very nicely ; we have just begun, so that 

 as to work to be done I cannot speak. Meanwhile, we find our 

 method of proceeding very pleasant, and the sounds of the 

 German are melodious and pleasing to my Scotch ears. We 

 have fairly settled at once to Schiller's Wilhelm Tell, learning 

 away at the knotty grammar, which is puzzling enough ; but 

 the striking similarity between the German phrases and our 

 own Saxon words and broad Scotch, is a great help to the ren 

 dering of sentences ; indeed the construction is often almost 

 identical with English, and never, so far as I have yet gone, 

 very anomalous. At all events, I love the language, and will 

 learn it. I hated French, a poor, pingling, crack- voiced, mon 

 key-like dialect, which I never had patience to acquire ; though 

 the foolishness of not studying so valuable a key to knowledge is 

 great ; but I can use it at least as a picklock, and I shall fall to the 

 grammar sturdily soon ; at present I have quite enough on hand. 



" They have sent me the red ribbon, and so constituted me 

 one of the friends of the Brotherhood of Truth. The ribbon I 

 now wear, to the great wonderment and offence of many of my 

 well-wishers, who see damage to my character from any con- 

 nexion with the dubious persons composing it ; but my cha- 

 racter does not hang on a ribbon, and when I called on Forbes, 

 he spoke to me in the kindest manner, explained the helping, 

 unselfish character of the Society, its freedom from forms and 

 vices ; and wound it up by offering and promising to do every- 

 thing to help me, especially towards getting a lectureship in 

 the provincial towns, perhaps Liverpool. At present there are 

 unions in France, Germany, England, and India, so that the 

 craft thrives. Some of the best fellows about College are in it, 

 to know whom were reward enough. 



" Mary sends you her kindest love. She is not better, I am 

 sony to say, but confined to bed a large portion of the day. I 

 fear you will come home to a sad household ; but we will hope 

 the best, and we shall all be very glad to see you." 



