2D '2 Ten Years of my Life. 



* 



lentiz, April i, Salm, M.D.' The label itself, made by some 

 artist, represented a lancsca|De, with Bonn in the background ; 

 a very prominent stork, in the foreground, in a swamp, held in 

 his bill — not, as readers might expect, a baby — but a very big 

 disappointing frog. 



VvHiilst I was in Bonn I had an opportunity of satisfying a 

 desire I had already formed in Coblentz, on hearing that her 

 Majesty would be pleased if the ladies of her regiment occu- 

 pied themselves with nursing the sick in the military hospitals. 



Seeing the kindness and skill with which Professor IBusch 

 and his assistants, Dr. von Kiihlewetter and Dr. Von Mosen- 

 gail, treated the sick and wounded, I was extremely eager to 

 learn from them how to dress wounds, and to assist even in 

 operations. The Professor was pleased with my earnestness, 

 and it was agreed that I should go through a course of surgery 

 somewhat later. 



In the middle of April, having returned to Coblentz, the 

 colonency of the crack battalion of our regiment became vacant 



by Lieut. -Colonel von O being promoted to some higher 



command, as was expected long since by Major von R , 



who hoped to be his successor. He was, however, disap- 

 pointed, for the order arrived from Berlin that Sahn should 

 take command of the ' Fusilier Battalion^' This created some 

 astonishment in Coblentz, and Ceneral von Hewarth, sup- 

 posing some mistake, as Major \on R was in fact the 



senior field-officer, telegraphed to Berlin to ascertain whether 

 he was correct. The answer confirmed Salm's promotion, 

 which he, I think, owed principally to the manner in which he 

 had once, in Queretaro, commanded and led to battle the 

 famous Cazadores, about which the King had repeatedly com- 

 plimented him. 



Though I explained before how we were situated, and this 

 was reason enough to feel uneasy and anxious sometimes, it 

 was still not a sufficient cause for the deep sadness which over- 

 came me very frequently since the New Year. I was some- 

 times utterly dejected, and, 'ying in my bed, I cried myself to 

 sleep. I felt an indefinable dread pending over me, and a 

 foreboding that something very sad would happen often in the 

 middle of the gayest company so forcibly that I involuntarily 

 shuddered. 



Spring cam^e, and exerted also on me its cheering influence ; 



