My Husband's Debts. 8G3 



during our life in Coblentz, and amongst them a great number 

 of unsettled household bills owing to servants and tradespeople, 

 which 1 felt in honour bound to pay, even if I should have to 

 make the greatest personal sacrifices. I knew very well that I 

 was not bound by law to do so, but there are laws superior 

 even to those managed by the courts and lawyers. These 

 debts were comparatively trifling, amounting in all to a few 

 thousand thalers, and I expected from Prince Alfred that he 

 would enter into my views and assist me in carrying them out. 



Pnnce Alfred had assisted his brother frequently. Though 

 not compelled by the laws of the country to do so, other laws 

 to which I alluded above made this assistance a duty. The 

 trifling appanage to which Felix, as a younger brother, had 

 been entitled by the law of the country, was applied to the pay- 

 ment of debts made when in the Austrian service. On his 

 return from Mexico, Prince x\lfred allowed him out of his own 

 pocket twelve hundred thalers a year, and paid part of his 

 debts, for v/hich a life assurance policy served as a security. 

 It was paid \o Prince Alfred, and thus his sacrifices were con- 

 siderably diminished. Moreover, by the death of poor Felix, 

 the annuity \i rvelve hundred thalers and the regular appanages 

 expired. I \.m far from blaming Prince Alfred for acting with 

 circumspection, for ^-r had himself many children. 



The Prince did act think it necessary for the honour of his 

 family to pay usurers and sharpers who had profited by the im- 

 providence of the young prince his brother, and his views in 

 this respect were approved by other men who are better judges 

 than myself in reference to such a subject ; and these views 

 were not repugnant to my feelings either. 



But far different was it in refrence to straightforward, un- 

 questionable claims, debts contracted with tradesmen who had 

 furnished us the necessities of life, people who lived by their 

 honest trade, as grocers, butchers, bakers, tailers, shoemakers, 

 &c., not to speak of house-servants, whose several claims it was 

 impossible to settle before leaving for the war. There my views 

 diftered from those of my brother-in-law, who maintained that 

 I was not bound to pay them, and refused to lend me the 

 money to do so. 



During my short sojourn in Anholt I did not succeed in 

 altering his opinion, which disappointed me much. By his 

 brave behaviour in Mexico, and his glorious death, my poor 



