September, 1933. The Queensland Naturalist 
83 
stranger was carefully studying a tiny tuft of moss through 
a lens. Against the nearest tree-trunk was leaning a long 
stick with a net. The reputed wizard was an attractive 
young man. He offered to guide them to a spot rich in 
mushrooms. Having tilled tlieir baskets, they invited him 
to a mushroom supper. He did not confine himself to one 
evening. He brougnt books on fungi with coloured plates 
and gave Amalie lessons on botany. Amalie was fascinated. 
Before long Dietrich proposed marriage, and the parents, 
though loth, had to consent. They did more. They sold 
their belongings and came to live with the young couple. 
Amalie's time was all taken up with the ootanical and 
entomological collections. Madame Cordel looked after the 
house-keeping. 
A happy busy life now began in the new home, and for 
a time all went well. The high racks of the herbarium 
covered ail the walls right up to the ceiling. The cup- 
boards originally intended for housekeeping stood in the 
adjoining room filled with books, mmerals, insects, amphi- 
bians, shells and seeds. Each fine day the young couple 
went out collecting. Dietrich took pleasure in instructing 
his keen and clever young wife in Natural History. Her 
zeal in collecting made light of all obstacles. No hill was 
too high or too steep, no meadow too marshy, no ditch too 
wide, and no stream too deep. Off came her shoes and 
stockings and the coveted plant was secured from the op- 
posite bank. When they returned home heavily laden, 
dusty and tired, Mother Cordel quietly placed some soup 
or porridge on the table. The rest of the day until far in 
the night was spent in carefully arranging the plants as 
naturally as possible on paper for pressing. Amalie had 
to press the most difficult plants. In the winter months 
all had to be classified and labelled. She also learnt to 
carefully set all the insects, even to the smallest. The col- 
lections were a joy to behold, and were eagerly sought 
after. But payment was a different matter, for a general 
depression had swept over the country. They realised 
little, and living was difficult. In course of time a small 
daughter arrived. Some years after Cordel was taken ill 
and died. Left alone with her child and the housekeeping, 
which she had never learnt, in addition to all her other 
work, Amalie found the burden too great. An assistant 
had to be found. She arrived, a clever but rather frivol- 
ous girl with red-gold hair and a pretty face, in short, too 
attractive. There was friction, and one day after striking 
the child, she was abruptly dismissed. 
In order to sell his collections and obtain fresh orders, 
Dietrich had to travel. One day he announced that he 
must go to Berlin to collect some money owing. Soon after. 
