84 
l^he Queensland Naturalist September, 1933. 
the little girl who had been named Charitas, found a letter 
in her lather s pocket and determined to play postman, 
bo very importantly she delivered the letter to her mother, 
it was from the dismissed assistant, and revealed the real 
reason for Dietrich s visit to Berlin. Amalie's happiness 
fell to the ground like a house of cards, in desperation 
and despair she left the house with her child determined to 
go to her brother in Bucharest, no light undertaking for a 
woman travelling alone in those days. 
Karl received her kindly, bo in her own way did 
Leanka, Ins wife. She saw that they were well clothed 
and would like to have adopted the little girl. Differing 
altogether in sentiments and tastes, the two women could 
not nit it off. With the kind help of the German Pastor, 
Amalie obtained a situation with a compatriot in Tran- 
sylvania, leaving her child behind. Here for the first time 
she learnt housekeeping. It was a beautiful country and 
she revelled in the mountain flora. These and a wonderful 
find of fossils she sent to Dietrich. Finally she decided 
that in spite of his moral weakness it was her duty to 
return to her husband. 
It was a hard life to which she returned. They trav- 
elled all over Germany and beyond, disposing of their col- 
lections. As the stronger, Amalie always carried the bur- 
den until her back was chafed raw. Then they procured 
a dog and cart, but she had to do her share of the pulling. 
Now it was only her shoulders that were chafed. Occasion- 
ally on a hill Dietrich pushed. Later on she and the dog 
travelled alone. Untidy and travel-stained, she was wel- 
comed by scientific men who talked to her as an equal. One 
day she remarked to her husband, ‘‘Do you know what is 
being said? That the Linnean system is obsolete. Before 
long nobody will bother any more about Linnean classi- 
fications and orders.” Dietrich was dumbfounded. ‘‘Lin- 
naeus antiquated,” he at length uttered with difficulty, 
“if Linnaeus is not to count any longer, then of what pur- 
pose, pray, has my whole life been,” and with a groan he 
rested his head on his hands. 
One more lonely trip she was to make to collect coastal 
plants and seaweeds in Belguim and Holland. She was 
tired in mind and body, and the summer was cold and wet. 
Though the sales were good, the journey was a failure. 
Gathering seaweed in the cold grey mists she went down 
with fever and found herself in hospital. When at length 
she returned home she found it empty. Dietrich had taken 
a position as tutor in a nobleman’s family. He received 
her coolly, and declared that he was unable to do anything 
to help his wife or daughter. So Amalie took a small room 
