he minister who had made the
treaty was disgraced. His accomplices allowed him to fall while they
saved themselves. Funk, in his own name and that of two associates,
gave his reasons for declining to vote on the question. They demanded
perfect freedom for every religions sect, and the abandonment on the
part of the state of its right to interfere with matters of faith.

It had been proposed that my son Richard, who was Professor of History
at the University, should be appointed as Minister of Education.

He had published a powerful work on this topic. My son-in-law informed
me that he had heard Richard's name mentioned in Court circles. In a
few days, however, the rumor proved to be an ill-founded one. A
declamatory counsellor received the appointment.

Although encouraged by my success, it was with a sense of overpowering
fatigue that I returned home at Christmastime. I felt as though I had
not been able to enjoy a night's sleep while at the capital: it was
only at home that I could breathe freely again and enjoy real repose.

CHAPTER XIII.

At home I found everything in excellent order. Rothfuss was still
complaining, and was not allowed to leave his bed; but he was mending,
and had naught to complain of but _ennui_ and thirst.

I cannot remember a merrier Christmas than that of 1865. We could
quietly think of our children we knew how they lived. Every Christmas
we would receive a long letter from Ludwig; and Johanna wrote us that
affairs were improving with her husband.

On the day before Christmas, Ernst arrived. He carried a roebuck on his
shoulder, and stood in front of the house shouting joyously. He waited
there until Martella went out to meet him. He reached out his arms to
embrace her, but she said, "Come into the house. When you get in there,
I will give you an honest kiss."

When I congratulated Ernst on his success in his examination, he
replied, "No thanks, father; I was lucky; that is all. I really know
very little about the subjects they examined me upon. I know more about
other things. But I passed nevertheless." It was delightful to listen
to Richard's sensible remarks; Ernst's conversation, however, was so
persuasive and so varied as to prove even more interesting than that of
Richard. He expressed himself quite happily in regard to the manner in
which one should, by stealth as it were, learn the laws of the forest
by careful observation, and referred to a