s, nor that I have memory for these things; more
especially is the daily caring for dinner irksome to me. I myself have
but little appetite; and it is so unpleasing to me to go to sleep at
night, and to get up in the morning with my head full of schemes for
cooking. By this means, it happens that sometimes my husband's domestic
comforts are not such as he has a right to demand. Hitherto my weak
health, the necessary care of the children, and our rather narrow
circumstances, have furnished me with sufficient excuses; but these now
will avail me no longer; my health is again established, and our greater
prosperity furnishes the means for better household management.

On this account, I now exert myself to perform all my duties well; but,
ah! how pleasant it will be when the little Louise is sufficiently grown
up, that I may lay part of the housekeeping burdens on her shoulders. I
fancy to myself that she will have peculiar pleasure in all these
things.

I am to-day two-and-thirty years old. It seems to me that I have entered
a new period of my life: my youth lies behind me, I am advanced into
middle age, and I well know what both this and my husband have a right
to demand from me. May a new and stronger being awake in me! May God
support me, and Ernst be gentle towards his erring wife!

Ernst should have married a more energetic woman. My nervous weakness
makes my temper irritable, and I am so easily annoyed. His activity of
mind often disturbs me more than it is reasonable or right that it
should; for instance, I get regularly into a state of excitement, if he
only steadfastly fixes his eyes on a wall, or on any other object. I
immediately begin to fancy that we are going instantly to have a new
door opened, or some other change brought about. And oh! I have such a
great necessity for rest and quiet!

One change which is about to take place in our house I cannot anticipate
without uneasiness. It is the arrival of a candidate of Philosophy,
Jacob Jacobi, as tutor for my children. He will this summer take my wild
boy under his charge, and instruct the sisters in writing, drawing, and
arithmetic; and in the autumn conduct my first-born from the maternal
home to a great educational institution. I dread this new member in our
domestic circle; he may, if he be not amiable, so easily prove so
annoying; yet, if he be amiable and good, he will be so heartily welcome
to me, especially as assistant in the wearisome writing lesso