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| Letter Theresa Gauss to her brother Eugène, March 27 1845 | ||
| Theresa
Gauss to her brother
Eugene, March 27, 1845.
Gottingen I had
already resolved to write to you
during these days and to thank
you
for
your kind letter which I received last January; but today I am so
infinitely
rejoiced and
surprised, so heartily reminded of you by the loving present from your
wife, that I
now take my seat at once after the receipt of her letter, for the
purpose
of writing. How much I regret that I am not sufficiently mistress of
the English
language
-- which
in order to be able to read English works in the original I have
studied
alone for
pleasure -- to express myself well in it; I am sorry to say
that
I lack here all opportunity for practice in speaking and
writing,
and so I shall have
to
ask you to
translate for your good Henrietta the words which I will address to
her.
When I had freed your little portrait from the envelope and examined it
with the
most joyful surprise, I still had to look at it for a long time before
I found in it again quite the features of you, my dear good Eugene,
which had lived in my
memory.
I
was, it is true, still a child when I saw you the last time, and since
then fifteen years have elapsed, and so I really must wonder that
nevertheless this little
dear picture -- after I had looked at it for some time - showed me so
much resemblance
to your
exterior of that time. After so many years you probably would
not
recognize me at all, for the interval between 13 and 28 leaves so
little of the
youthful
features. News from you always gives me great joy, my good brother, and perhaps you do not imagine how close to you all I often transport myself in thought, and then always feel the wish that there might be less distant separation between us. Partly through the death of loved ones, partly through circumstances of various kinds, I am so indescribably isolated in my quiet retired life with our good father that I have often longed for the companionship of even one being related to me, and sadly mourned that fact that just you and William, you who after father would stand nearest to me upon earth, are too far away from me to justify a hope for a probable reunion. So long as our beloved father is preserved to me and I may find such great joy in caring for him, I may indeed be called very happy, but beyond that I cannot think without becoming deeply conscious of my then standing entirely alone. In a few days he will reach his 68th year, and I have during the last few years observed a greater decrease in his powers, and during last summer experienced an anxious concern about him when he became ill so suddenly and violently. But he is now well and nearly always in a uniformly cheerful mood, and toward me always affectionate and kind. Grandmother I have not seen since two years ago, when I visited her in Hanover, which probably will seem hardly credible to you when the distance is so small. But father is so accustomed to my presence and so little satisfied when I leave him even for one day, and moreover so entirely alone and without all companionship here in Gottingen, that it would be very difficult for me to resolve upon even a short separation from him. During this summer an opportunity will present itself to see Joseph once again after several years, as his great wish has been fulfilled and he has obtained a position in the construction of a railroad which is to run from Hildesheim to Cassel by way of Gottingen. These convenient improvements have now at last spread in all Germany and are still continually extended. I very seldom hear from Joseph, hardly more frequently than from you my dear Eugene, and then only accidentally through others, so we are I am sorry to say rather strangers to each other, as we do not correspond. In his domestic life he is very happy and contented, for which he indeed has good cause, as his wife is an extremely good and amiable being. William after an interval of several years has at last again written to Father, according to which he seems quite satisfied in the life of a farmer upon which he has again entered. As I now have his address I shall write to him soon. He also expressed in his letter so positively the doubt of ever returning to Germany, even on a visit, that I have given up all hope of ever seeing him again. I indeed comprehend according to your letter how difficult it will be for you, dear Eugene, to carry out so long and distant a journey, not only account of it's expense, but even if your business circumstances are such that you could not at present think of carrying it out, perhaps in time to come it can nevertheless be managed. I find it so sad that so long as we inhabit the same world we should have to give up all hope of meeting again. But when this must be so, let me at least hear from you by letter from time to time that you are prosperous and happy and always retain some love for me. I shall surely always answer with great joy and punctuality. Fare you well, my dear, dear Eugene. For your wife I will now add a few lines and ask you to translate them for her. My beloved sister:
For the great joy which you have given me through your cordial letter and the dear, dear little portrait of our Eugene, I know no better way of thanking you than by xpressing my sincere joy caused by it, directly after it's receipt. Your affectionate heart has chosen so correctly in wishing to send me something that would make me happy that I could really have received nothing from your hand which would have given me so much pleasure, unless it were perhaps the picture of you yourself, which now must still be left for my imagination to paint for me. The little picture has reached me quite safe and uninjured, and I have had it in my hands and examined it a hundred times. I shall now take it out of it’s case and frame it, in order always to have it hanging before me in the room. How doubly dear and kind this gift from you is, as it has until now been your property and probably was given you as a present by Eugene in former times. I can yet gratefully appreciate and will for that reason love it so much the more. You may well believe how much I share your wish that we should some time have the pleasure of becoming acquainted with each other, and as long as Eugene does not deny this possibility, I shall hold firmly to this hope, even if it should be realized only after a long time. But when I think of the possible fulfillment of such a wish, my dear sister, I do not transplant it to America's soil, but I prefer to think that Eugene will bring you on a visit to his former home, and you shall surely not lack anything in love and cordiality. In the company of your good Eugene you would probably not fear the long trip, if only all other obstacles could be removed. But the undertaking of such a journey to America would indeed presuppose a much greater heroism that I give myself credit for, although the fact that my two dear brothers live there might well exercise great attraction. I am only sorry that I cannot easily express myself in your language, but I hope this will not be an obstacle in my sometimes conversing with you by letter, as I perfectly understand your English letters, and Eugene undoubtedly will with pleasure translate my German ones for you. I shall also endeavor to learn English somewhat better, so that I may succeed in a measure in writing in that language also. My father sends to
you, my beloved sister, as well as to Eugene the
kindest
greetings, but I add to the sincere thanks for the pleasure given me
the
hearty
assurance that I am with sisterly love, yours,
Theresa Gauss | ||
Fonte:Whereabouts
of
handwritten original
unknown. Translation by
unknown person in
the private collection of the Chambless family.
Transcribed
to softcopy by Susan D. Chambless, February 15,
1999. | ||