Hannover, Germany

Sept, 22. 1889

My Dear Mother and Father,

I have just returned from church and,  having taken off my wet things, am now read to talk with you until supper is ready.  Our service is at six.  It has been an unsettled sort of day, raining when we got up, clearing before church at eleven, hailing & thundering about dinner time, clearing again for us to get to church then rain as we came out. We had umbrellas and waterproofs with us fortunately.

I read a letter from Miss Bell and with it my Zurich address. I: shall write soon to the address for information- She says the lady to whom I am to write is a friend of Mrs Palmer whom I told you lived in Zurich and after studying at the university awhile married one of the German professors and that Mrs. Palmer writes her, in this lady I will find a desirable friend. I shall not leave Hanover probably before the middle of Nov. or Dec.. Still I cannot tell.

Thursday we looked around for Seeibwitz’ grave, the great German philosopher about whom I studied in College, and whose philosophy  I well remember trying hard to understand. I was studying him with prof. Gardner just about the time I was burned.  We did not find it, but did a (find) a small temple with a bust of Seeibwitz by the Irish sculptor Hewitson.  We frequently pass the house in which he used to live,  –  a renaissance building in stone of 1652 with an oriel adorned with sixteen reliefs from Scripture.  We found out afterwards that his grave is in a church, which I propose visiting later.  Friday we went to an ‘old’ church ward which Fraulein Munkemeyer advised us to visit where she said was a grave with with an interesting history;  also that the tombstone of Charlotte Kestner, the original of the piatta (?) in Goethe’s “Werther”. The story of the grave is this; The man who dies gave ordered that his grave was never to be opened.  Somehow, no one knows how, a seed fell into the cracks of the tomb and took root and sprang up.  It is now a large tree and is ever growing larger and larger  opening to view the tomb.

(We were called to supper just here and ;have come back, we had warmed up potatoes, pickles, cheese, two kinds- the german black bread and also the white-  roast beef and canned beef- sausage, and tea.)

We saw this then came home as it was very windy.  If you could read German I would send you some papers of last week telling all about the Emperor  & Empress, decorations, etc.- my description didn’t do the city justice. It was all much more beautiful.  Wednesday we visited the Zoological Gardens- did I write you in my last letter? I believe I did.

Saturday we went to market early in the mornings with the frauleins.  I wish I could give you a picture of what I saw.  Hundreds of carts in the streets filled with everything that could be eaten in the vegetable and fruit line.  Quantities of flowers.  Miss Swan bought a lovely great bunch of double stocks which were almost as _____ as carnations and which cost only two cents– and I a “Sea (?) France” rose for one cent.  I also took my basket to market and, with the frauleins’ help, bought some apples, not so good by any means as those at home, nor so cheap.  Fruit is not cheap ;here, tho vegetables are.

They say the winters are much milder than ours. That they seldom have snow until January, and as these vegetables are bought in an sold all Winter in the streets, it must be much warmer. Vegetables were everywhere yesterday morning– on the street, in bags — carts, etc.  Fowls egg, doves, live fowls– setting hens– spanish carrots, celery roots, but not the stalk that we have.  The beans and cauliflower we have are delicious– also the carrots and peas.  We have very good meat twice a day-  for dinner and supper usually, Sunday a very large roast of beef is brought in which lasts two or three days — then we have a leg of lamb, and toward the end of t;he week a large roast of veal.  But beef steak except chopped up and sold in balls we know not  We ate our last steak in Amsterdam and on the boat.  It was delicious we had on the boat

I must write you one more story of the Empress while here one little girl said to her “Goodmorning ‘tante Kaiserein’.” which in English is, ‘”Auntie Empress.”  The Empress was so pleased that she took the child up and kissed her.  Several musical treats are coming soon- The ‘Tivoli” the pictures of which I sent you- is closed on account of the cold weather.  There is here a winter garden., but I do not know haw soon this opens.

I am dressed very warmly. I have on my woolen stockings, wool undervest and flannel skirt.  The weather here is very changeable.  I Think the fires will be started before long.  Fraulein Munkemeyer thinks we a getting along very nicely in our German, and the frauleins say we understand much better.  Every night we go in and wish the frauleins “good night”  They shake hands and kiss us, and fraulein Heinie usually says after kissing me- “Good night, dear Harriett, sleep well,” or literally, “sleep beautifully”.  They are ever lovely to me and keep us in every way. The young ladies we don’t know very well, for we can’t talk with them much as yet. But we hope to before very long.

Last evening the young ladies who are taking vocal lessons of the fraulein sang for us.  A Mrs. Thompson, an American, was also there. She has been here six ears, and, of course, understands well.  We met her this evening at church, and we walked along home together.

My dear ones– I wish I could send you some of t;he lovely flowers I see ever;y; day – So beautiful are they and so cheap!  The Eilenrude, a woods belonging to the city is 4 1/2 miles long and contains a deer park– The Frauleins walk there every morning.  I went with them one day th;;is past week.  The woods is very beautiful, and contains several cafe’s (coffee,____, and refreshment houses.)

We have for our lesson in German  tomorrow as an exercise a letter Fraulein Munkemeyer.  We have eac;h written one, and are waiting to see how much Fraulein M. can make out.  I wish I might ;hear from you at least every week — I long to know all about you– what your plans are for the Winter, if you are well and happy. Give my love to the children and Rena- to Yettie(?), will I Herbert, Bessie and the baby.  What has been the matter with Willie?  I wrote Aunt Susie a card only in answer to her kind letter but before long. I hope to write her a letter.  I wish you and gather would go over there on a visit.  It would be a pleasant change.  How is your sealskin ____ in the closet– is it alright?

I am going to bed now – before long I will write again- not withstanding the weather… This has been a beautiful day there has been so much in it – Can you not drive to church Sundays when it is pleasant, especially those days on which the the Holy Communion is celbrated?  It would make the Sundays and weeks so much shorter- Do try to go. God bless you both- my darling ones and make you happy and well.  I wish it were possible for me to do something to make you you happy.

Write soon, keep well, and let me know everything.

I am going in now to say good night to the Frauleins.  I send you booth a good night kiss and very much love.

Your affectionate daughter,

Harriett E. R.