(ed note:  this is the second letter dated Oct. 6th but postmarked Oct. 7th)

Sunday Evening, Oct 6, 1889

I have also mailed you a letter this evening- but as something happened at the table which I think you may wis;h to hear while it is fresh in my mind.  I will write to send in my next letter.  I asked Tante Marie – Fraulein Marie to excuse me as I had some writing to do yet this evening, which she said she wold do – none of the others had left the table-  it is the custom here to stay a long time at the table.  So I passed down the table Tante Heidelburg reached out a smile ;to me and told me not to forget to greet you for her.  And Tante Hennie her hand to me, and in English said quite slowly it would have done your heart good to have heard her say- “Give my love to your mother.”  Tante Heidelburg said to tell you that I was, “A good child.”   They are the kindest people.

Wednesday evening Oct. 9, 1889

We have just come in from Hildesheim and such a lovely time we’ve had! We started this morning about 9.30 to visit the wonderful rose bush & cathedral which I wrote  you about recently.  We reached Hildesheim in about an hour and a half of quarter-  and went straight to Fraulein Meyer who visited the Frauleins lately, and whom we liked very much.  She insisted on our taking breakfast with her-  You must reember that the Germans eat two breakfasts- the first about eight- the second at eleven.  We had good nourishing broth- meat and while bread.

Then Fraulein Meyer went with us to some fiends of hers whom she had asked to show us the city,as she was, as she said “getting too old.” She teaches in the Hildesheim High School for Young Ladies.  Here boys and girls never attend the same schools- only perhaps in the country schools.  The young ladies she took us to – Fraulein Elise Erdeman, and Fraulein Helena Davidson- who were very friendly to us and took us about the city. First we went to went on the ramparts which encluded the older parts of the town.  There we had a lovely view of the  mountains, a range near Hildesheim and beyond- so beautiful and soft the lovely Harz Mts which are so well known in this part of Germany.

From there we went into the old parts of the city, which is noted for having the oldest examples still extant of wood carved houses.  I wish you could have seen the beautiful  carved fronts of the houses.  – one of the most famous in all Germany- that is in timber is nine storeys high – and is built so that it looks like a toy house.  Above every row of windows is carving and beneath paintings.  Each storey projects beyond the other so the one looks at the paintings from beneath in a series of projecting window caps-  just what to call it I do not know.

It is now Thursday morning.  I was tired last night, so went to bed without studying.  We have finished our lesson wit Fraulein Monke-Meyer and are soon to begin our preparations for to-morrow’s lesson which I believe Miss Swan is already at work on.  After visiting yesterday the oldest part of the town, these old houses with the carved fronts which were several hundred yrs. old and on which the figures were for the most part representations of the pagan gods, we visited St Gothehard’s church which dates from 12 cent.- was built in 1133-72 and is one of the finest Romanesque edifices in Germany.  The outside was lovely, indeed.  I enjoyed the outside fully as well as the inside which was highly decorated with paintings , etc.

We then went to the cathedral which was erected in 1055-61 on the site of an earlier church.  It has a real golden dome, and is in the Romanesque style tho’ not so pure as the St. Godehard’s church, both of which are Roman Catholic.

The great doors which separate one vestibule from the nave- the body of the church was executed in 1015 by Bishop Bernward and is adorned with 16 reliefs.  These figures which stand out with great distinctness represent the story of the Grail- beginning with the ‘Garden of Eden’ on one door.  On the other is ‘The Redemption’ – beginning with the birth of Christ and ending with His death on the cross.  A font of the 13th  century of Italian workmanship was with reliefs illustrating Old Testament stories; “Moses & people crossing the Red Sea,” etc.

The Crypt contained the sarcophagus of St. Godehard, and the so called Wandel (?) Kreuz” supposed to date from the ninth century, and which was in the crusades.  At Easter time it is brought out from the Crypt and placed on the altar under a white canopy with flowers until the clock strike twelve on Easter day.  At that time the clergy are there are ready at the moment to carry it back to the crypt for, if not, it is believed that it would fly back itself to the Crypt.

We were lead through an alleyway under a stone arch out to the Church court where the Cloisters are, and the chapel of  St. Anne in the centre of the court which possesses windows with fine tracery.  On the outside of the wall of the cathedral Crypt, and just opposite the St. Anne’s chapel is the venerable rose bush which we shall preserve, and a piece of which I will send to you.  It was beautiful, all that we saw.  We were especially favored by having the company of Fraulein Griese, the new girl, whose just come to the Frauleins.  After visiting the Cathedral we went back to Fraulein Meyer where we took coffee with her- Wasn’t she kind?

She has taught in Hildesheim 32 yrs. and lives alone with her servant- who has been with her 16yrs.  We went to Hildesheim by way of Nordstemmen and home by way of Seehrte (?).  We had a delightful sunset on our way home – the sun went down in a mass of gold behind the lovely misty Harz Mt.  At Seehrte we changed cars.  As the third class cars were so crowded we were obliged after some waiting to go into aIV class car.  The distance was very short to Hannover, but long enough to give us a taste of IV class cars.  It was the roughest ride I ever took on land. It was like riding in a lumber wagon over frozen ground.  Fraulein Griese is talking about going to Berlin & Dresden with us –  She has written to her guardian to ask if she may -She has no father or mother- Her guardian lives in Bremen.  I must do some work for to-morrow, and later I am going out with Fraulein Griese to see if we can get excursion tickets to Berlin & Dresden at reduced rates.

Now good byes – my loved ones – for a little while.  I have been expecting a letter form you all this week.  Do write as often as you can.

With love to the children and all to yourselves a great deal   ‘Your affectionate Harriett E. R.

A piece of the rose branch – a few leaves, I enclose.