Sunday, July 28, 2013

A beau garçon: May 1 - November 26, 1879

Thursday, 1 May, 1879. En voyage [During the Trip]. Frl. Maria Lemcke, Violette Cass, Marguerite Quatremain and I left Berlin at 8.30 for the Ramin’s wedding. Arrived in Stettin at 12 M. and spent the afternoon with Tante Clio’s brother, Professor Lemcke and played with the children who are all charming and drank coffee and maitrank [a white wine punch flavored with sweet woodruff, sugar and brandy also known as "May-bowle.] Left Stettin at 4.15 P.M. and arrived at Granibon at 5 where we found an elegant open carriage with four horses awaiting us. Enchanted with the country. Herr & Frau v. Ramin, their Excellencies the v. Bergers and the young fiancés greeted us warmly. Received a telegram from my dear Mama announcing a rough passage, but safe arrival in New York. Drank coffee and then went to our rooms to dress a little for supper. After supper young Herr v. Ramin came and we all danced. Went to bed at 11 P.M., all four in our tiny room, where there is only place for our beds, one washstand and a clock. We were 20 at table.
 
Friday, 2 May, 1879. After breakfast took a walk with Frl. Gertrude v. B., her cousin, Frl. v. Köller-Banner, Marguerite and Violette. Also played croquet. Dined at 2 P.M. Frau v. Ramin made a very touching speech wishing the young house burger [head of the household] much prosperity. Tears were in every one’s eyes. Frau v. R. is very sad that she is to lose her dear Sophie, who has always been both friend and daughter to her. The civil marriage is to be performed today at 4 P.M. in a village not far from here but none of the guests will assist. All the ladies changed their dresses for dinner today but we, having brought but four dresses with us, were unable to do so. The fiancés seem very happy—one never sees one without the other. She is charming in every way. He is also very gentlemanly and not at all bad looking if he would only not part his hair in the back. Their Excellencies are both so amiable and Herr v. Ramin is not half as bad as I had been taught to expect. I find him even very gallant—he always has a great many compliments for the young ladies. We danced tonight. Two gentlemen arrived.

Saturday, 3 May, 1879. Arrived late for breakfast. At 12 M. were all dressed to receive the guests who were to come. At 12 exactly the whole Second Dragoon regiment from Swedt arrived with three officers, wives, Frau von Kohr, Countess Brûges & Frau von Bothmar. The officers all very swell. While the presentations were being made in the salon, I felt so very weak as I had not had a mouthful to eat since early breakfast, that Margo, Violette and I went and refreshed ourselves in the dining room with some sandwiches, which I nearly choked over according to the extreme rapidity with which I was obliged to eat them. Then followed a very grand ceremonial dinner, during which many toasts were made in honor of the fiancés and the "international brides maids." We were 45 at dinner. Herr von Kohr took me in to dinner and I sat between him and the fiancé Herr von Berger. I found von Kohr charming and got on splendidly with him in German. Was somewhat disappointed afterwards when I learned he was married. His wife speaks English beautifully and I find her very amiable but a little fast. After dinner we all danced and played games in the garden and my slippers became full of sand. Seven musicians. At 7 P. M. dressed for the Polterabend [the traditional German wedding-eve party, including among other things the symbolic breaking of crockery]. Wore a blue tulle and satin dress with a little tulle cap and apron with pink and blue bows, as a Parisian modiste [hat maker], and presented a white tulle cap to the bride. Marguerite’s costume was as a Picardienne, and Violette made an excellent cook. We all repeated poetry composed by Frl. Marie Lemcke. The sisters and brothers of the bride represented the Golden Isles and Green Weddings respectively. The officers’ wives played a short comedy in charming costumes. We then danced until 1 o’clock. I enjoyed myself to the fullest extent. Afterwards went downstairs to drink tea and then to bed, with aching feet and torn dresses. [Pasted to the page, a blue satin ribbon & pink silk flower, with the caption: "Flowers & ribbon taken from the dress I wore."]

Sunday, 4 May, 1879. Margo and I took a walk in the garden directly after breakfast where the officers soon after joined us. At 11 A.M. we were all dressed for the wedding. I wore a black grenadine over pink silk & Margo a blue silk and tulle. Herr von Müllern took me to the church. The procession looked very picturesque winding through the garden to the little stone church. Had a very touching sermon. After we reached the house and the congratulations were made, we had another long dinner. I had Herr v. Müllern on the one side and von Armin on the other and as they are both very handsome and entertaining, I had a jolly time. So many toasts were offered that I am afraid several of the gentlemen were not quite themselves at the end of the dinner. We then loitered around on the piazzas and in the salons and also danced a little downstairs until 6 o’clock when we went upstairs in the grand salon and danced, after a supper which v. Armin, v. Renss, v. Büllorn, Frl. Lemcke, Margo, Gretchen v. Köller-Banner, Violette and I ate together in the front parlor. At last arrived the moment for the Swedt regiment to depart and the gentlemen went very unwillingly. Finally at the last moment v. Armin declared he would not leave without drinking once more to my health and he sent for 3 bottles of beer & of course finished just in time to jump in the last wagon and be off. They all left (6 wagons full) in the midst of hurrahs. Although somewhat downhearted at the departure of the largest & most interesting part of the masculine colony, we still found courage to go once more to the grand salon upstairs and dance with the other gentlemen until 10.30 P.M. I went to bed and left the others still dancing but I really was nearly dead with fatigue.

Monday, 5 May, ’79. Violette got up at 8 A.M. to see Herr Michacht off but Margo and I, more sensible, stayed in bed until 10. Violette and I played croquet with Gretchen v. K-B until dinner. After dinner the rest of the young gentlemen left. Played croquet and walked in the garden the rest of the day. In the evening had a little music in the parlor and went early to bed. Violette is ill—sick to her stomach.

Tuesday, 6 May, ’79. Violette was ill all night and none of us were able to sleep much. Packed all morning and in the afternoon played croquet with the children. The Köller-Banners & Herr v. Rekow left this morning before we got up. At 3.30 P.M. we left. Everyone seemed really sorry to have us go. At Stettin we waited an hour at the station and Professor Lemcke & two of the children came down to see us. Secured a railway carriage alone with two middle-aged gentlemen. At Passow, Herrs v. Armin, v. Müllern & v. Renss came to meet us. They had ridden 11 English miles on horseback to spend a tiny five minutes with us! We were glad to see each other and felt very flattered. All paired off well with the exception of one small misfortune!!! At the station after Passow, Herr v. Kohr, who, on account of military service had not been able to come to see us with the others, sent me a box of flowers & a note by his servant. We reached Berlin at 9 P.M. and one hour later were home in the Grossbeerenstrasse where we found the others well and dying to hear about our visit at Schmagerow. [Flowers pasted to the page with the caption: "Flowers sent me by Herr v. Kohr."] [Mamie had her own thoughts on the subject of Ada’s participation in this wedding. From a letter to her mother that she copied into her diary: "Well, the girls have come back from the wedding, as you already know, as Sis wrote day before yesterday, and they amused themselves to their heart’s content, having carried away, as it seems, a great many hearts with them. Of course, Sister was the most admired, as she always is, with her sweet and angelic expression of figure, and her fascinating manners. Margot is very charming in society, as well as in private, and not at all coquette."]

19th century Schweizermühle
Tuesday, 1 July, 1879. Mlle. Quillard, Miss Margareth Lemcke [Tante Gretchen], Mamie and I left Berlin this morning at 9 for Schweizermühle [a spa town that barely exists today], Miss Marie Lemcke, Edgar, Marguerite Quatremain and the maid servant having left yesterday afternoon. Very amusing international traveling companions carried on a lively conversation for the most part political and found afterwards that one of the gentlemen who had struck us very particularly and to whom we had listened with such attention was the courier of the Princess Radziwill. Our disgust was great! Arrived at Dresden at 12 M. and took coffee and bread. At 3 arrived at Königstein, which is a very beautiful and picturesque rock upon which stands a fortress commanding a magnificent view. Schweizermühle. Took a carriage here and reached our charming little villa which is heavenly situated and stands almost alone in a cozy little part of the valley. About an hour afterwards Tante Marie, Margo and Edgar waved the American and German flags at us. After a small lunch and short rest, we rolled in the long grass and drank the fresh icy spring water from our hands. This heavenly spot is primitive in the truest and most charming sense of the word. C’est un petit paradis! [It is a little paradise!] We are also the proud possessors of two pavilions where we intend to spend the most of our time. Our proprietor has the greatest number of children and the little people run about and find us as amusing as they would a menagerie of wild animals. There are also two cats in the house and the sweetest little kitten imaginable—therefore my happiness is complete.

Thursday, 3 July, ’79. This morning before breakfast, a young American friend of the Lemckes arrived, whose name is Mr. Bert Bowen and who is a beau garçon [handsome boy] and promises to be quite supportable. We took a long walk and towards evening, sat in the pavilion and Mr. Bowen sang and accompanied himself on a guitar. His voice is very fine. He has been cultivating it in Italy during this last year. This afternoon we all went to the grounds around the Kurhaus and had a game of croquet. [The Kurhaus, literally, the "cure-house," is the central building in a resort spa which houses its springs and baths, and often serves as concert hall and gathering place.]

Friday, 4 July. It is raining this morning but we hope it may stop before noon. Tante Gretchen, Mr. Bowen, Mamie, Margo, Edgar and I had a glorious ramble this morning of two hours or more as the rain had ceased and the sun made his tardy appearance. We all behave like children and run and romp to our hearts content. Drank to the American Independence at dinner today.

Wednesday, 9 July. This morning at 9, Mlle. Quillard and I went to Dresden to sign a power of attorney Mama sent me. We arrived in Dresden at 10.30 and went immediately to see Natalie whom we found with Mr. Hammond just ready to go to play croquet with the Leavitts; but they put it off and came instead with us to the U.S. Consul. Mr. Mason and Mr. Hammond witnessed the signing of my document. We went afterwards to the Galleries and lost ourselves in admiration before the Sistine Madonna, the Magdalene and the Banishment of Agar by Abraham. Nathi and Jack took us home through the most select part of Dresden and we dined with them alone in the parlor where a table had been set for us and Nathi’s maid waited on us. Mr. Hammond looks very ill. Nathalie is thin but seems happy and in better spirits than last winter. Nathi introduced me to a Mrs. Catherwood of California, who knows the Lows very well, who introduced Dr. & Mrs. Lustin. The house where Nathalie is staying seems to be very pleasant and scarcely seems like a boarding house. Jack & Nathalie came with us to the depot. We left on the 4 o’clock P.M. train. Back in Schweizermühle at 6.30 P.M.

Thursday, 10 July, ’79. This afternoon there was a concert at the Kurhaus to which we all went dressed very swell. Our hearts rejoiced to see several uniforms among the audience. At 8 o’clock there was a hop in the big salle [hall] and we danced until 10.30. Two young officers made themselves very agreeable by their attentions. The cotillion was quite a success and the favors were really pretty. We all danced in little paper caps of all colours. Monsieur Bert (as we call Mr. Bowen) was in fear of being asked to dance during the cotillion as we had threatened to invite him to dance with us to tease him. He is a brave, generous, good boy but he will not be perfect until he learns how to dance. The two young officers are stationed at Königstein. One of them is really very charming. His name is v. Laffert and he is from Hanover. A young boyish blond fellow with such an honest expression. [Pasted to the page is a stamped gold foil and green satin ribbon Maltese cross, with the caption: "Schweizermühle cotillion favor!"]

Saturday, 12 July. Gredel Lemcke and her sister Else arrived today. Tante Gretchen and M. Bert went to meet them at Königstein. An Englishman by the name of Imerson, wife and daughter came in and had a chat with Tante Clio and myself this morning. We found them very pleasant.
 
Monday, 14 July. All went to see theatricals in the Kurhaus by actors from Dresden, who by the way acted dreadfully ~ very primitive, excessively so. Played three small German pieces and spoke such a frightful German that my ears tingle to think of it now. 

Tuesday, 15 July. This afternoon, Mamie, Edgar, Mlle. Marguerite, Mr. Bowen and I took a carriage and drove to the fortress of Königstein. The drive lasted an hour and was "over hill and dale." At the immense gate of the fort, we sent in our names and asked for Herr v. Laffert, who had kindly given us such instructions and offered to show us over the fort. He soon after came, looking very young, fresh, and evidently very glad and flattered to see us.

We commenced our rounds. Soon after, the other officer whom we had met at the ball joined us. The fortress is the grandest and strangest I ever saw and utterly impregnable. We saw several places where prisoners had thrown themselves over the wall. One Englishman committed suicide here about eighty years ago. One of the most remarkable things in the fort was the great well, 600 feet deep, from which all the inmates of the fort are supplied with water. We tasted it and found it excellent. The officers had prepared coffee and cake for us in a charming tower-like room, which formed a corner of the fort and stood on the rock itself. This room was elegantly furnished in the antique style, and in the 17th century, during a festival at the fortress, a page had become tipsy and got out of one of the windows and had lain down on a rock directly under the window, which overhung the precipice. He thought he was going to his bed. The people, soon after seeing this, bound him to the rock securely with cords so that he should not fall and all gathered around beating drums and blowing trumpets until he awoke and gazed with fright into the abyss below him, the people laughing and mocking at him above. We spent about two hours walking around. The gentlemen were so amiable and agreeable and made everything enjoyable for us. They accompanied us to our carriage and we drove away eating cherries in the midst of bows and hopes of a speedy "au revoir" [farewell]. Were very jolly and congenial coming home, to the extent that we found the time passed much too quickly and ordered the coachman to drive very slowly "as we thought the horses must be tired." Arrived home in best of spirits and, at supper, all drank to the health of the two officers of Königstein. [Leaf pasted to the page, with the caption: "Leaf plucked by the charming v. Laffert and divided among Mamie, Margo and me."] [Visitors to the 13th century fortress of Königstein today can still hear the tale of Heinrich, the hapless page boy; illustration above by Anna Maria Freiin von Öer, 1845-1929.]


 




 



 



 
 
 
 

 

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