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Letter 8 - To Miss Schoeffler,Language Teacher, in the Institute of Miss Klein, Wiesbaden
My well-beloved and good Aunt,
Don’t complain if I have delayed so long in writing to you; I have had so many chores from all sides: letters, tests, etc., etc. Even now I am barely able to breathe in fresh air, and yet I must write to you today because tomorrow. . . – stop there; retreat! No letters from today to a week hence. I will then have an attractive small crown on my head; I will be as good-looking as a cadet!!! A Liguorian 1 from Belgium will conduct the retreat. I believe that these good religious will soon come to settle near Nancy. In any event, Father Berman bought two houses for them to do so. Imagine, if you had been here last Tuesday, you would have seen your nephew hold forth in a pulpit to preach on charity for a quarter hour, and that, before the whole seminary2. It was the first time in my life that I had the honor of presenting the word to some one hundred persons, as we say in our fine German Lorraine3. (. . . German proverb.) Take care that this German does not offend your delicate ears, you who are used to speaking the German of High Saxony with all its gracefulness. Come, now, what do you want me to do? I need to explain myself and that, even to the point of rupturing your eardrums. I wrote to Father Thiébeult4 — no difficulty; the young man is ready to go to the end of the world and consequently to Moscow and to Saint Petersburg. So, Milady the Princess will have what she desires. Today, you ought to be at the Nancy Cathedral, and then you would have the pleasure of hearing the musical Mass of Elsner5 sung or performed, as you would wish,by the seminarians. And on the feast of the Holy Trinity, the Mass of Bishop of Anjou will also to be performed by the seminarians, but in the seminary chapel. Ah! You have lost in having come so early to Nancy. If you had delayed a year, you could really haveassisted at many others. Later perhaps it will even be more beautiful when with your very dear friend you come to assist at my First Mass, three years from today, if the Good Lord allows us to live. We will then be very close to it; it will be necessary to slay theturkeys, ducks, and fowl from all countries. You will tell me, my dear Aunt, “Here again is another occasion when my jolly chap shows that he is crazy.” Well, if you were here, I would relate many other stories to you. Why should I feel guilty; I am not adding to my cares. When I have any, I go to pray a little, I entrust them to Jesus and to Mary — and: cares, be on your way! Do the same, my dear Aunt, and you will see that you will find yourself better. I have long sought this expedient; at last I have found it and I now share it with you. Just between the two of us, because when one has made such a discovery, it is well worth a diploma of invention. This is not revealed to everyone because someone could steal the discovery from us6. I am waiting for my surplice and a delightful letter from my two (female) friends in Germany. Ah! How joyfully will I be reading next Sunday, after Holy Mass. As regards my trip to Germany this year, it is still chancy, because on the one hand, Istrongly wish to receive a bachelor‘s degree, while on the other, I do wish to see my (female) friends in Germany. In the end, let Providence act; things may work out. I don’t have time to re-read my letter. Father Thiébeult sends his greetings to you, as does“Papa” (Father) Berman. Do you know the latest? That both of you are in the odor of sanctity, etc., in the estimation of these priests — and I always second what they say about you. But I think that if they knew you coots as well as I do, they would not have such a positive opinion. But all of that is small talk, to be sure, and you are no less in the odor of sanctity in my eyes than in the eyes of these priests. I will not be writing to Miss Klein since she has not yet replied to me. I would indeed like to receive one of herletters — since I really like to receive letters — but it is a matter of state when I feel I should receive one. I believe that the same goes for you. I wish you both good health and a pleasant day. So long.
Schoeffler
1 A religious of the Order of Saint Alphonsus Liguori. [The Redemptorists - Trans.]
2 This exercise in preaching took place in the refectory during the meal. In April 1845, in a letter to the same Élise, Augustine writes: “For the third excuse: I had a sermon to deliver, and, my dear friends, you should have seen your servant in the pulpit for the first time.”
3 Rather: our German-speaking Lorraine.
4 Antoine Benjamin Marcel Thiébeult, born 10 April 1804 at Blâmont (or Lunéville?); priest in 1828; assistant priest at the Cathedral of Nancy; later noted as: “retired, residing in Nancy” in 1844; deceased on 7 December 1870.
5 Joseph-Xavier Elsner, “German composer, born at Grottkau (Prussia) in 1769; died in Warsaw in 1854. After having become orchestra conductor at Lemberg, he filled the same role in Warsaw, founding there in 1815 a society for the progress of music in Poland — a society which was the origin of the conservatory of the city (1821). Elsner is the author of several operas. He is also credited with numerousreligious works and chamber music.” (Larousse du XX sièclee )
6 This voluntarist spiritual attitude became almost a reflex with him. He puts it to use and recommends it to his friends up to the end.
Don’t complain if I have delayed so long in writing to you; I have had so many chores from all sides: letters, tests, etc., etc. Even now I am barely able to breathe in fresh air, and yet I must write to you today because tomorrow. . . – stop there; retreat! No letters from today to a week hence. I will then have an attractive small crown on my head; I will be as good-looking as a cadet!!! A Liguorian 1 from Belgium will conduct the retreat. I believe that these good religious will soon come to settle near Nancy. In any event, Father Berman bought two houses for them to do so. Imagine, if you had been here last Tuesday, you would have seen your nephew hold forth in a pulpit to preach on charity for a quarter hour, and that, before the whole seminary2. It was the first time in my life that I had the honor of presenting the word to some one hundred persons, as we say in our fine German Lorraine3. (. . . German proverb.) Take care that this German does not offend your delicate ears, you who are used to speaking the German of High Saxony with all its gracefulness. Come, now, what do you want me to do? I need to explain myself and that, even to the point of rupturing your eardrums. I wrote to Father Thiébeult4 — no difficulty; the young man is ready to go to the end of the world and consequently to Moscow and to Saint Petersburg. So, Milady the Princess will have what she desires. Today, you ought to be at the Nancy Cathedral, and then you would have the pleasure of hearing the musical Mass of Elsner5 sung or performed, as you would wish,by the seminarians. And on the feast of the Holy Trinity, the Mass of Bishop of Anjou will also to be performed by the seminarians, but in the seminary chapel. Ah! You have lost in having come so early to Nancy. If you had delayed a year, you could really haveassisted at many others. Later perhaps it will even be more beautiful when with your very dear friend you come to assist at my First Mass, three years from today, if the Good Lord allows us to live. We will then be very close to it; it will be necessary to slay theturkeys, ducks, and fowl from all countries. You will tell me, my dear Aunt, “Here again is another occasion when my jolly chap shows that he is crazy.” Well, if you were here, I would relate many other stories to you. Why should I feel guilty; I am not adding to my cares. When I have any, I go to pray a little, I entrust them to Jesus and to Mary — and: cares, be on your way! Do the same, my dear Aunt, and you will see that you will find yourself better. I have long sought this expedient; at last I have found it and I now share it with you. Just between the two of us, because when one has made such a discovery, it is well worth a diploma of invention. This is not revealed to everyone because someone could steal the discovery from us6. I am waiting for my surplice and a delightful letter from my two (female) friends in Germany. Ah! How joyfully will I be reading next Sunday, after Holy Mass. As regards my trip to Germany this year, it is still chancy, because on the one hand, Istrongly wish to receive a bachelor‘s degree, while on the other, I do wish to see my (female) friends in Germany. In the end, let Providence act; things may work out. I don’t have time to re-read my letter. Father Thiébeult sends his greetings to you, as does“Papa” (Father) Berman. Do you know the latest? That both of you are in the odor of sanctity, etc., in the estimation of these priests — and I always second what they say about you. But I think that if they knew you coots as well as I do, they would not have such a positive opinion. But all of that is small talk, to be sure, and you are no less in the odor of sanctity in my eyes than in the eyes of these priests. I will not be writing to Miss Klein since she has not yet replied to me. I would indeed like to receive one of herletters — since I really like to receive letters — but it is a matter of state when I feel I should receive one. I believe that the same goes for you. I wish you both good health and a pleasant day. So long.
Schoeffler
1 A religious of the Order of Saint Alphonsus Liguori. [The Redemptorists - Trans.]
2 This exercise in preaching took place in the refectory during the meal. In April 1845, in a letter to the same Élise, Augustine writes: “For the third excuse: I had a sermon to deliver, and, my dear friends, you should have seen your servant in the pulpit for the first time.”
3 Rather: our German-speaking Lorraine.
4 Antoine Benjamin Marcel Thiébeult, born 10 April 1804 at Blâmont (or Lunéville?); priest in 1828; assistant priest at the Cathedral of Nancy; later noted as: “retired, residing in Nancy” in 1844; deceased on 7 December 1870.
5 Joseph-Xavier Elsner, “German composer, born at Grottkau (Prussia) in 1769; died in Warsaw in 1854. After having become orchestra conductor at Lemberg, he filled the same role in Warsaw, founding there in 1815 a society for the progress of music in Poland — a society which was the origin of the conservatory of the city (1821). Elsner is the author of several operas. He is also credited with numerousreligious works and chamber music.” (Larousse du XX sièclee )
6 This voluntarist spiritual attitude became almost a reflex with him. He puts it to use and recommends it to his friends up to the end.
