Document information

Physical location:

Private hands. 42.12.20

Preferred Citation:

Iwanne Müller to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1842-12-20. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/42-12-20>, accessed May 20, 2024

1
Letter not found. The text given here was 'Translated in Sydney from the German', and placed in Louise Wehl's scrap-book.
[Nübel]
2
editorial addition.
2nd Dec. 1840.
3
From the text of the letter the date should read 20 December 1842. The letter was written a week before Iwanne's departure from Nübel which was to be on the Tuesday after Christmas (i.e. 27 December 1842).
Oh! beloved brother soon, only another 8 days and I shall be with you! I am extremely happy in the thought to see you so soon — so unexpectedly. To explain everything by letter would be too long, so shall wait till we meet.
Here everything has become different so therefore I thought it the better plan to pack my things and come over when opportunity offered. Tuesday after Xmas I shall travel by dilligence
4
A mail coach running to a regular timetable.
from here to Heusburg,
5
Flensburg.
and Wednesday I leave there for Husum. Please dear Ferdinand forward the enclosed letter to Albertine
6
Albertine Warder?
the contents of which will not remain strange to you. I also wrote to the Mertens and asked them to let me know how I am to get from Husum to Tonning but that I would like to stay several days in Husum, when we can see one another often, and tell all the news, to which I am looking forward very much.
You were worried that I might be ill, and I was worried about you as you had not written for seven weeks. I waited in vain for a letter, now I am happy for a little while but it does not last long, and I fall back again into my condition of sadness. Oh in this world everything is vain — all earthly things are valueless — only the higher and better has any remaining value for us.
Now I am anxious to know what sort of position uncle will find for me in Hamburg. I dislike the housework so would much sooner do needlework. Please the dear Lord that it will be a nice position, so that I have again a little pleasure in my life. After all one is human and young. So good bye dear boy will see you soon.
Your Iwanne.
I only want to remind you not to write here again — your letter might come too late.
Your sister.
7
The translator has noted below the valediction ‘The address on above letter was destroyed’