Document information
Physical location:
Private hands. 42.12.20Preferred 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.
2
editorial addition.
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
from here to Heusburg,
and Wednesday I leave there for Husum. Please dear Ferdinand forward the enclosed
letter to Albertine
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.
4
A mail coach running to a regular timetable.
5
Flensburg.
6
Albertine Warder?
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’