second thoughts ， I had better not ； it is better I should behold herthrough the eyes of her lover. To my sight， perhaps， she would not appearas she now stands before me ； and why should I destroy so sweet a picture？　　JUNE 16. "Why do I not write to you ？" You lay claim to learning ，and ask such a question. You should have guessed that I am well —— thatis to say —— in a word， I have made an acquaintance who has won myheart ： I have —— I know not.　　To give you a regular account of the manner in which I have becomeacquainted with the most amiable of women would be a difficult task. Iam a happy and contented mortal ， but a poor historian.　　An angel！ Nonsense ！ Everybody so describes his mistress； and yetI find it impossible to tell you how perfect she is ， or why she is soperfect ： suffice it to say she has captivated all my senses.　　So much simplicity with so much understauding —— so mild， and yetso resolute —— a mind so placid ， and a life so active.　　But all this is ugly balderdash ， which expresses not a single characternor feature. Some other time—— but no ， not some other time， now，this very instant ， will I tell you all about it. Now or never. Well ，between ourselves ， since I commenced my letter， I have been three timeson the point of throwing down my pen， of ordering my horse ， and ridingout. And yet I vowed this morning that I would not ride to-day， and yetevery moment I am rushing to the window to see how high the sun is.　　I could not restrain myself —— go to her I must. I have just returned，Wilhelm ； and whilst I am taking supper I will write to you. What a delightit was for my soul to see her in the midst of her dear， beautiful children，—— eight brothers and sisters ！　　But ， if I proceed thus， you will be no wiser at the end of my letterthan you were at the beginning. Attend， then ， and I will compel myselfto give you the details.　　I mentioned to you the other day that I had become acquainted withS ——， the district judge ， and that he had invited me to go and visithim in his retirement ， or rather in his little kingdom. But I neglectedgoing ， and perhaps should never have gone ， if chance had not discoveredto me the treasure which lay concealed in that retired spot. Some of ouryoung people had proposed giving a ball in the country， at which I consentedto be present. I offered my hand for the evening to a pretty and agreeable，but rather commonplace， sort of girl from the immediate neighbourhood； and it was agreed that I should engage a carriage， and call upon Charlotte，with my partner and her aunt， to convey them to the ball. My companioninformed me ， as we drove along through the park to the hunting-lodge，that I should make the acquaintance of a very charming young lady. "Takecare，" added the aunt， "that you do not lose your heart." "Why？" saidI. "Because she is already engaged to a very worthy man ，" she replied，"who is gone to settle his affairs upon the death of his father ， andwill succeed to a very considerable inheritance." This information possessedno interest for me. When we arrived at the gate ， the sun was settingbehind the tops of the mountains. The atmosphere was heavy； and the ladiesexpressed their fears of an approaching storm ， as masses of low blackclouds were gathering in the horizon. I relieved their anxieties by pretendingto be weather-wise， although I myself had some apprehensions lest ourpleasure should be interrupted.　　I alighted； and a maid came to the door， and requested us to waita moment for her mistress. I walked across the court to a well-built house，and ， ascending the flight of steps in front ， opened the door， andsaw before me the most charming spectacle I had ever witnessed. Six children，from eleven to two years old， were running about the hall， and surroundinga lady of middle height ， with a lovely figure ， dressed in a robe ofsimple white， trimmed with pink ribbons. She was holding a rye loaf inher hand， and was cutting slices for the little ones all around， inproportion to their age and appetite. She performed her task in a gracefuland affectionate manner ； each claimant awaiting his turn with outstretchedhands ， and boisterously shouting his thanks. Some of them ran away atonce， to enjoy their evening meal； whilst others， of a gentler disposition，retired to the courtyard to see the strangers ， and to survey the carriagein which their Charlotte was to drive away. "Pray forgive me for givingyou the trouble to come for me， and for keeping the ladies waiting ：but dressing， and arranging some household duties before I leave ， hadmade me forget my children's supper ； and they do not like to take itfrom any one but me." I uttered some indifferent compliment ： but mywhole soul was absorbed by her air， her voice， her manner ； and I hadscarcely recovered myself when she ran into her room to fetch her glovesand fan. The young ones threw inquiring glances at me from a distance； whilst I approached the youngest ， a most delicious little creature.He drew back； and Charlotte， entering at the very moment， said ， "Louis，shake hands with your cousin." The little fellow obeyed willingly ； andI could not resist giving him a hearty kiss ， notwithstanding his ratherdirty face. "Cousin ，" said I to Charlotte ， as I handed her down ，"do you think I deserve the happiness of being related to you ？" Shereplied ， with a ready smile ， "Oh！ I have such a number of cousins，that I should be sorry if you were the most undeserving of them." In takingleave ， she desired her next sister， Sophy， a girl about eleven yearsold ， to take great care of the children ， and to say good-bye to papafor her when he came home from his ride. She enjoined to the little onesto obey their sister Sophy as they would herself， upon which some promisedthat they would ； but a little fair-haired girl， about six years old，looked discontented ， and said ， "But Sophy is not you， Charlotte；and we like you best." The two eldest boys had clambered up the carriage； and， at my request， she permitted them to accompany us a little waythrough the forest， upon their promising to sit very still ， and holdfast.　　We were hardly seated ， and the ladies had scarcely exchanged compliments，making the usual remarks upon each other's dress， and upon the companythey expected to meet ， when Charlotte stopped the carriage， and madeher brothers get down. They insisted upon kissing her hands once more； which the eldest did with all the tenderness of a youth of fifteen ，but the other in a lighter and more careless manner. She desired themagain to give her love to the children， and we drove off.　　The aunt inquired of Charlotte whether she had finished the book shehad last sent her. "No，" said Charlotte； "I did not like it ： you canhave it again. And the one before was not much better." I was surprised，upon asking the title ， to hear that it was ____.（We feel obliged tosuppress the passage in the letter， to prevent any one from feeling aggrieved； although no author need pay much attention to the opinion of a meregirl， or that of an unsteady young man.）　　I found penetration and character in everything she said： every expressionseemed to brighten her features with new charms ，——with new rays ofgenius，—— which unfolded by degrees， as she felt herself understood.　　"When I was younger ，" she observed， "I loved nothing so much asromances. Nothing could equal my delight when ， on some holiday， I couldsettle down quietly in a corner ， and enter with my whole heart and soulinto the joys or sorrows of some fictitious Leonora. I do not deny thatthey even possess some charms for me yet. But I read so seldom， thatI prefer books suited exactly to my taste. And I like those authors bestwhose scenes describe my own situation in life，—— and the friends whoare about me， whose stories touch me with interest ， from resemblingmy own homely existence ，—— which， without being absolutely paradise，is， on the whole ， a source of indescribable happiness."　　I endeavoured to conceal the emotion which these words occasioned ，but it was of slight avail； for， when she had expressed so truly heropinion of "The Vicar of Wakefield，" and of other works， the names ofwhich I omit（Though the names are omitted， yet the authors mentioneddeserve Charlotte's approbation ， and will feel it in their hearts whenthey read this passage. It concerns no other person.）， I could no longercontain myself， but gave full utterance to what I thought of it： andit was not until Charlotte had addressed herself to the two other ladies，that I remembered their presence， and observed them sitting mute withastonishment. The aunt looked at me several times with an air of raillery，which ， however， I did not at all mind.　　We talked of the pleasures of dancing. "If it is a fault to love it，" said Charlotte ， "I am ready to confess that I prize it above allother amusements. If anything disturbs me ， I go to the piano， playan air to which I have danced ， and all goes right again directly."　　You ， who know me， can fancy how steadfastly I gazed upon her richdark eyes during these remarks， how my very soul gloated over her warmlips and fresh， glowing cheeks ， how I became quite lost in the delightfulmeaning of her words， so much so ， that I scarcely heard the actualexpressions. In short ， I alighted from the carriage like a person ina dream ， and was so lost to the dim world around me ， that I scarcelyheard the music which resounded from the illuminated ballroom.　　The two Messrs. Andran and a certain N. N.（I cannot trouble myselfwith the names）， who were the aunt's and Charlotte's partners ， receivedus at the carriage-door ， and took possession of their ladies， whilstI followed with mine.　　We commenced with a minuet. I led out one lady after another， andprecisely those who were the most disagreeable could not bring themselvesto leave off. Charlotte and her partner began an English country dance，and you must imagine my delight when it was their turn to dance the figurewith us. You should see Charlotte dance. She dances with her whole heartand soul： her figure is all harmony， elegance ， and grace， as if shewere conscious of nothing else， and had no other thought or feeling；and ， doubtless， for the moment ， every other sensation is extinct.　　She was engaged for the second country dance， but promised me thethird ， and assured me ， with the most agreeable freedom， that shewas very fond of waltzing. "It is the custom here ，" she said， "forthe previous partners to waltz together ； but my partner is an indifferentwaltzer ， and will feel delighted if I save him the trouble. Your partneris not allowed to waltz ， and， indeed ， is equally incapable ： butI observed during the country dance that you waltz well ； so ， if youwill waltz with me， I beg you would propose it to my partner ， and Iwill propose it to yours." We agreed， and it was arranged that our partnersshould mutually entertain each other.　　We set off， and， at first ， delighted ourselves with the usualgraceful motions of the arms. With what grace ， with what ease ， shemoved ！ When the waltz commenced ， and the dancers whirled around eachother in the giddy maze ， there was some confusion ， owing to the incapacityof some of the dancers. We judiciously remained still ， allowing theothers to weary themselves； and， when the awkward dancers had withdrawn，we joined in， and kept it up famously together with one other couple ，—— Andran and his partner. Never did I dance more lightly. I felt myselfmore than mortal， holding this loveliest of creatures in my arms ， flying，with her as rapidly as the wind ， till I lost sight of every other object； and O Wilhelm， I vowed at that moment ， that a maiden whom I loved，or for whom I felt the slightest attachment ， never， never should waltzwith any one else but with me ， if I went to perdition for it！—— youwill understand this.　　We took a few turns in the room to recover our breath. Charlotte satdown， and felt refreshed by partaking of some oranges which I had hadsecured ，—— the only ones that had been left ； but at every slicewhich ， from politeness， she offered to her neighbours， I felt as thougha dagger went through my heart.　　We were the second couple in the third country dance. As we were goingdown（and Heaven knows with what ecstasy I gazed at her arms and eyes ，beaming with the sweetest feeling of pure and genuine enjoyment ）， wepassed a lady whom I had noticed for her charming expression of countenance； although she was no longer young. She looked at Charlotte with a smile，then， holding up her finger in a threatening attitude， repeated twicein a very significant tone of voice the name of "Albert."　　"Who is Albert，" said I to Charlotte ， "if it is not impertinentto ask？" She was about to answer ， when we were obliged to separate ，in order to execute a figure in the dance ； and， as we crossed overagain in front of each other， I perceived she looked somewhat pensive."Why need I conceal it from you ？" she said， as she gave me her handfor the promenade. "Albert is a worthy man， to whom I am engaged." Now，there was nothing new to me in this （for the girls had told me of iton the way）； but it was so far new that I had not thought of it in connectionwith her whom ， in so short a time ， I had learned to prize so highly.Enough， I became confused， got out in the figure， and occasioned generalconfusion ； so that it required all Charlotte's presence of mind to setme right by pulling and pushing me into my proper place.　　The dance was not yet finished when the lightning which had for sometime been seen in the horizon ， and which I had asserted to proceed entirelyfrom heat ， grew more violent； and the thunder was heard above the music.When any distress or terror surprises us in the midst of our amusements，it naturally makes a deeper impression than at other times， either becausethe contrast makes us more keenly susceptible ， or rather perhaps becauseour senses are then more open to impressions， and the shock is consequentlystronger. To this cause I must ascribe the fright and shrieks of the ladies.One sagaciously sat down in a corner with her back to the window， andheld her fingers to her ears； a second knelt down before her ， and hidher face in her lap ； a third threw herself between them ， and embracedher sister with a thousand tears； some insisted on going home； others，unconscious of their actions， wanted sufficient presence of mind to repressthe impertinence of their young partners， who sought to direct to themselvesthose sighs which the lips of our agitated beauties intended for heaven.Some of the gentlemen had gone down-stairs to smoke a quiet cigar ， andthe rest of the company gladly embraced a happy suggestion of the hostessto retire into another room which was provided with shutters and curtains.We had hardly got there ， when Charlotte placed the chairs in a circle； and， when the company had sat down in compliance with her request ，she forthwith proposed a round game.　　I noticed some of the company prepare their mouths and draw themselvesup at the prospect of some agreeable forfeit. "Let us play at counting，" said Charlotte. "Now， pay attention： I shall go round the circle fromright to left ； and each person is to count， one after the other， thenumber that comes to him， and must count fast； whoever stops or mistakesis to have a box on the ear ， and so on， till we have counted a thousand."It was delightful to see the fun. She went round the circle with upraisedarm. "One ，" said the first； "two ，" the second； "three ，" the third； and so on， till Charlotte went faster and faster. One made a mistake，instantly a box on the ear； and， amid the laughter that ensued， cameanother box ； and so on， faster and faster. I myself came in for two.I fancied they were harder than the rest， and felt quite delighted. Ageneral laughter and confusion put an end to the game long before we hadcounted as far as a thousand. The party broke up into little separateknots ： the storm had ceased ， and I followed Charlotte into the ballroom.On the way she said ， "The game banished their fears of the storm." Icould make no reply. "I myself，" she continued ， "was as much frightenedas any of them； but by affecting courage ， to keep up the spirits ofthe others， I forgot my apprehensions." We went to the window. It wasstill thundering at a distance： a soft rain was pouring down over thecountry ， and filled the air around us with delicious odours. Charlotteleaned forward on her arm ； her eyes wandered over the scene ； she raisedthem to the sky ， and then turned them upon me ； they were moistenedwith tears； she placed her hand on mine and said ， "Klopstock ！" atonce I remembered the magnificent ode which was in her thoughts ： I feltoppressed with the weight of my sensations， and sank under them. It wasmore than I could bear. I bent over her hand， kissed it in a stream ofdelicious tears ， and again looked up to her eyes. Divine Klopstock！why didst thou not see thy apotheosis in those eyes ？ And thy name sooften profaned， would that I never heard it repeated ！　　JUNE 19. I no longer remember where I stopped in my narrative ： Ionly know it was two in the morning when I went to bed； and if you hadbeen with me， that I might have talked instead of writing to you ， Ishould， in all probability ， have kept you up till daylight.　　I think I have not yet related what happened as we rode home fromthe ball， nor have I time to tell you now. It was a most magnificentsunrise ： the whole country was refreshed， and the rain fell drop bydrop from the trees in the forest. Our companions were asleep. Charlotteasked me if I did not wish to sleep also， and begged of me not to makeany ceremony on her account. Looking steadfastly at her ， I answered ，"As long as I see those eyes open ， there is no fear of my falling asleep."We both continued awake till we reached her door. The maid opened it softly，and assured her ， in answer to her inquiries ， that her father and thechildren were well， and still sleeping. I left her asking permissionto visit her in the course of the day. She consented， and I went ， and，since that time ， sun， moon ， and stars may pursue their course： Iknow not whether it is day or night ； the whole world is nothing to me.　　JUNE 21. My days are as happy as those reserved by God for his elect； and， whatever be my fate hereafter， I can never say that I have nottasted joy，—— the purest joy of life. You know Walheim. I am now completelysettled there. In that spot I am only half a league from Charlotte； andthere I enjoy myself， and taste all the pleasure which can fall to thelot of man.　　Little did I imagine， when I selected Walheim for my pedestrian excursions，that all heaven lay so near it. How often in my wanderings from the hillsideor from the meadows across the river， have I beheld this hunting-lodge，which now contains within it all the joy of my heart！　　I have often， my dear Wilhelm， reflected on the eagerness men feelto wander and make new discoveries， and upon that secret impulse whichafterward inclines them to return to their narrow circle， conform tothe laws of custom， and embarrass themselves no longer with what passesaround them.　　It is so strange how， when I came here first ， and gazed upon thatlovely valley from the hillside ， I felt charmed with the entire scenesurrounding me. The little wood opposite—— how delightful to sit underits shade ！ How fine the view from that point of rock！ Then ， thatdelightful chain of hills ， and the exquisite valleys at their feet！Could I but wander and lose myself amongst them ！ I went ， and returnedwithout finding what I wished. Distance ， my friend， is like futurity.A dim vastness is spread before our souls ： the perceptions of our mindare as obscure as those of our vision ； and we desire earnestly to surrenderup our whole being， that it may be filled with the complete and perfectbliss of one glorious emotion. But alas ！ when we have attained our object，when the distant there becomes the present here ， all is changed ： weare as poor and circumscribed as ever ， and our souls still languishfor unattainable happiness.　　So does the restless traveller pant for his native soil ， and findin his own cottage， in the arms of his wife， in the affections of hischildren， and in the labour necessary for their support， that happinesswhich he had sought in vain through the wide world.　　When， in the morning at sunrise， I go out to Walheim， and withmy own hands gather in the garden the pease which are to serve for mydinner， when I sit down to shell them， and read my Homer during theintervals ， and then ， selecting a saucepan from the kitchen， fetchmy own butter ， put my mess on the fire， cover it up， and sit downto stir it as occasion requires ， I figure to myself the illustrioussuitors of Penelope ， killing， dressing ， and preparing their own oxenand swine. Nothing fills me with a more pure and genuine sense of happinessthan those traits of patriarchal life which ， thank Heaven ！ I can imitatewithout affectation. Happy is it， indeed ， for me that my heart is capableof feeling the same simple and innocent pleasure as the peasant whosetable is covered with food of his own rearing ， and who not only enjoyshis meal， but remembers with delight the happy days and sunny morningswhen he planted it， the soft evenings when he watered it ， and the pleasurehe experienced in watching its daily growth.　　JUNE 29. The day before yesterday ， the physician came from the townto pay a visit to the judge. He found me on the floor playing with Charlotte'schildren. Some of them were scrambling over me， and others romped withme； and， as I caught and tickled them ， they made a great noise. Thedoctor is a formal sort of personage： he adjusts the plaits of his ruffles，and continually settles his frill whilst he is talking to you ； and hethought my conduct beneath the dignity of a sensible man. I could perceivethis by his countenance. But I did not suffer myself to be disturbed.I allowed him to continue his wise conversation ， whilst I rebuilt thechildren's card houses for them as fast as they threw them down. He wentabout the town afterward， complaining that the judge's children werespoiled enough before ， but that now Werther was completely ruining them.Yes ， my dear Wilhelm， nothing on this earth affects my heart so muchas children. When I look on at their doings ； when I mark in the littlecreatures the seeds of all those virtues and qualities which they willone day find so indispensable ； when I behold in the obstinate all thefuture firmness and constancy of a noble character； in the capricious，that levity and gaiety of temper which will carry them lightly over thedangers and troubles of life， their whole nature simple and unpolluted，—— then I call to mind the golden words of the Great Teacher of mankind，"Unless ye become like one of these ！" And now ， my friend， these children，who are our equals， whom we ought to consider as our models， we treatthem as though they were our subjects. They are allowed no will of theirown. And have we， then ， none ourselves ？ Whence comes our exclusiveright ？ Is it because we are older and more experienced？ Great God！from the height of thy heaven thou beholdest great children and littlechildren， and no others； and thy Son has long since declared which affordthee greatest pleasure. But they believe in him ， and hear him not ，——that， too， is an old story； and they train their children aftertheir own image ， etc. Adieu ， Wilhelm： I will not further bewildermyself with this subject.　　JULY 1. The consolation Charlotte can bring to an invalid I experiencefrom my own heart ， which suffers more from her absence than many a poorcreature lingering on a bed of sickness. She is gone to spend a few daysin the town with a very worthy woman， who is given over by the physicians，and wishes to have Charlotte near her in her last moments. I accompaniedher last week on a visit to the Vicar of S——， a small village in themountains ， about a league hence. We arrived about four o'clock： Charlottehad taken her little sister with her. When we entered the vicarage court，we found the good old man sitting on a bench before the door， under theshade of two large walnut-trees. At the sight of Charlotte he seemed togain new life ， rose ， forgot his stick ， and ventured to walk towardher. She ran to him ， and made him sit down again； then ， placing herselfby his side ， she gave him a number of messages from her father， andthen caught up his youngest child ， a dirty， ugly little thing， thejoy of his old age， and kissed it. I wish you could have witnessed herattention to this old man ，——how she raised her voice on account ofhis deafness； how she told him of healthy young people ， who had beencarried off when it was least expected； praised the virtues of Carlsbad，and commended his determination to spend the ensuing summer there ； and