Yesterday evening I began a letter to you, but did not get beyond the third line, and Anna cut that off so as to still use this paper. I have received both your letters, and also the one from Bremen, which has had a fine journey. Apart from that, things are pretty dry here, unless there is now and then a supper, with some May wine, a beer-commers, a pub crawl or rainy weather in torrents. The best part of the whole business is that I smoke all day, which is undoubtedly a high, inestimable pleasure. From Bremen I received with my chest a few very pretty pieces of work: a little cigar basket, ashtray, pipe tassel, etc. Father has gone to Engelskirchen; I am sitting in his easy chair with the long pipe on his footstool and smoking a fair amount. In eight or ten days we shall probably leave for Milan, for which we can only wish for good weather. Today it is pouring down like mad again. I am curious as to how you will have developed in Mannheim, whether you are still the same skinny, silly chick of yore, or have acquired new follies. Anna too sometimes has a mad streak and then indulges in silliness; her third word is: “Og, Drikes!” Hermann is developing a brilliant predisposition to hypochondria, can often sit around for days with the most indifferent face in the world, letting his mouth droop and not speaking a word. Then, if he suddenly gets a fit of madness, he doesn’t know what to do with himself from sheer wildness. Emil is still great at misunderstandings. Hedwig, apart from a certain obstinacy, develops very little character. Rudolf is a fellow like Hermann used to be; he dawdles around in daydreams for half the day, and the rest of the time he plays stupid pranks. His greatest pleasure is when I give him a rapier and strike it out of his fist. Little Elise will make something of herself, but as yet she is insignificant. She shows germs of amiability and in the end will outshine you all. And I? I might perhaps look interesting if, instead of my present youthful moustache, I still had my old Bremen beard and my long hair.

Now you have enough for today; I shall write to you from Milan if we should have rainy weather there.

Your
Friedrich