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    CAROLINE FICHkER. 225

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    ¦» The Suburban Solitude Of The Pichlers...

    The illness and death , of Caroline's brother , a fine young man of thirtywas a blow which prostrated the old lady for a time

    , , especially as her proud stoicism did not suffer her to give vent to her feelingsor seek relief in sympathy ; but as soon as her health

    , was in some degree restored , she went into society again with renewed avidity , seeking to stifle her sorrows amid a crowd . As

    a further diversion , she invited Herr Streckfuss , a rising young poet of that dayto occupy the vacant apartments of her lost sona

    pro-, , position which rather excited her daughter ' s apprehensions , as she hadshe saysrarely found that authorshowever celebrated for

    , , , their works , were agreeable associates in their homes . This prejudice , which seems rather surprising in one whose own name was

    now in the , list of those thus proscribed , happily could not be retained in the case of Streckfusswho soon made himself a favourite

    with the whole family , and was , ever a valued inmate . An amicable rivalry soon began . Having been recommended to write a poem on

    a scriptural subject , Madame P . had selected the history of Ruth for the purposewhen one evening Streckfuss announced that he was

    , about to write an idyll on the same subject : she at once determined to resign it , but her husband , unwilling to allow this , mentioned

    what had been her intention , when the company "unanimously requested that both plans should be carried out , and agreed to meet

    every Sunday evening to hear the rivals read their respective poems , so far as their writing ha < _J proceeded during the week . All were

    surprised at the contrast between the compositions , the two Ruths being completely different from each other in every respect ; but

    though the lady competitor willingly yielded the palm of superiority to the masculine performanceshe felt that her own was not

    , without merit , an oj ) inion justified by the approbation it met with , when published .

    Soon after , a journey to Maria Zell , and the legend respecting the church there , furnished her with materials for another

    romance , but her literary labours were not to be left much longer undisturbed . It was again feared that the French might

    come to Vienna , and all the family having agreed to take the risk of remaining in the citytheir house had to be put in

    readiness for the probable recep , tion of enforced guests . In November , 1804 , these fears were realized ; and one cold evening ,

    as . they were all sitting in a quiet family circle , it was announced that the enemy was literally at their door ; Caroline was

    sent by her mother to receive them , and at once propitiated the officers who had been quartered upon them by offering her

    salutations in their own language ; but though there was little to complain of in the personal behaviour of these intrudersit was so

    painful to her , who had felt prejudiced even from childhood , against the Frenchto see their hated blue uniforms in every street and

    , house , that she could not but feel the Nero-like wish , that they had

    but one neck and that she could sever it at a single blow . Their

    Caroline Fichker. 225

    _CAROLINE _FICHkER . 225

• Citation
  • English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), Dec. 1, 1862, page 225, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01121862/page/9/