Novels and Tales - 1854 Author:Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 357 THE BECBEATIONS OF THE GERMAN EMIGRANTS. At that unhappy period, so fruitful in disasters to Germany, to Europe, and indeed to the whole world, when t... more »he French army overran the Continent, a family of distinction was compelled to forsake their property on the first invasion, and to fly beyond the Rhine. They sought to escape those calamities to which persons of noble birth were inevitably exposed, in whom it was considered criminal to be descended from an honourable line of ancestors, and to inherit those privileges and possessions which the virtues or the valour of their forefathers had bequeathed to them. The Baroness of C , a widow lady, of middle age, distinguished for every domestic virtue which could promote the comfort or independence of her family, evinced, upon the occasion of this unforeseen calamity, the most noble spirit of activity and resolute determination. Brought up amid a wide circle of acquaintance, and already experienced, to some extent, in the reverses of life, she was considered perfect in her private and domestic character ; and she was remarkable for the real delight which she ever felt in the active employment of her faculties. Indeed, the great purpose of her life seemed to consist in rendering services to others, and it is easy to suppose that her numerous friends never failed to provide her with employment. She was summoned, at the time we speak of, to take the lead of a little band of emigrants. Even for this duty she was prepared; and the same solicitous though cheerful temper, which had invariably distinguished her at home, did not forsake her in this hour of general terror and distress. But cheerfulness was not an entire stranger to our band of fugitives; many an unexpected incident and strange event afforded occasion for the indulgenc...« less