- 211 -

them let me sit from time to time on his little cart. For the roads were horribly miry. At last we came rather late in the day to Flohweil. We found good lodging. It was a cordial gathering, where people chattered on all sides of everyday matters, until at last the juice of the vine went to some of their heads, so that they teased each other, the teasing grew serious, so that challenges were issued and they nearly came to blows - but that was not allowed to happen.

Squire Gonzenbach is a true patriot, he seeks by all possible means to prevent the complete collapse of trade, and his tutor is very well thought of in St. Gallen because of his abilities, and moreover he does not forget the Toggenburg, his native land, as he works here also for the common good. I heard, as I had been hearing for a long time, that trade was only limping along and that there was little hope at hand of early improvement. Unless times and circumstances should change the critical situation of all Europe for the better, which may well be hoped for, but is not to be relied on.

At last I stumped off with my little bundle of yarn to my usual gentleman of business, and found, as I had suspected I would, refusal! Poor wretch that I am, thought I, once more I cannot get a complete return on the money I've laid out, and bring money home. Then my lady governess

174

will set upon me without mercy. And she's right, too! No matter how cheaply I buy my yarn, I always have to sell it even cheaper. It's always nothing but loss, loss. If it goes on like this for long, I shall just have to lay down my arms - and then what shall I do? Even I don't know. I can do many things but according to today's fashion I can do nothing. Well, I will see what others do. I will have to throw myself on my destiny.

I could not find a buyer for all my little bundle of yarn. So I went to another place. And there, as I believe, my insignificant authorship brought me a little credit.

"What's your name? Ulrich Bräker, is it not?" asked a young gentleman. "Yes", said I, and saw from the manner of his questioning that he had known me for a long time for a poor botcher of cotton goods.

"Do you

175

know that little book?" he continued, "The story of a poor man of Toggenburg?" "Yes", said I, laughing. In a moment he ran up the stairs. The old gentleman came down with him. He said "Ah, that's what I said from the first moment when my boy was reading that little book, I said it was you who had written it, said I, for we have known each other for more than thirty years. Good, good, (said he), you made a good job of it. But you forgot one thing. You should not have omitted it. When I lived in the Toggenburg, you were a Wachtmeister [constable]. Oh, I can still see you in those days! And a worthy man you were. I was always pleased to see you".

173

The Chronik [p 364] states that more and more members were withdrawing for various reasons from active membership in the Moral Society.

174

Bräker refers to his wife by the same word, "Hofmeister", that he has used earlier in the same entry for Grob, tutor to the Gonzenbach family.

175

The young gentleman uses the third-person form which the nobility commonly used to their inferiors, literally "Does he know..?" In the previous question, however, he addresses Bräker by the familiar "thou".

Contents