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several feast-days, partly from my attachment to him, because of his tolerance and humane caste of mind, partly out of attachment to the place, for in my youth I had been educated there and for thirteen years belonged to the parish. Also because everything there is so solemn and tranquil, everything was done in two hours, not in nearly four hours as at home, where everything happens in such a confused and tumultuous manner.

Now I was visiting this amiable family in Flach, where their fortunes are much better, for the second time, and again spent a few hours very pleasantly in their congenial society. Ten children and several lodgers made a large number at table. Flach has a very pleasant situation: fertile fields, meadows and vineyards, where the pastor has a tithe of everything. Also very pleasing to me was the prospect from the parsonage, over all the fields belonging to Flach, and the further bank of the Rhine, and the district of Schaffhausen. Looking from the window one can also look straight down to where Father Rhine takes our river Thur to his bosom [...]

After I had allowed my heart's emotions to flow freely, and enjoyed the company of my dear friends for a few more short hours, I had to take my leave, however sorry I was to do so, and however reluctant my hospitable hosts were to allow it to happen. It was Saturday the 6th. I wanted very much to reach Weyl by Sunday evening, because every Sunday evening a business colleague came there before going on in the morning to the market at Lichtensteig. For he had his own horse and carriage. I thought I might travel with him, because my frail old bones were so weary of walking. The pastor and one of his respected lodgers, whose name and occupation have escaped me, accompanied me for part of the way. Then all alone I strolled beside the Thur, and observed here and there in the bed of the river the ground that had been laid waste or washed away, because when it is in flood it is a greedy beast. Even on the banks there is little open land, mostly thickets and young trees. But I saw too that not everywhere do people put themselves to the same trouble as they do in my part of the world, to set limits to it, to make weirs and dams [...].

In Adelfingen I applied only to the office of the magistrate's clerk because three weeks earlier in Wädenschweil I had promised a gentleman and a young lady that I would take my homeward road through Adelfingen. I was welcomed with a bottle of wine. I would willingly have spent the night there, if I had not thought that to go on from there to Weyl the next day was too far. So I wanted to go on a short way further. My kind host was of the opinion that I could get as far as Ellikon. But I was not familiar with the way. They showed me the footpaths and pictured for me the marks where I should turn left or right, go across country or straight ahead. But I could not keep all these marks in my head and so went on blindly. A man in a field told me that the first village was called Dorliken, it was still an hour's walk away and it was already getting dark. My paths led me through lonely fields and woods. At one place I went close to some vineyards where I saw some admirably fine red grapes. I could not resist the temptation, because I was very thirsty. I looked to right and left, to see if anyone was watching me, reached over the fence and snatched a delicious bunch of grapes. As I went on I tasted them without scruple of conscience. I walked on without lingering. Night fell and I could neither see nor hear anything of the village. The beautiful sunset and sparkling stars distracted me. My route should be southwards, I thought, but to judge from the sunset I am going northwards. I walked on for a while. I thought: Hm, surely you will find houses somewhere, where you can be shown the right way. That I was out of it was now certain. Otherwise I would have come to Dorliken long ago. I thought to go on following the footpath until I met with houses or people. I could not bring myself to turn back. At last I heard water flowing. I thought it was close in front of me. I thought it could be nothing else but the Thur. And because I knew that I was not to cross it, in the pitch-dark night I had no idea where to turn next. Could I have found a barn with some straw! I would have crept in there to spend the night.

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