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44 BIOGRAPHY.
this long journey, in two large travelling landaus, each
drawn by four horses. After having, on our way to Ystad,
visited some relatives at their estates, we sailed from Ystad
to Stralsund, in the mail-packet. Leaving Stralsund, we
ploughed our way through the sandy deserts of Pomerania
aud Liineburg, occasionally with six large horses harnessed
to each carriage, and two postilion smoking-pipes to each
set of horses. It was nevertheless with great difficulty that
we could get along the bottomless roads. Not until we
came to Hanover could we proceed along good, firm chaus-
sées. In Darmstadt, Fredrika became ill. She had al-
ready, in Frankfort on Main, felt unwell; but it being in the
height of the “ Messe,” —the large annual fair, — and the
town being full of travellers, and consequently very noisy,
my parents determined to push on to Darmstadt, and re-
main there in case Fredrika should get worse. She became
seriously ill. The most skillful doctor in the town, Baron
Wedekind, physician in ordinary to the Grand Duke, was
called in. He declared that Fredrika’s illness was a bilious
fever, not dangerous, but which might be lingering. We
remained for three weeks quietly in this pretty little town,
with its well-built houses surrounded by their gardens and
fine, old, shady lime-trees. ‘The good old Baron Wedekind
came to see Fredrika every day ; and when at last she got
so well that she could go out for a drive, he sent her his
own equipage daily. We were staying at an excellent
hotel, “Die Traube,” on one side of a large square, and
our landlord and landlady were very kind and attentive,
and did all they could to insure quiet and peace to the in-
valid foreigner. Only one single night was our rest dis-
turbed. We were all roused out of our sleep by the most
horrible noises and shouts. The officers of the garrison
had been assembled at the “Traube” for some festival,
and they finished off by smashing dishes, plates, glasses,
and bottles, and even the tables at which they had had their
banquet. Noble exploits for the defenders of their country !
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