Removal of Family to Stockholm 53 on arriving home, she went out alone under the starlit heaven, and made a compact with her own heart that she would serve the people in her own humble way, and help them to a worthy use of their new privileges in the great work now begun. Her patriotism from its first conscious awakening was that of a demo- crat. She once wrote: " There is one general human feeling which I have never shared, and that is royalism. I have been a repubHcan ever since I first learned that countries were governed, and read about Rome and Athens. The enthusiasm others have expended on royalty, I have spent on heroes, on the great Greeks and Romans, on our own great kings, Gustavus I (Vasa) and Gustavus II (Adol- phus), but never Charles XII. We have seen the important part Ellen's father played for a long course of years in the political life of Sweden. By his side, the romantic, dreaming girl looked into practical politics as did few Swedish women of that day. She shared in her father's plans, successes, and struggles. Emil Key was guided in his political activity by great reform ideas, and progress and reform were being discussed con- stantly in the Key home. Herr Key got more and more in the habit of sharing his work with