Pagina 84 van 483

"Get well-and return to us. You will find a happy, cheerful home

and friends who love you dearly. Your father's health is

vigorous, and he asks but to see you, but to be assured that you

are well; and not a care will ever cloud his benevolent

countenance. How pleased you would be to remark the improvement

of our Ernest! He is now sixteen and full of activity and spirit.

He is desirous to be a true Swiss and to enter into foreign

service, but we cannot part with him, at least until his elder

brother returns to us. My uncle is not pleased with the idea of a

military career in a distant country, but Ernest never had your

powers of application. He looks upon study as an odious fetter;

his time is spent in the open air, climbing the hills or rowing

on the lake. I fear that he will become an idler unless we yield

the point and permit him to enter on the profession which he has

selected.