Karoline Schlemmer to Sophie Sosnowski, July 11, 1852
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Pforzheim, July 11, 1852.
Dear Sister:
Your notice from the 17th of May, in which I see you are well, came to me like a light in the depth of my sorrowful fate. In particular my health, being on account of my bad experience weak in body and mind. All this is the result and experience through the egoism and swindle of a man, who through his punishable carelessness against his family, in vain craziness, forgot himself. While other businesspeople in this most prosperous city ignored him entirely for his foolish action.
You are mistaken, dear Sophie, when you believe that we in our unfortunate state could seek sympathy from others; wherever I went for assistance or help, I became the object of scorn and humiliation. That the better class of the public was with the monarchy I knew, but not that the leader of a conqueror and even their innocent relatives would be prosecuted with outrageous falsehood and robbed; probably with unknown hate, with which these people treated each other. The first of the revolution has now passed; the overthrow in democracy believed there was not any more development and progress necessary and they could settle everything in a few days, and through this the aristocrats stand better today than before.
You ask me, dear sister, whether I can part from Sophie in order to give her to you; yes, though it would be a hard blow to me, but under the circumstances, there is little opportunity in this land for their existence in the future. And my income after the deduction of living expenses is very small, and I must prepare myself to live under poor circumstances. Should your circumstances, allow you, dear sister, to undertake a trip, come to us and take my daughter into your care. I am not surprised that you take every one of your letters to Theodore. I can write you no news about him that you do not know except when I have to make payments, once in a while, he will help me out, for which I am very thankful. Although, in spite of all my troubles, he never came to see me once.
What Theodore gives me is the remainder of what he owes me from many years back from the Reblichen case, which he has not paid until now. You know, dear Sophie, that our brother has taken this capital with the understanding that we are responsible in case that swindler Reble wins, and we will have to pay our share in lots. In the legal papers, it is noted that this sum belongs to us together; for this reason, it is necessary to have the legalized documents from you, as the one you sent before could not be used. Whether or not I can send this document in my letter, I do not know because the statutes are laying at the law office where it was looked after. If I had known this before, I would have attended to this case sooner.
In regard to my daughter Sophie, I beg you, dear sister, to answer as soon as possible; it is nothing new for a person to come from America and go back again. May God grant that I have my health and strength that I can undertake this journey myself, as I am praying daily He may send some relief to my body. This is my daily prayer. Sophie thanks you for kind letter and joins me in greeting you and your dear children.
Your so loving sister, Karoline.
P.S. A check for Schenck has not yet arrived. So should you ever write to somebody in Baden, please do not mention our names. I am very sorry that I ever asked my friends for assistance, as I have gained nothing from it.
