At the last moment, just as I am writing these lines, the question of the peace of the world has led to the taking of remarkable steps in America. The most prominent men in the Union—Taft, Roosevelt, Elihu Root, Knox, etc.—are coming forward with positive proposals for the organization of the world, and the House of Representatives has accepted a most significant law. Of this one of the greatest American workers for peace writes me as follows in a letter dated from Skibo Castle, June 30, 1910: ... The greatest news received lately is the passing of a bill by the House and Senate of the United States, establishing a commission to take measures to bring about a League of Peace among nations. Mr. Roosevelt is to be chairman. This means business. America is now in earnest. We hope she will no longer be dragd into enormous armaments. The good work goes bravely on. Always yours Andrew Carnegie Yes, indeed: our brothers of the English-speaking race—especially those in the young New World—“mean business” when they undertake anything. And their enterprises are not (as an old prejudice assumes) limited to the commercial and financial domain, but embrace the region of the highest human thought, and rest upon the deepest ethical foundations. BERTHA V. SUTTNER VIENNA, 1910 CONTENTS OF VOLUME I PART ONE PAGE I. CHILDHOOD 3 My certificate of baptism. The revolution of 1848. Landgrave Fürstenberg. The feather ball. Castle Matzen. II. EARLY YOUTH 20 Elvira. Playing “puff.” My mother’s singing. Clairvoyant Aunt Lotti. Roulette and trente-et-quarante. Castles in the air. My first journey. Season in Wiesbaden. Return. Grillparzer and Ebner-Eschenbach at Elvira’s. Radetzky’s death. A schoolgirl romance. III. AN AUTOGRAPH ALBUM 57 Anastasius Grün. Friedrich Halm. Grillparzer. Wagner. Lenau’s sister. Military autographs. King Ludwig of Bavaria. Schiller’s daughter. Liebig. Schücking. Mädler. Körner. Anderssen. Meyerbeer. Rückert. Hebbel. Gregorovius. Lamartine. Victor Hugo. Manzoni. Dickens. IV. MORE EPISODES OF YOUTH 70 The War of 1859. A prank. Elvira’s marriage. PART TWO V. ENTERING THE WORLD 81 Engaged. The engagement ended. Baden. Marietta. Season in Rome. Carnival at Venice. VI. A SEASON IN HOMBURG VOR DER HÖHE 95