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    88 HEINRICH PESTALOZZI.

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    At Lastafter Many Years' Difficult Searc...

    that _seeing how the same powers lay in the poor as in the rich , he would establish schools in Hungary and Austria , and _eraaneijoate the

    serfs . He was greatly excited at the visit , and called one of his best teachers to examine some pupils in the presence of the prince ,

    introducing the former with the words : " This young man came fifteen years ago as a poor orphan from Appenzell ; he has been educated

    in a free , unfettered way , he is now an independent teacher ; he will be better able than I to show you what we can accomplish / ' After

    an hour's examination , the prince expressed his pleasure and satisfaction and departed . " He is quite convinced , and I am sure he

    will establish schools on his estates , " said the enthusiastic man to Kamsauer .

    In 1814 , a new disturbance threatened the establishment—the Austrians and Russians were about to make the castle of Yverdon

    their hospital ; the magistrates wrote a petition to the Emperor Alexanderthen at Baslebegging him to spare them . Pestalozzi

    anxious to , gain the poin , t , went himself to present the petition , . Before the gates of the town he meets a beggar ; he feels his pocket

    to give him something ; it is empty ; what can he do ? He unfastens his silver shoe-buckles , gives them to the beggar , and ties his own

    shoes with a few straws . In this state he presents himself to the Emperor ; he forgets why he has come ; the whole Russian Empire

    with its millions of serfs is in his mind ; he sees the serfs thirsting for light and freedom ; eagerly developing his ideas on human right

    and being accustomed to speak eye to eye , he advances towards the Emperor . Alexander retires—Pestalozzi follows him until they are

    at the end of the room—no escape for the Emperor . Pestalozzi , talking zealouslyis about to seize him by the hand—the Emperor

    , pushes him back ; the enthusiast , awakened to his position , seizes the Emperor ' s hand and kisses it . The great potentate is moved ,

    and embraces the schoolmaster cordially . Now , only , Pestalozzi remembers his errand and shows the petition ; the Emperor grants

    it , and the castle of Yverdon is not turned into an hospital . The year 1815 was a melancholy year for our poor friend . His

    own want of practical power compelled him to place a leading share of the management in the hands of one or other of his assistants ;

    this gave rise to dissensions and jealousies amongst them , which proved fatal to the welfare of the institution , and to the happiness

    of its venerable founder , who had the mortification of seeing his enterprise going to wreck and himself standing powerless at the

    helm . He felt that the love which had founded the school had fied from among them .

    In this time of trouble he lost his faithful wife , who had stood by him for forty-five years in joy and sorrow , in sunshine and storm .

    She had warmly sympathized in all his plans and steps ; her advice and comforther love and fidelity , had never left him . Gentle ,

    modest , kind , , she had been his guardian angel . Still always , as in

    his young days , he had thought that she would survive him ; but

    88 Heinrich Pestalozzi.

    88 HEINRICH PESTALOZZI .

• Citation
  • English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), Oct. 1, 1862, page 88, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01101862/page/16/