the guidance of my bereaved mother, had been obliged to settle
down as well as they could under the circumstances. My eldest
brother Albert, who originally intended to study medicine, had,
upon the advice of Weber, who had much admired his beautiful
tenor voice, started his theatrical career in Breslau. My second
sister Louisa soon followed his example, and became an actress.
My eldest sister Rosalie had obtained an excellent engagement at
the Dresden Court Theatre, and the younger members of the family
all looked up to her; for she was now the main support of our
poor sorrowing mother. My family still occupied the same
comfortable home which my father had made for them. Some of the
spare rooms were occasionally let to strangers, and Spohr was
among those who at one time lodged with us. Thanks to her great
energy, and to help received from various sources (among which
the continued generosity of the Court, out of respect to the
memory of my late stepfather, must not be forgotten), my mother
managed so well in making both ends meet, that even my education
did not suffer.

After it had been decided that my sister Clara, owing to her
exceedingly beautiful voice, should also go on the stage, my
mother took the greatest care to prevent me from developing any
taste whatever for the theatre. She never ceased to reproach
herself for having consented to the theatrical career of my
eldest brother, and as my second brother showed no greater
talents than those which were useful to him as a goldsmith, it
was now her chief desire to see some progress made towards the
fulfilment of the hopes and wishes of my step-father, 'who hoped
to make something of me.' On the completion of my eighth year I
was sent to the Kreuz Grammar School in Dresden, where it was