66552 492904 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, BY OLIVER DITSON & CO., In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington STEREOTYPED BY C. J. PETERS & SON, 5 WASHINGTON ST., BOSTON. I CANNOT give these pages to the public before thanking those who have so kindly encouraged me in this my tribute of love and admiration. First, to my dear friends, CELESTINE AND CLARA GOTTSCHALK, am I most grateful for aiding me with reminiscences of their brother, and the kind and cordial sympathy they express in my work. To Mr. FRANCIS G. HILL, Mr. GRENVILLE D WILSON, and Col. CHICKERING, of Boston; To Mrs. CLARA M. BRINKERHOFF, Mr. GEORGE WILLIAM WARREN, Mr. RICHARD HOFFMANN, and Messrs. HALL & SONS, of New York; To Mr. CHARLES VEZIN and Miss ANNIE MEYERS, of Philadelphia; To Mr. GEORGE P. UPTON of Chicago, am I indebted for encouragement and aid. From the laurel leaves their hands have brought, I have twined a wreath with the simple love and gratitude which my heart held, and must ever hold, for my dear master and friend, LOUIS MOREAU GOTTSCHALK. BOSTON, August, 1870. OCTAVIA HENSEL. INTRODUCTORY. 41 ALBION STREET, HYDE PARK, LONDON, March 22, 1870. TO MADAM UCTAVIA HENSEL, Boston. My Dear Madam, — I have received your letter, and, as far as time allows, will try and satisfy your demands. But first let me thank you for the true love and respect with which you speak of our dearly beloved brother, and tell you that I can entertain no doubt, that, even had you not the talent to write a book worthy of the greatest and best man that ever was, the real appreciation you seem to have had of his purity and nobility of sentiment would enable you to place before the public a book which his sisters and brother will fully approve. Yet let me tell you it is a difficult, and to me, his sister, almost an impossible task. No words can ever give an idea of what he was! Those only who had read him when alive can understand the greatness of his genius and moral worth. Nevertheless, your book is a tribute of love, admiration, and respect, and as such must be acceptable to the public. As to his sisters, — who long to join him, who yearn to give him an embrace, whose hearts are utterly broken, whose lives are all dark since their guardian angel what will it be to them! They love those who is gone, 5 |