It afforded me genuine pleasure to look through the Keilhau reports.  Each contained a description of character, with a criticism of the work accomplished, partly with reference to the pupil’s capacity, partly to the demands of the school.  Some are little masterpieces of psychological penetration.

Many of those who have followed these statements will ask how the German nature and German character can be developed in the boys.

It was thoroughly done in Keilhau.

But the solution of the problem required men like Langethal and Middendorf, who, even in their personal appearance models of German strength and dignity, had fought for their native land, and who were surpassed in depth and warmth of feeling by no man.

I repeat that what Froebel termed German was really the higher traits of human character; but nothing was more deeply imprinted on our souls than love for our native land.  Here the young voices not only extolled the warlike deeds of the brave Prussians, but recited with equal fervor all the songs with which true patriotism has inspired German poets.  Perhaps this delight in Germanism went too far in many respects; it fostered hatred and scorn of everything “foreign,” and was the cause of the long hair and cap, pike and broad shirt collar worn by many a pupil.  Yet their number was not very large, and Ludo, our most intimate friends, and I never joined them.

Barop himself smiled at their “Teutonism” but indulged it, and it was stimulated by some of the teachers, especially the magnificent Zeller, so full of vigour and joy in existence.  I can still see the gigantic young Swiss, as he made the pines tremble with his “Odin, Odin, death to the Romans!”

One of the pupils, Count zur Lippe, whose name was Hermann, was called “Arminius,” in memory of the conqueror of Varus.  But these were external things.

On the other hand, how vividly, during the history lesson, Langethal, the old warrior of 1813, described the course of the conflict for liberty!

Friedrich Froebel had also pronounced esteem for manual labour to be genuinely and originally German, and therefore each pupil was assigned a place where he could wield spades and pickaxes, roll stones, sow, and reap.

These occupations were intended to strengthen the body, according to Froebel’s rules, and absorbed the greater part of the hours not devoted to instruction.

Midway up the Dissauberg was the spacious wrestling-ground with the shooting-stand, and in the court-yard of the institute the gymnasium for every spare moment of the winter.  There fencing was practised with fleurets (thrusting swords), not rapiers, which Barop rightly believed had less effect upon developing the agility of youthful bodies.  Even when boys of twelve, Ludo and I, like most of the other pupils, had our own excellent rifles, a Christmas gift from our mother, and how quickly our keen young eyes learned