She also referred with much
pride to the retired Oberpedell which she had in her house, explaining
that that meant "Superior Porter."
The news about her children was no less glorious. The oldest was the
wise one of the family. He was devoted to philology and the historical
sciences, but his sight was growing weaker all the time because of his
omnivorous reading. Soon he would be a Doctor, and before he was
thirty, a Herr Professor. The mother lamented that he had not military
aspirations, considering that his tastes had somewhat distorted the
lofty destinies of the family. Professorships, sciences and literature
were more properly the perquisites of the Jews, unable, because of their
race, to obtain preferment in the army; but she was trying to console
herself by keeping in mind that a celebrated professor could, in time,
acquire a social rank almost equal to that of a colonel.
Her other four sons would become officers. Their father was preparing
the ground so that they might enter the Guard or some aristocratic
regiment without any of the members being able to vote against their
admission. The two daughters would surely marry, when they had reached
a suitable age with officers of the Hussars whose names bore the magic
"von" of petty nobility, haughty and charming gentlemen about whom the
daughter of Misia Petrona waxed most enthusiastic.
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