From: Emmental, Province Bessarabia
15 December 1911

Although I am not a subscriber to the Staats-Anzeiger, I read the paper regularly at my son-in-law’s Zachäus Kopp, and I have to admit I find the paper very interesting. That is why I decided to write now and then to the paper and hope my writing will not end up in the wastebasket. (*Editor: It will be a pleasure for us to be honored with more contributions from you, especially if they are of a less personal nature as the following. We are not interested in provoking controversies among our correspondents. What we want are news reports about interesting events or about things, which will be of common interest for the circle of our readers. Contributions of this kind will never end up in the wastebasket.)

Every human being has his price and so I read in the Issues #12, 13, 14 and 19 correspondences from here, written by Romuald Dirk, in which he is attacking the people of Emmental. (*Editor: If he did so, the attacks weren’t directed to a single person. Mr. Dirk is talking about conditions and circumstances in general.)

Those attacks don’t bring honor to us and some stories are exaggerated or even invented. I really want to know what Mr. Dirk wants from us Emmentalers and what he has to complain about. We all bought land, some more than the others - we can’t all be equal, one is rich the other is poor – but everybody owns house and yard and some acres of land.

Certainly there are even farmers who own 100, 200 or 400 acres of land, steam mills and some thousands of rubles in addition. Not everyone can have it like that. But I really would like to hear what Mr. Dirk owns. Does he own half an acre of land, a house, a yard or even a dog shed he can call his own? No, the gentleman has nothing but a ragged coat on his back. That’s why I advise him, never talk bad about people if you are not sure it is true and if you really know it is true then you must ask yourself, why are you telling it? Our best thoughts are coming from our heart, but the bad ones are coming from a silly head.

Waste of time is the biggest stupidity and Mr. Dirk isn’t very careful with his time. Didn’t Mr. Dirk’s father send his son with the best of intentions to the seminary in Sarata? Didn’t his father spend a lot of money for that? But did Mr. Romuald Dirk do anything good there? He learned nothing but skylarking and smart tricks until the head teacher chucked him out.

What kind of references did Mr. Dirk get from the education authority? None at all! Why not? Don’t forget - it depends on how you are using your time; time will always be ready to harm you.

A soldier became worried about saving his soul and came to the realization and experience of the salvation in Jesus Christ. But now he became the target of his careless comrades and officers’ mockery. One of the officers he was to serve asked him daily, “What does your piety gain for you?” “Sir”, the soldier answered, “before I was converted I was drunk every day but now I am sober. Then I neglected my service but now I fulfill my duty.”

The officer was shamed and silent.

Good courage in everything is half of your life; a lazy life can only cause heartbreak.

If Mr. Dirk had learned at school, as his schoolmates did, he would be a priest or teacher today. Now he is neither priest or teacher, nor farmer nor shepherd for cows or sheep.

Who doesn’t honor is worth nothing.

Who learns wisdom only from books and doesn’t think and lives wise himself,

Will be further from the wisdom the more he strives to get nearer to the wisdom.

When Mr. Dirk’s father died in the village of Krasna, he left for his son the house, the farm and some money. Where is it today? Mr. Dirk sold everything, door and nail, for 450 rubles and moved with his family to the gypsy village of Wolontirowka where he opened an inn with a wine bar. How long did he stay there? Not quite a year because he wasn’t able to pay the rent and had to go away.

Don’t do much good to your stomach, it is a strange guest: Who is spoiling the stomach the most will have the most trouble. Merry mood, eat modestly, don’t forget to chew!

Where did Mr. Dirk go next? Apparently to the Russian village Tamur!

What did he do there? Again a wine cellar! How long did he stay there? After some months he had to run again. Probably he didn’t have enough knowledge of such things because he must understand:

Avoiding hot and very cold keeps away much suffering.

Be clear in your beliefs and true in love.

Always be merry in hope.

Not all who scrape will find gold, but even less the poor fools, which are digging greedily where others already found treasures.

Now Mr. Dirk came to Emmental. What does he do here? Nothing!

Some time ago he also went to Krasna and visited the church. That was praiseworthy of him, but nobody wanted to stand near him since the vermin were playing boldly on his coat.

That isn’t in fashion yet in Krasna, but you can watch such performances very often in the gypsy village of Wolontirowka, also in the Russian village Tamur.

I’d like to give Mr. Dirk some advice.

Who wants to live and feel good, must not care about other people’s sins.

You must not rub salt in the wounds of those near you.

Thoughts are duty-free.

Take into you mouth rice pudding. Who waits for the bread of other people will go hungry to bed very often.

Then again:

Who looks too deep into the glass will get glassy eyes.

If you want to hunt for wisdom, learn first to tell the truth.

German in your heart, brave and quiet; then come whatever will.

Hard work brings bread, laziness desperation.

Does Mr. Dirk know these sayings?

From a kernel of truth the liar bakes a loaf of bread.

Greetings to all the readers of the Staats-Anzeiger and the editorial staff!

M. Gross