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their whole lives or not- The men all belong to clubs and a great many to half a dozzen. Their word Gesellschaft designates germans as essentially a roast beef does Englishmen - Everyone of any standing has his Gesellschaft where he can chat away his evening over his wine or beer and pipe, and the lower orders their beer-houses - I limit myself to two one of which is the painters Club, and the smartest in town - The other, of quite an opposite character composed chiefly of the King's best friends and a great number of his military servants, and Lovers of their country as it is, where republicanism cant be mentioned above a whisper.

I belong to this because they have the only two good billiard tables in town and take an English newspaper - My acquaintance with Society generally is very slight, I divide my leisure time between the clubs, fumbling in german dictionaries, dominoes, riding horseback, Galignani's Messenger, and a few other promiscuous exercises, rather hard pushed for amusement any how- They have an opera here but I go seldom - The women are not handsome - Pretty girls are rare and I've not been in Love once for the year and a half - Up to the present time I've not felt a pang since I left America, and you may think this evidence of a great poverty of charms in the fair sex of Dusseldorf.

I've had to be sure no fair sitters to spend my hours with when they were trying to look lovely - I am painting away with men companions and very diligently, trying to get the hang of it, which I find I assure you no easy matter - I sent a couple of things to the Art Union sometime ago, and shall presently send them something more, an Italian girl, and a monk- very bad- I do nothing in my old way of crayons.

I am delighted you find the portrait of your Mother so satisfactory, and assure you am doubly paid for my pains in the pleasure it gives you - I desire to be remembered in the kindest manner with best wishes for her health and happiness- Since the first of January I've been with Leutze - our studio is a large hall where six of us paint with Convenience, and three on large pictures. The chief, is Leutze's of "Washington crossing the Delaware" 20 feet by 16,figures size of Life - It is already perhaps two thirds finished, and 

I am making a copy on a reduced scale from which an engraving is to be made - It is sold to the owners of the International A. Union of N. York, and will be exhibited thro. the States in the fall - With six in a room, a cask of the best "Laurish Beer" always behind the great canvass and a disposition to be jolly you may be sure it does not want for animation - Leutze is an energetic and talkative fellow, generous and full of spirits - He is [[paper damaged]] artists here, and in an atelier a vast deal of company, as he paints, talks, sings and [[?]] altogether.

To give a more decided tone to the place three cannons were recently brot. and a battery constructed with the stars and stripes waving on one side and the black and white of Prussia on the other - Nothing could exceed the enjoyment produced by the sound of the entire battery, so that almost everyone that enters is recd. with three guns, and accordingly up to the present time there has been a pretty uninterrupted cannonade - 

The fun has been increased by shooting with bullets also, and the walls are fearfully scarred with this continued bombardment - These people are very different from us - They amuse themselves in whatever innocent way that is possible, and altho. I have always thot. they were called heavy and phlegmatic, I have never seen so much of social spirit and animation as among the germans. With so much tumult you might suppose there could be very little work, but Leutze has painted the m... [[hole in paper]] of his immense picture in the last three months - One of our six is a nobleman, a "Graff" (corresponding to an English Earl) whose chief ambition is to paint landscapes [[hole in paper]] - Am uncertain how long I shall remain here, probably leave in the summer for Italy, perhaps first to Paris - I am desirous to go somewhere where I can get something to eat, for german living has taken me down dreadfully, present appearances to the contrary notwithstanding - With my immense mustachios and all, I think you would scarcely know me - I have of course learned to talk german to some little extent, otherwise I should be miserably off. At scolding I am a tolerable hand. I am anxious for the fine weather to come to take a little scour about the "seven mountains" which you may be aware includes the Drachenfels, and is only two hours from here by railroad thro. Cologne, and almost the finest part of the Rhine - I have made 


[[center fold]] When do you go to Gorham to see the folks - Where is Ben Davis-
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Transcription Notes:
Galignani was an Italian newspaper publisher who published Galignani's Messenger, a daily paper Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze was a German-American history painter best known for his 1851 painting Washington Crossing the Delaware.