Schumanns and Johannes Brahms

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. Hen I began to write down these Memoirs in the year 1920, I was guided by a definite intention. I find that erroneous statements are current concerning [the lives and characters of my brothers. To disprove these by giving a faithful picture of their personalities as they are revealed first-hand in their letters, seemed to me a duty to them not only as beloved brothers, but as sons of our parents. I am not sure that I had publication in view _i felt constrained to say how things had really been, and I started to write. One word led to another, one remembrance called forth a thousand. I wrote for the pleasure of writing I surveyed my life and lingered where I listed. The longer I wrote, the more it was my mother's personality which became the prominent one. On her eightieth birthday I surprised my sister Marie with the first five chapters. She was pleased with them. A kind publisher who read them gave me encouragement, and induced me to supplement and revise. I took up the pen once more and found that I had many more things to say. The disconnected chapters became a book. If I have given little in it, it is the best that I have to give, the memories of great and good characters, of great and good: times.