I was born in Geneva (a city in Switzerland). My family was very important in that city. For many years, my family members were counsellors (important people who help lead a city). My father worked for the government for a long time. Everyone respected Uncle Henry because he was honest. He worked very hard for his country.
Uncle Henry did not marry when he was young. He was too busy with his work. He only became a husband and a father when he was older. The story of his marriage shows that he was a very kind man. I must tell you this story.
One of Uncle Henry’s best friends was a merchant (a person who buys and sells things to make money). His name was Mr. Beaufort. At first, Mr. Beaufort was very rich. But then he lost all his money. He became very poor.
Mr. Beaufort was a proud man. He did not want to live in poverty in his own city. He paid all his debts and moved away. He went to the town of Lucerne with his daughter, Caroline Beaufort. They lived there quietly. No one knew them, and they were very unhappy.
Uncle Henry loved Mr. Beaufort. He was very sad when Mr. Beaufort went away. Uncle Henry did not like that his friend was too proud to ask for help. Uncle Henry wanted to find Mr. Beaufort. He wanted to give Mr. Beaufort money to start a new business.
Mr. Beaufort hid himself very well. Uncle Henry looked for him for ten months. Finally, Uncle Henry found the house. The house was in a small, dirty street near a river. When Uncle Henry entered the house, he saw only sadness.
Mr. Beaufort had only a little money left. He hoped to find a job in a shop, but he was too sad to work. He sat and thought about his problems. His sadness grew every day. After three months, Mr. Beaufort became very sick. He could not even get out of bed.
Caroline Beaufort took care of her father. She was very kind to him. But she saw that their money was almost gone. Caroline Beaufort was a very brave woman. She decided to find work to earn money.
Caroline Beaufort made straw hats and did other small jobs. She earned a very small amount of money. It was just enough to buy bread. She worked very hard for many months. However, her father became even sicker.
Ten months after they moved, Mr. Beaufort died. Caroline Beaufort was now an orphan (a child whose parents are dead). She was also a beggar because she had no money. She knelt by Mr. Beaufort’s coffin (the wooden box for a dead person) and cried.
At that moment, Uncle Henry entered the room. He was like a kind spirit. He took care of Caroline Beaufort. After they buried Mr. Beaufort, Uncle Henry took Caroline Beaufort to Geneva. She lived with a relative for two years. Then, Caroline Beaufort became Uncle Henry’s wife.
Uncle Henry was much older than Caroline Beaufort. But they loved each other very much. Uncle Henry respected his wife. He remembered how much she suffered in the past. He wanted to make her happy.
Uncle Henry wanted to protect Caroline Beaufort. He treated her like a beautiful flower from a far country. He stayed with her and cared for her. She was often tired because of her difficult past. Uncle Henry left his job so they could travel together.
They went to Italy to enjoy the warm weather. They also visited Germany and France. I was their first child. I was born in Naples, Italy. For several years, I was their only child. My parents loved each other, and they loved me very much.
I remember my mother’s kind touch and my father’s smile. I was very important to them. They felt it was their duty to make me happy. They taught me how to be patient and kind. My early life was full of joy.
For five years, I was the only child. My mother wanted a daughter very much. When I was five years old, we lived near a lake in Italy. My parents were very kind to poor people. They often visited the small houses of the poor to give them food.
One day, my mother and I visited a very poor house. We saw five hungry children. One child was very different from the others. The other four children had dark eyes and dark hair. This girl was very thin and had very light skin.
Her hair was a beautiful gold color. She looked like a little angel. Her eyes were blue and her face was very sweet. My mother looked at the girl with wonder. The woman in the house told my mother the girl’s story.
The girl was not her child. The girl was the daughter of a rich man from Italy. Her mother was German and died when the girl was born. The girl’s father fought for the freedom of his country. Then, the father disappeared. Perhaps he died in a dungeon (a dark prison under the ground).
The girl became an orphan and a beggar. The poor family took her, and she lived with them. She was like a beautiful rose in a field of weeds. When Uncle Henry returned, he saw the girl playing with me.
The girl was Elizabeth Lavenza. My mother asked the poor family if she could take Elizabeth Lavenza. The family loved the girl, but they were very poor. They knew Elizabeth Lavenza would have a better life with my parents.
The family said yes. Elizabeth Lavenza came to live in our house. She was more than a sister to me. She was my beautiful friend. We did everything together. Everyone loved Elizabeth Lavenza.
Before Elizabeth Lavenza arrived, my mother told me a secret. She said, "I have a beautiful present for Victor. He will have it tomorrow." When I saw Elizabeth Lavenza, I thought she was a real gift for me.
I decided then that I must protect, love, and care for her. I felt that Elizabeth Lavenza belonged to me. We called each other "cousin." She was my best friend, and I knew we would be together until we died.