Page:Maria Felicia.pdf/10

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PUBLISHERSNOTE

longed to the persecuted religious sect known as the Bohemian Brethren, was very proud of his lively, prattling, black-eyed little girl, and, being a true Bohemian, he often walked with her through the streets of Old Prague, telling her of deeds that were done there in the glorious days of old when Bohemia was free, and instilling into her young heart that undying love for her native land which has been her leading motive in her life’s work. Her grandmother fed her imagination with fairy-tales, folk-lore and songs; and thus the young dreamer was inspired to compose many a romantic tale before she was able to write it down.

Notwithstanding the revival of Bohemian literature, the nation was becoming Germanized; to speak Bohemian was considered almost ill-bred; to express patriotic sentiments was dangerous. Johanna’s grandmother informed her that she must learn to speak German as soon as possible. When the precocious little creature wrote a paper on the suppression of the Bohemian language, her