His grandfather Fontane, while teaching the princes of
Prussia the art of drawing, won the friendship of Queen Luise, who
later appointed him her private secretary. Our poet's father, Louis
Fontane, served his apprenticeship as an apothecary in Berlin. In 1818
the stately Gascon married Emilie Labry, whose ancestors had come from
the Cevennes, not far from the region whence the Fontanes had
emigrated to Germany. The young couple moved to Neu-Ruppin, where they
bought an apothecary's shop. Here Theodor was born on the thirtieth of
December, 1819.
Louis Fontane was irresponsible and fantastic, full of _bonhomie_, and
an engaging story teller. He possessed a "stupendous" fund of
anecdotes of Napoleon and his marshals, and told them with such charm
that his son acquired an unusual fondness for anecdotes, which he
indulges extensively in some of his writings, particularly the
autobiographical works and books of travel. The problem of making both
ends meet seems to have occupied the father less than the
gratification of his "noble passions," chief among which was card
playing. He gambled away so much money that in eight years he was
forced to sell his business and move to other parts. He purposely
continued the search for a new business as long as possible, but
finally bought an apothecary's shop in Swinemuende.
His young wife was passionate and independent, energetic and
practical, but unselfish. To her husband's democratic tendency she
opposed a strong aristocratic leaning.
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