The two Americans found their fellow-students men of fine character and every way lovable, being earnest and devoted religious.  They admired their thorough proficiency in all classical and literary studies, the result of old-world method and application.  Mentally and physically they were splendid men.  The whole race of Flemings and Dutch was found by our young recruits to be a grave and powerful people, although exceptional cases of mercurial temperament were not rare.  Some curious individuals were to be found among them, as is more the case in European nationalities in general than in our own.  Both Americans were much liked and respected by all their new-found brethren, though Brother Hecker, for reasons soon to be told, was sometimes ridiculed in a way that distressed him.  Brother Walworth, having studied much before entering the order, was placed at once in the theological department and Brother Hecker in the philosophical.  The former was even dispensed from one year of his theology, taking but two years of the three which formed the full course.  The difference of studies separated the two companions almost wholly from each other, members of the two departments not being allowed even to speak together except on extraordinary occasions.

All went smoothly with Brother Walworth.  Not so with Brother Hecker, who was expected to make two years of philosophy and meantime to increase his stock of Latin.  But his faculties had been subjected to spiritual experiences of so absorbing a nature that he found study impossible.  And when Brother Walworth was in due course ordained priest, in August, 1848, his companion was stuck fast where he had begun.  It need not be said that so earnest a soul made every effort to study, but all was in vain.  In the statement made in Rome ten years later, and referred to before, we find the following: 

“My wish was to make a thorough course (of studies) and begin with philosophy.  This the superior granted.  My intellect in all scientific (scholastic) matters seemed stupid, it was with great difficulty that its attention could be kept on them for a few moments, and my memory retained of these things nothing.  At the close of the first year (at Wittem) all ability to pursue my studies had altogether departed.  This state of things perplexed my superiors, and on being asked what they could do with me, my answer was, ’One of three things:  make me a lay brother; send me to a contemplative order which does not require scientific (scholastic) studies; or allow me to pursue, at my free moments, my studies by myself.’  Instead of either of these they gave me charge of the sick, which was my sole (regular) occupation for the whole year following.  During this year my stupidity augmented and reduced me to a state next to folly, and it was my delight to be treated as a fool.  One day, when my fellow-students were treating me as such, and throwing earth at me, an ancient father, venerated for his gifts and virtues, suddenly turned