Pastor Spitta monologue (Act 1) — The Dramatic Works of Gerhart Hauptmann, Volume II

But that's horrible! That's frightful! That far exceeds my worst fears! And so my eyes have been opened.--My dear sir, I have had eight children, of whom Erich seemed our fairest hope and his next-oldest sister our heaviest trial. And now, it seems, the same accursed city has demanded them both as its victims. The girl developed prematurely, she was beautiful ... and ... But I must mention another circumstance now, I have, been in Berlin for three days and I haven't seen Erich yet. When I tried to see him to-day, he was not at home in his rooms. I waited for a while and naturally looked about me in my son's dwelling. And now: look at this picture, sir!