Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-07-02
Gnerarp.
Leaving Home.


were not numerous, but they,were sufficiently so
to produce powerful effect upon me. / read the
Phantasus of Ludwig Teck, volume of Rhenish
legends; bits from Jean Paul Richter; some of the
sweet ballads of Uhlane, and finally translation
of Wilhelm Meister, which read and re-read but
could not understand which perhaps was one
cause for my admiration of it.
Perhaps also, it is much more common now,
than in my day, to admire certain incomprehensi-
BILE German authors; and have often thought
that their charm lay in their ncomprehensibility
/ When the famous DR.. Parr left his little country
parish, he was succeeded by less learned, but
devoted aud excellent minister. "A visitor in the
neighborhood questioned shock-headed clodpole,
as to the merits of the pastor.
'Oh, quoth Giles, she be nowt loike Doctor
| Parr.'
But is he not a very good preacher'
'Au aye, beloike he be goodsh preacher, but
no Latner, measter, no Latiner.'
Oh, ye German philosophers, ye too have count
! less shock-headed clodpoles among your readers,
who love you only because they cannot under
| stand you; and who prefer your misty appear
] ulSOS W NOu tfutL, NHeH WTltIen Dy one VINO
| is no Latiner.
| But to return to myself. My favorte reading
| produced in me a wish which soon grew into
| yearnng to visit Germany, and to enter Ger
man University. | began to write metaphysical
poems; songs in wine and Rhine whereof eve
ry other verse had the word weird in it, the ad-
jectives were, Solemn mysterious, wild etc,
| 1 H. 1 ~
manic most other such things written by young
Americans.
Then talked in extraordinary language, made
up of compound adjectves and unusual nouns. |
spoke of inception of deos,' of the eternal L. of
the 'solemnity of man. and | told Florry that
what we knew of the human soul, vas that it
was individual and mythical, which was the total
ty Of its possible eomprehensibility. And Florry
would open her large brown eyes and stare at me
in reverent, but ignorant admirationi but nv
my mother would fix her quiet look on mine, with
quizxcal smile upon her lips, until l would get
red, and an irrepressible grin would break out
from me. half-indignant, and half-sheepish. |
never could humbug her with ray philosophy.
She was remarkable musician, and especially
Beethoven, but above all, the master of Masters,
Mozart. inherited from her, the acutest sensi-
Eility 10 music; haYe never known anybody so
instantly, and so powerfully affected by sounds
The swell of the military trumpet, the deep, har-
monious rolling of the religious organ, the sing
ing of plaintve melody, like the Last Rose of
Summer or the Ginning of holy bells,could change
% &c
med on every piano, were the waltzes of Desire
and of Sorrow, Von Weber's last waltz bits from
Mozart's requiem, and these being German, only
served to increase my desire to visit that harmon
ious lana
At last, could no longer restrain my yearnngs
and teased my mother until | at last wrung
from her a reluctant consent. Then it was deci-
ded. As soon as had accomplished my junior
year in old Columbia, which would be just after
my nineteenth birthday, was to leave home
One thing, however, all my entreaties failed to
accomplish; | wanted to go to Gottingen or Hell
delberg, but my mother was immoVeabe in this.
If go | must, it should be to Bonn; the other two
establishments were filled with skeptical Profes-
sors, mysticism was the fashionable form of be-
4lel vi anu hIlch IOO NCIl Ito CutCl
upon the young and half educated So was OBJ
liged to acquiesce, and the shores of old Father
Rhine were to be blest by my presence.
1 had some sort of far off kinsman who dwelt
in summer near Andernach; he had married one
of our English cousins, and to him was to be es
pecially recommended. Letters for Bonn were
easily procurable, and an introduction or two in
Do-1 III Ho1 III Il
to 60 with us, if he could be brought to give his
consent, but he had shown so violent disappro-
baton of my departure, that twas feared that his
society," however desirable, would be unattaina-
ble
At the proper time, however, he was ordered
before the council of three which sat in the draw
| ing room, and when he made his bow was thus
addressed:
you know, Soc, that Paul is going away next
week"
| Yes, know, but wouldn't let him if / was
Missus. What good Massa Pol git by goin dar!
| Why cant'um stay home wild his mudder and his
lily sister and old Socr
1T is too late to argue that topic now Soc, for
| his passage is taken. But he wants you to go
! with him
Go wild 'um! Go way from you, Missus, and
nobody to take care of you and and Miss Florry?
Why turning Indignantly towards me, why, mas
sa Pol, what a unreasonable boy you isl
Well, but, Soc, said, will you let me go off
among strangers all alone in this way?
'Taint no use talkin, Massa Poll ole Soc he git
in too ole to travel Can't leave Missis, ole Soc
can't.
But Soc,' said my mother, we will have friends
here all about us, and we viii be at home in our
own comfortable house; here, where everybody
knows and respects u.s. But Paul will be sur
rounded by strangers, and if you refuse to CO. will
not have one single friend to talk to of his home
What, Missus, you want to send ole Soc away?'
said the poor fellow, mournfuly.
No, my friend, not unless you wish to go. But
1 thought you loved Paul we'll enough not to part
with him so easy
The tears gathered in the old fellows eyes as he
said, 4 do love little Massa Pol; ole Soc cut his
hand off for Massa Pol, but he love Missus too
Nebber mind. GO
That's good fellow said |.
Then it is settled, Soc, is it? You will go?' ask
ed mamma.