, 1870-05-29
FAMOUS EUROPEANS,
Thck1n Ton Gunupcrt4

FAMOUS EUROPEANS
ThckIn ron Guupcr14
H.ttfs for In Chicago 1tiD.ne,
somo twenty-five years ago there naa noted
literary and musical critic In Berlin, thcn first
becoming the terror Of all adventu1ers In the
literary or musical world. To have Hallstah
approve, eTcn condescendingIy, Was at least
consolatory; to be froxned upon by him wss
tantamount to failure. At that time he WAS
the mortal enemy Of McYerbcer, and had at
tackled "Robcrt 10 DiAbIe" 60 numerically
that, when "The Husuenots" waa ready for
presentation On the Berlin stage, it was
thought necessary to get him out Of the way.
So, while be WIS already whstting his critical
knife and ernacking his lips for tho slaughter,
Meyerbeer'e friends succeeded in persu2ding
tie editor OF the vossiehsn Zestung to send
him OF to Hamburg, whero a terrible confla-
grafton had made three-iourths OF tho town
desolate, and rouaed tho sympathy OF al
Europe. Rel1stab and Meysrbeer became
WITH friends long nfter, learning to DO Just In
their estimation Of each other.
Such being the cEitic's roputaton-ho waa
clever, in the main honest, though man OF
violent prejudices-it was bright day
for TheklA Won Gumpcrt, ! quar-
ter Of century ago, when Nelistab
wrote for tho T'ossisoacn zei,ung: "There
arc . few books which leaYo us With but ono
Wish-to be Agniu child in order to enjoy
them with the enthusiasm, absorbed attention
truth, in reading them we become again child
ren. I Fit here in the corner and could stay
here forever; there is i little companion Ii
front Of me with wide-open, eager eyes, su-
premely happy, and in most delightful sus-
rensc, while | read The Little Father and
grow bigger, 10 that he can read the story him
sell. The book is not written for children Of
any particular age, for It appeals not 60 much
to tho childish intellect - to tho childish heart
Lay it On every Christmas table whcro thcre
arc any children, anu rest assured It is suit
able for hM.~
The little book was the first vanturo Of a
young lady hithnrto quito unknown. It hns
maintained its hold upon popular favor, anil
its lxtest edition bears last yeaxs lato. The
nnthoress was born in 1910 in Kafisch. Five
years later, her father was appointed Medical
Councillor BY the government, and removed
happy childhood. t vas hero that tbe friond.
ship between herself and the young daughter
of the Princess Louise OF Prussia, the
I1incess Wcnda Radziwill, eprang up,
lasting ..thronEh the lifetime Of The
latter When about 2, TheklA lost her father,
and removed with tho widowed mother and
Young eisters TO EMAIL family estate in Klaus
thai She amused herself here BY writing
stories for the children, though without any
intention Of future publication. Shortly after,
ller friend, the Princess WendA, who had mar
red so1no years before, died, leaving two or
three little ones, and the anxious wish that
1hekl. should have charge Of them. At tho
end of si1 years she again Joined her mother,
Fraulien Gumpert Ind now naado up
her mind definitely to a literary
career. She vas enthusiastic, had an init
n1ato knowledge Of childish character, and
childish literature There were hobgoblin
stories by the thousand, there wore a1traEa-
CANT lcgends enough on the tongue Of erery
old nusao in the country, but Of the stories or
acter there were fcw. At least, the sugar was
too thiniy hid On to make the exalted riztuo
or stufy wisdom p,latable. She became
greatly interested in charitable institutions Of
varied character, visiting London for tho
special purpose Of becoming acquainted with
the no6iest charities Of England.
For many years she wrote charming stories
for the benefit Of many charitable foundations
il Germany, ller iatest being written in 1868,
Of East Prussia
sho married tho Counsellor Of Legation,
Herr Franz Won Schober, and, since 1856, has
lived III Dresden. Unfortunate!y there Cal, bo
said to be two cpochs in the style OF thought OF
this lady. She delighted generation OF Little
most ingenious. naughty scsapesi the most
pathetic Of childish woes, all narrated with tho
most cha1niug faithfulness to nature.
Then suddenly new influence ap-
pears to hare surrounded her. She
/, took 10 telling goody-goody eto1ies
AL OF her heroes and heroines became early
imbued with religious fanaticism quite. pain.
!; fui in those 60 young; all tho pious. good one.
died sitter nralauchcs OF misfortune sent upon
| ihen to perfect their patience; al the inter
| esting, naughty ones went to the bad. Spas
modically nhe would ALLOW the old Adam to re,
sutno lis sway, and his old admirers would bt
again rallied around her by some simple, Purss
caro-, o. the Afe of sons origins
Of Of ''' some 'Nad sd = crippled soidie.
Since 1855 >she has devoted heEscl
t,aAeheas zciscertreia, both publis.ssd AZ
nually in Glogan, the first for young girls, til
! last for Younger children. She has writer
naturally, when one considers the qnandt,
much thAt il very bad and also much that
very good, but still she has filled that mos
| Qu0Cu1t ulllct, HIltluS lOI tae JouuSs N4lA
great deal moro than average success.
; younger generation Of writer's las entered th
same iie1d, but the samc difhcnlty aeena to t
t,ouLling them which was long such
, stumbling block in tho way OF or
A.-.sri.,-1s auEl,o+. at ths eanrp class--tEcy \
w5nt to kdrh too much. 1t absolutely wcArfe
oue TO wsde through the pon3erous scientia
and historic, theorctic and practical los
which is cramued into tho books for unfortt
nate childhood. Tho only consolation Ia, thl
they will die for want Of readers. and viii
they 1re Wondering on publishers backcoun
\ ere, there will come u bright day for autho
i'll some things like Yhok}a Won Gunpert, and
many thinGt, let German children devout
hore, her superior a. 4.