The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-03-09
FREDERICKA BRION, GOETHE'S
FIRST LOVE.
From Appleton's Journal
FRANCES A. SHAW.

/
hom, as a child Venus cradles in her
arms whose eyes Phebus anoints
" hose lips Hermes touches; upon whose
forehead Jove pressed the seal-of power
An exhaulted destiny shall be his, for.
ere the beginning of the conflict, his
temples are wreathed with bay"
Such favored one of Heaven seemed
Goet he whom Germany recognized as
her greatest genius. and to whom the
world might jus ly assign place among
modern poets and sdamstists, second
only to that of Shakespeare. sa
The only son Of rich banker and
Imperial counsellor Johann w pltgang
Won Goethe was born AT Frank fortton
the Main IN the year Of 1749 10 this,
| her Sunday child, = her darling, Nature
came laden WITH the choicest gifts.
Beauty wealth, genius, friends, Statlon-
all were his. Life was to be to him no
Uio d0}0rosGup which he must toll, bear
Ing he cross Of neglect and perjury.
| The bitterness of.'eellug his best eff 'rts
uoappreclated, OF seeing his best
thoughts fal cold upon The public ear,
were never his. Poverty, which eats in
to the St nsative soul of genius Ike n
canker, AMI is sure to sadden. If 1t dees
NOT harden, he never knew. The mp
ward path WAS made snn pth for him,
Willie proud, loving frie uds stood by To
all him in every earnest work, to cheer
him ON To every high endeavors
Had he been less the grand, noble ge
MUS he was, he might have become he
! spoiled child OF afflueAce and adulotton
But he had aims in life higher than
pleasure, broader than power, and he
could not turn u deaf ear to the voice
within, urging him on to grand and loft
4 " things. Conscious of his splendid
Il gifts, he heartily and eXultantiy set
/ about hlsappoiEtc d work. $50 saaE
"On his pride, his sacred pride in his
beauty ties the Child" B, TINA
won Arnm; ana the outward eca>ket Was
indeed worthy of the prlncely soul it
enshrined. The form, above the medi-
um height, WAS that of a stalwart Hercu
les, while the face and head had the
ideal beauty OF an Appolo. The brow
was high and massive; he features were
clear and finely cut. us III the M dels OF
classic art; The eyes arge. deep, and
lu>trous the conn lexipn fresh AMI glow
ing 1t is SAID that his personal ap
pcarance was so striking that whenever
ne en- cred public place, even as a
stranger, all eyes were at once fixed up
OH uim. Gs a saEa gs.ts5
In youth he was wild, adventurous
fellow, whose slight regard to worldly
convention;nites greatly outraged hls
precise, pcmpous old father. With
, Years his manners grew courtly and d g
ntGed, even naughty; but his haughu-
a, IS was not that ut TIA pGroeAu or cox
comb. He could look beyond the sur
face, and his respect for men Was not
based upon the station the world assign
Ell them. Worth and tai ut guild Ell
hum IN the choice Of friends, and, to
f those he chose to facinlte, he was through
lie the most fascinating - men.
: But this man, SO favored ily fortune,
50 exalted by genius, SO idollzed by his
CLOVIS, was, after all, a man with the
usual Weaknesses and trailties, and
among his greatest faults, was untruth
To the better feelings Of his own heart.
Courted and caressed by all, he was an
especial iavorite with women, and, being
much IN society, he could be neither
blind nor deaf to their admiration. o.
susceptible, inpulsive nature, from
youth to mlddle lie he was continually
falling in love. As he loved readily, he
forgot easily, and most of his attach
ments Of THIS kind were very transient
but there was one deeper and more endur
ing-his first re0t love, and his best OF
THIS We purpose to speak briefly.
In his twenty second year young
Goethe, went 10 Strasbourg to complete
his law studies at the University. One
pleasant October day he WAS invited by
~ fria al MI ny f,,n
enheim, lovely country village, lying
III one of the most delightful regions OF
Alsace, and pay visit to Pastor Brion,
the spiritual shepherd of that rural com
munlty. 7a
The Brions, in their simple, refined,
cheerful home, life, forcibly reminded
the young student of the charming fam.
lily in Goldsmlth's Vicar of Wakefield"
In Pastor Brlon and his excellent wife he
saw the good Vicar and his spouse Sal
mon, The older daughter, he called Oil
VIA; Fredericka, the younger, Sophia !;
and, when the only son and brother ap-
peared, be could scarce help exclaiming,
f" Moses and are you here, too?"
Freder;cka, rnmping young girl of
sixteen, upon his arrival, was, as usual,
assent on her outdoor wanderings. At
ter while she came tripping into the
room, apparently not at all aWed by the
presence OF the aristocrAUic young gen.
tleman from he city. She was bright
blthesome young creature, and the fresh
piquant style OF her beauty was greatly
enhanced by the charming dresss she
wore-the old German costume, seldom
St Ell outside the rural Districts bodice
lghliy fitting the form, short full skirt,
displaying the neatest of feet and ankles,
and black silk apron.