, 1873-12-28
GOETHE.

0upItu 14a AobfuAtltu.
=. GOETHE.
Anecdotes OF Hrs noy-Lifc.
In Ills lately published "story Of Goothe'e
Life" George Horny Lawoa rolatea gome inter-
poet of Germany, who was, II soolns from yari-
| Gus accounts, altogether proeoolous child. At
| years old ho could seldom DO brought to
play with ltttlo ollildron, and only on tie oondl-
began to cry and oxolairn, "That black child
must 80, away! emit bear him n and ho howlod
until ho was carried home, whore ho was slowly
uglinoss OF tho CHILD. Another day, his mother,
neoinE him from hor window across tho street
with hta comrades was amused with tho gravity
mount oroSs q dsngns5 d h hainsns himsaofs from bis Is
companions. Tho lttlo fellow ropiiod. II 6eoin
with thls. Lator on in life shall distinguish
| myself in far othor waya."
On another occasion 10 plagued hor with ques-
tionB "a to whosher tho atara would perform all
they had promised at Ills birth. "Why,' aaid
Bho, "nust you have tho assistance Of the stars,
mot e. e. ssssaea ss Viz w web Tha o9s for
other people, said tho jnvenile Jupiter.
Ho was oarly b reflective listoner to theological
debates, md at one time 1t occurred to him to
fashion. For this purpose ho aelootod some
types, such as oroB md otlor natural produce
| tions, and arranged them In symbolical ordor On
tho elavatf9ns Of ' '1naHio;staa,nd; on the apex
tion, and for this apastilo did duty. Sunrise wns
awaitod with impatlonco. The gllttoring Of tho
housotops gave signal. 10 applied burning
glnss to tho pastile, and thus was tho worship
eonsuulnatod by priest Of years, alono In lis
During hls sixth, sovontl,, and eighth yearB,
hiH father'e method waa to dictate anecdotes to
him, generally something from everyday llfo, or
perhaps trait Of Frederick tho Great; and on
thin tho boy wroto dinlognes md moral roflec-
tions In Latin aud German. sono OF these
havo boen proaorved and published, showing
what maetory ho had thus carly achieved ovor
Latin, writing also, bcforo ho was 8, in French,
Italian, and Greek.
Tho occupation Of frankfort by the French
the boys studies, brought him tho advantages OF
conversational familiarity with tho French Ian
guaga md acquaintance with tho thcatro-tho
army carrying It's CATO and thoatro along with It,.
troluceI him "behind the sconoe," and he be-
cane freauentor of the greon-room and was
admitted into tho dreasIng~room to tho society
ot,aetoy8 and actresses.
grotosque scono took placo between himso1e
and Derones, who cscellea, as he affirmed, In nf-
fairs Of fhonor. IIc Ind beon engaged III several,
and lad always managea to disastn bis nnsago-
pretended that Wolfgang hal insulted lin sat
: isfaetion was peremp.orily demanded and 4 duel
was tue result. Imagine Wolfgang, agol u, ar-
rayod in shoes aud silver buckles. fine woolen
. stockings, dark serge breeches, groom cost with
gold faclngs, q walstcoat Of gold cloth, cut out
Of his fathers wedding -waistooat, Ills hair
eurlod and powdered, hs hat undor bis arm, aud
little sword With silk sword !snot. This little
theatrical formality; swords clash, thrusta come
i quick upon oaeh other, tho combat growa hot,
when tic point OF DeroneB' rapier lodges in the
Fronch boy, with groat magnanimlty, declares
TINT he is satisfied The two-ombraco. md re-
tire to cafe to refresh themselves with q glass
Of alnond-rnilk.
i His mothers admirable method Of cultiyating
) tho inventiyo activity OF the boy ia oharmingly
given IN her own words in describing her story
. telling for his own amusement when ho was very
young:
, "Mr, fire, earth, aud wator, I represented un-
dor tho form Of psineosses, and to all natural
/ phenomena gavo 1neaning, in which almost
, believed moro fesvently than my little hoarorg.
, AS wo thought OF tho paths which lol from star
to star, and that we should one day inhabit tie
stars, and thought Of tho great aprIts We should
meet there, Was as eager for the hours Of story
. toling aa the childreu themselves. was quito
, curious about tho fnture course Of my own i'm
provisation, and any Invitation which interrupts
ed these eVeninga was disagrcoable: There /
s9t, and there Wolfgang held me with his larga
blaolz. eyos, aud when the fate Of one Of bis
!, temples, / sav Elm ropresB lis lis tears. Ho
. often burst in with. but, mother, tho princoaa
WOu tlG lHlluE} 6FGu II HG Q0g9 KILL
, tho giant Aud when / made pause for tho
night, promising to continue it on tho morrow, I
WAS cortnin TINT ho would In tho moanwhilo
think it out for hi1nscf. antl 30 he often stmu-
story according to his plan. and told him he had
found out tho denouemont, then ho was all fire
, and fasno, aud ono could aaa hfs little heart
, beating underneath his dross His grand
oonfltante Of all his ideas as to low tho story
would turn out; and as slo repeated these to
, me. and turned tho story according to these
tween Us which We novor disclosed / Ind tho
pleasure Of continuing my story to tho lo1fght
! aud astopiahment Of my hoarera, md Woltgang
aaw with glowing eyes tho fula}lnout Of his own
, concept'oan, and hstopod with enthusiastic ap-
p!auHc.'
Not only did ho tell storios, ho wrote thom
J also as is gathered from touching little ancc.
doto p5essfyMea M ,Y,i by n9ttiae The sma1lsp91 had
> priao Of 4is lnotler, Woifgang ellel no tears.
you not loye your little brother then; aahed biz
IL ran to lis room, and and from from under r tic boa
: drew quantity Of papora on whleh be had
8 writtou eto1ios and lassons. "All these lad
written that might teach them to him. said
tho child. Ho was then 0 yearB old. During
tho French occupancy no made an elaborate nd
r dress in tho style Of Piron. When tho play was
: completed, ho submitted 1t to Doronos, who
t pointing, out several grammatical hl5ndols,
promised to examine II more clltehlIy anu tnlEeu
OF giving 1t his support with tho manager. Wolf
/ gang saw, In his tninaa eye, tao name
OF his play already placarlod at tho corners Of
tho stroet Unhappily, Doronos III la critical
, capacity was morcilosa. uo picked tbs play to
! pinces, nnd stunned tho poor author, as many
authors llad been stunned-by critical jargon.
His nbuse Of the English aud snccrs at tho Cor
mana, wllo ho maintained tho sovereignty Of
, the Erouch taste, got Woifgang to thinking on
those clerical onions, the result boing contempt
! for the system Of Cornoillo and Raone aud
! something of tho dofiauco OF rulo in Gots uo1
l'erlichinge4 is thought possibly owing to Do.
) ronos, tho French boy.
1sAhGfAi7s
} nabolafa WAS onoo chosen to represent the
| University on u mission to the Government at