Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1874-06-29

rare occurrence. Many of your readers Wi
remember the sorrowful story of poor Thorn
as Chatterton, who, after writing some o
the most brilliant poems ever given to tn
world by youthful genius, and after deliber
ately deceiving with no evil intent Horac
Walpole and most European critics, died b,
self poisoning to escape starvation, at tn
early age Of nineteen ynars. His story is
sad one; but even more direful conclusion
ofa wondrous life has Germany just witness
ed, to its shame perhaps-or rather was thu
whole affair due to the indomitable and indis
Greet industry and what may be termed reck
less pride and self-neglect on the part of tht
victim, whose ability might at least hav,
earned him bread. The world knows littl,
Of the privations to which the learned mer
the love of learning alone, and has beer
startlediand shocked by the story of Eman,
uel Deutsch, the author of that wonderful
paper on the 'Talmud, Of which all the
world is now talking Men here, who might
in a better sphere reap happiness from
their research (of so much vaiue) are, per-
force, doomed to live too frequently all then
| lives on crust of bread and little beer and
tobacco day. They, as the old story runs,
something about the 'dahtif kas, and that
is their only reward.
! A wealthy gentleman of Berlin. some ten
months ago offered number of valuable
prizes for the best essays that should be
written on several subjects of importance to
the learned world; a prize of two hundred
thalers for the best metaphysical essay, and
an equal sum each for essays on MEDIEVAL
history, astronomy, celestial mechanics, so.
ciOlgy, geology, poetry, nd-apparently to
| show his world wideliness-fve hundred tha-
lers each for the best romantic tales and the
best poem, the prizes to be awarded by IL
committee and various designated hHerateUrs
Of eminence, who were supposed to be, and,
as the sequel showed, really were disinteres-
ted in the matter and willing to do only what
Justice might require.
The essays and poems We're to be OF no
| particular length, and were to be Judged
| simply by their real merits, but the aut ors
must all be Germans. The wealth and re
| putation Of the man who offered the prizes
were such sufficient guarantee OF certainty
OF the payment and Of consequent reputaa
| tion as to set half, if not all, OF the younger
men of Germany 10 work to achieve the
guerdon Of success. On last Thursday at the
GewandtsHaus, at Leipsic, the prizes We're
awarded, large company Of ladies' being
present. The ceremonies were begun by
most exquisite music by the old orchestra
among whom are numbered men who knew
and loved Mendelsohn at the conclusion OF
which the venerable Dr. Schmidt, so long
known for his kindliness and learning at
Heidelberg, announced the names Of those
who had been 50 fortunate as to carry oh the
very valuable prizes offered.
The names of the authors of the various
works had been sent i'll sealed envelopes, on
which were inscribed the fictitious names
81, tka,, ~
the metaphysical essay had chosen Us his
theme Kant's 'Anatinomen der reinen Yer.
nunft, (Anatomies of Pure Rcason) and
taken as his name for the occasion Hans
Wildenstein.' After passing au elogium OIL
the essay, DIR. Schmidt broke the seal and
found in the envelope the name Of Mark.
mann, who thereupon was called upon the
stage to receive the reward oi his work. A
pale poorly1clad and wretched looking young
man stepped up and was received with hear
ty applause His hair was thin and
gray, although he was plainly yet young,
and his whole appearance was such As to at
once awaken the sympathies of the audi>
ence.
Having received his reward, he stepped
quietly aside, and DIR. Schmidt continued his
announcements. Markham, sitting near
him, pale and still, in large arm chair
The astronomical essay was on the 'Eyou.
ton Of Nebulae with parliculer reference to
the large ncbula in Orion, and here, too,
the successful author was found to be Max
Markmann. When this announcement was
made great enthusiasm was manifested, and
alter receiving his prize, poor Markmann
took his seat, apparently more weary and
detected than at first. The next essay was
a review Of Rank, and here, too, this young
man was successful, and SO on through the
whole list OF prizes Max Markmann step
ped forward amid thunders of applause and
received his reward.
s No one who knowthe enthusiasm of the
Germans will fail to know that all the stu
dents were ready to carry the young man off
on their shoulders to have good 'Kneip.
The poem was an exceedingly fine one somes
what in the vein of that exquisite poet ma
ture, Otto Roquette, yet breathing the air Of
aloftier and mightier soul which had dwelt
alike, with Shakespeare and Goethe and
Homer 1t was wonderful composition.
Herr Auerbach, the author of Village
Tales On the Heights and other words,
and who was the head of the committee on
tales, had said of the one named The Vils
lage Rector that it was one of the finest
thatlhey had ever read. And the successful
competitor tor all the prizes was Herr Max
Markmann.
The prize of the tale was the last one an,
nounced, and as Markham stepped forward
to1receiye it amid thunders of applause his
face suddenly became ashy in its whteness,
and he fell fainting on the stage. A death~
like silence succeeded during which he was
removed to an antesroom and but partially
restored to consciousness. He fingered but
for four hours, and when he died the physi-
clans who attended him announced that his
death was caused by privation-in other
words, by starvation All that the highest
medical skill could do had been of no avail
1t was found that for years he had.occupied
little chamber in obscure Gasse, where he
had worked. gaining most precarious livs
ing in teaching languages and nearly every
thing which anybody required to know.
4 In his room were found incom plete mod
els Of remarkable mechanical contrivances,
broken chair and mounds of manuscript,
among which were letters from the most dis
tinguished men in Europe. He had appar-
emily lived son almost nothing for months,
and poor, detected, weary, yet glowing with
the FIRE of genius, had worked for the prize
offered amounting in all to twenty-four
hundred thalers-and then, hungry and
weary, had dragged himself to the Gewandt
Haus to win them all and die. If the his
tory Of labor, genius and its rewards, has a
sadder tale to tell than this, know not OF
it.
5Ireosrs NEW YoRk cry good deal of