The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1874-06-10


TO set half, If not all, Of the younger men
Of Germany at work 10 achieve the gter-
don OF success. On last Thursday, Al the
Gewandt- Haus at Leipsic, the prizes were
awarded, q large company Of gentlemen an
ladies boing present The ceremonies
we're begun by most exquisite music by
tho old orchestra-smong whom are
men who know and loved Mendelssohn-
at the conclusion of which the venerable
DR.. Schmidt, so long known for his kind
illness and learning at heidelberg, an
noun ced the names of those who had been
so fortunate as To carry of The worry val
liable prizes offered. The names OF tho
authors of the various works had been
sent in sealed envelopes, on which wero
inscribed the fictitious names eigned 10
their productions. The author Of the
metaphysical essay aad chosen AS his
theme Rants "Autinomion dor rsinen
Verunft /. (Antinoms of Pure Reason
and taking as his name for the occas-
son Hans Widemstsm." After passing
an eulogium on the essay, DR.. Schmidt
broke the seal and found in the case tho
name OF Max Markham, who thereupon
was called upon the stage to receive the
reward OF his work. A pale, poorly.clad
and most wretched looking young man
| stepped for ward and was received with
hearty applause. His hair was thin and
gray, although he was plsiily yet young,
and his whole appearance was such as TO
At once awaken the sympathies Of the
audience. Having received his
reward he stepped qrie,y aside
and DIR. Lchmidt continued his an ounce
| ments. Markham, ng near him,
pale and still, In large arm-chbir. The
astronomical essay was on the "Evolution
af- Nabpls.. with pArtjsg lar EefareE Is, 81
the successful author was found TO be Max
| Markham. When the announcement
was made great enthusiasm was mani.
Tested, and, after receiving his prize, poor
Markmsnn took his seat, apparently
more weary and detected than at first.
The next essay was review of Rake,
and hero too this young man WAS success
full, and so on through the whole list of
prizes, Max Markmann stepped for ward
amid thundors of applause and received
his reward No ono who knows the en-
thusiasm Of the Gormsns will fail to
know that all the students were ready to
carry the young man oil on their shout
doris TO have good "Khelp." The poem
was an exceedingly fine one-somewhat
In the vein of that exquisite poet OF ma
ture, Otto Roquettc, yet breathing the air
of loftier and mightier SOU which had
dwelt alike with Shakespeare and Goethe
and Homer. 1t WAS wonderful COM
position. Herr Aurbsch, the author of
| "Village Tales" "On the Heights" and
other works, and who was the head of
the committee on the tales, had said of
the one named The Village Rector"
that II is ona of the finest that be had
ever read. And the successful competitor
for all tho prizes was Herr Max Mari /.
mann. The prize for the tale was the
last ono announced, and as Markham
stepped forward to receive it amid thun-
ders Of applause his face suddenly be
came ashy in its witness, and he fell
ftinting on the stage. A death-li like
silence succeeded, during which he WAS
removed to an ante-room and but par
italy restored TO consciousness. He
fingered but for four hours, and when no
died the physicians who had attend, d
him announced that his death was caused
by privstion-in other words BY starvs-
tion. All that the highes, medical skill
could do had been Of no avail. 1t was
found that for years he had occupied a
little chamber in obscure Case, where
he had worked, gaining q most precarious
living in teaching languages and nearly
everything which anybody required to
know. In his room were found incom-
plete models of remarkable mechanical
oontrivancos, a broken chair and mounds
from some ii- 81 the most distinguished men
in Europe. He had apparently lived on
almost nothing for months, and poor, de.
jected, weary, yet glowing with the e 70 o,
genius, had worked for the prizes offered
amounting in all to 2,400 thslers-snd
then, hungry and weary had dragged
himself to tho Gewsndt Haus to win them
sll and die. If the history Of labor,
genius and its rewards has sadder tale
to tell than this know not OF il.