, 1874-12-06
A STORY or GERMAN LOVE.

MEMORIES: STORY or GERMAN Low. Trans
lated from the German by GEORGE P. ur1oS. chi-
cago: Jaueen, McCiuEg Co. 1873.
This is Quo Of tic most charming little books
ne have ever read. We know Of only one other
story to which ne can compare it,-the exquisite
tale OF Paul Hud Virginia, by Dernardin de
saint-Pierre- It were difficult indeed to say
which of these two little books is the more ad-
nirable. They are both gems Of love.storles,
and those who are acquainted with the
French one can have no higher ASSURANCE
Of the excellence Ct thu German than that is not
it's inferior in interest poetic elevation. As the
translator remarks IN his preface, this story OF
German love il without plot, Incidents. or situA-
tiuns. The memories connected history Of
the writer's love for Marie, thu heroine. The
history Of his e1qaisitely- y-redned aud unselhsh
love runs through the whole Of tho little book,
giving unisy to the parta. And how baautiful
the history Of that love is!
The title OF the book is, "a Story OF Ger
man Love" It might equally well
havs beeu entitled, ~ Story Of Idea! Love-"
All Iowa ia ideal or falsa and no ono who has
felt ideal love but should read the story, and
lire his love over again; for the love portrayed
so we'll By the writer is not so much German n it
III uuuAatls - - uoI Wv AOf@ "a I'LL 2eV* ~ q
nationality. It is ths love Of = youth whom the
world has not yet tarnished-of one who had
kept the witness OF his soul-fof most CHARM
ing character, = specimen OF the genuine woman,
ono worthy OF the love which only such youth
can give. Tho story is told in manner worthy
OF such 4 love. The author IL undoubtedly toll
ing his own experiences.
In the first Memory, he gives us his first recol-
lections and they are full OF besuty- Take this
one: ~ believe / eau remainder when SAW
the stars for the fist time. They may have seen
me often before; but one evening it seemed as
il it were cold. Although I lay in my mothers
lap. shiyered and was chilly, OF was fright
ened. In short, something came over me which
reminded me OF my little ego in no ordinary
manner. Then 1ny mother showed me- the bright
Stars, aud wondered at them, and thought that
she had made them very beautifully. 1hen felt
warm again, aud could sleep WE'LL" Hero was
Ills birth to = cousciousness that BIO YVES him.
self, with I'll individuality distinct from every
thing about hlm. Soon, however, childhood IL
over, aud he lcarus to draw q distinction be-
tween bis father, mother, sisters, aud friends.
aud tic - multitude OF strange people," Aud
co. when. II, the Second Memory, he is intro
duced to the Princess in the castle. he is repri-
c,anded by his father for running up to Eer be-
CAUSE she was beautiful aud smiled 50 lovingly.
and throwing his arms atound her neck aad kiss
ING her. 8s he used to kiss hla mother. He IL
told that ho should not do thae TO strangers, OF
tile existence OF whom lie had NOT yet dreamed,
the boys first disappointment. first reminder
that the world is not all love, and that even the
best promp:inSs of the heart must bs sup
PRESSED i'll obedience to tue commands OF
4 wisdom whose .ourcs ia in tbs peryersity o.
man.
The joyousness Of opening being is admirably
depicted in this and the following Memory,
where re assist az the birth OF love in the heart
Of the child. at the preseoce OF tue Princess
daughter, the Countess Marie. It is the man
that is relating the story Of his youths loyo.
II aiow not." he says, i ''when l saw her for
tho first time. She emorges from the darkness
Of memory, slowly and graduaus,-as first like
III airy shadow. which grows more and moro dis
tinct as it approaches nearer aud Ecarer,-at last
standing before my suul like the moon, which,
on so1nc stormy night, throws back the cloud
yeis from across Its face. She was alwAys sick,
aud suf1eling, aud sileus; anu l never Aaw her
except reclining on her COUCH upon which two
servants brought her into the room, and carried
her out again when ohe Has tired. There she
lay in her flowing white drapory. With her hands
generally folded. Her face WAS so pale. and got
30 mild, aud her eyes 80 deep aud uufathomable,
that often stood near her, lost IL thought, and
looked upon her, and asked myself il she Was
not one OF the sslrause people also. I
do not know how old sne was at that
time. Sha 30 helpless that she
seemed like \ child, and yet was 10
se1ious ard silent that she could not
have been one" This is tho woman whom he
loved as only boy could love, and whom, in the
enG be couo call his only for few hours; for,
as the Hoprath informed him, the night after
she had said to him, am yours. God willed
it. Take me. just ~ am. SO long as live l
AN yours and may God bring us together
again in more beautiful life, and recompenss
your Ife,"-she died.
We do not care to give sketch Of ths story
from the beginning OF tho boy's love to its close
when he waa : man, with her exit from the
scene. We could ouly do injustice 10 the story,
which is 80 short that condensation is imposs-
bls. Besides, no idea OF the tale can be obtain
cd except br reading 1t ITSELF The most We can
do is to acquaint the reader with some Of the
beauties Of the book by \ few more extracts
from its pages. We do 20 almost st random.
daEe IL 0u9s
But, II this ali, with its smallest and Its greatest
with its wiedon aud its power. with the wonders Of
Its existence and the existence OF its wonders IL the
work OF Being IN whose presence thy aoul DOES
shrink back before whom thou falless proAtrate In
feeling Of ueekneI& and nohugness, aud to whom
thou rilezt aatn In the feeling Of Hs love and mercy
II thou really feeess that something dwels IN thee
more eudcs7 and eternal than the cells OF tue
flowers, tina spheres Of the plans aud the life Of the
insect II thou recognizest in thyself, In shadow,
the reflection Of the Eternal which illunliuatcs thee
thou feeess In thyse. and under au above thyse,
the omutpresence Of the Real, in which thy seem
ing becomes being thy trouble rest, thr solitude
thou knowext the Ons to whom thou
c1iest tn the dark night Of life "Cretor and Faher,
Thy Will be doue In Heaven upon Earth; and
E.rth 10 also In rne.r Then 1t grows bright In and
about thee. Tie d.ybreak disappears with Its cold
nsta, and new warmth streams through Ahlvsrlng |
Nature. THU hast foursd Hand which never again |
leaves thce,-whlch holds thea when the mountains
trcnble and moons exungu1she4. Wherever thou
tnayst be- thou nrt with Him, and He with thee He
the eterualy AID Hs isths world, With it's Joys
and sorrows. . i. :. With such Thought went on
my way
And this other:
Que loved = maiden, and the lore returned hut
ho poor she rich The fathers aud relatives
wrnuged and snetred. aud two hearts. broken.
Nhy2 Because the world looked upon it Is msfor-
tune for to dress Made OF the wool OF
shrub in America, End not Of the bzes OF worm III
China. Another loved maiden and was loved In
he was Catholic. The +