Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-12-17
HermAn Life - Julian Hawtnorne's
ssSAxon SSudies,v


<sSAxon SSudtes.', - $
L. C. xeu,ten's Boston Lsttr h N. 7. ztibs~s.
II one wants to know about German life wi
him read 'ssaxon studies,v by Julian Haw.
thorne This is a delightful but disenohantine
book. You feel on reading it, that you would
much prefer Hawthorne should have lived long
enough in Dresden to make these +" Studies y
than to attempt similar sojourn there your
self. For, truly, the Saxony our author depicts
does not seem fascinating place of abode.
Hawthorne is himself evidently dsgusted with
most things in baxony, except the beer. Es-
pecially does the manner In which women are
treated yex his soul. He describes = market.
wagon, piled high with country produce, and
drawn by = woman and = dog tugging on
either side of the shaft while the husband drlv-
or walks unincumbered beside them; but,
he says, even this Is nothing. At nightfall we
shall meet the same wagon, homeward drawn by
the same team; and 10 seated upon the empty
hampers smokes serene the man and master Of
ALL No wonder that the American observer
sneers " Let us be rational why walk home
when our woman and dog are at hand to carry
US 2" Hawthorne asks, why the woman emanci-
pationists do not come to Saxony and see for
themselves of what women are capable ? Here
they carry on their backs, for miles, much heavi-
er weights than a man would care to lend his
shoulders to.
Massive are their legs as the banyan-root;
Backs have they like derricks; rough hands like
pile-drivers. They wear knee-short skirts,
sleeves at elbows, head-keIchiefs. As rule
they possess animal good-nature and vacant
amiability. But at twenty or twenty-five they
are already growing DID,"
1t is no wonder that our author felt slight
msgiving about German triumphs in fold or
cabinet, when he saw men helping themselves
before women at the table and elsewhere. The
German Of the lower classes has no home-in-
H. I...x1ra ali 70 nat
and sleep in. For such poor companionshp as
he is capable of he looks elsewhere. But how
could man converse nationally or affectionately
with the woman whom he means to harness TO
his cart the next morning You can see that
Hawthorne docs not half believe even in the
musical enthusiasm of the Germans Who but
the Saxon he asks, can sit through symphony
of Beethoven's, applsuding its ma este move
ments with the hand which has just carried to
his lips a mug Of beer, and anon returns thither
with a slice of sausage9 1t seems as IL no
length of practice could marry this gross ever
lasting feeding to any profound appreciation OF
music.
Very bright are the chapters about beer and
beer-drinkers. There is q certain frankness in
the Saxons, or perhaps it is that humility which
makes man expect to find in his own lowliness
security from observation, which leads to funny
scenes in the beer-gardens. man will go
there with his newly-married wife, or his sweet
heart, and toward the close Of the second glass
her head droops on his shoulder, their hands
and eyes meet, they murmur in each others
ear, and fatuously smile. What is it to them
that the room is crowded with strange faces
Hawthorne calls this openness of demonstra'
| ton "a spiritual nudity" Among other OF our
pleasant fancies, he explodes the fallscy that
| Dresden is healthy residence In addition to
| its feverish soil, it possesses one of the most
| trying climates in the world. They say 1t used
| to be better which is certainly much more
credible than that it was ever worse. saxon
Studies" is, critically speaking, Julian Haw-
| thorne's best work, 80 far. His style is con.
stantly improving there is a touch every now
and then which reminds one of his father. He
sees clearly and infinitely, and describes pictur
| esquely. 1t is difficult thing to make a bool
| Of mere description interesting and this il
| what Hawthorne has achieved.