, 1875-08-29
THE CHILDREN'S FRIEND.
Of Hans Christian
Andersen.
How His Vanity Showed Itself His
Childish Simplicity.

How His Vanity Showed ItseH-His
Childish Simplicity.
Lsnar7. Spectator.
The chi1d-world has lost friend, who WAS TO
it what Shakespeare ia - the grown-up world Of
men and wonen by the peaceful passing away Of
dear And'sen." as every one In Copenhagen
called the wonderful story-tsller-to the last
child in heart and in ignorance Of the ways OF
wotldiness. He belonged to the quaint and
simple Danish city all bis life IS entirely IS
Thorwaldsen belonged to it in his later years.
and in more intimate 7ay-iD proportion 10 the
expsnsiveness Of his own nature and tho warmth
and variety OF his own sympathies. He be-
logged 10 every family, and had. more than the
entree,-for, after ali. that implies grace-his
OVID place in evezy household With the ser
wants, as with tho masters, he WAS ''dear
And'sen," and nobody ever passed him with
cut ea!utation It is hard to fancy
city md subub without his familiar, shabby,
uneainly, slouching figure, IN its Hitting
unbrushed clothes {he always wore Topping tron-
sezu Winch touched the toss Of his gigantic
boots, aad shawl, his own or anybodys, it did
his ugly, musiug face misunderstanding, but
keenl5 obserrant, too. With it's high, reca1ing
forehead, it's cloaeIy-set eyes, and the Hteep iu-
cline from the top Of the forehead to the nape
Of the neck, "a if the back Of the head had been
sliced away. His individuality YVES, perhaps,
more marked than that Of any famous man On
record. and remained more entirely unchanged
BY the lapse Of time and by circurnstances He
rcPaR Rof7 hn cAr 4 +r 4fe 1kr
first regarded him With the curiosity he inspired
in every one; but each days observation was
fresh confirmation OF the impression he had
made within an hour OF meeting him. 10 that
charming Danish society, =. frank, kindly,
simple, cultivated, it WAS 3. child they
ing to the ideal Of childhood keenly sensitive,
entirely eeotlstlca1. innocently vain. the centre
of fife, interest, concern. and meaning to him
sell, perfectly unconscious that there existed
another standard, Al outer CIRCLE, taking It for
granted that everywhere and IN everything he
was to be first and al glad With the gfadness,
sorro"ful With the passing grlef OF childhood,
petu1ant and pontiog. downright. without \
notion OF reticence, or indeed OF modeBsy, but
equally without notion OF evil or indecency;
full Of optimiss satisfaction when all was we'll
with himself, and yet incapable Of self-seek1ng,
OF design Of any kind; diaiuterasted as much
from ignorance Of advantage to be gained or OBJ
jects to be sought Rs from the uoblar sourca ct
convenience. or Of understanding the WAYS and
methods Of other peop]e; in q word, always m
te1esting, but sometimes troublesome.
Nobody in Copenhagen would, however, have
been gnilty OF the treason OF thinking Andersen
troub}evorne. To the iuexhaustible Indulgence
accorded to q pet child they added the profound
Veneration with which imaginative people regard
genius, especially in it's poetic manifestation.
The '' dear And'sen had ROOMS OF his own, but
he WAS rarely in them, and he not only won't "a
krf$n hA SkAH - [ra1ru $r1 11rrl &1
everybodys house. but he might bring any
number Of people, and to have l. friend
who knew Andersen Was passa partous in
Denmark He was perfectly regardless Of the
ordinary forms OF aoc1sf life bis personal habits
were exceedingly careloss. not to say 1ePuiEve;
he Was not agreeable - next nelghbor, or rs
observed from oyer-the-Tay, at dinner-table,
for he ate vosaciously, and WIS d decidedly dirty
feeder; he had DO notion of tiue and as peril
nasiousiy required oyery one to be at his beck
and cali as any cur1ed darllng IN the nursery who
ia at once the plague and joy Of the household
He had not an idea Of sell-Tes1Faint or Of apro-
pos. and his intense egotis1n was noo1ished by
everybody and everything. It never occurred to
life and thoughts- He once entered 3 Eoou2+
shook bands all round, and then, descrying
strangely voung English lady Just arrived ut
Copenbagen,-be vent mp to her, took bar By
both hands, addressed her as 'tthe Euslish
great poet;" addsd, ISL your friends will be
happy that rou are with Andersen" and went
of to fetch photograph OF himself, which he
bestowed on her with much emphasis The ad-
mirng circle perceived nothing either absurd
or blamable in this. or any other manifestation
Of Andersen's vanity and indeed it's frankneas.
its simple reliance every oue'a absolute ad-
mitatlon, preserved it from r5dicule OF censure;
it Was 80 chlldhke- he neyar conceived the no
ton OF SATIRE he did not fear it therefore and
though his vanity was easily hurt, and hs would
ant nNAndAd
coa1ed into good humor again, be never sus-
pected shade OF Eid,cu1o Of him in any ones
manner or mind Wherever he WAS, hs was m
variably served FIRST at table. and he was deeply
tom on tue occasion Of the English
rosea'' arrival at the house, near Copenhagen,
where he vas then stay ing. He becama silent
sulked, would not eat, and disappea, ed early in
came to the English guest .nd aaked her il she
would mind not being halped first, '' it made dear
And'sen 40 unhappy; he went to the kitchen
and told the servants he could see they 20 longer
loved him, since they thought mora OF tho En-
glieh lady than OF him." When he wanted to go
out to walk, every one must go; it he changed
his mind aud Sat down to wrl.e, every one must
stay ut bone, for presently he would cnmH into
the room to read what he had written, and would
be much rufded by the absence OF an auditor.
write in such and such 3 paper that have
such thoughtful eyea; do you think my
eyes SO thoughtful?" or. Every Que in the
world knows me; all tho Kinga in Europe have
embraced me. sovereiens come to meet mo at
their door," and all this as frankly "a child
would ask You to admire its new frock. He
neyar forgot his or5gio, nor did be ever boast Of
it; he would say simply, It is vary good Of
Tod to have given poor cobbier' u SOD = great
genus,-to have made me = great poet" Tie
harsh Danish tongue admits OF no Jtoritnrd
aud, therefore, though his IDEAS were 80 poeti-
cal, be clothed them alwaya in the moas direct
aud down1ish ht words, ard be- never had any idea
that thera was anything Which ought not to bs
said Re epoke vary little EnRlish, and vas NO
Judge Of the rendering Of Danish into that 1an-
guage. so that Mari Howlts's fat. bald, almost
literal TRANSLATION OF bis novels (if they may be
80 called aud stories pleased him; he could under
stand them. he said. Hls voice was exquisltefy me-
1odious bis reading of his own stories. which
he had acted, Ho expressive was his gesture, Was
1ndescribabiy delightful He held one SPELL
bound. seeing hearing nothing but him. and his
storytelling was even moro charming: General
conversation la had none; it was difficult to
discoger on what subjects he really did know