Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-12-23
GernAm Life Julian AAWth0Fne's
NSax0n Neudiessss

II. C. Moultsn's Boston LstAr IN N. Y. Tribune.
IL one wants to know about German life let
him read "Saxon studies," by Julian Haw-
thorne. This is delightful but disenchanting
book. You feel, on reading it, that you would
much prsfer Hawthorne should have lived long
enough III Dresden " make thess " Studies =
than TO attempt 4 similar sojourn there your
self For, truly, the Haxony our author depicts
does not seem . fascinating place Of abode.
Hawthorne il himself evidently disgusted with
most things in Saxony, except the beer. Es-
pecially does the manner in which women are
treated vex 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 driv-
or walks unincumbered beside them but,
he says, even this is nothing. Al nightfall we
shall meet the same wagon, homeward drawn by
the same team; aud 10 seated upon the empty
hampers smokes serene the man and master OF
| ALL No wonder that the American observer
Aneers Let uA be rational why walk home
when our woman and dog Are At hand to carry
us 2" Hawthorne asks, why the woman emanci-
| patonlsts do not come TO Saxony and see FOR
themselves Of what women are capable Here
they carry on their backs, for miles, much heavl'
| or weights than q man would care TO lend hla
shoulders to.
Massive are their legs AZ the banyan-root
| their hips are ~ the boughs Of three decker
Backs have they like derricks; rough hands like
pile-drivers., They wear knee-shoIt sklrts
sleeves at elbows. head -kerchiefs. As rult
they possess animal good-nature and vsean
amiability. But at twenty or twenty-five the,
are already growing old"
1t ia no wonder that onr author felt 3 sigh
misgiving about German trinmphs IN fold o.
cabinet, when he saw men helping themselves
before women at the table and elsewhere. Til
German Of the lower classes has no home-ln
stnct. He thinks of his home n place to es
and sleep in. For such poor compAnionslip =
he is capable OF he looks elsewhere. But hov
could . man converse nationally or Afectlonatel
with the woman whom he means to harness h
his cart the next morning? You can see tha
Hawthorne docs not half believe even in til
musical enthusiasm OF the Germans. Who bu
the Saxon, he asks, can sit through symptom
Of Beethoven's, applauding its majestic move
ments with the hand which has Just carried b
his lips mug OF beer, and anon returns thithe
with slice OF saussge2 1t seems ~ il u
length OF practice could marry this gross eyel
} lasting feeding to any profound appreciation o
music.
Very bright are tue chapters about beer an
beer-drinkers. There il certain frAnknesa
the Saxons, or perhaps it is that humility whic
makes . man expect to fiud in his own lowlines
security from observation, which leads to funll
: scenes in the beer-gardsns. man will 6
there with his newly-marred wife, or his swee
. heart, and toward the close of the second glal
t her head droops on his shoulder, their hand
D and eyes meet, they murmnr in each other
: ear, and fatu0usly smile. What il 1t to the
!, that the room is crowded with strange faces
Hawthorne calls this opennesa Of demonstr
!, ton "a spiritual nudity" Among other OF o.
t pleasant fancies, he explodes the fal!acy th
: Dresden is healthy residence. In addition
q its fsverish soil. 1t possesses one Of the mo
trying climates in the world. They say 1t ust
u to be better which is certainly much MOI
y credible than that it was ever worse. "SA1e
Studies is, critically speaking, Julian Ha'
, thorne's best work, SO far. His style is Co
i, stantly improving -there is = touch every nc
Q and then which reminds one Of his father. I
y secs clearly and infinitely, aud describes pictu
o esquely. 1t is q difficult thing to make boz
Of mere description interesting, and this
Y what Hawthorne has achieved.