Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-22
Goe,he'. ELECTIVE am.s,.~-.. :,


\ Etod may b oks have BEEN written
SCOUT tnis book sud rot without cause q
- = hsrd book and = most unpopular one. ID
tells truths which hardly any bofy wants 20
rear, ard scr. = which nol,si, osrss "a -
r. ~ Mss Away heen rallied az. all the
rnor@. pereHpS. because ~ the curious, un-
a.. scs,.t. @sa fact or phenomepon -, ~,
moi Al ali ~ . Vpia ned away. mAkine fr1e
what it, suthur - ID: that that which has
been imagined NAH. N'ls - rig1t 20 be, Just
years sfierward, Goethe said that The
Elective Antilles" was the on. one OF his
larger produces IONS I'm which he gas >Noilscious
81 having sinled At representing an idea.
bobd-was one which the experience and the
observation OF many years had horne In up
on him. HIS own carly manhood had been
I'LL OF Joys and illusions 10 the hrim, aud
these bad ended In the sudden. and what the
world called ~ assorted, connection with
Tie mother OF his children. THIS con DoctloI
begun I'm the flesh Was indeed one which nv
saunders could not but cali M assorted; out he
hlhnSell not thinking that be had formed an
ldeai union, and sure that has own share In a.
was not void OF offenSe, found u vt,y beara-
BILE lie loved Christiane from ng<t 10 last
and she returned bic love. She was not a
htlp meet Tor him, but she did help him 70
the best OF her power. aud he knew IL SIN
standing as he did IN full sight OF the old aVe
tnat Was near 10 Is very likely that the
VISION OF Thousand might have Deems
passed before him often enough. Eust I'm
those years the beauty OF many Younger
Ncinth, the charms OF some lovely girls,
may have given point 70 such yearnings:
but the world outside noticed only a hight
eued calmneSs Of bearing. and The objects M
his llking-Sylvia Ziegessr, Betins Brenta-
no. faulne Golfer. and Otbers-were delight
ed with his faiherly fondnc-s. Theculmina-
ing point Is very likely 10 be found ia his
owe Tor Mtnna Herzlieb. 10 was. a. has al
ready been said. the period ia which AZ had
becCme the fashion Tor persons OF genius 10
handle the marriage bond a. some ladies in
argument Will handle bracelet taking M
no At
great argument of lite, win a ddgeiy doubt
whether the scion would be thought
graceful or gauche. Oar friend zachary
Werner, at the time OF his visit 10
Jena. had been divorced from three wivesi
IL might not be easy exactly 90 say
what the age aud It's vagsrles had 10 DO with
The poets work. Perhaps they may nave
dragged him 10 the doing OF 10. As the gpread
canvas will quicken the painter u begin his
picture. BE this a. 10 may. Ia The Elective
Afnnitles' picture for an ages came 10
sight. the very truthfulness OF which goads
the most OF uS-unused 10 look Al either our
selves or Others in plain broad daylight-Jo
unburdenings OF the authors soul. this time
the throwing Of OF weight that hat been
growing for twenty years and more. He too,
in many silent hours, had known the same
lOugiDgs for Happiness" which the most
of rs fnow and think so reasonable. Ac-
know aging Brightly or wrongly the mar
riage BOND - be the foundation OF the moral
ana civil existence, "the basis and the apex
Of ali civilization" aud not daring of his
own accord 10 leave the place he found him
self standing on and go back TO savage life
(being, b. fact, thoroughly well-bred). he
set over against any such lOngings the con-
viction that there is hardly sufficient reason
why husband and wife should separate-the
human state, In Joy and sorrow, being set
so high that ~ is not possible 10 reckon up
wi at a married couple owe 20 each other, IAN
Infinite debt that can be paid only IN eter-
nifty" he acknowledged 10 the full the debt
that he himself owed 10 his Christiane. At
time when outsiders had long begun TO
Shudoer at the notion of her being In any
sense called ''Goethe's wife" the ecclesiasti-
Cal sanction was given u their union. When
she died, 10 years altcrward, he incurred for
her very bitterly. IL is this tragedy OF we'd
lOck-a trageoy, for his part, In which he
himselfwo have been very far from claim
ing any merit or distinction, as though ne
hat acted n well, or as though some strange
thing had Happened to him; tragedy, IN the
very inteu-eness OF the individual misery
which ~ renders, symbOlical OF the pain that
is common 10 man; tragedy, like all real
ones, mixed Win many joys and pleasures
10 is this which mas Q. en- shown 70 us IA the
Northumberland