, 1876-12-01


I'hyhtctn,l.
10 the Etlto. af The Tribune.
CHICAGO, Nov. 3u.-Thc legend uf tho " Fly
Ing nuLuhlnan +" Inns IN II the elements Of pst,:
Iound ,.athos anl tragedy. Tho weird music OF
Wagner only enhances the supernatural charas-
ter Of the story, and brings cut these elements
In strung relief.
But Il is not Of the character Of the music or
OF the plot that ] propose to l!scus*, hut the
e!iaia"ltr Ut .stA.a, md Its ussnmptltn by Miss
Kellogg.
Viewed rs psychological Study, ull the inter-
est il. the tragedy ecntrrs In ke'.ta, the Norwc.
giah girl, WIN, uncr tic influence If ,.,rrtal alb
e:ratios,, leave. her lover mud ends her life .,y
suicide.
The popular belief IN this legend dates hack
to tic eixtccath ccntNry. An.llE the Iaroub
versions of the superstition was the one selected
by overwhelmingly, man drivc. by destiny
to sail the seas, forever, unless lsc found soinc
woman Win would bc failhiul unto lIIm ILL
death. Thrrc Is strcak Of AEcphistophclcan
rynieissn tn tlis us there Is In many Of the lc-
gtsnls Of that tt,ne. Evidently the Urra, who
hnped tu gc. the F7un0 Duteh."an III TIC cntl,
did not believe he could tlNl such Il won,asl.
THIS ltgen! WAS told BY the tircsfdcs of the
people Ut uIl rauks,-tllvre especially tilOse lty
qUIrc Intu tic circumstances ailI surroundings
uf the hcro}nu ,sena. Sic was evidently of the
nI4ldle-class. her father nearly resembling one
IF tie oil VIKINGS. She MAS naturally left
nl,lc aiorc. Nr to the euclcty Of her i.!rnc md
mai.lcrls. ilcr luyer evidently WIS nut much
witt, her, or she would ncyer hare bcrn inatuHt-
ell with tho h!ea which At lust unsettled hcr III
tclIssl.
ktntet Size THs ut that dangerous nst,-'ct "rr'l
the gtrl lIu tive Wtll!Atl,-wtleii htrntIxe tnnceS
uluG allowed entrance !ltu thc mint ustcu 1x
themselves there forever to tlIt cxtrus!u. of all
else.
From cr cArliest childhood, .Se"ta had heard
fruln ier nrsc tIle romantic legend Vi ilt flUig
Untch1taH. 1t r. evident tl:.t the MtcrI'reta.
tf,,, given l.v thu r,lrte #as nt tlsc ne c!ittr.
taled by tl1e vulgar classes, iaIllely that the
IYyi"g D"sehnsan was the ]ltsit luntsel!, wiio
shr evidently gave Scala the belief That thu
hcru wus sud, unllappy E,als Compelled ta
wander ~! the lonely seas until he found NJ
eycr-tnithfu! woman, WIN, by loving him, would
auye his solli from pcrsiitn.
Withuut knuw'hs Imsitisciy, | should say
that this Ii the INTERPRETATION which Ms's
Kellogg acrerta, and uina which fAr bases her
Hrting, rtWat, llavl nothing iu slu with thu
character Of st"fu is portrayed by Miss kc!lgs.
Sho evidently shirts unt with the belief tlint
sfHftf WIS liad, uni III this B'ic IN right, for
innre Insane WuIllAl 1lrSer uGril i.ste! ! sc.
II llitk fIllSIt lulS IlISHHLji ltJH5 uI1lEs@IHI-
iugly, rs'yivns rrniati". Her Insanity IS tl!s
SAME that III this seventeenth century ragged Mt
nyer Cathulic Europe. hut Especially IN France.
1t was found principally Ii, ttvsl,ts, nnli other
religious institutions IL Is narrated ~ ll!stor~
aus that The female trvatres Ut tlH Ghunh of>
trn f,erllho sn e,la1nnrrh nt the pictures
Of Christ aud tho stiDts that they ,tl':l1t
days ami nights hciorr them, uni finally
cn'lcll their llvss by suicide, IN uTtler tn Mcct
the *u,,ltcr their hu!,crnatUra! Lovers.
III tho ease nf hfha, tic irst IMPULSE 10
insanity .wus doubtless The prtSnnec III the
picture ot tllr E7yi'W NRtehmnn.., which hung II.
the art -tic ldca ot thu mythical nppraraiSy ot
the sud. unhappy man W'!t'w story liatl bcrn so
olicl. sung to l,cr by TIM .ursr.
rEis phase VI insnniiy VA, sxceilrntly. repre-
sit, IN ratt revcrr, looking t[sc..ly upon tls
picture, tstc.Ing hUt the butn VI thu splnl,lng-
wheels, nor lie soiIts vi tlc st'I!ncrs !Irr ise
pullhi iui 1T slrst ltr rcr but wflcs after being
iul it Is not tac farc Ut Miss Kellogg, hut that
uf IL girl holelcssiy Insane. TAts peculiar cx-
press!nll, 50 we'll known tu Inr.lt,nl rnen,
Ii unc that o,irc familiar With t:.s hryeE
lie fpr.0tiCn iuu cali ktu HI ''rpctAIatt.ll" ~
mt III this wur!l, Int lives in Il wurla Ut itlcat
fanc!cs n.!d !ncartl'!y '!,ras1s. ......,.,,
AMI Ibis character Misa Kellogg klsstalhs all
through tho svvcre yuc.!! trials u tlI4 strange
opera. III The hrglnnlng Of llrr carer II MAS
said by many uf her rr(ti's, "SAu Wilt nvrs Dc
Agrc.t astrcsr," asnl still later It has lcrM said,
'.:shc utYtr losrs cr >cl[..ulsrtu'lsncss." TlrsG
criticisms lnll-t NOW be forever nbamnct, for
Il, this, tho n,tsst trying pu,ilaon IL viii st!r
Wis ever Placed she has sluwu That sslu lIus
l+trinnic powrrs uf u yery high character, and
tyrtalnly III, actress ever It11irrtry lost her.
srtf III llcr ussunIru cisArl.trr us Miss Kellogg
IN That ut .st,ti1, te ln~tr tslrl.
What appears tu me mont astonishing Is The
complete knowledge l",sers,na ly MIss Kellogg
ot tic cxa.. !M3.is''s c'a,Iisi.n III wAIel. sut,,
cases III Insanity plae: The Sirlsm
1t will bu iin,vtl that ait!nslgi .srhit was
young. mud beautiful, anl n,sst l4ays heeu
charming and graceful, vt no appsarunse II
l!atnrL! gra:t MIS- Mt any time manifested.
Her ,not.uns were a!E constrained, alt'ost ,satI-
ful ta looil upIn. Thu NsaMu aTu rarely Erart-
mi; their Ejit, tllu iHrtlnN!s they take IL cx-
press their cr!u.ion<, arc nearly always st,f a''A
IN them; her mouth HI hlai!u u sweetnras
Even iH '.sr .meetins with her father unl lsr
luytg. EFtr, there WAS ln' scH,hlontc Of LOVE Or
aiIur1lua. MUre than this, her iucetns with tho
tleal Ut her csstatt1 rsytsses-tls sI4 'lan Who
slightest demonstration VI earlhly affection.
Even VIXEN you sce hrr elaspctl III his arms It
81,