The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-11-04
SOME NEW hooks.
A Portrait OF eoeths's Charlotte.

| WIN suggestion and enlightenment. Until
| lately the only materials available for picture
OF Goethes most helpful friend wero certnin
letters first published in 1881. Three years
a.,o. however. appeared in Germany n mono
graph. compiled by Henry Dnntzcr from family
papers then for the first time brought to light
! Upon the facts disclosed in that work, supple
mented and deciphcred with the aid Of tho cor
rcspondence above mentioned. has been based
n new and remarkable memoir Cl nrioUe ron
! Stein. by GEoRGE II. CALVERT dec n Sh'.purdl
| BY reason OF the Information and insight which
may be gained from IT, and oil the technical
| merit cvinced in the execution. this book must
| be accounted a substantial contribution TO bio
| graphical literature.
| The artistic conditions Of a biography. whose
scope includes the study OF profound and
| prohlematic natures. would seem to be- curl
! ously exncting. The writer's acquisitions aud
! intuitions must mt least lie on the plane. II they
| 10 not compass the horizon. OF the niind which
! ne portrays; and the niccncss of appreciation
which he instlls into the render will bc nppor-
| toned 10 the range and ferVor Of his own SYM
! pnthies But these are credentials which the
posscssor Is instinctively prompted to exhibit
! in the foreground; thcy appear To- Justify him
! in tendency to wnive the rbo Of Interpreter
and to establish personal rapport; they make
II hard for him without incessant vigilance ana
/
the picture. In q word. mohrsty. no ltss than
insight, IA essential to- the efficient blo-rarher
II is satisfactory TO ind neither requisite want
| Ing in Mr.. Calverts memoir. There is proof
! enough that the author deserves to b. heard oil
| his own account; but he has set himself 10 hi-
task with sin,slcness Of purpose. and in the in
forest with which we follow in his pages the
story OF passionate attachment between the
| first Of modern poets and an oxguistry attcm-
| pcred woman we ara suffered to overlook the
patient and self-dcnying hand which traced thu
narrative.
| |, was on Christmas day Of the year 1912 that
/ John Christian William Won Schardt. Marshal
" the dueal household. WIS for moment
shaken in his conviction that municipal ar
engagements and court etiquette were t. an NOR
| tals owing liege duty in the Durhy Of SaN-Wci-
! mar -Esennch Of supreme and exclusive mo-
ment. On that day his young wife laid before
! IN" Marshal his first infant 20 whirh tive name
/ of Charlotte Albertne Erncstine WA given. ana
which seems to havo compelled Notice brtimrs
| for ia dark eyes that were destined to grow IN
later years so large and beautiful that for
! eighty-lye years were 10 rrilect on their sur
face with rare clearness vast varieen; 1 prors-
sion of personal:es and events. and ut the sa'ne
time in their lucent depths embrace an interior
world palpitatng with more than usual l!ye.i-
/ ness. u changciu world OF JOYS and sorrows. of
| triumphs and dsappo n,inents. OF trials aud
/ sutisartiOns."
| Ofths infant grown TO mnidenhood We are told
that blood aud judgment in her were well
/ comminglcd" As her tail. slender shape had
| lifted itself out Of childhood into girhood. she
/ had suffered no such curtament OF freedom as
would dstort or cramp her mental growth
while. on tho other hand. the pat, rnal martinez
! had his scrvicenble side Charlotte was not
I In o., f
/ agination from tna irst. says her hiogrnrher
n clear understanding sobcroi her thought.
| and projects. She WAS not what is called re-
| mantle. but waking dreams she had. and. being
woman. the chief figure IN tho lycliest Of
I them was II husband. When in her twenty-frst
/ year she became a bride. the conversion oi nun-
tial maginatons into fact wn- by no means
/ shock for the real husband. Baron Won Stnin
was the handsome. SNOWY. sprighty Mast. of
/ thr Horse. q man Of the world. only siA years
her senior. a lavorite at court. AMI tho pos-.s-
sor OF a castle in the neighborhooi. A. NJ
Calvert intlnates. much above this reality
would not sonr most madeny ideals. wherein
| titles and castles arc apt to be prom ncnt fen
lures.
But although Charlotte Won Stein began hy
! making conventional marriage. she presently
developed an earnest. refined nature. whi u led
/ her 10 feed her thought with fresh Images. en-
larsed and renewed her sympathies and .n-
spirited her to literary study and music Liz.
all original. clear minds she eraiua.ly lsew
herself out Of herself until, in a iHw years. sh"
had come 10 be OF all persons the one who the
least asked her ne ghlors how She should think.
/ This inner sanctuary tn Baron had n0tihr key
10 open. HIS life. we arc assured. was Ia the
external and superficial; he could not put him
self into subtle relation with the self-cutiVat-
ing woman whose scusibilitics wore her wealth.
Stems agreeable mask. however. seems to have
hidden no interior deformites; he WIS only
hollow. not vicious or li-tempereI. The young
| BARONESS found more bra in: md IT .lnulat-
ing influence in the society of Wlr!aad. who
had come to Wcimar rs tutor t. tho youn.
prince OF Weiland. then somewhat past tho
| prime OF life. and the most admired poet of
Germany. Mr.. Calvert well says, that while not
one of the enduring masters. he was hHse4l
with that gentle enthusiasm which qulcNcus
the poetic temperament and whose activity J.,
needed Tor tho production OF that than which,
says Joubert. nothing Is more beautiful tetu-
| tiiul book.
In the summer Of 1873, when Charlotte was 3
years Old, she was induced Is icehl" health 10
visit the baths Of pyrmont, whose cAiel aurac-
ton WAS the presence of the crrbrnted DR.. Xm-
norman. Between the latter and bus Wcnnr
patient. after her return TO her home. there was
an interchange OF letters and "Wcrihcr" hav-
ing Just appeared. Charlotte wrote Of her ad.ai-
ration for It, with mlssiv.ngs rs to the nature
Of is influence. and expressed n wish. univer-
sally tolt Just then by the WON OF Germany.
to become acquainted with tho author. Ilu-
normun in return says that he himself had
been profoundly wrought upon by Wrrhcr.
AMI he prouAciioHl'y adds. Nou wish 10 see
him, but, dear friend, u lay" no thought Low
dangerous this captivating man may become TO