The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-29
SOME NEW hooks.
The Singer or the German Fa,he.rsna.


than the Impulse OF the French revolution
Prof. Scclcy has pointed out that those who
would nnalyze the most distinctive and impor
tnnt movements OF this century do not nnt
themselves carried back so far M IA commonl,
supposed, but are. TO no small extent arrested
by the Spanish uprising. the reconstruction oil
tho Prussian State after Tlsit and the German
war OF liberation. In other words. besides the
immortal ideas Of 1889 there we're the aims and
conceptions Of 1903 and 1913. which have
proved scarcely less dynamic and revolutions
ary - Is the vigorous revival Of the principle
OF nationality. roased by react ion against the alb
sorbinR tendencies Of Napoloon's empire. which
ts.on the whole. the distinctive mark Of European
history since 1908. A vivid conception Of local
separateness and social particularly. a pas
slonate attachment to othnic institutions and
traditions awOke at nearly tho same period
among all western peoples. and was especially
conspicuous in the war songs and ballads Of
tho German poets. Thus whils m the memoir
Of Stoin. lately noticed in these columns. we
viewed the political aspect OF German liberia
ton and reconstruction. so we SEQ its romantic
individual side in the story OF that patriot singer
who. though his genius be Of n humber order,
yields not n whit TO Milton or to Victor Hugo in
the ardor OF his devotion to Fatherland or I'm
the splendid service rendered by his stiuula-
NORTH ArHd Roberts Bros.). compiled for the
most part from tho poets autobiography. we
have something quite as entertaining as an
historical novel. while the narrative has. ms
Prof. Sceley reminds US. tho noteworthy advan-
tage over the most careful novels ever penned
that 1t is true and that II introduces us TO an
interesting and celebrated man.
Arndt was born in 1863. the same year as Ma
poleon and. as the latter could scarcely be
called Frenchmau. so the bard OF German ma.
tonality was not by birth a German. His
family was Swedish. and he was born in the
island OF R0gcn. which belonged to Sweden for
we'll nigh two hundred yoars viz, from the
Thirty Years war no to 1915. He was fond Of
saying that his father. like the father OF Horace.
was freedman. bong the son OF q serf on the
estate OF n Pomeranian nobleman. Arndt's
lnther. after his emancipation. became his mas
ter's steward and subsequently. the tenant OF
farm. whore the future poet passed much
OF his youth. The children Of the house
hold. II appears. were not used to II igh German.
except In books. or from the pulpit or on fes-
tive occasions in bidding visitors welcome His
father. however. although an ex-serf. and
quite unschooled. had. by travelling and inter-
course with the world. taught himself to write
HERMAN better than most OF the magistrates
and Generals Of those times. and we are told
Ahoe WIZ ANN VI lut llEutT lthtS IN GOmpran1A
could speak that diom without tripping over
the dative and accusative some hundreds OF
times In quarter Of an hour. Y5it to spoak 4.
Arndt assures us. was an absolute necessity.
Tor the haul ton OF an entertainment at least for
the hrst five or ten minutes. and II was not till
The first stress OF pollteness was over and the
embarrassment caused by labored interchange
OF compliments had evapor0ted over a cup Of
conee that people dropped into their every-d
Plat Deutsch.
II is clear that Arndt was q bright boy and
that he developed very early striking lyrical
faculty, though he assures us that In this re-
sDect one OF his brothers was greatly his supe-
rior y" III II had not been for him. he writes
should probably never have made line OF
verse. for / certainly did not receive from ma
ture enough Of that smooth flowing. fantastic. |
magnetic huid which goes TO the making OF a |
poet, and II some OF my little pieces have been |
tolerably successful. 1t is only according to the
proverb. A blind pigeon sometimes finds a |
pea His parents were scarcely qualified 10 |
appreciate him. and would have allowed his |
modest studies to cease in his seventeenth year.
when. through the help OF strangers he was alb |
ruptly sent to the grammar school nj Stralsund |
The poor. shy country boy here appeared in
the shabbiest OF attire among the smart city
youths. but when some OF them ventured 10 |
handle him somewhat roughly he knocked a
couple OF them down. At this school, whero
Arndt spent some three years. there was no
want OF intellectual activity or scholarship. and
the genial nature OF the boy soon made him n |
social favorite. In his account OF the festivities
which he attended. he assures us that he rigor-
ousy abetained from such hurtful luxuries as
tea ana coffee, though he did not despise those
reireshments-viZ-. wine. punch. and the like
which Fichte himself did not venture TO exclude
from his model" commercial town. Indeed.
1 seemed Intended by nature" says the llberator
poet In his autobiography. " for a bacchanalinn
life. seeing that wine has always agreed with
me; on tho contrary cup OF coffee. when
was Young. would make my blood boil directly
IL passed my lips. and my hand trembled so that
could scarcely write an Ineligible character
on the paper" In 1891. at the age OF o. Arndt
entered the University OF Greifswald to study
theology. course almost invariably pursued
by the son OF farmer or pastor in Germany. il
no Is not irreligious. Two years later he went
to Jena. whore he remained until tho autumn
OF 1874. and where he counted Plchte among
his teachers. though he gained no very clear
idea Of the philosophy about which everybody
Was raving and which turned many weak
head among his companions. In tho account OF
his own life. Arndt passes rapidly over his stu
NNaAN btNbNoS
particular influence on his development We
note that he journeyed TO and from the unlver-
Bity on foot. and made many other expeditions
In the same way. thus gaining a minute
acquaintance with the country and people.
and gratifying n thirst for natural history
which grew TO DO a passion with him. In
1895 Arndt was licensed 10 preach, and obtained
good deal ofapprobaton for his performances.
but soon made up his mind not TO become a
clergyman. He supposed his decision was due
to the discovery that most Of fat appointments
In Pomerania and Rngen were obtained by a
specfes CT buying and selling. and by ntrigues
in Stockholm. not always OF a creditable kind.
but probably tho real reason was that he had
not the true vocation, and was tainted, though
unconsciously. with the theological lukewarm-
moss OF the time. He was now eight and twonty.
md had great longing 10 see the world, and his
father, whose circumstances were now much
improved was not unwilling 10 provide the
means. Accordingly young Arndt spent year
and half in lettering about without any definite
aim or design. or previous study OF tho places
he was to traverse 1t is noteworthy that In
Italy and France he always passed as Swede
" for Swede" he wrote " Is respected every
where because he belongs to nation: who
Would call hfnoaaif Garmnp noun ,pban tho