Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-04
WORE ABOUT 1.-THE PARIS OF
THE NOR H.

WHERE THORwALpSES LIVED AID DIED-HIS
MAUsoLEUN AND GkAvE-THE POPULARITY OF
THE COPsSHAGEN SUMNER GARDsSS-WHY THE
CITY HAS BEEN CALLED The ATHENS OF THE
NORTH" AND HOW TO GET TO THIS NORTHERN
ATHENS AND PARIS CONFINED.
WASHINGTON CITY, Nov. 80. 1850.
Editor Erpntn0 STAR find In last Saturdays
STAR an interesting, and In the main correct,
description Of the " Paris OF the North,' other
wise Copenhagen, the capital and metropolis
OF the Kingdom OF Denmark. WIN you permit
me- as native OF that gay and beautiful city,
to correct an error or two which has erept
into the account OF your correspondent and
are calculated 10 mislead.
The great Danish sculptor, ThorwaldSen
(whom the Encyclopedias, as well as your cor
respondent. cali ThOroaldsen, although, as
matter OF fact, he never wrote his name with
1r. which Is letter unknown 10 the Danlsn
alphatei) did not die a little over hundred
years ago. There Is some uncertainty as to
the exact date OF his birth, and when casually
with a certain bl7asque felicity that was pecu-
UarIy his own: "Well, / don't really know;
but do know that first arrived at Rome on
March Sth. 1877 dating his birth, as it were,
from the commencement Or his career as an
artist.
IL is supposed. however, that he was born In
November or December 100; a1d as the con-
temporary OF CanOva and Gibson he achieved
greater distinction than either. lie died on the
evening Of March "a, 1874, while attending the
first performance OF Halms tragedy, 'GrtseIdiS .
he In common with all great artists and authors
IN Denmark las Oehlenschlaeger, Iagemann,
Jens Dagger. Anderson and other5) had free
eHtree TO The best seats He never re ,ided at
the Museum. which now bears his name but at
the palace OF CharlattenOarg where the body
lay In state after his death. The Museum
which Wcs built from voluntary subscriptions
by the people, and Is very large ard hand
some coffee. now contains besiGeS his works
all bis furniture and parapheTnalia exactly as
he left theIh among other things the unfinished
ole nr q brer NJ of h0p
he had beer an intimate friend. and common
sfate With an arithmetic proposition, part OF
which has been wiped out Dy the artist himself;
also q blackboard with an unfinished sketch.
These articles were removed from his rooms at
Charlattenbarg, and arranged precisely as they
had been there. His grave is under two large
rose bushes, one white and one red the Danish
national cOlors), IN the open yard in the center
OF the Museum; his works within its walls are
his monument.
think IL is Bayard Taylor who has called
Copenhagen the ATHENS OF the North" Besides
the statues and innumerable other works of art
In Thorwaldsen's Museum. its open squares and
prone nades are profusely decorated with SINH
lar works of art; but with few exceptions, the
Danes prefer to erect statues commemorative
their eOuntrymen who had been great in
science, letters and the arts: and so we find
statues, IL bronze and marble, OF TychO Brahe,
III. G.. OTsted, HolbeTg, III. &. Andersen, Thor
WaldSen and many others; but comparatively
few to kings and generals. Would That not be
wise pTecept to follow In our beloved WASH
1ngton?
The Copenhagen summer gardens" are some
thing very different from what Is generally IN
derstsOd by that term In this country. and still
more different from the ''Mabiile" OF Paris. But
when your correspondent truly states that they
are often visited by the royal family one will
readily perceive the scope and nature of the diff
ference | have frequently seen the Prince and
Princess OF Wales In ''Tivoli" walking about its
handsome gardens and avenues precisely as
other people do, when on q visit TO her father,
the king, at Copenhagen but have never seen
the Princess Alexandra at ''Mabiile." And vet
a great deal OF beer Is drank az "TtVon."
Copenhagen Is easily reached from London by
way OF Hamburg and Lubbock. or the preferable
route: Observation-Disclosures and no Amer
lean will regret the visit Most educated Danes
speak French and German, ard many speak
English, though less fiuently, so that an Amer
lean will not find Ii dificu to get along so far
as language is concerned. Go there, by all
means; but do not rain the city. as you have
Geneva, Zurich and Interlaken Be trif1e
less flush at the hotels and you will save money
and get along better. Be liberal but not too
liberal; lust-well, l won't say any more,