New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-28

from Grimn.'s lin, and T'plcs Of Gocnc.

IRON, Gripp.'s Lie and Times Of Gocl.c.
Gocthes sketch of his father drawn from his
experiences and the observation Ct his own nature
in ripcr years In hi, earlier iItc had once ia
openly Of his parents written III reference TO his
father: Am then destined ny late to become 50
narrow-mInded ~ And Iater he must have dis
covered IN himself many o. the pcdanilc tI.ita Of
ms father The habit of recording everything de
seconded 10 him from Tins side ~ we'll rs thr collect
ing and prrscrNlu. of tribes. lls father tOrc-d him
to finish what hc had begun. les, ont a. interest in
the subject than from love O. order. IT. pasted
up his unfinished drawings. and pat "a border round
them GortheS father hab no spiritual elements ia
INN by winch hIS weak pu.hir could bee Trans oIincu
INFO strong ones. lie worried himself more ana
more about the cXtcmas OF liir. lie was in all
thai 'ouctlhtu Inc slthtlh1o OF money precise ana
captions. ii even compelled ms son at iaat tO give
up ai free intercourse with him. that hc might not
he hiu1eTrd by opposition. anything was desired
OF the old man. it had 40 be- asked Tor carefully
composed letter. In the Htuc verse which
Goethe explains bis nature as an inheritance l4Om
father ami mother. hc attributes TO ms father his
stature and his methOdIcal habits. In Layat,rs
fhyslornomy' there Is u portrait oi his father
which Goethe considered tolrrdblc.
70 his mother ne ascibcs hs LuOyaut nature and
his love of STORYTELLING. And indeed tins was inst
what DISTINGUISHED the " Frau hath.' Tine mother
had in ncr the material 10 make an historical per
sonale. G0ethe's father can be set aside. We do
not necd INN to understand Goethe. But his
mother ~ lns"parable from LIN; sac toIms Part OF
his being She had "a VEN Of genius in her natU re-.
An indcstTuctlblc vitality stood at her command,
and her every shade OF thorght had deeply
years She had, As we say, been given IN marriage
to Gocthe's father; ana took her place companion
and housewife 10 man Whose occupations and ill.,
dIvduality alike indifferent To her. We only
sec her becoming happy and more aud more reused,
ms she realizes what giant she has brought INTO
the world IN her SON. she Understands Gocthes |
nature fully most OF all IN its Inconsistencies, he
cause she Is woman She defends him. She |
me iatcs between him and his father. lis sue |
ccsses. which never sprprlse her ill her with in |
dcscribable pride. Her constitution was like iron
She ana what she had 10 do al once IN fresh. ready
way. and swallowed the devil without stopping TO |
look at him. She sells the house with the consent |
Of the son, and moves into n new one. Her first |
or hiring WAS :" No gossip to be re-
pcatcd' But everything new. great. and world |
stirring, especially all OF literary significance she
seizes with eagerncss These things were 10 her n !
delight. She judges all with cleyerness and |
naivcte. She was large and stately and wore i'm
posing head-dreSscs; and she had always "A circle of |
young girls about her who followed her with en-
ihusiastc love. In the theatre she sat in her own
box. and appauded ~ II she had special commits
,ion from Goethe. From there she presented her
little grandchildren To the public.