Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1880-04-22
HEINRICH HEINE.
The German Poets Home Life by One W
Knew Him.

The German Poets Home Life by One Who
Knew Him.
The German poet, Alfred Meissner
who was intimate with Heinrich Heine
during the latter years of his career in
Paris, is publishing in the Vienna Neue
FTeie PresSe series Of articles giving his
friends domestic life. From two articles
which have already appeared the follow
ing is translated and condensed. Meiss-
ner first visited Heine IN 1S47, bearing
letter of introduction from Heinrich
Laube. OF this visit he writes:
l soon found the house, which was on
the corner of little narrow street that
bends off the Rue de Faulboury, Pois-
sonuiere. 1t bore the number 46. |
mounted three flights of narrow danger
ously polished stairs, and stood before
small brown door by which there was a
green silk bell-pull. rang, and cor
pulent, rather younglsh lady opened the
door, cast Il sharp look at my Fatherand
coat, and said that monsieur Heine" was
out. II am sorry said /, in French,
with real chagrin, mot to find Monsieur
Heine. came from Leipsic and bring
him a letter from Monsieur Laube.
When then, madame, can l have the
pleasureW
'>He is not out He is not out!' cried
thin voice from within, and small
man, neither old nor young, with his head
bent forward, appeared at the door in a
dressing gown that tapped about his
naked limbs. 1t was Heinrich Heine,
and pressure OF his soft hand greeted
me- "Entrez toujours! Entrez toujOurs!
| have just come hOme-must change my
clothes because am batned in sweat"
said he, coughing, out as loud as if talk
ing to a halt-deaf person. "1es, my dear,
this is friend from Germany, who brings
me a letter from Laube,' he explained
| to his wife. Mime. Heine will not ad
nit Germans to see me. She knows them
at glance and he ran back into the
next room.
| "Ja mein err" said madame, smiling.
II recognized monsieur as German at
once"
by what2'' 1 asked.
sob, mon uieu! by your clothes and by
your shoes"
cast a glance at my coat and shoes
| Dresden make-and couldn't see any
thing remarkable about them, still they
must have lacked something of style. To
! tell me so was not polite, however.
"And Why" asked, "are the Germans
so treated by you? Yet | can well mag
| inc your husband is over-burdened with
VISITORS
81 cannot deny it," said Heine, who,
in the meantime had appeared In more
respectable toilet. There seldom comes
anything agreeable to me from the Faith
erland. The Germans who present them
selves here are often OF double nature.
But if a worthy fellow-countryman
whose name is known to me, does me the
honor to pay me visit, he can be sure
of friendly reception. But come, come
into my room 1--WE must have a good
long chat
Now had closer look at Heine. He
was still tar from being the sick man of
whom we are accustomed to think. True,
the right eyelid had fallen and nearly
concealed the eye, but no other trace OF
the coming apoplexy was visible in his
face This face was of singular beauty.
The forehead was high and broad, the
nose fine and nObly modelled. a red
dish brown beard shaded welcomed
mouth and concealed the chin. The chin
whiskers were sprlnkled with white, but
the dark brown hair of the head, which
hung down upon the neck, betrayed nc
trace of age. The general expression OF
Re1ne's face was one of dreamy melan-
cholly, but when he spoke or moved had al
unexpected look of most demOniac smile
He was then in mis- forty eighth year
The disease which later made such
trIghtful ravages had only begun to show
slight, unmistakable marks OF its pres
ence.
Heine had been fond of society, and al
one time moved in high Paris circles, ano
was on intimate terms with the most
notable men of the French press Al
the time Meissner knew HIM, however
he lived in very retired way. He visit
ed no families, either German or French
because he could not take his wife will
him. He was welI-known to the literary
world OF France, but he seldom came in
to personal relations with its members
Two OF them had always KEEP
away from him-Victor Hugo on hi
stills and Lamartine On his incense-per
fumed throne of clouds. He had been OF
friendly terms with George Sand but HI
had not seen her since she went to livt
with Chopin, some years before. in thu
acacia-shaded Cour Orleans. Next t.
this genial lady, Balzac interested hin
most, and he often spoke of his forme
; walks with the great novelist In tn
Tu1Ieries gardens. His associations will
Leon GoZian and Jules Janin had almos
ceased. In short most of his old literar'
friends seemed to have forgotten him
Only Gerard de Nerval, who took keeI
interest in German intellectual life, cam
, often to see him. Nearly all OF his assO
GATES were German writer's living in Par
, is as newspaper correspondents.
The only one for whom Helne appear
) ed to have an affection was He1nrlcl
) Seuffert, who was one of his seconds il
his duel with strauss. Seugert was
singular man. He wrote French as wei
as German, and his political letters t
the Augsburg Algemeine Zeitung wer
so much in Heine's style that they wer
,, frequently mistaken for his. He wa
nicknamcd the "Man with the Ribbon,
: from the fact that he constantly carrie,
with him piece OF narrow black rlDoo
: a yard long; which he waved to and fir
= and tossed up In the air. The ribbo
always lay near him when he wrote
7 Sometimes he would play with it as fu
! r1ously as kitten with ball. Ever
week he bought new ribbon and threy
the old plaything away.
It was after his thirtieth year tina
Heine's relationship with Mathilde be
; gan. He looked upon it as merely tenn
porary affair at first, but tender, yield
ing heart, combined with weak will
converted it into firm enduring bond
Whether it gave direction to his life, AM
brought him more happiness than Sol
|, row, Is q question hard to answer. One
! ne tried to break away from it. It 1888
he went to Campo, from whence he wrote
THANK God, my soul is once more tran
quill. My excited senses are again tame