The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-04-21
HEINRICH aEINEs.
The German Poets Homo Life by One Who
Knew Him

HEINRICH HEINE.
The German Poets Homo 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
Fyeie Pyesse 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 1847. bearing a
letter Of introduction from Heinrich
| Laube. Of this visit he writes:
I soon found the house, which was on
the corner of little narrow street that
bends off the Rue de Faulboury, Pois-
sonuiere. It bore the number 49,. l
mounted three flights of narrow danger
ously polished stairs, and stood before a
small brown door by which there was a
green silk bell-pull. I rang, and a cor
pulent, rather younglsA lady opened the
door, cast sharp look at my Fatherland
coat, and said that Monsieur He,ne" was
out. 81 am Sorry" said I, in French,
with real chagrin, 'not to find Monsieur
Heine. I came from Leipsic and bring
him letter from Monsieur Laube
When then, madame, can have the
pleasure?''
''He is not out! He is not out! cried
a thin voice from within, and small
man, neither old nor young, with his head
bent forward, appeared at the door in q
dressing gown that tapped about his
naked limbs. It was Heinrich Heine,
and pressure OF his soft hand greeted
me. "Entrez toujours! Entrez toujours
lrhave just come home must change my
clothes because am bathed in sweat, ,
said he, coughing, put as loud as if talk
ing to halt.deaf person. les, my dear,
this is friend from Germany, who brings
me letter from Laube,' he explained
to his wife. Mime. Heine will not adj
nit Germans to see me. She knows them
at a glance;;' and he ran back into the
next room.
"Ja mein err" said madame, smiling
II recognized monsieur as German al
once.'
by what?'' I asked.
ooh, mon oieu by your clothes and BY
your shoes.''
| I cast 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. II
tell me so was not polite, however
ssAnd Why" asked, ssarc the German.
so treated by you2 Yet Z can well mag
inc your husband is oSer-bugd ened viii
VISITORS d a =5 .:,s II 5sssssss
| 81 cannot deny it, said Heine, who
in the meantime had appeared in q 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 worthy fellow-country nan
whose name is known to me, does me til,
honor to pay me visit, he can be sur,
of a friendly reception. But come, CONE
into my room We must have a goot
long chat.''
Now had closer look at Heine. III
was still tar from being the sick man o
whom we are accustomed to think. True
the right eyelid had fallen and nearl,,
concealed the eye, but no other trace 0
the coming apoplexy was visible in hi
face. This face was of singular beauty
The forehead was high and broad, tn
nose fine and nobly modelled. A red
dish brown beard shaded wcll-formet
mouth and concealed the chin. The CHI
whiskers were sprlnkled with white, bu
the dark brown hair Of the head, which
hung down upon the neck. betrayed nj
trace of age. The general expression O
Helne's face was one of dreamy inelan
cholly, but when he spoke or moved had al
unexpected look of most demoniac smile
He was then in his fortyeighth. year
The disease which later made sucl
frlghtful ravages had only begun to SHOW
slight, unmistakable marks Of its pres
ence.
Heine had been fond Of society, and a
one time moved in high Paris circles, ant
was on intimate terms with the mos
notable men of the French press A
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 witt
him. He was welI-known to the llterar,
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
| lu1uCu CIlIOuc VI AClOuAS. AC Adu UCCA vi
friendly terms with George Sand but b.
has not seen her since she went to liv,
with Chopin, some years before. in tn
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
Tulleries gardens. His associations will
Leon Gozian and Jules Janin had almos
ceased. In short most Of his old literar7
friends seemed to have forgotten him
Only Gerard de Nerval, who took keel
interest in German intellectual life, CAM
often to see him. Nearly all OF his asso
GATES were German writers living in Par
is as newspaper correspond
The only one for whom Heine appear
ed to have an affection was. Helnrlcl
Seuffert, who was one Of his seconds i,
his duel with Strauss. Seugert was
singular man. He wrote French as vel
as German, and his political letters Il
the Augsburg Azlgemeine Zeitung wer
SO much in Heine's style that they wer
freq uently mistaken for his. He wa
nicknamed the Man with the Ribbon,
iron the fact that he constantly carried
y L . n . : d Z - \ n Z