The Jewish advance., 1881-02-11

Berlin. In 1845 she started on Jour-
ney to Italy, but returned to Germany
after the death Of her father, in October,
1916. Since then she has lived, almost
uninterruptedly, and, since 1854 as the
wife of the author, Adolph Stahr (died
Oct Bird 1876). in Berlin.
Fanny Lewald is clear. minutely-
observant mind. Although highly SEN
sitive and ofwarm feelings she is, never
theless void Of all romantism, all tender
enthusiasms and excessive sentiment
ality. Her style in composition is de-
cided simple and natural, easily flowing,
never stilted but always beautiful and
noble.
Through her cousin, August Lewald,
she was introduced to literature; he at
tracted attention to her talents and, in
1841, published her first novel, "The
Representative" in the journal "Eu-
ropa', founded by herself. With her
fathers consent she now devoted herself
to her editorial activities. In 1912 her
first Romance, "Clementine", anonym-
ously appeared; it treated the, at that
time, much ventilated question Of mar
ried life. in an entirely different manner,
however, from that which was usual.
Far from pleading in favor of the eman-
cipation of woman the authoress sets
forth that faithfulness to duty is the
cornerstone of all happiness.
One of her best romances is Jenny
which appeared one year later and in
which she portrays part of her own ex-
periences. AS she herself did, Jenny
loves candidate of theology, man
whose mind is choked up by the rankest
orthodoxy. and whom she is forced to
refuse, owing to religious scruples. By
degrees Jenny regains her peace of
mind, and although she, like the author
ess, determines to forever renounce the
happiness of marriage, she is conquered
by the love of count who, with won
derfal consistency, sacrifices all pre-
possessions Of station and religion for
her sake; she engages herself to him,
but few days thereafter he falls in a
duel and Jenny dies of broken heart
Aside from this. her own history, the
authoress developes another which,
touching and pathetical, gives the reader
glance into her inner life. Jennys
brother, Eduard, a talented and gener-
ally esteemed physician, honored in vir-
tue of his character as we'll as of his
knowledge and skill, loves the daughter
of a rich, Christian banker and is also
loved in return; but the laws Of the
state which do not permit Jews to off
ciate as university teachers or profes.
sors, also forbid marriage between Jews
and Gentiles, and pure though Eduards
love may be, he, nevertheless, cannot
make up his mind to forsake Judaism;
he holds it for the highest and holiest
of his duties, to work for the political
and social emancipation of his corelig-
ionists. In this romance the authoress
has given an excellent painting Of the
disgraeeful social position of the Jews,
and at the same time, a living picture
of beautiful and truly elevating
Jewish familylife. Jenny was very
popular at the time of it's publication
and contributed much toward destroying
prejudices against the Jews.
In more political though to some ex-
tent correlative department of literature,
we find Fanny Lewald in the romance
Prince Louis Ferdinand" which ap-
peared in 1849, and in which she des-
cribes the life Of the Berlin salons and
portrays, though not always in happy
manner, the Jewish women of those
times, as, Rachel. Henrietta Herr, Do
rothea Mendelssohn, and others. Her
larger more widely circulated romances:
Changes" 1853, ''The Maiden of Hela"
Q86O), From Age to Age" (1864), be-
long to the most important creations of
the authoress. Of different worth are
her novels and variations, as "Duenen-
und Ber00eschachtef" lS5D "Collected