New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-06
,n.nn ~ his beet sketchea Hs takes

| i've contrasts of character, speech, h"nnoi on"
| habits of thought, by bringing together 'ho '!P'
| of different nationahtes-the American III L"iov"
| or IN, European in Amcrica-and in doing TINS he
- not ~ the nains of cultivating anybOdys SYM
I notb;es His analyses are as cold-blooded as DE-
Slone1's psychological study of the mixture OF SCH
tmens in the distresses of h's daughter Catherine
| The hero of " The American" is one oil MT Ja'eS
most careful creations, but it Is imposslpe lor us
TO care much about HIM. principally because hi' -,
| roptor does not care much Newman is amiaDle
| and generous. but there is broad streak OF Vui
| carity in his composition OF which we arehcN,l
| allowed to lose sight. Even lis love mak'ns -
| vulgar; be undertakes the acquisition Oh 'he VOL,
| finest attainable wife rs rich American Win
| somewhat different tastes might set aPou' Vno
purchase of the biggest house or the most Cosby
| n,o.,ro Tho ontbor never tells us that Newman IS
| vulgar but we feel that with all MS 'h'rIns''"i',
rohlo nnal;ties he Is q person for vhom we are noC
IN entertain very high respect product Oh UNTIL
| and enterprise to whom fastldlonsly cWuN"''u
| society might properly feel itself superior 20. on
| the other hand. when Mr.. James, IN the companion
nnvel of The Europeans" sets oil tho sophIStlca-
ted n,lish Of Felix and Eugcnia against the sun
| simplicity of the Wentworth family we are con-
scious that lie is smiling in lofty and tolerant anu
not altogether becoming way at these pure ana excel
lent New-Englanders; and the unpleasant effect is
|
trast between them and their foreign visitors is al
| tocether 10 the WentwOrth's advantage. That
Mr.. James holds himself above his countrymen,
that he loves to point ont tho cruditcs of Amcrl-
can society as compared with that of more arlSto-
cratic lands we confess that we find nothing in his
| stores to show. lie appears to regard all coul-
tries and all classes from the point of view OF n
| dlspassionate outsider; and if he has rdcuicd
the ideas and customs that prevail upon one slde
| ~ f0n
| gnish the other. the discrimination mas Ger
tainly not been aga inst MS Daisy Miller. which a
| heartburning and feminine wrath than amy OF MS
other stories Will perhaps he cited in contradiction
OF this estimate. Bnt DAISY Miller is pure SaoIU
| of the most trenchant and legitimate Kind: Nobody
| can have observed those curious products OF our
civilization, the American hotel Young lady anu
| the American hotel mother, without recognizing
| the rare fidelity of this sketch of grave socia
abuse, and approaching the substantially Just
and kindly spirit with which the censor mas 'SI
pcred his severity We should be glad indeed II Mr.:
| James would fOIsake for q while the painting 0
amusing hut upon the whole rather uhprohtaoic
and Hnsy9a1%WS SQUARE and devote
himself to the wholesome satire of which " DAISY
Miller" was such an excellent example; AMERICA ne,
| has Great need OF earnest satlr'St, ana MT.
James we think, might undertake the once not only
| with profit to his couNtrymen but with great al
| vantage to himself III the strengthening and de-
| vclopnlent of powers which as yet seem to be un-
| certain of their proper held.
|
TRANSLATED from the German by Elizabeth Me- eiisn.
with Illustrations svc, PIP xviii A9i' rni"oe''
| phia TX. kOhier.
| SchIllers fame is well-nigh universal 1t has pene-
! trated every by-corner of the Englisl-speaking
| world. In America more attention 10 gwen to him
| in the schools than to his great brother genius
Goethe But 1t Is doubtful if he is very much read
| out of the textbooks. There are several reasons
why this is not as it should be. Schiller is above all
| the poet of human freedom and the prophet of re-
| publican progress. His Robbers" his B" Love and
intrigue" and his don Carlos" are protests
| against every form of tyranny; his " Wallensten
and his Maid of Orleans " exalt the individual man
and woman ; and his civilian Tell " NAV he said
almost TO outslriek the American eagle. Herein
may lie the secret OF general admiration III America
| for the poet's character, as we'll o dissemination
TO court the society of his lofty muse. Tins country
is weary of spread-eagleism, and so weary that for
the time being 1t is also little shy OF sentiments
| of exalted patriotism But it is to be bGped that
| this translation of Dr. Scherrs fascinating biog-
| raphy will stimulate interest III Schers writings
DIR. Sohcrrs book written twenty years ago.
| but it is almost popular to-day IN Germany as
| when it first appeared. II aims to he entertaining
| and picturesque rather than critical and philO-
| sOphca
| In appearance and manners Sc. .illcr looked and
acted the ideal poet of pure and lofty aspirations
| He was digni6ed III bearing and reserved aud iW-
NAL toward strangers. Among friends he WA
| genial companion, who cXerted an III ellectuai
| fascination. lie OF a serious disposition as II
| child and his sister Christopline ha' described how,
at D.ornng prayers. the little fellows face wore
devout expression. with his serene blue eyes up
lifted" she says the blond hair falling back from
his forehead and his little hands folded lie looked
like a cherub.'
Schillel's father was an officer in the Duke of
| n Ie
then fourteen, was put INTO the strait jacket OF
| the Karlsschule" the Dukes famous military acAd
emy He awkward youth and his pale face
| was covered with trecklcs. lie made good progress
| in general Studies but was so far behind his class
mates in jurisprudence that the professor of that
branch felt justified in informing the Duke that
| instruction was altogether wasted on him. for he
had no talent. The Duke thought differently, aud
said Just let him 90 he will come to something"
Schiller pelnga free pupil OF the academy WAS bound
by an agreement signed by his father and mother,
to devote his whole life to the service OF the ducal
house He had chosen medicine eacape from
more distasefu sndcs. and OH leaving the academy
was quartered in Stuttgart az the surgeon OF Iegi-
| ment of grenaders His salary eighteen guld-
ems a month, or about 81 90
| The poet was then twenty-onc. 1.-THE Robbers
| had been written and read to three lOuI of his
friends i'll the woods. Not long aterward the drama
WAS to be produced with success at the theatre III
Mannheim; then the young doctor was to be placed
under arrest for gong secretly 10 Mannheim
scoded by the Duke and charged to drop poetry and
| stick to his medicine.box AT the first opportunity
be deserted and fed from WurcmDerg lie had
grown to be six feet and three inches tall and is
related that his knees turned inward His nose was
| prominent his forehead broad and his har red and
bushy. He had q way of blinking his eyes rapidly
; | when talking with animation and of smiling Ills
eyelds we're usually n0amed. his checks hollow