The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-04-27
HEINErS FATHER.
The Poets Opinion of Whipping and Whip

HEINErS FATHER.
The Poets Opinion of Whipping and Whip
pers.
Pail Mall GaZette.l
IL has often been brought against Heine
las years before Ii was against Goethe,
that he dwelt too much on his relations OF
a higher social class, and was silent about
the rest. His explanation OF this fact is
amusing as well as characteristic. Speak
ing of his fathers relations, he says :
"The reason flor not mentioning theml is
very simple. | never knew much about
them. My father himself was a
quiet man. and did not Gaze TO tell me old
stories. Only once, when | was small
boy, asked question about his father.
Half laughingly, half angrilv, he an
swered: Your grandfather was little
jew, and had a long beard Next day,
when | came into the large convent school
room where my little comrades were al
ready assembled. | fastened to tell them
the important news which my father had
told me-that my grandfather had been
little jew with u long beard. Scarcely had
made this communication when all over
the room it was repeated in all possible
KEYS. accompanied 10y the imitation OF
animal voices. The children jumped
over the desks. tore the black-bOardS
from the walls, split the ink, up
set the chairs, laughed, crowed, neighed.
barked, and grunted - the refrain al
WAYS being the grandfather, a little jew
with big beard. The entrance OF the
master stopped the noise, the culprit who
had raised the rebellion was soon found
ont, aud received sound whipping IN re-
turn for his interesting communication.
II was the first whipping ever got. and on
that first occasion | made the philOsophic
observation that God, who created whip
pings. had in his great wisdom ordered that
the whipper should in the end get tired.
otherwise whipping would become unbear-
able. The stick ! was whipped with was
yellow cane. but the marks ii left on my
back were dark blue" Ii Is not diff
cult TO understand that, a. his drs
concerning his paternal
grandfather was received with 30 little ia
vor. ucine should in future have thought
it wiser to be silent on that and SImilaI
subjects. The little jew. however. must
have had some other good qualities beside
his long teOrd, for wealthy Hambure
banker gave him his only daughter. great
beauty. in marriage. Both grandfather and
grandmother died early, and OF their chill.
dren two inherited their mothers beauty
Ileine's father and uncle. The beauty Of
the former was rather OF feminine type.
but the latter was one in whom manly
beauty and strength OF character were
combined He, his wife. and his chill
4 oil ron 4 I,xfaIt- hntnatN HAuraru -
all died in their youth. AMI when he re-
them. lleine has to make his
FOOLS bells ring TO Danish sad thoughts.
The father, whose remark on the charac-
eristicS OF his ancestor earned for Helm
rich Helm, his first whipping, wore a SOL
'mn LOOK. Every movement was slow and
measured. and every feature OF his face
seemed to indicate the deep thinker and
But this was only the super
icia aspect. for he was neither Thales nor
l LampsacuS brOoding over problems OF
he origin OF things. The gravity was moi
borrowed, but il reminded one OF those
unique blS-rclieiS where frOlicsome child
hides its face behind a tragic mask. He wa,
n reality but IN ovcrgrown child; but ne
cit with his moral antcnnH what the
wise could only understand by slow de-
,rees. He thought less with his head than
With his heart. and had the most amlable
lcait that could be imagined. His voice
90, was pleasant, and to his excellent Ger
nan his famous son owes the perfect purity
II his language. which. indeed can hardly |
re surpassed. To say that Heinc the elder
lad Il rather feminine face is perhaps going |
90 far. lie was handsome, but, As seen
rom portrait, he would have shOne as an |
deal OF the rocco shepherd. with cue and |
powdered hair. which in the face of chang |
NJ fashion, he wore TO his LIES end. This |
ight-hearted father, whom his son de- |
,cribes as endowed with bOundleSs yitali- |
Y, Joyous temper, full Of gladnesS |
md mirth, forgetting the troubles OF |
yesterday, and unmindful OF those TO |
.Ome, had been in his youthful DAYS the |
JTOteg6 OF Prince Finest OF Cumberland. |
lie had been in the suit of the Prince at |
he beginning Of the French revolution. |
When, after his marriage. he settled down |
Is a merchant al Dusseldorf, he brought |
With him. much TO the annoyance of Nine. |
Ieine. his wife. twelve thoroughbred |
lorse> They we're sold al the request OF |
he lady, but to get rid OF dsreputable |
room. who invited every tramp to game |
~ NAlu1 III liN NldDltN, WAS IIlDIt liIlU |
wen young Nine. Heine could accom- |
Dish. Toe groom went away at last |
ii his own accord, and with him went his |
masters gold watch and other pieces OF |
ewelrv. OF all the hounds only old byDo-
ritical joey was allowed to stay, until he
iecame 90 travelling barrack for fleaS,"
nd then he was drowned. To this time
II military life Heinrich IIeine traces back |
lis fathers love for soldiers and their uni.
0rm. Long after he had become sedate |
tlZen be entered the civil militia, wore
he dark blue uniform with the light blue
elyet cuffs and collar. and marched with a
lad heart passed the window where his
wife blushingly received the salutations of
Ter husband and his men. Valorousy, too.
re took the lead as commanding officer OF
he main guard, which assembled every
light to protect the town. Fortunately.
he protectors services We're not nut
O the test, otherwise IT might have been
discovered that the chief work done by the
oldlers and their laughing chief was 10
mpty as many bottles OF Ridesheimcr.
provided by the commanding officer. as
hey could drink. This weakness. how
yer, did not degenerate into drunkenness.
nd in speaking OF the memory Of his kind
ather the poet puts aside both ridIcule and
ynicism, and, with something Of the
lther's own childish simplicity, mourns
yer him in these touching words:
. lie was of all human beings the one
'hom loved most on earth. He has now
cen dead for more than twenty-five wears.
never thought that should ever lose him.
nd even now | can hardly believe that I
ave lost him. 1t is so difficult to believe [
lal those are dead whom we have loved
dearly. Neither are they dead. They
We, We on ana nave their dwelling-place in 4
ur souls. Since then no night has passed