The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-09-28

Even the Lord Himself. when from einsi He
promulgated His law. did not disdain
on that occasion 20 produce . SUI
ncisnt quantity Of lightning and thunder. al
though the law itself was 10 excellent %
divinsly good. that u should have proved 40
coptable without any addition Of burning colo
phony and rsverberating kettledrum music.
But the Lord knew His public. which. with it,
oxen and sheep and open mouths. stood at the
foot Of tho mountain. and which He could In
spirs with greater admiration By some physi-
cal trick than BY all the miracles Of the Eternal
thought
It is Of Helns's boyhood and early manhood
that we read in this scraD Of an autobiography.
and this 10 fortunate. for 1t was precisely the
decisive influences Of his youth with which Nc
were least conversant We now feel 1t easy.
for example. to explain his irresistible pro-
pensity to skepticism. 1T is" he snys. Ger
tainly remarkable that a. early as my thlr-
teenth year I was made acquainted with all
tho systems OF free thinking by q vsner-
able clergyman who did not in the least
neglect the sacerdotal duties OF his office.
thus enabling mo to learn while still
young how religion and doubt may walk
side BY side without hypocrisy; the result Of
which was for me. not only inndelity. but the
most tolerant indifference. Time and place
ut the end OF the skeptlcal eighteenth century.
in city where. during my childhood. not only
the French Government. but also tho French
intellect. was regning." Tho boy was taught
French. II seems. at the Lyceum OF Dusseldorf.
aud. according to tho current pedagogic
methods. was forced to make French verses.
1T needed but little more and not only French
poetry but all poetry would have been complete
iy spoiled for mo-" He goes on to laugh ut tho
French definition OF poetry as the art OF paint
ing by images" which distorted conception"
is. he suggests. "one OF the reasons OF their
continual alteration into pictorial pnraphrase."
As to their metre. this he says. must surely
have been invented by Procrustes: It is a per-
feet straltjacket for thoughts. which. consider
ing their tameness surely would not mood 1t.
That the beauty OF q poem consists In over
coming mstrcal difficulties is another ri
diculous maxim which IL OF like cri-
gin. Tho french hexnmeter. that belch-
ing In rhymes. Ia real horror to mo.
! still think with terror OF tho time when had
to translate the address OF Caiaphas to tho San
hedrim from Klorstock's Messiah into French
Alexandrines. 1t was studied cruelty God
pardon me- cursed the world. and the foreign
CONS q French ian eater. i might have
fsn Sss Ths 80 .ss
between the rector of the school and my
mother. The latter was. In fact not satisfied
that should learn to mako verses even II they
we're only French ones. She at that time had
the greatest fear thar | might become poet;
that would be tho worst. she used to say. that
could beiall me. The ideas which wore then
associated with the word poet were not very
honorable ones and tho bard WAS regarded as
u poor. ragged devil who. for . few thalers.
made rhymes on certain festive or obituary oc-
casions. and finally died in u hospital"
Besides frequent Illustrations oi tho poets
delightful huInor and inimitable irony thsra
are not q few traces in those pages OF that hold
on the deepest emotions Tor which his pub
lished verse and prose nre equally cOnspicu-
Gus. This may he demonstrated by this follow
ing lines with which. for tho present. we con.
cluds our extracts from this long-expected
memoir:
The night 10 silent. Outside only the rain
beats upon the roof and mournfuily means tho
The cheeriess sick room at this moment 10
almost luXuriousiy homolike. and sit without
pain Ia the large armchair.
All at once. without tho handle OF the door
moving. thy beautiful image enters. and thou
lest down upon tho cushion at my feet. Rest
thy beautiful head on my knees. and. without
looking up. listen.
II Will toll thee the tale OF nv life.
II occasionally heavy drops should fall
upon thy locks do not be disturbed: 1t Ia not
the rain leaking through tho roof. Do not cry.
but silently press my hand"