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

his long life.
Hsias.
It Is precious contribution to our knowl-
edge OF the greatest German singer that Dr.
THOMAS W. EVANS has given us in the fragment
ary Memoirs Of Hsimrich Heine London. @. Bell
4 Sons). Notwithstandinet the frequent gaps In
It and tho carly period Of the authors life ut
which Il suddenly breaks of. the value Of this
| inchoats autobiography Is great. both because
the Internal evidence Of authenticity Ia ineon-
tsstable and because II abounds In touches Of
| characteristic penetration and felicity. We
could wish. however. that DR.. Evans had boon
| less reticent regarding the history OF this In
| teresting document and tho circumstances
under which 1t now sees the light. We infer
however. from some raAhor vague illusions
that we have hore the mutilated remnant Of =
memoir begun by Heine In the later years OF
his life. to replace one written earlier. but de-
stroyed In compliance with the wishes Of his
relatives.
The notes before III seem to have been left
In the possession OF his widow. yet although .
number Of passages we're stricken out and
burned by Hsines cousin the fear that some
thing offensive to tho almoner Of her pension
might have been overlooked long deferred the
widow from publication OF these papers. That
Heine. and consequently his widow. had album
dant reason to distrust the magnanimity OF his
kinsmen and to shrink from giving thom q
pretcxt for Withholding the income 9rndg-
ingly doed out 10 made clear from the
following extract from q letter written by
the poet to his publisher and friend. Julius
Campo Of Hamburg: My confidence in my
family has xone. and Carl Heine cousin OF the
poet and son OF the opulent Solomon Hoine OF
Hamburgl. however rich lie may be-. and how
ever amiable he may have become toward me.
would be the last person to whom l would ap.
ply in any difficulty. My dear friend.
am In vcry bad condition at present. although
all the world pets and fstters me with the ex
ception Of my miserable relatives. As
regards the latter. Laube's letter to the
AUUrmeins Zeittn9. 10 which hs accuses
them openly OF . cowardly assassina-
ton. has here and everywhere been re-
ceived with both appreciation and Indignation.
With regard to Carl Hoine. be has not told
you the whole truth. for have absolutely no
reason to DO satisfied with him; that he has
agreed to pay to my widow hair Of my pension
is. I suppose. not such On extraordinary act OF
magnanimity. l wish intentionally to
let you know how matters stand with respect
to the conditions OF reconciliation which
Carl lieine has imposed upon me. and on
which account his purse has not In any
way suffered" In another letter TO Campo the
poet writes: My sickness IL not only blood
sucking. but . incorporating animal.
You know tina. Carl Heine's magnanimity does
not suffice for half my wants. Begging
is a very disagroeable thing but begging and
not getting anything is still moro disagreeable
actual starvation would be preferable to this.
l therefore have made up my mind. once for
all. to rely no more ON that source
W li.l
caused the custodian to defer the publication
Of this fragment. and which induced her to
permit the poets brother to destroy some
thirty pages Of the manuscript referring to the
humble origin OF tho Hene family. about which
almost all its members except the poet him
self were sensitive. 1t is easy to prove. how
ever. by some random quotations. thnt We have
abundant reason to treasure the pages which
have luckily survived. We note. in
deed. with some malicious satisfaction.
that more than one reference to the small be-
ginnings Of his rich uncles family has escaped
Its wary scrutiny. ANY one. for instance ac-
customed to interpret the authors dolicate
irony will appreciate the adroitness with which.
while protesting complete ignorance upon the
subject the poet contrlves to impute obscuritv
and shabblness to his fathers side Of the house.
They pretend" he writes. TO have discov-
very much about the relatives Of my
mother. while I say nothing at all about
my fathers kith and kin and they declare this
silence to be Intentional on my part. accusing
me OF having the same concealed motive Of
which my deceased colleague. Woligang
Goethe. was suspected. It Is, indeed, true
that. In his memoirs Goethe very often speaks
with great satisfaction Of his grandfather on
his fathers side. who. a. his Worship tho
Mayor. presided In the City Council at the
Roemer' OF Frankfort. while not syllable Is
sold OF his grandfather on his mothers side
who. In Bockenheim street. as an honest job
bling tailor. sat with crossed legs upon the table
mending the old trousers of the Free City. 1t
is not my business. however. to defend Goethe
for ignoring this fact. but as regards myself.
wish to put an end to these malicious inter-
pretations and innuendoes by declaring that 1t
is not my fault II have never spoken in my
writings OF my grandfather on my fathers
side. The reason Is very simple one-I never
knew much OF him to speak about. My de-
ceased father had come to Dusseldorf as per-
feet stranger. and had no relations there.
He was. too. very tacturn man. who disliked
talking. and once when. rs u little boy. hap
pened to ask my father who my CRANE father was,
he answered. han laughingly and half GROSSLY.
Your grandfather was little Jew with big
beard" Naturally the little boy hastened to
| convey this important news to his schoolfel-
| lows the next morning. and naturally also, at q
time when Hebrews were subjected to 40 much
| scorn and persecution. the communication set
tho school room In y hubbub OF derision.
The schoolmaster. hearing the commotion.
came In to Investigate tho cause. and,
deeming 1t most prudent to pitch upon
the little Israellte. whipped him sound
| lv In tna ynkn re