The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-07-20
"A Little Paris"
Correspondence of The Sunday Mws.)

LElpsIc, June l9.-"Leipsic is little
Paris" says Goethe IN his tragedy
"Faust" and ever since the good Leip-
sigers have accepted the saying as truth
as well as poetry. There is something
ludicrous in the comparison, and it is
doubtful whether Goethe uttered the
sentiment seriously, for Lepsic has only
about 1900 inhabitants, is small in
compass for that population and has too
much Of quaintncss and cccentricity to
form more than caricature Of the
brilliant French capital ; and yet when
one walks through the restless crowds
on its streets, or mixes with the gay
streams Of life that stir in theatres,
concert halls and endless places Of pub
lie entertainment, it is easy to think
there is a certain resemblance, and that
to Goethe, coming young student from
his home IN the country, it seemed u
Paris in Il! reality There il, probably,
no city in Germany where is more Of
public life hearticr goodwill in the
pursuit Of pleasure, or more loyal
devotion to science and literature than
in these crooked streets of Leipsic. Its
handsome new State Theatre has one of
the best stages in Germany for German
opera and high tragedy. Its university
is one Of the two largest numbers more
than 5000 students and has, particularly
in the various branches Of law. one of
ihe most celebrated faculties in Ger
many. Its Gewand Haase is the most
beautiful music hall have ever seen,
and the weekly concerts, that take place
during the winter are renowned all over
Europe and the boast Of every Leipsic
citizen, Within a few hours ride Of
Berlin and Dresden, it has neither the
cosmopolitan. greatness Of the one nor
the absorbing art interest of the other
but there it something unique in it's fire.
edom, its gAiety, and its very quaintness
that make it dear to the heart Of the
German student. Every student swears
by it, and it is with deafcning sincerity |
of sings the patriotic student song: |
"Meiu Leipzig list elm klein Paris, mcin |
Leipzsg lob ich mir
The city has much Of historical in
terest. Its existence under its present
name dates back to the tenth century.
and nearly hundred years before
Colum bus discovered our new land in
the West, Leipsic was already growing
under the influence Of two great cle-
mentS that hare worked in its prosper
ity-thc institution Of it's peculiar half
yearly fairs, or markets, and the found.
lag of it's university. There is yet to
be traced. in the public promenade that
runs around the .'Old Stadt." the site
of it's ancient city walls and fortifica-
tion. The bitches arefilled in now and
planted with handsome trees and shrub.
berry, the walls were pulled down dur
ing the wars of the Middle Ages, and
the soft notes Of the nightingale NAV be
heard now, instead of the watchman's
cry. Although the good burghors Of
Leipsic have always cultivated the arts
of peace, rather than of war, they have
not unfrequently been called upon to
empty their wcll-flled pockets to
satisfy the ambition or avarice of others
aad their city has twice been chosen as
the meeting place of con tending armies.
On one side is the battlefield where
G lstavus Adolphus. Of Sweden, defeat
ted Gen. Tilly in the thirty years war
and on the east ern outskirts is the field
which Napoleon selected to meet the I
allied forces in 1913, and from which he
his disatrous retreat, which
in the Treaty of Paris, and I
his punishment to tho island of Elba.
The smoothing hand of time" has
covered over most Of the rough traces
Of battle, but u monument makrs the
spot where from slight elevation
Napoleon directed the movements of 1
the French army. and where worn out
at length with three days of sleepless-
ness, he slumhered on bis camp stood
amid the noise and tumult of the
battle. Besides the "Napoleon- stein.
the positions Of the various troops arc
indicated by stone landmarks, as is also
the mound from which the allied
sovereigns the retreat,ng columns Of the
French army. On the western side of
the city runs the Erlter, the little river
that played such tragic part in the