New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-05
MARLIT"T.
THE STORY OF EUGENE JOHN.

On June 90 last died Marltt. Of the most popu.
lar Of modern German novess cc he ma s s1 novel
Cold Else and to receive for It within hundred
Rnd yet i wa, by chance that qgd El'o' found
publisher.
was the youngest daughter Of a mercantile family In
Arnstad little Thuringian town In the prime patty
of sondcrshascn Her father Ernst John; preferred
and hopping his edgeIs. lie eXccled In crayon draw
ines. copies of antiques her mother had been been
devOurcr of fiction Ernst had married her Tor her
not for her domestic qualities, and She made nm
good looking but certainly not managing house
wife The fathers crayOn drawings drew away his
attention from the business, and tho mothers novel;
n IS not to be wondered at that the business declined
and the domestic arangemens got into disorder me %
business. Ono of the daughters who died early was
sklful in the manufacture Of artificial flowers, and
genlc John was born December %, 1925. on the
very day on which the birthday celebration OF me
prince took place. and at the moment when the rum
peters blew blast in honor OF the regnlng pinte
from the balcony OF the town hall on the OPPOSITE s
side Of the to GS hSP 81 ns son IS
born in 176O and Arnsadt was the summer resi-
dencc of the family.
Eugonlo was a bright child. with dark, curly haIr'
intelligent eyes, and pretty dmples IN her chee.s,
counted when at Vienna, ono of tho best dancers In
that dancing capital Put she never can have been
pretty: whatever charm there may have been In her
face was duo to expression. Her photographs and
engraved portraits devoid af hint that there was
beauty i'm her features. She possessed talen lot
muslc and a good voice. and II was I'm this direction
that she turned In the hopes of making her way when
the depressed condition of the family made II ncceS
sary for each to do something toward gaining iVc-
hOod.
In 1s41 when Eugene sixteen, the prlncey
family were Arnstadt In the summer. nOSGunlher
whose trumpetcrs had proclaimed the nativity OF
Eugene whilst hOnOrng the birthday of their sOvcr,
elgn-but Gunther H. his In whose favor he had
resigned few years previously 1885. on his marriage
with the Princess Mathld of llohcnlOhe-Ochlngen.
The young princess kindly and generous patron
OF art and old Ernst John took courage TO eneat
her Serene Tghness to help In the cultivation OF tho
talent Of his daughter Eugonc, whom he destined ior
the stage.
The Same afternoon tho princess sent the bass
singer Kricg. Of the court opera company which had
come with the prlncey suite to ArnStad to teSt inc
girls powers. There no other Instrument IN
the house bur an old Spnet and Krlcg threw II open
and struck the keys cOntcmptuousy. lie felt sure
that where no piano forte found. there musical
ability would be raw and undeveOped. But whcn
Eugene raised her voice and sang he changed his op
ion She had powerful and clear organ. and though
unruvatcd. IL possessed remarkable natural neXi-
bltv. As he reported favOraby to the princess sho
sent for the girl heard her herself pleased, and
promised TO provide for her technical education Eu-
genie followed her paroncss to SonderShausen where
She was placed In the upper girls school. ana was
given special instruction I'm singing and piano playing
slasm and eagcrness to make her way that not Only
the family, but the masters anticipated that she would
make her mark when she appeared on the stage