The sun., 1890-01-26

v Frau Won Stein's personal appearance and
cnaracteristics our direct information is
meagre. Goethe himself nowhere praises her
beauty: and Schiller. writing in 1887. when she
was near 45 says that she could never have
had any. She suffered moreover. greatly from
Ill health. the result OF a naturally weak consti-
iuiion. rapidly repeated conlnements and sor-
r''w for the loss OF her infant daughters. Her
charms were. therefore. almost entirely those
of her mind and manners. Goethe wrote under
her silhouette. taken in 1773. which he saw at
StrasburG in the possession Of the famous DR..
Zimmerman. author Of the work on Soil
tuds." in July 1T75 some months before he
made her pc ersonal acquaintauce: 1T were q
glorious spec,acle 10 observe how the world
mirrors itself in this soul. She secs the world
as it Is. and yet through the medium Of love.
So gentleness Is tho general impression"
month Laser he gave to the physiog-
nomist Lavater the following analysis Of
the character indicated by the same
silhouette: ct" Firmness. pleasing. unchanRing
permanence OF state. contentment in self
lovable pleasnSness, nRfvet6 and goodness,
self-fowing speech. yielding frmness benevo-
lence. constan"y. overcomes with devices"
Knebsl. au intimate friend ofGoethe. writes OF
her, In q letter addressed to his sister about the
same time: She is without pretension and af-
fectation. STRAIGHTFORWARD. natural. free. not
too heavy and not too light, takes a. interest
In all rational and human subjects. is well in
formed and has fine tact and even skill in
art" Schiller. also. while denying to her the
possession of beauty. as already remarked.
still calls her "a truly original. interesting per-
son." Her countenance." he says. has a
gentle earnestness and very peculiar OPEN
ness. Sound understanding. feeling and truth
lie 10 her being" Fritz Won Stolherg mentions
among the lovely little women OF the court"
the beautiful eyed. lovely. gentle Stein" and
speaks OF her as the beautiful Stein" Eyi-
IDENTITY her eyes and her expression made up
for her physical defects, and produced at least
the impression Of loveliness.
Charlotte's childhood and youth, apparently,
wore not happy Her mother was a mild.
earnest. and deeply pious woman. devoted to
her household duties. Her father was stern
and hard. and. like her husband, much of the
time away from home. absorbed In his official
work. Her biographer. Danster. says that
she never played with o doll, and was. as
child. fond Of gazing at the stars The means
OF the family were limited. and she seems to
have received little education until after she
became at the age Of Is. maid Of honor. She
then acquainted herself with French literature,
learned to play the piano and the guitar. to
draw. and to do various sorts OF women 8 work.
In later life she cultivated her talent for paint
ing assiduously and frequent mention OF her
performances in this line are mentioned by
Goethe in his letters. Among others, she made
aportrait OF herself by the aid OF mirrors. at
about the age of At, which is now in the posses
sion Of her Rreat-grandson. and from which
thsoutine given above is taken. She also wrote
enumber Of poems. q collection OF which was
published. set to music. and q tragedy called
DIDO" which possesses considerable merit
10 women she seems to have been especially
attractive. The young Grand Duchess Louise
made hera lifelong intimate friend, she deeply
attached to herself Schiller's wife, and the COM
panions OF her old age spoke OF her with affec-
uonate tenderness. 1t is related that Knebel.
0cethe's friend. was so affected by her death
thaE he wept over 1t like child.
when Goethe arrived at Weimar he was n
little more than 20 years old. and In the full |
nnsh OF his youth. His literary reputation had |
oeen established by the publication OF Gotz |
Won Berlichingen." tho "Sorrows OF Werther,"
olavGo." Stella" Erwin and Elmira." and |
countless little poems. Personally he was |
" almost godlike beauty. Lewes says OF him |
" twenty that when he entered restaurant. |
peoDe laid down their kniyoS and forks to look |
- MIN. His features resembled those OF the |
wreck Apollo: he was above the middle height, |
suonR' muscular. and quick In his movements. |
ana versed in all kinds OF manly exercises. or |
us appearance when he was 25. skating on the
Se Frankfort wrapped in crimson cloak,
nis delighted mother said Anything so beau
mul is MOTTO be seon now. | clapped my hands
otloE Never shall | forget him. as he darted
out rom undor ono arch Of the bridge and in
seain under the other. the wind carrying the
lAln behind him as he ilew!" This personal
sSeauty he retained to his death. and his
nond Eckermann. says Of his corpse as 1t lay
aHstched out for burial: Il was astonished at