New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-06
GERMANY'S BLIND POET.
THE SEVENTEEN BIRTHDAY OF HIERoNY-
MUS L0RM
A LIFE OF GREATER PMvATIoN THAN THAT OF
MLToX-BMND AND DEAF FROM HIS
YoUTH-HIs ACHIEVEMENTS IN
LETTERS AND POLITICS.


YoUTH-HIs ACHIEVEMENTS IN
LETTERS AND POLITICS.
Berlin, August 3.
Not since the DAYS of Milton has poet been
visited with such terrible affection as Herony-
mus Iorm who celebrated the seventeen anu
versary OF his birth in Dresden few days ago.
amid the homage and congratulations OF ms
admirers and friends But even Mlltons lou ""e
mild compared with that Of the patient propheV
Of Austro- Germany" The creator OF PARADISE
Lost" could still find JOY and consolation III the
strains of Music, heavenly maid, ana the VOICES
of his friends. But poor Lorm Is deaf as wen
as blind Since his fifteenth year he has hearu
no sound His long life of afiicton and deprlVa-
ton. however, has been full Of beauty ana Is
pregnant with glorious lessons to all mankind
When il was still the custom in Germany 10
compare literary lights men were prone 10 can
moor Lorm the German Leopard, singer OF
pessimism The name has chung to him ever
since those days. although there is little IN COM
mon between him and the Italian writer, save
their Affections Lorm early learned the phllos-
ophy of resignation, unlike his battling, dlscon-
tented colleague Melancholy tones are heard, 700.
in Lorm's poetry, but they are momentary, anu
give way to gladstone, hopeful music" Pity' III
deed. is distasteful TO the quiet poets soul. lie
spurns it. Pity in the face of his endeavors anu
successes is not the uppermost feeling In one VINO
surveys the shriveled form Of Lorm. IL is raulol
admiration; admiration for his victorious hgDV
against fate, admiration for his optimism, au-
miration for his successes. His career 1ndeed ID
inspiring
HierOnymus Lorm was born as Heinrich Lanues-
mann in the small, beautiful Nil1Olsburg in South
A. prtE
mere sickly child his father and mother removed
to Vienna, where the future poet began his edu-
cation On the threshold of young manhood.
however, when fifteen years DID, he was afflicted
with disease which confined him for year to
his bed. When he recovered his strength his
hearing was gone and his eyes were almost blind
For time the unhappy youth was inconsoaole
He regretted above all the compulsory
remuneration Of books and the permanent
interruption of his cherished studies. but the
deep love of a tender mother preserved him from
melancholy despair Under her care his burdens
gradually grew lighter, and he resigned himself
to his cruel destiny. His patience was truly
Job-iIe, his perseverance was almost marvellous.
Ambition awakened within his breast and he
longed strange to say, to play an influential part
in political history lie conquered. With iron
energy and Heaven-sent perseverance he succeeded
in overcoming almost insurmOuntable difficulties,
in acquiring deep knowledge and in winning the
esteem Of men who were glad to be his COM
panions. In SAC Lom entered the literary and
political arena with his Politics of Vienna
bitter philippe against the Metternich system in
vogue az that day. The Minister'S agents, in con-
sequence Of the attack, made Vienna unpleasant
for L0rm. lie removed to Berlin but returned
to the Imperial city on the Danube in the revolu-
tionary days of 1s4s. His pen never rested. His
journalistic, philosophical and literary contributions
made his name widely known and its owner in
nuontal. His political talent manifested itself
also soon after his return to Vienna Strange to
say-for it is strange, considering his bodily atIic-
tions-he fell in love. Stranger still, perhaps, his
love was returned by the beautiful girl to whom
ne sang
Ich liebc Dchl Nit schmerzlicher geberde,
ErheO' ich ueber Dch die Haende
lch iuers, vile bald ich Dir cntnehen verde,
Erhoerung hcht das Wort ncht das ich sende.
Nur wissen solst Du. Herrchste der Erde.
, Dass Du der frost In einem menschen ende.
In 1856 Lorm led to the altar the one woman
who had inspired his deepest feelings. She has
been faithful, loving wife, and DEVOTED mother
to his children. She shared, too, in the homage
given her clever husband. To her he owes
much.
Anecdotes of a Returned Wandercr' and Short
Stories In 1853 he removed to Dresden, which
ever since then has been his home There, too, he
has been an inGefatigable worker. Poems, novels
and essays have appeared in profusion from his
pen. Only two years ago he won q literary
prize with his " lIead-covering of the Madonna
His poems have been published in several editions,
and bis philosophical works form q part of the
famous library of the society for the Spread
sfo Emma Ipfan fnn
peasant surprises to the aged poet on his recent
birthday was the issue of q new and complete
edition Of his works on the part of his publishers
Despite his age and trials, LOrm is still COM
paratively hale and hearty, and another decade
NAV roll by ere he is gathered to his fathers
In his quiet. pretty home in Dresden he is the
centre of loving family and the object Of venera-
-" Regularly at a certain hour in the
recently eeq e his Se could N weS bea
Neither could he see me approach him, for he is
blind He lay upon sofa in the dark room, sur
rounded by thick clouds Of smoke from his avqRa
gradually the small dear man, with the shaggy
silver hair and gray. full beard and the wonder
fully tender and helpless line about the mouth
came into view. AS long rs | would stand before
him he could not know that any one was near
him In his left hand he carries leather band TO
facilitate communication. Only by touching, his
hand could he learn of my presence. The code is
simple The vowels are represented by slight
raps upon the five finger tips. Certain combna-
ti6ns. easily learned, make the consonants, and
one soon becomes able to converse with the inter
esting man Reading 10 him is more difficult, as
only one of the lectors hands can be used in tel
err9phy' The poet is a master in chess"
THUS lives HerOnymus L0rm, the reasOnless
optimist" as he calls himself. No man, possibly,
has celebrated fes traditional limit with heartier
truer wishes for continued strength than he. TIE
Germans and Austrians love him-ess, perhaps
for his works than for the example and lessons of
his noble life