, 1892-03-16

IN breathing the very air Here the heart
might dream were it not for the chilly storms
coming from the North. Here the sea is
Gods heaven, the clouds are phantasies in
colour, the air is nectar for the gods, the
earth seethes with grapes, pictures smile from
the walls of the houses. This Is the home OF
phantasy, the North that of reason" And
on returning to Denmark he signs after "the
fresh air, the rich colours, the whole luxuri-
ant nature" of Italy
I'm my Dreams" he writes, Il am often
again by the melancholy Lake OF Nemi, where
the ancient planes grow, where the rich
and fruitful vine winds itself among the
branches. Oh how empty and cold
it is here in or North. Italy is my home!
would live at Naples, where the mountain
burns, where the sea is blue as our winter
sky where the balmy air Is waited from the
home of the palms and orange-groves. Now
| have the willow for the olive. | have the
yellow apples in the peasants garden for the
yellow oranges, the green Baltic for the blue
Mediterranean.
This is but the sigh Of a poet, who loved
his country too well TO wish 10 exchange
it for the land which all poets have held
dear.
AS Andersen's reputation grew, SO also did
his happiness and when describing to the
King his travels in Germany and his reception
by the King of Prussia, his emotion becomes
ELUSIVE. In a letter dated 1916, he says -
"A lucky star presldes over my writings.
They fly far and vide. Such happiness. such
recognition, softens and humbles the heart
before God. / ain thoroughly learn
ing to recognise in life how much that is truly
great and good one finds in all stations. Life
is so delightful, and every one is really good
at heart. l have confidence in all men, and
in truth l have never yet been deceived.
Even IN an economical sense, my travels have
been a success. | have now been away hve
months, and have not as yet spent quite five
hundred Imperial thalers. 1hls has been
possible for the reason that have been re-
ceived by families IN most places like a
valued relative. The relationship consists
ia the interest that people take in my writ.
in9s, and the friendship with which they
surround my personality. Indeed, | left most
towns with tears for in each | was received
as a friend and brother. l could not
have ordered everything more delightfully."-
than the dear God has done for me, even if
had had the great power to do it. l recog-
Mise it in the fullest degree my heart beats
in gratitude to God and mankind, ..and ! could
press all the world to my breast. Believe
me, your Majesty, l shall cherish dearly and
lastingly the kindness that l receive
The very long letter from which these ex-
tracts airs taken is highly characteristic of the
writer's emotional nature. Such a letter
written by a subject to q monarch is probably
unique in literature. The freshness Of the
correspondence is It's special attraction. If
the reader ia sometimes inclined to smile at
AnLer> ems egotism and simplicity, he Will
not esteem the man the less. AS well might
he despise 8 child for the rank fearlessness
of utterance which is the charm of child
hood.
Happy in Germany, he seems to have been
Equally happy in England, and especially in
me society of Dickens, who, as might have
Oeen expected, gave Andersen the friendliest
Welcome. His reception in the highest Lon
oon society was very gratifying to the famous
stoly-teller, and he tells the King of Denmark
how at Lord Palmerston's nearly all his books
We're named and praised, how for q whole
fortnight he received invitations for every
day and every evening; how Jenny Lind was
like a good sister to him, and how his portrait
hangs next to hers in the shop-windows. TO
the Grand Duke of Weimar, Andersen pours
out what is in his heart Y. it'll the same ,copi-
BUSINESS and freedom. One of the most de-
lightful portions Of tkis volume is the cores
pondence that began in 1869 between Mary
Livingstone and the writer whose books she
loved so we'll. Never has an author been
more richly lowered with the affection of his