The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-15

II " Votot SbNeet W "e'' ""~s
with which the death OF that mighty one has
covered thee. And he was thy guest and had
seated himself by thy hearth.
Strange! A terrible destiny has already
overtaken the three greatest nemie OF tho
Emperor. Londonderry has cut his throat.
Louis XVIII. has rotted away on his throne.
and Prof. saalfsld is still professor In Got
tingen."
Bogumil Goltz. whom we may almost con-
slider a contemporary. since he did not die
until 1870, was a man OF fortune. who. al
though born in Warsaw. studied at the
University Of Breslau. and attained n high
rank among German humorists. His point OF
view is even more modern than that OF Heine.
and his insight, searching as 1t Is. was never
divorced from the kiniiiness and charity
which are insepe-able from true humor as dis
tinguished from satire. OF his characteristic
vein no better example could be given than
the passage cited In this volume. from which
we reproduce some extracts. The author Is
discoursing upon woman. and one can see
that. while pretending to vilipend them. he
really adores them.
I'm his relation to women man is always
more or less oil a fool. whether he be their
husband. lover. councillor. or friend. He ex-
plains the same thing to them over ana over
again; lie declares. he demonstrates with n
will: he would have 1t thus and SO. because
only in this wise. and at such q time. will 1t
fulfil his purpose: he points tho argument
and he grounds it with such explicitness that
n very sign post would strike root ut listening
to him. For a moment the lady fears the
threatening storm: but as for the mental
effect. the effect which the argument should
make as such. which truth should make as
A-At - Al-A -. -1.-a -.
indeed. she does not even respect law and JUS
tice with all her heart. but only under COM
pulsion. and driven thereto by despair.
Man may talk as much a. he %pleases: the
spoken word exerts no potent influence over
q genuine woman. So long as her emotions
are strongly affected. the whole line Of nrgu-
mcntation to which the spoken word gives ex-
preston seems to her but q piece Of academi-
cal man-invented pedantry-the learned twad~
die Of the schools. She inclfneth not her car
to reasons: she con siders them an intclerable
imposition. an encroachment upon the realm
Of her sentiment and the supremacy OF her
feminine intuition. Her logic is passion: she
feels but her mood. her interest: she sees
things and relations but as they regard her
personally. Whether there is an injustice to
others implied. and what is the true import OF
things per sc. all that Is rarely comprehended
and retained by q woman. whore her
interest or her antipathy comes into play. In
the entire course OF the %clearest and comets est
exposition tho fair listener Is occupied only
with her excitement and opposition. and never
with the subject In question and its impor-
lance. The spoken word. rs soon as she Is re-
CURED to acknowledge its office as bearer
and representative Of intellect. to value Its alb
soluts potency. is to her but emrty sound At
the last she may yield to pathos-to emphasis.
to oratory. as she might do at a play. The dla-
lectics affect her possibly by their eloauence.
diction. and pictorial qualities. but rarely BY
their cogency.> When all arguments are ex-
hausted. and the speaker looks forward to the
effect for the sake Of which he has marshalled
all his rhetorical art and logic. and taken his
eloquence into both hands. as It were. madam
comes back to the same fatal point. to the
same nonsense from whence she started. and
all the forces OF rhetoric. all the concentrated
reasoning goes for nothing"
Goltz goes on to show how In presence OF
an interlocutor SO refractory a mans temper
rises. and he wakes Indignant. although he Is
certain to be told that it Is quite unnecessary
to raise his voice and get in a passion about
nothing:
1.-The %quietest. most serene OF men must
despair when there Is no appealing to human
reason. But madam shall be convinced. He
counts again tho serried syllogisms on trem-
bling fingers. with flashing eyes and tremu-
lous lips. with q voice half suppressed by rage:
every word Ia accentuated rs II 1t were to con-
jure up spirits and wake the dead. Argu-
ments are applied like thumbscrews. the en-
tire demonstration is held up menacingly like
a pistol with trigger drawn: she is accused OF
not possessing reason. and in tho next moment
it is demanded OF her. as ono demands the evil
dence OF his five senses from q person sus-
4. a
declare. brief aud plain, whether she has
understood: she is not 10 say what she
will do or not do; the matter under discus
sion and ITS fulhlment is to remain secondary:
the man wants naught but the satisfaction OF
az acknowledgment that he Is right. that his
better half possesses and respects human
reason. All material interest 10 to be set aside:
her ladyship shall have quite her way: 1t
is only demanded that there be a declaration
In the interest OF truth. OF logic. OF human
dignity: but Of this the fair sufferer In the
cause Of non-reason Is not capable: 1t Is asking
too much Of her feminine nature: 1t breaks her
heart. She feels herself ill.treated: In her oI-
element she has heard nothing but words.
and, like a tragedy queen. she has been occu-
pied only with her grief. She c~omprehends
naught but her boundless misery. and the
automatic barbarity OF the genus man. And
the tears she has long repressed burst forth.
washing way demonstrations syllogisms.
and all: hat is a loOmdn's logic. Nature will
not be forced. and least Of all woman nature.
Dosed with augmentation and logic. 1t loses
appetite. ~fulness. wit. complexion. grace.
amlability. and yivpcity."
vi.
Julius Stettenheim. who was born at Ham
burg some sixty years ago. and is now living
at Berlin. is best known as the editor OF the
Wespen and the Mnnoristishes Deutschland.
Among innumerable humorous compositions.
perhaps the most successful has been his
ssWar Nnrraapandan,.b . parta ~ -hInh 4.