The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-13


5av. I am confident that mode sly alone
prevented him from mentioning the man
I'm thousands, both in America and
zone. consider the greatesit literary
inns of the hour. But insts ad of men,
s,,ning his own name he simply referred
- DUMAS, Jr., in France, and to Leo
Tolstoi in Russia.
There may be some. in fact, 1 know
ERE are many, who emphatically deny
ut DR. Henrik Ibsen is the, greatest liv-
inc literary genius. 1t must be admitted
I,ovever. that within his sphere there is
not man who commands the attention of
he whole civilized world like the author
# "Per Gyut," Brandt Loves Com
~, " and Little Eyolf." No one is more
,,,mercifully criticised; and no one is more
enthusiastically lauded. In American
citias in many European cities, and even
~, his own city, Christiana, have heard
raonle of culture, in their criticisms of DR..
fbsen's personality, make use of express
.,ons of such a nature 1 cannot publicly
renort them. Yet, in the same cities, 9TH
,rs of equal culture have been even more
lavish in their praise of a man who is
destined. as they contend. to revolutionize
The world of thought and change the vital
principles and institutions of society.
man able to create such a storm must
,sossess traits which are worthy of our
consideration, to say the least, and the
,tudy of which must prove not only OF
interest, but of intrinsic value to the stu
dent of social phenomena-yes. and to the
casual observer, as well.
During the past summer, while staying
IN Christiana, I had the opportunity of
,,eeing DR.. Ibsen daily, and often it was
conversation
with him, sometimes about trlNlallues,
but at other times upon topics of deeper
s1gnificence. Does IL surprise you TO near
that a man like DR.. Ibsen should, at any
time indulge in light conversations IL
is his general custom to serve such ra-
lions to strangers in order 10 get rlq OF
f{hem for he does not like to be interview
id. Anyone, 1t is true, may OBTAIN an
interview with DR.. Ibsen; but to have
lim express his opinions upon the topics
with which we invariably associate his
lame-that is an entirely diherent mat
ter. -, .,
he was sitting by the window in small
room adjoining the reading room OF the
Grand hotel, slipping mixture OF brandy
asnd soda called Pjolter-the national
rink of Norway. AS 1 approached him,
i quickly noticed in his eyes an expression
of dissatisfaction; evidently ne did not
wish to be disturbed. As he glanced over
nqy card of introduction, which bore the
r,ame of his son, DIR. Sigrid Ibsen, he as
umed more friendly air, and greeted me
When mentioned that spoke the Nor
vsegian language, this seemed to please
isim much, and we at once sat down and
btlgan to converse in his native tongue.
( told him of the popularity which he
was gaining in the United States, and as
ssured him that his admirers In America
would receive with much interest any d.
rect message with which he might choose
to favor them. At this Dr. Ibsen seemed
pleased, and he responded: LAS a rule,
refuse to say anything for publ cation,
fFom the fact that am likely to be mis-
understood. About a year ago / allowed
q French journalist to interview me, and
in the course of our conversation he asked
me my opinion with regard to the restric-
tkons which the French government had
put upon the stage, and whether intend
cd to conform to the rules laid down. My
answer was that on that point | was in
dependent, and with regard to such mat
tiers quite an anarchist. short time af-
her il appeared in all the European papers
and in the American papers, too, that
l;ard to politics. 1 never took the trouble
however, to refute the falsehood."
The lives of most of our great men have
been more or less peculiar. In this re-
:spect IbSen is no exception and If his life
las been of a peculiar nature, his person
iblity Is even more so. Any one who reads
Ibsen without knowing him invariably ex-
Claims: How unnatural and incompre-
hensible it all seems!' Let the same per-
afford him the opportunity of studying at
short range the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of
his nature, and he will ever afterward be
obliged to aver that DIR. Ibsen writes
most naturally-in short, that his works
are less of mystery than the man him
self.
/ Henrik Ibsen was born on the Goth dav
Of March, 1923. in the little town of Sken,
thirty or forty miles southwest of Chris
tlana. through some misfortune his faith
or was in such limited circumstances that
Ne was scarcely able to meet the daily
wants of his family. To the poverty of the
father was added the melancholy DISPOSE
mother. and ell
understand how the first fifteen years Of
Ibsens life must have abounded in the
clements calculated to develop deep sad
ness No doubt the impressions received
at that early age formed the seeds out of
which, have sprung the traits which have
caused the world to look upon Ibsen as
the pessimist of his age.
The years from fifteen to TWENTY-FIVE
were spent in an apothecary shon AZ
Grimstad, another small town in Norway.
Before his departure from Grimstad he
had turned the whole community against
him on account of the witty sayings and
sarcastic little poems directed AGAINST va
rious individuals. The political reyoIu-
tons which swept over Europe in 1S4S
greatly impressed the young apothecary
and caused him to write vigorously against
the rottenness of the whole world Even
then he evinced a strong desire to over
throw the political and social structures
and upon their ruins erect something bet
ter.
1t was in 1850, when he was % years of
age, that lbsen first came to Christiana
Where, after some study, he began TO
write in earnest. The products of his la
bors were not appreciated, however. and
The the years between 1850 and 1864 were, for
hlm, mere struggle for existence In
1854 he was successful IN obtaining from
the government small travelling scholar
snip and like Byron he left his native
country GO f in disgust; With the exception
OF few short visits to Norway, he re-
NAMED self-exiled until four years ago.
N 1871, when he again settled down in
Chrlstiana, where, it appears, that he in
deRqs to spend the. rest of his days. Until
AFTER the production of Brandt Ibsen
may be said to have lived the life of a
pauper. Careless in the extreme with re-
gard TO his appearance, wearing a soft
slough hat upon a head of long, unkempt
mar he went about in the shabbiest ar
ray. L was told by people in Christiana
mat in those early days it was not a rare
Ihlng to see him intoxicated in the streets
Perhaps Ibsen was like the famous Dan
lsh poet, VESSEL who loved to lie in the
muddy streets at night and ponder over
the problem why the moon was full only
once month and he was full every day
Then Brandt" appeared, and behold
there was change. For the first time
success smiled upon our hero. and for
the first time in life he was placed in
position which made it possible for him
10 assume the style of a gentleman In