The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-13
IBSEN'S WORDS AND WAYS.
conversations With This Most Eccentric
Writer.
o.
Clever He Was Overre ched
Copyrighted. 1928


white hair, next touching his high silk
nat TO be sure that il is on straight then
carefully fitting his gloves and polishing
ms spectaeles. He will go through al
or these different performances at least
a dozen times before he sips the last
drop OF pJolter and departs. All this
suggests man of a very nervous tenn
permanent; but / am told that DIR. Ibsen
IS really very vain, and to that trait 1
am disposed to ascribe many Of his pc
lunar actions. Vanity can not be called
serious fault. But one popularity as
crlbed to DR.. Ibsen I am not so ready to
excuse. He is millionaire, and yet.
ne IS said to be extremely parsimoniOus.
me editor OF one of the principal papers
expressed this view most emphatically,
SAYING: If Ibsen offers you a glass Of
VINE you must refuse, otherwise he Will
not like it," The opportunity 10 refuse
ala not even present itself.
A strange man indeed is DR.. Ibsen. and
strangely does ne impress you as you see
MIN day after day quietly sitting there.
all alone, speaking to no one, looking al
no one. He does not wish to be disturbed;
ne does not wish to talk He lives within
himself, or else in some far distant world
unknown and inaccessible TO us. Con-
verse with him and you are still more mys-
Gneu-not so much by what he says, as by
the manner in which he says it, SPEAKING
rather low and somewhat hesitatingiy,
nor throwing his voice directly at you,
put sendlng 1t out, as il We're, like an or
acle to the multitude, he makes YOU feel
ds tnough you were speaking to a spirit
on unknown times and chimes. Before
II
similar to that which I experienced this
summer IN Europe while looking at a wu-
hbi is paying Pay g the part of Rat-Charmer in
ms Little Eyolm Perhaps the fact that
each one of Ibsen's plays always creates
3, great actor or actress is of no little
During the summer months. when
Chrlstiana is filled with tourists, one has
opportunity to witness many amusing
ntlIe incidents. For example, a party of
tourists, Whole-souled Germans will spy
Ibsen some distance off walking alone
me always walks alone), and at once
MAKE a charge upon the old gentleman,
VINO, IL his dignity would allow it, would
make for the first ailey-way or cellar
door in order to escape.
Mr.. Jacob Riis. we'll known in this
country as the author of Children of
me Foor, and How the other Half
Lives, related to me his experience with
Dr. lbsen in the streets of Christiana
w men he was pointed out to me-" said
Mr. Riis, Il at once made straight cut
Tor Worthiness, placing myself directly
IN MS path. greeted him with the free
Dom SO natural to an American juornal-
nandshake from many of your American
friends and admirers. DR. Ibsen stood
as II perfectly amazed, keeping his right
nand upon his breast under his coat.
l exclaimed. But how in the world am
going to shake your hand if you keep
II up thereY Not word came from his
lips, but slowly his hand was disclosed
and extended grasped it, gave it
hearty American shake, and left the
great writer Having walked short dis
lance, L turned, and behold, there Dr.
Ibsen was still standing, motionIess upon
the sidewalk, his right hand again upon
his breast, gazing at me with the most
astonished air in the world"
AS before mentioned Ibsen is now n
millionaire, and his house is furnished ac-
cordingly. On Victoria terrace in Christ
lana he occupies magnificently fur
nished suite of rooms, the walls of which
are adorned by real gems of art which
were poked up here and there during his
many years of travel. On entering his
study, one is surprised at finding Ii so
small, and asks if ii is possible for a man
to complete such grand works in such
narrow quarters At this Ibsen smiles
and tells you that when he works he makes
use of the whole suite of rooms He does
not compose sitting quietly at his desk,
but wanders restlessly from room to-
room letting every thought pass through
his mind score of times before he COM
mits It to paper: Thus his method of
work is truly Aristotelian.
1 have been told that he does his best
thinking in the morning while dressing
and making his toilet and as a conse-
quence several hours are often thus en-
ployed. During those hours, knowing
how absorbed he at times becomes, we
can easily picture to ourselves situations
camera would furnish much occasion
for laughter
one day while speaking with Ibsen, I
said:
THE world, in considering the two
lights of Norwegian literature, looks upon
Bjornstjerne Bjornsen as the one who oc-
cupies the highest step upon the idealistic
ladder, and upon you as representing the
severest type of materialism, yes, even
pessimism. If this is so, then, might we
not class you, in respect to the material
istic view of life, with Leo Tolstoi?'
mo, that should not be willing to agree
to. With regard regard to myself, / refuse
to say anything, but Leo Tolstoi and
work in different directions, so far as I
know, he has written a couple of plays
but that is all. He, of all the modern
writers, has been most successful. Leo
Tolstoi is no humorist; yet, in his most
pessimistic strains he can be interesting,
and often amusing"
Dr. Ibsen does not wish to talk about
himself or in any give explanations re-
garding his writings, and it was only after
meeting him quite number of times that
! received any encouragement whatever
in that direction.
One evening, however, l sent my card
to DR.. Ibsen, who was sitting at his ae-
customed place in Grand hotel, enjoying
his Pjolter and reading the Berlner Tage-
blatt. He graciously permitted himself to
be interrupted and occupying a chair by
his side, mentioned that before my de-
parture / would most highly appreciate
few words of explanation regarding some
of his writings. The answer was: II new
er undertake to explain my own works.
Many able commentaries have been writ
ten from which one may obtain all the ex-
PLANTATION necessary"
But what conclusion are we to draw
from your little poem entitled ITO the
Revolutionary Speaker" Many claim to
recognize in that the purest sentiments
of anarchism."
We'll, / wrote that while / was young
ana simply mean, as expressed, that
when one wants to revolutionize he should
do 1t as whole, and not in parts"
You have, think, on several occasions
expressed himself as a mental aristocrat
and yet, in the fourth act of The Enemy
OF Society you have DR.. Stockman gather
the lowest boys in the neighborhood for
the purpose of instilling into them the
highest type of manhood. How can that
be harmonized?''
1T is not who proposed to do that; it is
DR.. Stockman."
1t is very usual thing for Ibsen thus
to put the blame upon his own creations
IN order that he himself may escape the
charge of inconsistency.
IN answer to the question, care YOU dis
satisfied with and opposed to the exist
ing political and social systems?" DIR. ID
sen said:
Il deal with human nature and 1 am
concerned only with the spiritual and mem
tai sides of men. / have no sympathy
whatever with the pet schemes of social
and political reform-such theories "a
Henry Georges and Edward Bellamv's
DO not appeal to me in the least l aim to
influence the mind and thoughts of men.
to create characters and individuals II
can make the people think right. then
all the rest will follow without legislation
--~4N 1.r.~mA .s.-As.