The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-02-29
STORIES 4 ABOUT GOETHE J. j
Couldn't Stand Criticisms About
. :. His Marriage and Wrote
Strongly to the Point.
"A Curious Feature III the Life Of
the Poet and the Way in
Which He Lived.
He Stopped His Paper Because He
Had Not Been Dealt With
Gently.


Gently.
The Gothic Jahrbuch for 1895 Is the
sixteenth volume issued by the Goethe
Gesellschaft, which is one of the most
remarkable literary societies in the
world. 1t has the care of the Goethe Ma
tional Museum at Weimar, and publishes
every year all that is new in regard to
the work and life of the great German
master. It's editor is Ludwig Guget,
lcng known to every student Of German
literature for his accurate scholarship
in all that relates to Goethes work The
list. of members is headed by Emperor
William, and comprises not only the
kings and princes and the professors and
men of learning in Germany, but the
Emperor of Austria, the King Of Swe-
den, the Queen of Italy, and includes
members residing in Greece, india, Spain,
Turkey, Africa, JAPAN the United States,
and Australia, writes 4Ashbel F. Fitch
in the New York Sun.
OF the contents of this volume moth
ing will perhaps interest the American
reader more than a letter written in De-
cember, 1906 and never before published,
from Goethe to his friend, the publisher,
Gotta. 1t is worth the attention of those
who believe that it is only of late years
that the press has given prominence to
the private affairs Of public men, and it
shows how deeply a great man can be
hurt by paragraph in d newspaper.
To understand the letter it is neces-
sary to remember that Gotta and Goethe
were intimate friends, and that they had
just before, in 1905, concluded All agree
ment very satisfactory to Goethe, by
which Gotta was to publish a new addi-
ton of Goethe's works and pay the au-
thor 10000 tha.ers in .installments run
ming to 1908. This agreement was being
carried out, when in October, 1906, the
battle Of Jena was fought and the little
city of Weimar, where Goethe lived, was
taken and plundered by the French
In the tunllt of the first night Of the
French occupation Goethe's life was in
danger, and was, as he believed saved
by the courage and presence Of mind Of
Christiana VuIplus, who had long presid-
ed over his household without the sane
ton Of legal marriage, and by whom
he had a son then approaching manhood.
Goethe. as Duentzer says, felt under these
circumstances, with the world upside
down, chat tha mother Of mis- son, the
saver OF his life, ought no ionger>to re-
main without legal right to call herself
his wife" He wrote, therefore, to the
court preacher, Gunther:
During these days and nights an old
purpose Of mine has come to ripehess-
I want to recognize fully and legally as
mine the little friend who has done SO
much for ma and now has lived through
these hours of trial with me. Tell me,
worthy reverend and father, how to pro-
ceed that as soon as possible. Sunday
or earlier, we may be married" ~
The marriage took place on Sunday,
October 10, 1906. Goethe had been for 80
years the greatest celebrity In Germany
in literature and art. He was 81 years
old. He had been raised to the nobility,
and was prime minister Of Saxe- Weimar.
He had been the idol of dozens Of the
of his time, and his romantic friendship
with one of them had attracted universal
attention and interest. That such man
should marry his housekeeper under all
these circumstances was great piece&of
news. Even in those days of battle and
change, when Napoleon won victory
or upset an old government or arranged
new one every week, hardly bsttr
STORY for a reporter could be found
than this unexpected marriage, under the
sound of the French cannon and amid
the scenes Of plunder of his home, Of
the greatest of living poets. Naturally
enough there appeared in newspaper
published in Ulm, of which Gotta was
the owner IL letter from Weimar COM
menting on the good luck of Miss Vul-
Plus, 'twho, when everyone else was in
oicfn nrf, hn1 11sor1 q
great prize from the wheel Of fortune
The letter contained also little rather
good-natured fun about Vulpius, the nov
elist, a brother of Goethe's wife, and,
about Falk, who was his intimate friend,
touching the manner in which they had
escaped injury at the hands of the
French. The letter is not particularly
sensational or malicious, and fancy any
person Of distinction Of our day, az
customed to the language of some Of ot1r@
newspapers, would have felt in Goethe'e
place rather we'll satisfied that so little
was said about so curious an event sss5s
But the poet was grieyouslys offended &
He wrote at once to Gotta, (1ot to the edi-
tor Of the paper an epistle of about 1 800
words, in which, with great dignity and
deep feeling, he protests against the pub
lication of such personalities about him- {
self and about others in any paper owned
by his friends. As to himself, he says
with strong resentment:
II am not important enough to have
my household affairs deserve discussion
in newspaper articles, but, il they must
be mentioned, I believe that my father
land owes 1t to me to accept seriously the
steps which take, because have lived
an earnest, serious life. and live such
one now" sss ....ze- IS 5si#
He defends Nulpius and Falk from the
::ntimations thrown on. their conduct. and
praises the latter for his services to sth
city and the state at the time Of the 0cclss5
pat He was evidently on the free list
OF the paper, as he goes on to say: 5ss.Ss
q y request you not to send me the neWs-sH4
paper after New Y eats day any more, ,sasSs
it would be most repugnan to- me tpSresss
eeiye through your Kindness ssdneLhi1
which attacks and insuit and h1e
who surround 81
fronStlae above thai Il II vii be titel lss
possible for me and my neighb0rs %
any Kind Of part ID any Your new
daily 81 ssas
RI IL IS evident that Gotta had ii view n
on5 second ssS'SssSI sla