New-York tribune., 1896-05-24

literary topics and there has oeen no PUBIC adaFeSs
In tho city for number Of years that aroused the
la'eresi her Woman IN Modern Poetry" AID A few
days ago ~ The Press Cub meeting. X won tor
her the tii.e II Frau Go,ehrte." For A woman
!'to over thirty years Of age. aaf brought up. as
she has been IN society where women are supposed
% bc Salon -Damcn or Haus Frauen. this IS an
achievement Wei worth remnrking and particularly
ia Germany where all tho learning IL thought to bc
in the heads % the
Frau Won Gizycki says that one of the main rea-
sons why women IN Germany have been so back
ward in arita,ing their cause Is that they have
lacked fixed ohiec; 20 which they could devote
.her energies They have been TOO willing to take
what tho men would give them. such minor places
IN tho civil service and few privileges in the Uni
versty and then ict tho matter until another 1T
OF generosity came over their lords. For her all
these things are mere side issues. and she Is
virced that nothing satisfactory can he accom-
p,.shcd until comprehensive plan Of reform. incud
Ing tho ballot. has been resolved upon.
The women OF Germany" She aid further. have
made q mistake IN thinking that the movement con-
Germs merely what call the surplus million IT
is said that there always 10000 more in
Germany than men. ard they. Of course remain un-
married. Tn" time has come. however. when II is
no longer question Of whether woman can marry
o! not nut oi liberty ana d'Ve.opment AT present
there IS no colntfy In The world where women
many and the only hope FOR them is that they rise
In q mass and declare their independence"
only pot. Al party likely to work for the enamel
patton desired. ard she as now helping them in the
into power.
Johanra Amorosus to give her her maiden name
and ~ is tho one b. which the public knows her
Is an entirely different character. Here is a
who. by sheer force Of genius has risen IN few
months from a common labOrcr Of the fields 10 be
known one Of Germanys most popular modern
poets. ve&r ago sne and her peasant husband
were struggling Il wrest an existence for her
SIAN farm. Today her itlc vonme of poems is
sell as books sell in Germ and she
been fatrd by both Emperor and Empress. the
latter defraying the expenses OF an Italian trip
whereby she could recover somewhat from shat
tered condition of health
daughter OF poor mechanic. she attended school
only few years, ana then after the usual service
I'm that drcary stretch of country near the Russian
boundary line Two children were born to her, and
her husband in the fields. For much OF this time
she had not even newspaper to read and 1t Is ony
works OF Goethe and Schiller. 1t was life such
as one ind only in that lor ely prairie district
ing up her courage S that she could write the
verses which now make her famous -.
she began to write in 1854, when she was about
thirty years Did. In the feds or the kitchen.
Wherever it might be. she snatched a moment now
Iftio book OF "liedchte' is practically diary in
the latter suggested that they try them with
only reading as. children They were accepted and 1I
published. and in time came to the notice OF DR.
Schraftentnal.
in woman's work. He sought out the writer at her
publishers and asked for more He succeeded In
getting additional poems into his own hands, after
which he wrote a little life OF the author and gave
them to the world In their present form. The pro-
ceeis of the book. he announced, were to help the
author our OF her ptiful condition The book sold
tremendously. and has made Johanna Ambrosus
the topic OF the day in literary circles
Hermann Grimm, the critic, considers some OF her
work an event in German literature. He compares
her with Ada Negrl. the Italian poetess, who has
likewise sprung from the proletariat Ada Negri,
he SAYS comes from the turbulent. restless life Of
the city She has the passions that the city brings
forth II is the roaring. shreking and stamping or
the machines in manufactures that NIL her ears:
Her verses consequently have the impetuosity and
nervousness that characterize town life. Johanna
Ambrosius from the eternal quiet OF the farm.
The Northern pire woods surrounded her village,
and she heard only sghs She seeks with wearied
feet In the selva oscura di nostra vita modest path
that she may follow. Both however, capture US so
with their thoughts that, once received. they can
never be driven from the memory.
He says further of johanna: She tells us that
when she writes she Is aroused so exalted. that
she seems "A stranger TO herself This feeling comes
over us likewise in reading some OF her verses. We
say to ourselves Here Is who, because she
could find place In the world 10 which she seemed
suited has travelled a star In the heavens, whence
she looks down In peace on the turmoil beneath her.
From that point of view all her troubles and sorrows
take another aspect; loss becoming gain.
The striking thing In her poems Is their lyrical
quality Whether the thought be sad or hopeful the
singing quality of the verse Is ever apparent. and