Washington sentinel., 1898-01-22
The Loves of Goethe.
Emma Rsniingk0H Mason, fH the
"COSSH0boktkGH."

BY that we do not mean that the
women who were the objects of
his affection were unworthy OF his
love, but that Goethe vas incap-
able Of loving as they deserved.
To US, Goethe seems to have pos
sessed a dual nature. He was,
from early youth, conscious OF his
own power. Yet it was not to his
sensuous nature that women like
Frederica Brion, Charlotte Buff,
Lii Schoenemann and Charlotte
Won Stein appealed. 1t was to the
pure Joy ofloving and to recog-
nized spiritual sympathy that
Goethe's heart most frequently re-
sponded. He loved passionately
and wholly while he loved. He
would move heaven and earth to
win affection. And then-strange
as il may seem-when his hearts
desire was attained, the hre upon
its altar would suddenly go out
and not even Goethe's own will
could rekindle it.
One OF the earliest heroines OF
this long life romance was the
lovely Charitas, "a friend OF Goethe's
sister Cornelia, who was the
centre OF a charming circle 1
young people in Frankfort.
Goethe held her in tender remem-
brance until her image was dis
PEELED by that OF an equally charm
ing young girl OF Leipsic. This
was the pretty and piquant Anna
Kathearina Schoenopf, iamiliarly
known as "Kaethchen." She was
three years older than the youth
ful woligang, but was a bright,
loveable girl, intelligent and witty,
and the light of the innkeeper's
household where Goethe was re-
ceIved as privileged guest.
Music, dancing, amateur plays
and verse making made the days
and evenings in the little wine shop
very attractive. Under these favor
ing influences, warm affection
sprang up between the two young
people. Another even more dra-
matte story. which has frequently
served as a motive for artist and
romancer, is that which Goethe
himself tells Of the daughters of
Saveur, the old French dan ing
master. With the younger OF
these girls Goethe was ardently in
love, while the elder sister, Lu
cinda, was secretly consumed with
an unrequited passion for him;
and on one fateful day, Lucinda
burst into the room Just as the
youthful lover was declaring his
affection for her sister. In her
excitement and despair, Lucinda
pressed kissed upon the mouth
Of Goethe. declaring that a curse
should fall upon the next maiden
whose lips met his.
The conscientious biographer
discerns an element OF fiction in
the atmosphere OF this dramatic
scene; but Goethe, in his old age,
repeated the story, apparently to
add to the artistically tragic de-
NoNeMeNt Of his love for Frederick
Brion, which was undoubtedly the
poets first grand passion.
The story OF Goethe's courtship
of the beautiful Frederick begins
like an idyllic pastoral. "The
Leipsic love AFFAIRS" writes
Grimm, "seem child's play com
pared with this. Frederica was
the first whom he earnestly loved,
the first whose heart he broke, and
whom he never could forget"
Frederica was the daughter Of the
pastor Of Sessenheim. She was a
beautiful, noble and highminded
girl; although born in a simple
country home, Her parents re-
ceived Goethe, who came intro
duced by a friend, with the most
cordial hospitality. The quaint
charms of fe in country parson-
age appealed to Goethe's nature.
The flowers, the picnics, the walks,
the drives, the music, the moon
light, together with the pastors
lovely daughter, presented an al
lurement to which theimpression-
able youth surrendered without
reserve. Frederick sang her Swiss
and Alsatian folk-songs for Goethe,
and Goethe wrote his tender
est love songs for Frederick
who could doubt the result7
Frederica gave her heart, un lues-
tioningly and wholly, to the glor-
ious youth, who came and went as
her openly acknowledged lover;
and Goethe revelled in the bliss oil
his idyllic wooing; but no doubt
betrothal took place. The contes-
sion OF love and the plighted troth
seem ever to have dealt loves
death blow in the strange expert
ence OF Goethe. To win a heart
was rapture; to possess it, when
won, safety. q ccording to
Goethe's own record, he suddenly
awakes to the consciousness that
his love for Frederica is but a
dream, and when he beholds her
in contrast with the city maidens
at Strasburg, realizes that the
simple county girl is not fitted to
be the lite companion ofthe Goethe
that is to be. And so the pretty
play comes to its tragic end.
The instructive demand for SYM
pathetic companionship which led
Goethe so often, with such sad re-
suits, to the Sessenheim parsonage,
soon made him a frequent and
welcome guest in the home Of
Amtmann Buff at Wetzlar. The
eldest daughter Of this household
was Charlotte Buff, who Goethe
has immortalized a" as"Lottie"in the