The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-03


and Stationery company.
This will not be one of the popular books
of the year, for 1t does not possess that
superficial philosophy and fippant Guessing
over of truth and life which gives the
open sesame to popular favor. 1t is the
work of a thinker and dreamer, and one
can find the genius of the artist In Its
faithfulness AS the translator says In
his foreword, the author has digged into
the soul of humanity" and indeed he
seems to have reached all Its JOY ana
sorrow it's good and evil, its hopes and
despair. He may be compared to lpsen
inasmuch as he is creative in his work,
having written plays like no other plays
of our time, portraying the truth In
drama. Like Ibsen, too, the author mas
been combated, hated and decr1ed. lie
has forsaken the conventions, the 1alsl-
ties of the German stage. This work OF
his 1.-THE Sunken Bell" may be described
as a German fairy play, but as the work
is read one sees the deep significance
contained in the story. 1t seems at Hrst
but a lovely, mysterious legend, spun out
of German folklore, for Hauptmdnll >
elves, sprites and wise women all nave
their places and their meanings IN the
myths Of Germany.
But there is assuredly more In the chdr-
acters and the plot OF 'The Sunhet d.
than a mere fairy tale, however peautl-
ful. and each mind will read into them
the meaning that best fits it's own eXpe-
rience.
The characters in the work are, br1efy
Heinrich the bell-founder, VINO DrearkS
his heart in the vain effort to reach lne
sun and to create wondrous chlmes; Hau-
tendelien, the elf, who spirits MN TO his
wild mountain home; Magda, the deserted
wife. the vicar, the barber and the
schoolmaster, who go in search OF. the
lost master. the Nickelmann, the Woou
sprites and old Wittikin, the wise Woihan:
Heinrich may be taken as the center "
a parable to show the efforts OF all oil tt'l'
TO attain their aesthetic Ideals, OF oliiei
minds may see in him the dreamer Who'
AGAINST inevitable circumstances, strives
to remodel society. Yet again, Heiilr!ch
NAV be a symbol of Humanity, surviving
nainfullv to reach it's dream OF hlgher
truth and joy. ,,
The translator has given up the poem
in much of it's original beauty ana lne
strength which is gained in the use VI
purest English words. o,
Rautendelien, the fair maiden, never
has seen a tear until after she loveo
Heinrich She holds one on her MANU-
and saws to the Nickelmann:
ga tinv. pure, warm, glittering drop OF
dew
There! Only see!
To which the Nickelmann responds
"Bv heaven! IT'S beautiful +oo,,
HOW would it please thee ana L 'o0N
the thing eo., +beao
Within that little globe lies al tne p et.er
And all the poy the world, can ever
And all the JOY, the "orlo o''n e'0-
'Tis called-a tear!' 80 ,,,oo
But Heinrich, after all, is but human
and when his goal is nearly reached tne
.long lost buried ben' peals out, ana
when visions of the past come to illm'
he has not the superhuman strength 10
withstand their call. He leaves ms
heights; his ideals perish; he rejects MS
new light. 80, 49,
So. old Wittikin comes. with the
cnn of death; and as he dies he hears
the sweet music of the sun-bells-hls
halIs-+hat were to have rung joy through
all the world.
readers as optimistic, by others, pessl-
mistic-but each is left to draw MS own
conclusion as he finishes reading the
pIay whose strange fidelity to nature Is
an inspiration.
ga Gentleman in Waiting"
"a Gentleman in Waiting" by Cornelius
v V. SeWell F. Tennyson Nicely, New
York. For sale by the ST. Paul BOOK
and Stationery company ~.
Nothing very unusual occoIS III It.i'
story; it is an amusing, placid hfe-like
tale of a country place, of a man ana
his wife who are very much in love with
each other of their struggle against
very picturesque poverty. There Is IKE
wise an occasional picture of superficial
New York society folk, and the requisite
villainous part is played by the Gentle
man in Waiting"
Mr. and Mrs. Ord, the romantic married
lovers. receive as wedding present a
beautiful country home and nothing more.
The husband tries to make their living by
making poems and hay, With the not sur
prising result that they grow poorer ev-
cry day. Mrs. Ord conceives the brilliant
plan of embarking in a millinery venture
OH Fifth avenue. She expects to surprise
her husband with the money she makes,
and to start the business, mortgages the
beautiful farm to the Gentleman in
Waiting"
One disappointment follows another,
and at last she is obliged TO confess to
her husband the calamity which is about
to befall them. She is forgiven, and her
father opportunity makes fortune on
Wall street and helps the young couple
over all their troubles, which. after all,
are only those which money can dispel.