The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-17
ROAAI|C LFt
OF HENRY DSEN
From Disdained and Hungry
Writer to Master
GHOSTS" HIS DRAMA
Has Led to Many Very Inter-
eSting Discussions
GHOSTS" HIS DRAMA

Apropos of the engagement at the
Crawford of Mary Shaw in Henrik Is
ben's widely discussed drama, Ghosts"
it may be interesting to know that the
great dramatist has just passed his 18th
birthday.
The anniversary was extensively cele-
brated at Christiania and elsewhere. Is
ben is one of the great men of the world
as well as the idol of his own nation.
Everything that men do 10 express their
love and admiration was done in his
honor. kilograms poured in from all
quarters of the globe. Delegations cali
ed on him. The student corps serenaded
him.
And the little man in the long. wide
frock coat, with the bushy white hair
and beard probably took IL all in from
behind his gold-rimmed spectacles, srnil-
ing ironically the while as if he wanted
TO say:
Yes. yes. all this is very nice. but do
you remember"
This man who now holds so high a
place in the worlds estimate was not
always admired and loved and Toasted.
He has had a full measure of life's vicis-
STUDIES. If he is able to triumph today,
IL is by virtue of a courage that does not
know defeat and of a perseverance in
the face OF Indifference and nisunder-
standing that of themselves would suf-
fee to mark him a great man
Fifty-three years ago. almost to a day,
Henrik Isben arrived in Christiania, the
capital city of his native Norway, carry
ing with him his first drama, "Catiline,'
historical play which was to serve as
an open sesame" for the young phar-
maceutist who wanted to break into the
fields Of literature.
But nobody outside OF two or three
faithful friends cared for the youthful
masterpiece No theatrical manager
would stage it. No publisher would print
It
One of the friends scraped together
what little he owned of worldly posses
s:ons and printed the play at his own
expense. The edition comprised $50 cop
les. 1t is not on record that any copy
was ever sold.
One day Isben and his friend were hun
grier than usual. That day they put
the entire edition on a handcart and sold
1t to a grocer for a few dollars to be
used as a wrapping paper for herring
and cheese.
AS he brought Catalina" in 1850. so
Isben returned to Christiania in 1857 with
the manuscript of The Viking at Hedge
land" in his pocket. Once more his hopes
were fooled. The play was put on the
stage but proved a failure. The Chris
tiania Post wrote Of its author:
LAS playwright Mr.. Isben is a huge
naught. around which the nation can
have no interest in planting protect
ing hedge"
A few days ago the announcement was
made that William Archer's translation
of The Vikings at Helgeland" was being
rehearsed at one of LOndons most fash
ionabIe theatres and that an actress OF
international repute is to create the prin-
cipal female part.
Isben left his native land Disguised
with II because il would not assist Den
mark in its hopeless struggle against
the combined forces of Prussia and Aus
tria lie went to Rome. His principal
source of income was an annual govern
ment stipend of about 400 a year. which
had been granted him after years of
clubbing. His books brought him abso-
lutely nothing.
This stipend was not sufficient even for
his small needs. Isben has always been
somewhat vain with regard to his per-
sonal appearance. The spotless frock coat
and shining silk hat of his later days
are world renowned.
ba baf com hire STYLE Of
toilet he used to indulge in. velvet jack
cts. broad brimmed felt hats and flowing
neckties. But during those early days at
Rome he had hardly money enough to
get food for his family. much less TO buy
clothes for himself. lie, the neatest OF
the neat. was actually shabby in his
dress Friends would have been glad to
help him. but his pride forbade it.
The turning of the tide came In 1866
A mistake caused it. The whole nation
made the mistake.
Brand was published in that year.
Its hero is a minister; religion its theme.
The Norwegian people took it for a de-
tense of dogmatic religion and hailed its
author as a genius and a savior Of socf-
ETY.. The Gyldendahl Company Of Copen-
hagen, the largest publishing concern in
the three northern kingdoms. undertook
TO publish anything that lsben might
write after that.
The first edition of Brand" contained
l.250 copies. and was sold out within a
month-an almost unheard of success in
those days. For the sake OF comparison
ii may be mentioned that 1900 copies
of the Danish edition of John Gabriel
Borkman'' were sold in less than three
months from the date OF its publication
Never was Isbens smile more ironical
than in those days in 1866 when he was
experiencing his first success and the
ministers of Norway were preaching 10
texts taken from his Brand that glow
ing arraignment of all compromise with
the ideals He did not say a word 10
correct the misconception into which his
country men had fallen. All he did was 10
receive the money that began TO flow in
and to buy a new velvet jacket a waist
coat of gaudy pattern and a gold headed
cane He was then IS.
The League OF Youth was published
three years later and put a sudden end 10
1sben's recently acquired popularity, IL
not TO his income. That play was re
garded as q yelled attack on progressive
political ideas and men Of the LIBERIA,
party in Norway.
The author was denounced as a dis
guised reactionary. When the first per
formance took place al the Christianta
theatre the students carried their hostile
demonstrations TO such point that the
curtain had to be dropped in the middle
~ H.. ~