The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-04
NEW BOOKS.
A Guderrnenn Story.

The reader will not allow himself to be
deceived by the quiet opening OF Hermann
Sudermann's story Of "The Undying Past
translated from the German by Beatrice
Marshall John Lane Company. He will
read patiently about the midsummer scene
In the railway restaurant-the glass cheese
case and the fly catching devices, the large
fat Baroness with the small lean Baron,
the barmaid and the two ponderous cavalry
Lieutenants-knowing that the heavens
will be rent and the agony piled on In due
season.
Let US glance at Leo Sellenthin, who 10
presently to be torn by problems. 1t 10
not likely to be overlooked that the author
has provided his hero with as fine q beard
as blows even in the Fatherland. As Leo
came In on the train and looked out OF tho
car window the eye Of the beholder on the
platform was filled with the vision Of "a
long flowing beard, which the draught from
the train swept backward like o besom.'
A majestic ornament, billow1ng and tossing
far, and throughout the story the author
celebrates It lovingly, drawing attention
to it every now and then. Leo was large
and strong, az he needed to be to support
the troubles that were to descend upon him.
His friend, the morally cdmlrable but
physically puny Ulrich Ketzingk, must
have been little short Of frightened when
he came under the shadow Of hat mighty
mar and beard. Let us see:
i. rLeo came and planted his six feet Of
massive height In front Of his friend. He
laughed, showing the whole OF his mag
niHoent set Of teeth, and rolled his tongue
with q clicking sound over his gums. he
stood there, straddle legged, with his hands
In his pockets, In the flower Of his broad
ohested, full blooded, manly strength. His
thick, reddish blond beard waved back In
two semioircles over his firm rounded
cheeks, which, like the short nose, might
have been moulded in bronze, and then 1t
mingled with the curly mustaohe in a riot
Of waving strands, shading from light TO
dark. The hair at the back OF his head
was cropped to the roots, and displayed
the shape Of the powerful skull, which was
posed on the rudy, full neck like the copula
Of a dome"
A grand man, different from Michael
Angeles Moses, but we should say fairly
terrifying, particularly when he clicked his
tongue. Poor Ulrich-how different a fig.
ure was Leo's friendl When he appeared
at the railway station wearing q buster he
sresembled a walking towel on which some
n had stuck q head His face was pale
and sickly, his neck long and freckled. his
shoulders marrow. His beard, painfully
different from Leo's. hung about his fsoe
like "a ragged fringe It was only his
power Of will that kept him alive. His
eyes showed this power-"dark, brilliant
eyes, which shone forth from their sockets
like torches Of energy. After emitting
luminous flashes, they seemed to slumber
YEARLY again till q new excitement set
them afame onoe more" Ulroh was the
incarnation OF everything that 10 patient
and lovely in character.
The problems OF the story are developed
with much elaboration and detail and
with plenty OF dramatic circumstance.
This strong man, this Leo with the ample
golden name, 10 just back from Argentina,
after on absence Of six years. In the early
heyday Of his blood he shot q husband in
a duel. The lady in the case was the lovely
Felicitas. Now, on the return OF Leo, she
is still the lovely Felioitas; she has married
O second time, and she Is the wife Of Ulr1ch,
Leo's bosom friend.
We IIluh ~ lhSly LhSI IL AAiieuDh iSodO
will fnd himself oonstitutionally unable to
understand the friendship that existed
between Ulrich and Leo. 1t was profound.
The two had an Isle Of Friendship situated
in the middle Of the river. On the isle a
temple had been erected, and statuary
symbolical Of friendship was contained in
the temple. Solemn and considerable rites
In celebration Of friendship were performed
there by Leo and Ulrich when they were
boys, and the Isle and the temple were a
thestre for q number OF dramatic happen
ines after Urich and Felicitas were mar
ried and after Leo had returned from
Argentina.
The delicate Ulrioh used to faint occa-
eionally. On such occasions Leo knew how
to treat him. At page 81 1t may be read
OF Ulrich: @He was making quickly for the
door, but at the last moment he was seized
with one Of those attacks which Leo with
dread had seen coming on for several min
utes. He fell across the sofa, growing
deadly pale. His eyes were fixed, his pulse
stood still and he lost consciousness. Leo
had known these symptoms from earliest
youth, and also knew the remedy. As he
fell he had caught Ulrioh's head In his
arms, and began massaging his scalp vigor-
ously with his finger tips. After q few seo-
onds the eyes reoo vered their ordinary
expression, a gentle flow Of blood mounted
to his temples, and he came to himself
again. Thank you, dear old boy he said,
standing up with q sad smile. Once more
I have lived to experience your skill In cast
ing out the little white mice And he seized
his hat That Is what Ulrioh called the
strange feelings in his head-little white
mice.
The lovely Felicitas wa bad. She per-
fumed herself immoderately. She fiirted
with many. She tempted Leo. She also
exasperated him. He had a habit OF lifting
his fists high in the air when he was furious.
We may look at him for Q moment on n
OF these tempestuous occasions: "Then fury
famed UP In him. I wish / had her here
between my fingers he beloved. T would
wiring her nsokl I would wiring her neckl
With his hands graphing the air, his nostrils
dilating and his eyes red. he ragged about
the room. 1t was well for pretty Felicitas
that at that moment she was safely hidden
from his sight"
OF course there are bound to be dreadful
things In q Sudermann story. One OF the
things that Felicitas did was to slip in be-
tween her and Lao at oom