The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-26
A TRAGIC COMEDIAN.

a acahdal Of singular interest and vital
ity. Il terminated in tho death of a
remarkable man. Ferdinand LasAalle,
sometimes called the father Of social do
mocracy in Germany. and fresh fuel was
fed Il by the marriage Of Helena Won
DOenniges 20 Yanko Won RacoWitzA. the
Rllmanian nObleman whose wildly fred
bullet killed Laasalle; later by the publica-
ton q the young woman's book. -Aleine
ReEiehungen Eu Ferdinand Iassallo'
(is7o; now out Of print. a book upon which
George Meredith built his brilliant rO-
nance The Tragic Comedians Only
the other day still another book by Nine.
RacOwitza. ~ she chooses 10 call her
self. though two other husbands have
given her their names. appeared In Ger
many entitled Won Anderen und Mir
From the summit Of nearly sixty-eight
years the heroine OF one 81 the most ro-
mantle stories that filed all Europe with
astOnishment. pity and indignation now
surveys her past TO the tune Of over 800
pages, and again he's unstopped the tongue
Of scandal and has brushed away the dust
from several forgotten tOmhs, Nine.
Won Racowitza has been more than frank.
Her skill 81 a writer. her vast worldly eG-
perienoe. her brilliancy. vivacity and any
thing but grandmOthOrly regard for the
conventions have resulted in a fascinat-
ing autobiography that IL suro TO shock
many and in which We find significant
light thrown on the memorable intrigue
and death Of LassAlle.
The authors object IN this second
rehashing OF the thrice told tale IL some
thing besides Lasaalle. With a self-con-
tidenoe that borders on the naivetS Of
Marie Bashkirtssf she begins with her
.ovs Affairs when she Was In pinafores.
Her preoocity, like that Of Lassalle. sug-
gested genius. Because Of her family
she met all Of the shining lights and bag
bowwOys Of art. literature. fashion and
politics. Upon her intellect there 10 little
need 10 dwell; abe assures her readers
Of its existence on every page. OF her
beauty much could be said. Painted
a. a Eirl by Wilhelm Won KAulbach. with
the famous Justus Won Liebeg an admiring
third: portrayed by Lenbach in the first
lovely flush Of wOmanhOOd. We might,
nevertheless, set down 90 legend the mirac-
ulOus reports Of her beauty Il there were
not those alive who still remember her.
Auburn. her hair was Of that sumptuous
and delicate tinge and quality ascribed to
Titian's brush. IAssalls called her his
golden for'; Meredith follows him with
more epithsts Of the same sort In describ-
ing his Clotilde Won R0diger. The present
writer recalls her In New York about ISIS.
then the wife Of Serge Won Soheyitsch.
Russian revolutiOnist. who wrote for the
VOlkssettuRa and other publications. She
was a handsome woman. with somewhat
Of the stately bearing Of Lilh Lehman.
She could write excellent English and was
fluent conversationalist on many themes.
In her new book there are three photo
Ergphs ono after the Lenbach portrait.
one taken in 1895. the third In iOOs. The
latter betrays no relaxation Of the pose
nicknAmed -grands dame" She is the
aristOcrat who became a social OUTLAW. the
Cleopatra, slightly matured, who outlived
her Antony. The rlsset coronal has besn
AWNAtAaMa " NNAN-AaNAN NMANH AAANH NHN
Nine. Won RaoOwitza. 10 judge from her
book, IL anything but venerable.
She was born in 1888: this she does not tell
us. Her father. General won DoenniRes.
came Of northern stock. He was proud
q his Viking ~ blood. Handsome and
accomplished. he was taken mp by the
Prince Royal o. Bavaria. aiterward MAXI
milan II. The young POmeanian Prot
estant developed such a predilection
for public life the was az first protected
by Humboldt az tho Berlin University
that he followed his royal friend 20
Munich and from the household service
was promoted TO Minister and Bavarian
Ambassador Az a girl Helena Won
DoenniGes romped with Ludwig H..
later the unhappy patron Of Wagner.
She relates that once she was caught by
some Of the servants engaged In pulling
his curly black hair. Her mother she adj
mits was the daughter Of a rich and cult
waited Hebrew family Of Berlin, a member
Of the most cultured circle 90 which tho
Won Memberships. bankers. Rahel. Heine.
Varnhagan Won Enss and other well
known people belonged We say admit
! ted for IL may he remembered that one
of the reasons given for excluding Las
sale from the company Of Helena was his
| jewish birth. When Rustow, the Swiss
officer, friend Of Lassllle. sought TO calm
tho enraged General Won Doennigea
az Geneva he asked him: your wife.
Nine Won Doenniges. was she not
horn Hebrew -Yes.' was the Rr1idR-
ing reply. but that was many years ago.
As there always has been doubt expressed
on this subject il Is refreshing % find
that Mime. Won RaOOwitza il 70 plain
in her statement. Iaasalls asked her II
she had had many love affairs before
their meeting. She put him on with a
poetic allusion. but In her last volume she
opens widely the closet II her heart and
displays without mock modesty the skel-
etons that hang in H. There 10 quite meas
little row Of them AZ 10 she analysed love
like a Stendhal In petticoats. A. y she
was botrothed 70 a soldier Of 80 ugly as
an old monkey; later she Loot her heart
~ a young officer. Il was a Romeo and
Juliet episode. moonlight gardens. signs
and VOWS and the OdOr u wild roses:
but Iassalle drove away these idle hirt-
ings with Cupid CssriOus enough. she is
fain to admit and made hot love 10 the
beautiful capricious creature. She was
49, he -.
His career had been HisteOrlike Al
Breslau when a youth he had astounded
all by his knowledge q Roman jurispri-
dence and the philosophy 81 Hegel His
thesis -Herlclitus the Dark and his