The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-30

Goethe was 2s when he fell in love with Charlotts Buff and used his love for 'copy." There was & young man who had fallen in love with young woman at wetzlar, where Goethe was studying law, and had killed himself The com bination of his own hopeless love and the suicide of the other youth for love suggested to Goethe the story of Werther. The story was published anonymously, but at once created sensational told the Germans that they really had hter- ature. It was in some respects cIuue, boyish performance, but it was filled with the fire of genius, and when it's author ship became known the reputation or Goethe was made. Goethe used real names, and MT and Mrs. Kestner were, at srst. rather angry at the liberty which Goethe took with their private affairs. But Albert and Charlotte forgaye him and they remained on terms of friendship all their lives. The Sorrows of Wertner has had an influence upon the young not onlv of Germany, but of other nations which has not been wholly salutary Many a young fool has become morbid and suicidal from reading 1t. In his ma tprer days Goethe had constantly to de- fend himself from the charge of being an advocate of suicide because of Wer- tber. stii the Sorrows cf Werther Is B work ranking among the few immortal ones produced by great literary minds. YvYy HEN the fair Leonora died young
 w felt that life was over for him, though he was scarcely 2s. and. unable to live in Brunswick, the city of her death. he betook himself to Wetzlar, that little German town about 30 miles from Frankfort on the Nam. where was established an imperial court which had cognizance of disputes between the Ger man states and constituted what there was in those days of imperial government in Germany.
 Werther was a young man of extreme sensibility, grievously given to falling In love and of a rather morbid disposition. He was fond of nature and rural delights and simplicities. It was necessary for him to have some one to love and requi- site for his happiness that he was loved in return He was weak and a philoso- pher; he was sensitive as a woman to sights; he was introspective and carried self-ananysis into self-torrure. In these days Werther and his sorrows would not receive the admiration which they did when Goethe created him by looking into his own heart and exaggerating his own youthful and rather morbid sentimental ities.
 Not having to work for a living young Werther was free to indulge his finer feelings to their full. He could not stay in the city so he wandered out to neighboring village called Wahlheim aid took board with widow, who served him with the simple food of the country and let him go and come as he pleased He used to sit beneath the lime trees in front of the church and sketch the {, landscape and the country foik-givins small coins to the children and making himself a confidant of the older people Gradually the memory of Leonora faded into a pleasing reminiscent sorrow; he became contented and happy as 1t was in his nature for him ever to be. Sev- eral times he gave symptoms of being about to fall in love with some buxon country maiden or some well-preserved widow, but for while he escaped.
 When a friend of his wrote to ask fin if he should send him his books. Werther wrote back: Do not load me with them my dear friend; l will nc longer be guided reused or inf1amed. My heart has re- sources enough in itself; I want sooth Ing poet, and have found it to my hearts content in my Homer. How often witl that do l lull tLis tempestrous blood to rest, for you never behold anything SC variable and ficllle as this same heart oi mine. I now treat my heart as sick child and do not contradict it in anything If you ask me whaS sort of people in habit this place l answer much the same as everywhere else. There is but trifiine difference in the whole human race. The great mass of them pass the chief portion of their lives in an endeavor to obtain 3 livelihood, and ss 10 the small Iittancs of freedom which Is allotted to them, Il seems to give them so much trouble thai they are never easy till they get rid of it Oh, the pitiable destiny of mortalsP'
 Werther rather fancied himself with re- gard to his ability to get along with ths
 
 William-the same who had offered tt send him his books-he made many philo- sophical reflections upon the relations be- tween the "classes and the masses" suct as: 'I know that we neither are. nol can be- equal, but l consider him wht thinks it necessary to keep at dignifec distance from those who are commonly
 <H only of exciting in them superior respect to be quite as blamable as towards wht hide themselves from the enemy lest they should be wounded One day as Werthel was sitting beneath his favorite lime treet musing, sketching, '1oafing and inviting his soul he saw a youth. boy, in fact of 19 or 20, nending a blow, and, al was his wont, made friends with him ant obtained his confidence.
 The boy told him that he worked for 1 widow, a woman much older than him self. and that with this widow he wa madly in love. He dared not raise hi thoughts to the idea of asking her t. ' maxry him, but only wished to serv her faithfully and would be consumed with a jealous rage should she encourag another suitor. Many times the boy an, Worfher talked together after that upol inc game subject. and it was eviden that while the widow was not who'll! .,nsensible to the devotion of the youtl rhe was a hard and exacting mistress to the hired man. This was only one O inc many instances in which werther accordinx to his letters, pried into thu