New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-29

IN THE FOOTPRINTS OF HEN r. by
Henry James ForTnan. illustrations oy
Walter King Stone Svo. pp. 2's- The
Hougston Miffitn Company.
Mr.. Forrnan's was not d literary pill
crimage. the suggestion of his title to
the contrary notwithstanding. He made
the Hartzreise according to Heine's pro-
gramne. even to ending it, like him, with
the Broken and at Ilsen5urg at the foot
of the castle of the Wernigerodes, but
the poet served him as tourist guide
even more than as poetical inspiration.
His chapter headings are taken oftener
from Goethe than from Hetne. All OF
which does not mean that he did not feel
and does not suggest the literary $3.50
Citations OF the region, but that he gives
q full share OF attention to its scenerysi
history and abundant folklore, for the
last of which he has. indeed, manifest
fondness, reteil.ng many q legend by the
way. He wahders into the early days Of
the Holy Roman Empire at Goslar, re-
psatedly stumbIes upon "reminiscences OF
The Thirty Years War, of Tiily and Pap
penheiTn: draws with laudabie business
OF observation Saxonian Geheimrat and
his family encountered en- route. sketches
other German fellow tourists as well as
the local natives with genuine interest
and fairness Of point of view, and, lover
Of literature only quotes his poets natur-
ally. on the spur Of the moment from
memory. The smell Of the lamp IS not
in his pages Tie was out on q. holiday.
Of which this book is q by product, never
having been. one thinks. it's chief aim
ard purpose.
He started from Soettlngen, Of course
like Heine-one of the poets many
shrines. q shrine also Of Goethe. Cha
711isso. the roistering student Bismarck,
whose name is still TO be seen sorswled
or the wall Of the university career, and
Of our own George Bancroft. The
Brocken he climbed on a day Of dismal
rain, which gave him only brief
glimpse of the beauties Of its view. The
night he spent IN the Brockenhaus on the
peak in no less appropriately sonbre
conditions.
A cool blanket of thick cloud met our
warm faces as we opened the house door,
and We could not see a loot peIore Us
The wind howled most dismaily about the
nev and cornice. Now and then snatches
OF song were grctesquely mingled with Its
cries and Weilngs. spurts OF rain |hipped
Ihe panes from time 10 time II
was exactly the night for z wttches revs!-
I now understood why the Broken
was the altar Of witchcraft
The first known climber Of the
Broken, Mr.. Forrnan informs Us incl
dentalIy, was Tileman Stoltz, cartog-
rapher. who assembled the mountain in
1850. Among its famous visitors are
Peter the Great. who visited tts peak in
/ 1897. Goethe, who followed him eighty
wears later, and, OF course, Heine. The
author speaks with admirably depressed
bitterness Of the funicular railroad which
now carries trippers TO the scene of the
WalpurEis night, and Of the picture
: postcards that are sold Heterogeneous
profanations OF romance,
With the problem" Of Heine Mr.. For
man does not concern himself here. He
does not quote Matthew Arnold: he does
not pity or analyze or rhapsodiZe. His
/ book is one Of the Hartz mountains for
! the general render, not merely for the
! lover Of Heine who, however, Will be
/ gladdened by an occasional passing allu-
/ sion. unobtrusively slipped in, that may
well lead him back 10 the pages Of Mr..
/ Forman's guide.