New-York tribune., 1911-04-08
IBSEN THE ECCENTRIC
Some Amusing Recollection OF
the Dramatist.

FROM Inc LONDON blODt.
\ store OF fascinating new siuelghls
on Henrik lbsen has been given TO me
world by John Paulsen, a Norwegian
journalist. In the form of little personal
anecdotes he enables the student or ID
sen to come into fresh and more oltcii
than not an affectionate understanding
OF both the peculiaritieS and the cohNic-
tions OF his master.
Like every other great author, Ibsen
was perpetually asked to explain what
he meant by his plays. Just as perPet-
ually he pretended not to know. some
body" he once said. will one day come
critic Is always ready to see double
meaning i'm everything. In a Dolls
House. for example there is the scene
in which Nora enters followed by por-
ter carrying a Christmas tree. Nora
takes her purse and gives the porter a
shilling instead Of the usual slxpence.
A Swedish critic, If you please. found
symbolic meaning In the act. Nora, ne
thought, was n socialist, who desired 10
equalize wealth. and Ibsen was social
ist propagandist.
You never notice anything" Ibsen
once said to friend. For instance,
you don't remember at this moment tne
color Of the wallpaper in your own Deu-
room. But when | enter strange room
I notice the very smallest details. Noth-
ing escapes me. Yes. / see every
thing" -.
Once when Ibsen was engaged in Writ
ing q play he by chance dropped scrap
of paper on which were the words, the
doctor says" Mrs. 1bsen determined 70
have a Joke. and one day casually re-
marked: "WhO is that doctor In your
new play? l suppose he'll say some In
teresting things?" Ibsen at first was
silent with astonishment. Then he broke
ont into a fit Of rage, full OF reproaches
for her spying.
While at Bergen. Ibsen fell little In
love with a pretty girl, who used 10
bring the young poet flowers from tne
wood. One day, while walking with her
the pair were suddenly met by the young
Iady's father, who had no respect LOT
an impecunious poet. Ibsen, like Goethe'
was no hero. and incontinently fled, leav-
ing the girl to explain as best she migh':
II was to her that the poem Flowers o.
the Wood" was written. -,
In some respects >Ibsen was not unlike
Goethe for whom he had profound au-
miration. He could not tolerate now
ever. the German alteration or Goethe 3
amorisms. which filled his strict puri-
tanic temperament with disgust. Aiter
listening one day 10 somebodys praises
of GOethe's loves, lDseH nc" '~
nically, "rhat goat"'
AS a young man Ibsen was by no
means certain OF his vocation. Onti.
he was thirty-two he believed himseil
10 be born for painting. In fact, fairy
large exhibition might be got togetler
Of the canvases painted by lbsen IN the
days of his early manhood, and scattered
now throughout the farmhouses anI
country villas of Norway. He remained
all his life profoundly interested IN ART
and his judgments of ancient ana renals-
sance art in Italy are always orlglnal.
or Raphael he said: ''Raphaers art mas
never warmed me. His beings peions 'o
the garden of Eden before the fall.
Ibscn's conception Of drama was or
something supreme in literature. Ihe
creation of dramas was indeed for hin
NOT merely a substitute for life. put liie
itself He could not conceive that q
man should be able to write both ho|eIs
and plays. for drama demanded the de-
votion of the whole of mans powers.
In the art Of drama, he said, there are
q thousand and one artifices OF nnesse
of which the novelist knows nothing;
"Have YOU ever thought" he remarked
IN Mr. Paulsen. that in play the con-
versation Of the morning must nave an
entirely different color from the conVer-
sation OF the evening""