Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-05
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
/. G.. NJ.


1t is now little over 100 years since
there appeared one day on a midcity
street of old Nurnberg a strange youth
whom nobody knew. One, indeed, who
did not know himself, either by name
or family circumstance. In his hand
was an open letter, a clumsy affair,
directive in gesture but in effect nothing
more than an act of clear abandon
ment. A well grown lad, around II,
long and fine in line and texture, a
fair young fellow fashioned to turn
ones eye upon him. A dazed child
without speech, without any one to aid
and succor.
This incident with its immediate web
OF sequence begins the enigma of Caspar
HauSer, boy of mystery. Here is a story
that for 100 years has CROPPED fruitlessly
for its true content and conclusion. A
story that in its highest fervors reached
SO far, spread so wide, and pointed upon
so many crimes in high places as finally
to cause its subject to be accepted as
the child of Europe" Just fragment
of history, unassailable in fact, q bit
Of the general fiotsam of dynastic ambi-
ton and intrigue floating upon the
political tides of the middle Europe Of
that day
The story of Caspar Hauser has lived
its century in an almost undiminislled
demand upon the sympathetic interest
OF those who from time to time have
come upon it. Within the long years
1t may have gathered to itself something
Of legend. 1t doubtless has. Yet, at its
heart. there is always the hapless boy to
call III poignant reality upon ones pity
and heartache.
Jacob Wassermann was, in a way of
speaking, brought up on the strange
case of Caspar Hauser. It became a
definite part of that stock of blended
fact and fancy, of dream and reality,
of far vision and near truth, of which
all children and youth are compound.
But with the years, crowding preoccu-
pat1ons took hold of WasSerlnann-
novels to write, career to secure. moro
immediate matters TO pin down in tell
Ing word and driving drama, Still. in
the back of his mind there was ever
the boy OF mystery. And this bow at
times became vocal, even innport,Inate
IN a claim that he was himself a story
well worth the telling. The insistence
grew, finally taking effect upon Jacob
WasSermann in definite action. Not all
at once. Instead, through many years
which were in part given over to a new
searching OF the old story from every
aVanbale point of view. One can see
tnlS thorough German collecting facts
from sources documentary and merely
collateral. One can see him Weighin1
and comparing these by the logic and
no-log1c OF human behaviors. throwing
away here, holding fast there. Some
tnlng quite wonderful is going on here
Jacob Wassermann is re-creating a
human being, is creating human
pelng. And how do we know this? We
know 1t by the boy who here is making
ms oeWlldered, frightened, always gentle
way, through the puzzle of misunder-
standings around him, and the dun
cruelty and the blind egotism aronnIS
him: Such is the general atnosnhere
OF the developments dogma
tism, selfishneSs. And through this the
poy makes his way-his little way, soon
run. 'oo11
The story brings out that the bow
mad lived his short life in an under
ground room of darkness. No light. 4
chance ray blinded and hurt him. His
pea, straw. Bread and water his food
and drink. He heard no word. He
could speak no word. Sometimes the
water made him heavy. A long sleep
came upon him. Looking in after this,
you would have seen that his straw had
been changed, that he himself had
oeen bathed and dressed In clean gar
ment. So the years went by. Then
mat day on the street in Nurnberg.
Thereafter the story is that of the
growth of Caspar Hauser in a quick in
telligence that grew under a succession
of tutors named by some mysterious
power back Of the boy, power that
did not quite dare the final and con-
elusive act. A record of such sustained
tragedy as to make its ending a relief
TO the reader as it is a release to the
boy himself.
But this intense drama, so true in
both historic and human content. SO
sustained in power, so pitiful and even
terrifying in effect, is not the whole
OF the matter-nor even the larger
part of it. AS Jacob Wassermann
worked with Caspar Hauser to make
the great story, the boy became through
the long and intimate intercourse
something more than this one child.
He became all children. His mind, so
unmarked by life, so unwritten by acts
and associations of daily normal exist
ence, was the mind of every newborn
child. And the education of Caspar
HauSer. which was, in general sum, but
the arrogant dogma of wordy tutors,
becomes here the education of all chill
dren, but little more than the endless
and apish repetition of words and
words. Caspar Hauser has become a
symbol, finally. but never for a minute
obtruSively. 1t is only after the pitiful
story, after the very great story is done,
that one, drawing away from it, senses
the similitude of this unfortunate boys
training with that of the less con-
SpicuouS processes that go along today
in the name of training and education.
However, it is with the story itself that
most readers will have concern-a deep
concern over human tragedy taken in
hand by a clearly great writer in
great work of art.
ARMANCE Marie-Henri Boyle Ode
StendahD. Translated by G.. K.
Scott Moncrieff. Boni & Liveright.
For the development of "Armance"
this clearly great Stendahl burrows so
far into the underground of the human
mind that. in the superficial seizure OF
the average reader, the novel does very
good service, in the role of the mystery
tale. Or, to the SKINNER of words it
may take place as much ado about
nothing at all. Nevertheless, this is a
delicately acute work, a piece of art
wrought from the truth of human stuff
and set out in the figure of Illustration.
A story of Illustration to the thoughtful
reader Just this and nothing else.
Sketched, this is the romance of Ar
nance, young French girl. for Octave,
a cousin of removed degree. In its
course and conclusion it constitutes the
defeat and death of the girls love with
her retirement into some religious Sc
clusion. The mystery running through
the whole matter is that of the young
mans failure to bring to the usual issue
sentiment of which he is clearly
possessed, no less than the young girl
herself Is. 1t is the persistence and
ingenuity of his recessions from any
avowal of love, from any gesture to-
ward the very natural elimination OF