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GERMAN LITERATURE. 319
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
No. Iii. As An Instance Of The Evil Whic...
struggling for " no spoils " to attest his own prowess— -a model of what the true philosopher should be—not presumptuous in forming
conclusions from imperfect data , and not hasty to accept intuitive impressions without verification .
Though the investigation of Nature was a veritable passion with Alexander von Humboldt , his fellow-men were not always
subordinate to her in his regards . Faithful as a friend to others , his affection was great for the sympathizing brother , the companion
of the best years of his life , who died in Ms arms , April 8 , 1835 . He himself was gathered to his fathers , full of years and honors
, May 6 , 1859 : the twelvemonth which cost us the loss of so many of our celebrated men .
Those who are interested in the further history of Varnhagen von Bnse , may be referred to his diary which has "been recently
published in full _Linder the auspices of Miss Louisa Assing . _* ' Varnhagen , who moved in the crenie de la crime of Berlin society , was in the habit
of writing down his impressions and recollections before he retired to rest at night . This sage Varnhagen was a great retailer of gossip .
He seems to have had his personal piques , and to have revenged them by scandalous stories . Therefore , although these volumes
are replete with amusing incident , recounted wifch much spirit , and though the careful politician may find in these chronicles much to
throw light on the passing history of the day , they cannot be recommended for indiscriminate general reading .
To the lovers of light literature , simple and sufficiently unworldly in its tone to be profitable reading- for young girls , and even
amusing to children , we may recommend a little book by Louisa Esche . f The stories are somewhat sentimental , as the name ,
" From the World of Women and Pietion , " may lead us to expect . But the authoress has a picturesque manner , and a certain power
of grouping her materials , which , added to the simplicity with which she relates incidents of German home-life , has a peculiar
interest of its own . The style is so simple , that an unpractised student in the German language may pick his way through these
short and rather flowery pages without being daunted by the usual difficulties in the construction of the sentences . And the book is
one which may be read with pleasure . It is perfectly inoffensive , and often pleasing . In the first story of " Grandmother and
Grandchild , " the curtain rises on a scene of chestnut and linden treeswith a garden and house all in festal array for the wedding
on the , morrow . In the midst of singing birds and flowing streams ( with her figure enhanced by the pastoral background , like the
central object in a photograph with ornamental accessories ) we have a picture of the grandmother , who seems to be the favorite
type of old age with Mdlle . Esche . And conventional though the type may be , it is hard to find fault with it—reminding us , as it
t * Axis Tagebucher der Frauen von und Varnhagen Mlircnenwelt von Ense . Von . Bde Louise . III ., Esclae IV . Lei . pzi Barmen g . Brockkaus . .
German Literature. 319
GERMAN LITERATURE . 319
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Citation
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English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), July 1, 1862, page 319, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01071862/page/31/
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