German Literature

Whatever iray be thought of the theological ophions of Martin Luther, there is a rugged good sense about the man that will ilways keep him one of the world's prime favorites. The common people hetxd him gladly, and it is easy enough te understand why. Of bis own translation of the Bible, he once declared : "When Christ says 'Ex abundantia coráis, os loquitur' if I follow the asses, I shall translate. Trom the superfluity of the immaterial part proceedeth the utterance.' Teil me, is that Germán ? What Germán understands talk of that sort 'f Thus speaks the common man: 'If the heart's f uil, tle mouth '11 out with it.' " In this way id Luther learn to talk to common people, avoiding pedantic words, and fcreaking out in such hearty expressions is "God be praised, now is the Bible open. As the expression is, 'The cow goes in grass up to her belly,' so we now are richly provided with the Divine Word." These are the words juicy with sap of spring grass, and scented with sweet breath of cattle, words just the thing tomake a peasant look up wilh a sense of boundless spiritual priv:lege. A real Godsend is every book that is written in a ityle clear and interesting enough to introduce people of average intelligence iato some fresh world of history, sclenee or literature. Scholars have, in general, as little idea of the sweat and anguish it causes an ordinary mechanie or merchant to work through a solid volume, as a trapeze performer, of what it costs a bulky man to vault over a fence. So used are university and circus performers to their own mental and physical evolutions that they think it the easiest thing in the world to execute feats that would break any common neck in a trice The bulky brother has also somethmg within him that responds to the exhilaration of the sentiment, "No pent-up Utica eontracts our power," and would like to enter into the inheritance of "fiesh flelds and pastures new." Uut still, he has his own weight to carry, and the heaviest of all weight is that of an untrained and, consequently, awkward mind. Now Germán literature is one of the flelds a large number of men and women of average intelligence would like to enter into and learn something of. Every country lecturer has his bright thing to say about the Kibelungen Lied, or about Herder, Lessing, Schiller, Geothe, Haine, and it is dreadfully trying, this attempt to look as though one understood all about the matter; not to speak of the shaine to which so many d, sturdy father is put by the naive surprise of his superficially educated daughter over his ignorance. When Luther set before the minds of his hearers the image of the cow in the luscious pasture, the big-hearted man wanted them all to f eel that there was something in the world sweet and delicious to 'eed on. Germany has the inestimable advantage of possessing a literature that, starting from the present, carries the mind clear back into the old heathen ;imes when rude and titanic passions of love, revenge and valor furnished stories for the poet that seem to ernbody more the struggle of the elemental powers of earthquake, thunder-bolt and lood than the struggles of mere man. Every average reader ought to know something about the Nibelungen Lied, the vast poem in which are gathered up the heroic legends of aboriginal Germany, just as in the lliad are those ofGreece. He will then understand, better than from all the histories the de struction and pulverization of the Roman Empire. Fierce and bloodthirsty as are these legends, they are yet lighied up with magnificent illustrations of conjugal fidelity, loyal honesty and aw'ul reverence. Few, however, have he time to devote to them in their f uil eitent. Better one lurid gleam of vison into such a world as is there revealed than mere midnight ignorance of it. And the same may be said of all the later periods of Germán literature. lts modern developments ïave so revolutionized the thought, alikè of Europe and America, that no airly instructed man can afford to live without some kind of vivid picture in his mind of such men as Lessing, HerIer, Goethe and Heine. True, a chap,er apiece is a small canvas on which o portray such champions. It seems ;oo much like a miniature or parian tatuette of Titans. Vast sculpture galleries.ho wever, are a possession few an compass. The oldest organized military comany in America is the Ancient and ïonorable Artillery Company of Bos;on. It was chartered in 1638, under he title of "The Military Company of Yfassachusetts." About 140 years ago ;he word "Honorable" was applied to he company, and 130 years since the name "Ancient" was added The oldst printed election sermón extant was delivered before this corps June 3, 672. The Ohio State Board of Agriculture ïas decided to accept the bonus of 4,000 tendered by the citizens of Colmbus and have located the State Fair t that place for the ensuing two years.