afterwards attended college at Leipsic and Wittenberg. Later he turned from the law to mining engineering, but only lived to be 29 years of age. Some time before his death he was much moved by the death of his betrothed, and his "Hymns to Night," a volume of prose lyrics, grew out of his deep grief. Among the works that he left are a number of hymns and lyric poems, and one novel, "Heinrich von Ofterdingen," which he did not live to complete. He died at Weissenfels, on March 25, 1801.

From "Heinrich von Ofterdingen." Novalis.

By

Hemrich was heated and it was late, toward morning, when he fell asleep. The thoughts of his soul ran together into wondrous dreams. A deep blue river shimmered from the green plain. On the smooth surface swam a boat. Mathilde sat and rowed. She was decked with garlands and sang a simple song, and looked toward him with a sweet sorrow. His bosom was oppressed, he knew not why. The sky was bright and peaceful the flood. Her heavenly countenance mirrored itself in the waves. Suddenly the boat began to spin round. He called to her, alarmed. She smiled, and laid the oar in the boat, which continued incessantly to whirl. An overwhelming anxiety seized him. He plunged into the stream, but could make no progress, the water bore him. She beckoned, she appeared desirous to say something. Already the boat shipped water, but she smiled with an ineffable inwardness and looked cheerfully into the whirlpool. All at once it drew her down. A gentle breath streaked across the waves, which flowed on as calm and as shining as before. The terrific agony deprived him of consciousness. His heart beat no more.

He did not come to himself until he found himself on dry ground. He might have swam far, it was a strange country. He knew not what had befallen him; his mind was gone; thoughtless he wandered farther into the land. He felt himself dreadfully exhausted. A little fountain trickled from a hill, it sounded like clear bells. With his hand he scooped a few drops, and wetted his parched lips. Like an anxious dream the terrible event lay behind him. He walked on and on; flowers and trees spoke to him. He felt himself so well, so at home. Then he heard again that simple song. He pursued the sound. Suddenly someone held him back by his garment.

"Dear Heinrich!" called a well-known voice. He looked round and Mathilde clasped him in her arms. "Why didst thou run from me, dear heart?" said she, drawing a long breath, "I could scarce overtake thee."

Heinrich wept. He pressed her to his bosom. "Where is the river?" he exclaimed with tears.

"Seest thou not its blue waves above us?" He looked up and the blue river was flowing gently above their heads.

"Where are we, dear Mathilde?" "With our parents."

"Shall we remain together?"

"Forever," she replied, while she pressed her lips to his and so clasped him that she could not be separated from him again. She whispered a strange mysterious word into his mouth, which vibrated through his whole being. He wished to repeat it, when his grandfather called and he awoke. He would have given his life to remember that word.

J. and W. Grimm

Germany owes to the Brothers Grimm the resurrection of her folk-lore and the placing of her household and fireside tales within reach of the rest of the world in such a way that they have become the most popular of fairy-tales, Hans Christian Andersen's only, excepted. Jakob, the older of the two brothers, was born at Hanau, on January 4, 1785, and Wilhelm was born at the same place on February 24, 1786. Jakob studied jurisprudence at Marburg, and in 1805 went to Paris to help Savigny, who had been his teacher. In 1806 he attended the military school at Cassel, and in 1808 became Librarian to the King of Westphalia. In the meantime Wilhelm had also studied at Marburg, but ill-health prevented his taking any permanent position. Beginning with 1814, however, they worked together, first as librarians at Cassel, then as professors at Gottingen (1830-1837), and again as librarians at Cassel, settling finally, at the invitation of the King, in Berlin. In 1812 and 1815 they published the well-known "Children's and Domestic Tales" and in 1816 "German Legends." From 1852 on they devoted themselves to the compilation of the "German Dictionary." Jakob issued his "German Grammar" beginning with 1829, and this work constitutes the fundamental work in comparative German philology. His "German Mythology" was published in 1835.

Most of the work of collecting the fairytales was done by Wilhelm Grimm, and it was he who gave them their distinctive style. His one independent work was "The German Heroic Legend,” issued in 1829.

Selections

THE LITTLE SHEPHERD BOY.

From "Grimm's Fairy Tales." (McKay) Once upon a time there was a little Shepherd Boy who was famed far and wide for the wise answers which he gave to every question. Now the King of the country heard of this lad, but he would not believe what was said about him, so the Boy was ordered to come to court. When he arrived the King said to him,

"If you can give me answers to each of the three questions which I will now put to you, I will bring you up as my own child, and you shall live here with me in my palace."

"What are these three questions?" asked the boy.

"The first is, How many drops of water are there in the sea?"

"My Lord King," replied the Shepherd Boy, "let all the waters be stopped up on the earth, so that not one drop shall run into the sea be

fore I count it, and then will I tell you how many drops there are in the sea!"

"The second question,' said the King, “is, How many stars are there in the sky?”

"Give me a large sheet of paper," said the Boy; and then he made in it with a pin so many minute holes that they were far too numerous to see or to count, and dazzled the eyes of whomever looked at them. This done he said, "So many stars are there in the sky as there are holes in this paper; now count them."

But nobody was able. Thereupon the King said, "The third question is, How many seconds are there in eternity?"

"In lower Pomerania is situate the adamantine mountain, one mile in height, one mile in breadth, and one mile deep; and thither comes a bird once in a thousand years which rubs its beak against the hill, and, when the whole shall be rubbed away, then will the first second of eternity be gone by."

"You have answered the three questions like a sage," said the King, "and from henceforward you shall live with me in my palace and I will treat you as my own child."

THE CONTEST FOR CIVIL RIGHTS.

For more than a hundred years Rome was to be the scene of a contest between the plebeians and the patricians for the political rights of the former. In the end the Plebeians who, in reality were endowed with no little political genius and who had among them many men capable of efficient leadership, were to triumph in the enjoyment of equal rights in the government with their old enemies.

The first step in the development of the contest was the establishment of the Tribal Assembly, brought into being by the Publilian Law in 471 B. C. This was the old Plebeian Assembly, reorganized according to tribes, with the tribunes, the number of whom was now increased to 10, for leaders and it constituted a powerful body, often passing laws for the entire number of citizens; while the tribunes used

their right of veto to nullify almost any act of the magistrates.

The great struggle between the Orders may be divided into two sections. The first efforts made by the plebeians were towards the establishment of equality in civil rights; the second aim constituted the accession to political equality.

Up until 461 B. C. Roman Law had been "customary" or unwritten law. Now it was proposed that the laws be written down and codified. Naturally enough the patricians saw in this a blow aimed at the fundamental institutions of the state and their determined opposition to the measure lasted for a period of ten years. During this time the city was divided into two hostile camps and a condition of civil war prevailed, some of the younger patricians seeing fit to break up the plebeian assemblies and the tribunes taking advantage of the situation to tyrannize after their usual

fashion. Matters went from bad to worse. Internally, Rome was torn by factions; externally, the foreign enemies were using this chance to become over bold. Finally the Aequians grew so dangerous that patricians and plebeians alike agreed to recall Cincinnatus from his retirement, which they did and placed him in the position of Dictator. Within the brief period of sixteen days, the brave, old Roman had subdued the enemy and from then on, Rome was practically free from petty strifes with the Aequians, the Volscians and Sabines.

The continued conflict had by this time tired both parties, so between the years 456 and 454 B. C. compromises were effected that brought a certain amount of satisfaction to both participants in the struggle. It was also decided to send a commission into Greece to investi

gate the laws of the large communities there. It was the Age of Pericles in Athens and there was promise that some help could be derived from a study of the methods being practiced in that flourishing city.

In two years the Commissioners returned and a board of ten patricians was established to codify the laws. This was the period of the first Decemvirate and while they were engaged in the work the government was placed entirely in their hands. The work of codification could not be completed in one year so a second board, this time including three plebeians, was appointed. These finished the task and gave it to the people, the laws being engraved on twelve columns, whence the name, the Law of the Twelve Tables, which forms the basis of all Roman law.

HERO AND LEANDER.

Hero and Leander, the first a fair priestess of Venus, the other a youth of manly and courageous spirit lived, one on each side of the Hellespont. Hero dwelt in Sestos, on the European shore; Leander belonged to Abydos, a town of Asia. The two loved each other fondly and in order to spend each evening with his betrothed, Leander used to swim across the Hellespont, guided by a torch which Hero set upon a tower. But one night a fierce storm arose and the reckless young man was drowned, his body being washed up on the European shore. When Hero discovered the fact of his death she was overwhelmed with sorrow and straightway threw herself from the high tower into the sea.

Thomas Moore has told the story of Leander's death in his poem, "Hero and Leander:" "The night wind is moaning with mournful sigh,

"There gleameth no moon in the misty sky, "No star over Helle's sea;

"Yet, yet, there is shining one holy light, "One love-kindled star thro' the deep of night, "To lead me, sweet Hero, to thee!"

Thus saying, he plunged in the foamy stream, Still fixing his gaze on that distant beam

No eye but a lover's could see; And still, as the surge swept over his head, "To-night," he said tenderly, "living or dead, "Sweet Hero, I'll rest with thee!"

But fiercer around him the wild waves speed; Oh, Love! in that hour of thy votary's need, Where, where could thy Spirit be?

He struggles,-he sinks-while the hurricane's breath

Bears rudely away his last farewell in death"Sweet Hero, I die for thee!"

Byron, who proved that swimming the Hellespont was possible by performing the feat himself, has an allusion to the legend in the Second Canto of his "Bride of Abydos." The winds are high on Helle's wave,

As on that night of stormy water When Love, who sent, forgot to save The young, the beautiful, the brave,

The lonely hope of Sestos's daughter.
Oh! when alone along the sky

Her turret-torch was blazing high,
Though rising gale, and breaking foam,
And shrieking sea-birds warned him home;
And clouds aloft and tides below,

Τ

In

HE Spring magazines show general articles in variety. In "Leslie's," Dr. Stephen Smith has a discussion of the question "Who Is Insane?" George W. Alger writes on "The Citizen and the Jury" and Holman F. Day describes the career of the Evangelist Sandford. "Scribner's" Mr. Richard Harding Davis has an article on "Kits and Outfits," and Mr. Thomas Nelson Page writes of "The University of Virginia; "Munsey's" contains eleven special articles, including "The Dominant Forces in Russia," by Walter Littlefield; "Why Japan Values American Good-Will," by Captain Frank Brinkley; "The Early Career of Joseph Chamberlain," by T. Edgar Pemberton; "Whitelaw Reid," by William S. Bridgman; and "John D. Rockefeller," by Frank A. Munsey. To the "Smart Set" Bliss Carman contributes an essay "On Having Known a Painter;" in "McClure's" Professor George Edward Woodberry writes a timely critique on Cervantes, while an interesting article on Rosa Bonheur, by Theodore Stanton, appears in "Lippincott's." In "Harper's," Frank French has a sympathetic nature sketch, "The Brook" Professor Robert Kennedy Duncan writes of the N-Rays, and Isador Ladoff, a Russian exile, tells the story of his arrest and escape from Siberia.

There is apparent in a number of the magazines a tendency to use articles in series form, and in "Success" Mr. Samuel Merwin begins articles on the great American railroad systems; in "Scribner's" Frank A. Vanderlip continues his studies. of the "Political Problems of Europe," taking up "Paternalism and Nationalism," while in "Leslie's" begins a new series on

the Pinkerton Detective Agency. In the "Cosmopolitan," Mr. David Graham Phillips continues his political studies, considering the assassination of William Goebel, Governor of Kentucky.

The serials for the month include "The Woman in the Alcove," by Anna Katherine Green, in "Leslie's;" "The House of Mirth," by Mrs. Edith Wharton, in "Scribner's;" "The Plum Tree," by David Graham Phillips, in "Success;" "The Grand Duke," by Carlton Dawe, in "Munsey's;" "The Golden Flood," by Edwin Le Fevre, in "McClure's;" "The Mystics," a story by Katherine Cecil Thurston, in the "Metropolitan;" and "The Deluge," by David Graham Phillips, in "Ainslee's."

new

New novelettes comprise "The Earth Home," by Robert A. Bowen, in "Ainslee's;" "A Fool for Love," by Francis Lynde, in "Lippincott's;" and "The RedHeaded Girl," by Grace MacGowan Cook, in the "Smart Set."

Among the more prominent contributors of short stories are Arthur Stringer, in the "Smart Set;" Grace MacGowan Cooke, in "Munsey's;" James Huneker, in the "Metropolitan;" Owen Kildare, in "Pearson's;" James Branch Cabell, Anne Warner and Robert Hichens, in "Ainslee's;" Herbert Quick, in the "Cosmopolitan," and Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, Mrs. Henry Dudeney and Herman Whitaker, in "Harper's."

The subject for the April number of "Masters in Art" is Mantegna, with biographical and critical sketches, and halftone reproductions. The April issue of "Masters in Music" considers Meyerbeer.