I, Erzählende Schriften 29, Doktor Gräsler, Badearzt, Seite 128

6
0
0
Tscurch of a wise and bis experienees with three women who canture his
ianer. Again Schnitzler wenves his siender narrative with astonishing
frugality, gaining a poignant insight by use of the burest suggestions of
observation. The piece will not exeite as did •Casanova,“ get it will
interest all these renders who follow this vriter’s beanty of strle.
P was a Just provision of the gode#terent at üirst sight. Theg write of
the opposing poles of life, but they
that made Vienna the home of
#he in¬
sharo the sensitiveness and
Arthur Schnifzler. The centre of
sight of the same sure art. Sehnitz¬
Europe’s wit and wisdom before the
er snid once, spenking of Chekov:
war, the home öf Franz Lehar and
rouid sot have dene shat he did,
The Merry Widow,“ of Strauss und
but I have triedto do in ing war wilnt
#
The Blue Danube,“ it is mect and
lie has done in his.“
proper that the kindly ironie flgure of
Arthur Schnitzler was a plazewrighit
Dr. Schnitzler should dwell there. It
before ho became a novelist and in
Is a city sadly ravaged by the wur,
Vienna the production of bis play's
yet one which has retained with un¬
always occurs under his—personal
daunted courage much of its old color
Idirection. He takes great pleasure
and gayness.
and Infinite pains in stagecraft, not
Somewhat outside of Vienna proper,
only in his own but in the work of
removed from the roadway by a bit ot
others and he is a constant theatre¬
ground and a path, is the unassuming
goer. Musieal comedy, for which
residence of Dr. Schnitzler. It is a
Vienna is Justly famed of old, Is a
before-the-war sort of house, more
particular delight of the doctor and
comfortable.than pretentious. The
a Franz Lehar frst night will always
eréätor of Anatol and the ancient Cas¬
anova and of Dr. Greasler, just pul####ind him in his eustomary place
down in the first row of the orches¬
IIshed by Thomas Seltzer, lives here
tra. He is wont to insist on that
with his mamilg. On the second
location whenover he attends the
with his family. On the second
theatre. Franz Lehar, Incidentally,
a tall desk, with severn, striking
is an old friend of Schnitzler's.
paintings about him on'the walls and
The present success of his son on
asoft and commodlous couch near by,
thestage is a great gratification to
on which he usually seats the visitors
hlm. Young Schnitzler has heen
who are favored by a welcome to his
appearing in roles of increasing im¬
study.
portance in Vienna during the last
Dr. Schnitzler is a small man with
few years and has a career of the
a great head and a beard that would
greatest promise, And Dr. Schnitz¬
be full were it not kept trimmed. He
ler is not averse to a certaln pride
is elderly but not yet old, and bis
in his family. He will introduce his
hair and beard are gray. He'has been
daughters with greater willlngness to
compared to Anatole France but the
a visltor than he will stop to discuss
alr of veneration that surrounds
his work.
France is absent from the doctor,
Deeply ablding within Artnur
There Is rather an alr of kindly, al¬
Schnitzler, and onc of the most mov¬
I most paternal, gentleness about him
ing elements in his art, is his love
One is aware of a groat force, of a
strength and mental breadth in meet##for his native city. He has seen
it through many changes; he has
ing him, but it is in reserve, unob¬
trustvely hiding behind his broad fore-Jwatched much of its beauty turn to
a futile sophistication, and thls he
head. His clear, reflective volce and
has recorded with matchless irony.
the warmth of his eyes convey to an
He has watched more of its beauty
observer immediately the tolerance
meet bravely and gaily the povertz'
and genlallty that is foremost in his
and suffering of after-the-war. Its
character, It is for no small reason
folbles and fallings he can view withl
that his house is one of the most
tolerance for the sake of what has
frepuented in! Vienna by the ar¬
been and for what it may be again.
tists, the musihlans and tho people of
With a regard for Vienna that is
wit who woulf be likely to gather
purely of the Old World he can afford!
about such a man. HIis rooms are
to walt and look to the future of a
frequently fullhof an evening with
city with so glamorous a past.
men and women, seated in odd corners

He was seated one night, after the
and conversing back and forth, and
theatre, at a table at Sacher'ls, Vien¬
dominating most quietly is the small
na’s most brilliant dining place, ob¬
flgure of the doctor with his brond
1
serving the display of light and life
shoulders, talking with grave humor
0
that hung over the city. Turning to
of innumerable things.
91
a friend he sald:Not so bad for a
Vienna was the birthplace of
9i
dead city, after all, is it?“ He was
Schnifzler, sixty-ond years ago. The
18
silent for a moment and then con¬
elder Dr. Schnitzler, his father, was
tinued softly, Vienna will prosper
a professor at the University of Vi¬
in the next war.“
enna and a famous throat specialist
What on earth do you mean, doc¬sir
of the time. The son took u. degree
tor?“ he was asked in surprise.
at the Universitz in medicine and
A
Ah.“ he laughed quletly,“In the
surgery and immediately entered a
h
next war we will have nothing to
Thospital. His later success as a phy¬

make war with and we shall remain
siclan of independent practice is com¬
neutral and so be prosperous once
mon knowledgel He became a path¬
more.“
ologist of note, collaborated in a med¬
Iical textbook and edited, with his

father, the Weinerklinsche Rund¬
schau. Numerous papers from lis
pen found their way during this pe¬
riod into varlous professional and lay
publications. He first received atten¬
tion from the world as a writer of
Idistingutshed ability with hls Affairs
of Anatol.“
The literary antecedents of Arthun
Schnitzler are not at all obvlous. He
Is most of all himself, the ironic and
sympathetic recorder of the polg¬
nancy of life, an artist satirizing with
unflagging intèrest in his subject, thel
futillty of so much o# it. But his lit¬
erary master, 8o far as he had onc.
le
was Chekov. There is a. curlous bond
la. 1between thie two, who appear s0 dif¬
NAN, I L
TE DAALI NENS,
700 MUCH MONEV.
NO
lotations
A MODERN HAMLET AND A
ecessary
YOUNG MELLIONAIRE,
1 vaglie¬
attucks
By GERALD GOULD.
actions,
tTenny¬
Dr. Graesler.“ By Arthur Schnitzler.
fortable
Translaied by E. C. Slade. Chapman
V KHOCk¬
and Hall, 78. 6d.
Whoure
PATT
4-A. O. Barnabooth: His Diary.“ By
Tenny¬
Valéry Larbaud. Translated by Gilbert
oks and
Cannan. Dent. 78. 6d.
many
Here are two good translations of in¬
Neither
When
effective
teresting works by distinguished
Lunacy
teulars,
foreigners; and it happens that they its sittir
outset.
was giv
exemplify two main types of fiction.
Holman
berately Both have delicacy and the grace of
ple and
wrongft
irony. But in“ Dr Graesler“ ihe irony
objects.
tion.
Steven is implicit in ordinary circumstances,
Sir M
e book), rand the telling is perfectly objective
man f.
off, and Iand straighiforward; whereas in“ A. G.
at Teig
him u
ing bisBarnabooth“ the whole conception is
Molmar
world's #fantastic and the often grimy details are
n ethe
and hi
laboured with a self-conscions subtlety.
Ire—our
him Pr¬
Dr. Graesler, middle-aged, weak¬
achable
He
minded, kindly, sentimental and pathe¬
This
Vhere
tic, is —like Hamlet, and, indeed, like
st toot
lish byovery completely successful charucter in
Sim.
irul orsthis kind of creative work—you and i
che de
s most und Everyman. Barnabooth illustrates
much
1
certain temporary phenomena of social
exech
much neurosis.
on for
The doctor’s sister commits suicide.
e, andfwith mild egoism. he has always as¬
wes issumed that she was a spinster whose
whole
#to rid
function it was to wake him comfort¬
wrote
very
able. Really, she was an extraordinarily
rnedic
roveals
passionate woman who sought denth as
an II1
preferable to a life in which she could
Beedec
rthey
no longer hope to have love-affälts.
In
Frid.
Veguely, in his loneliness, the decior
sented
wants to marry; but he is frightened by
Mauri
NT.
the frankness and definiteness of ihe
tion
scharming young woman who wants to
gang
marry him. He is too shallow and
Mr.
irresolute to desire anybody very much:
witnes
Naude d#ie persnades himself that he desires
gested
38. 68.
somebody else, and gets a brief hallu¬
charm geination of vigour from that; but the
mind.
nson’s somebody else dies, and he relapses
Inter
at evi-comfortably enough into marriage with
questio
athird choice. And his brief story lives
1 high
offensi
at every moment, and illuminates life.
if we
because he lives himself. Assuredly
what,
must
Schnitzleris a writer of genius.
Durir
Robin¬
witness
Haunted with Millions.
red
If Mr
Barnabooth is not merely a millicn-] gions (
18 pro¬
##nie Taire. but grossly, absurdly, excessively. did so