Page:The Cambridge History of American Literature, v4.djvu/170

 582 Non-English Writings I Udo Brachvogel's Narciss; E. A. Zundt's Jugurtha; Mathilde Giesler-Anneke's Oithono; P. J. Reusz's Tippo Saib, and others; K. Lorenz's Das Schandmal (a tragedy based on Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter); V. Precht's Jakob Leisler; A. Schafmeyer's Ehrliche Menschen; Wilhelm Miiller's Festspiel, Itn gelobten Lande Amerika, and Ein lateinischer Bauer. Among writers of novels Reinhold Solger gave great prom- ise in his Anton in Amerika, but an early death ended his career. L. A. WoUenweber, for a long time editor of the Philadelphia Demokrat, wrote sketches of Pennsylvania Ger- man life. Udo Brachvogel's Konig Korn is a picture of West- em farm life. Mediocre sketches such as those of Sttirenburg {Klein Deutschland) or J. Rittig {Federzeichnungen aus dem ameri- kanischen Stadtleben) appeared in great numbers. Max Arlberg wrote a socialistic novel called Joseph Freifeld. R. Puchner's Anna Ruland and H. Bertsch's Die Geschwister, or Bob der Son- derling, are worthy of mention in a list that might be prolonged. Among very recent works Bemhard Kellermann's Der Tunnel (19 1 3), a fantastic dream of tunnelling the Atlantic, seems to indicate some experience or residence in the United States. The distinction of having been the master of German prose in America belongs to the brilliant Robert Reitzel (i 849-1 898). He is of the type of the lyrical poets and essayists who arose in Germany during the eighties, like the brothers Hart, Amo Holz, and Karl Henckell, the last of whom Reitzel often men- tions as his personal friend. Like these modern ' ' Sturmer und Dranger," Reitzel defies arbitrary power, loves truth even to a pose; he is the herald of a new socialistic age, a spokesman for the submerged class, the proletariat. Yet the most fas- cinating subject of his clear and sparkling prose is his own ego- centric personality, a characteristic of the poet Heine, whose influence upon Reitzel is obvious. Reitzel's self-portraiture is seen to best advantage in his Abenteuer eines GrUnen, the story of his life, including his initial hardships in America, when the grinding wheel of fortune made a tramp of him. But even as an outcast he keenly felt the poetry of existence : Ich lobe mir das Leben, Juhei ! als Vagabund, Mich drucken keine Sorgen; Frei bin ich alle Stund;