Heinecken, the German Prodigy

1895

Christian Henry Heinecken, the most wonderful of all the world's precocious prodigies, was born at Lubeck, Germany, in the year 1721. When but 9½ months of age, this human wonder could pronounce every word contained in the German language, and before he had rounded out his first year of earthly existence he knew all the leading events of the world's history. At the age of 14 months he could give chapter and verse of any quoted passage of the Scriptures and knew the history of every book in both the Old and New Testaments. At the age of 2½ years he could answer every question in the geographies and histories then in use and could converse with visitors in either German, French, Dutch, Latin or Greek. His fourth year was devoted to the study of religion and ancient history. He had finished the studies mentioned and had started on a course in oriental religion when he suddenly died before completing his fourth year. — St. Louis Republic.


Not Necessarily

I do not think a statement is necessarily false because it appears in the newspapers. There is hardly a paper in which I have not at some time or other come across a true piece of news. — "Old Maids' Club," I. Zangwill.