The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-11-04
A GERMAN INN.

la some places, kind of a higher class is
formed by those who do not allow the women
to work in the fields and on the roads: il was
in such family that we spent a little time
during the apple-gathering and cider. making
period, in the autumn. They kept the village
inn, but on road that did not bring them a
throng of customers from foreign parts.
The iather was, IN appearance and manners,
like the better class Of farmers in New Eng,
land, and the wife and daughters also very
similar to those we should find in the same
position at home. And, alas, we must say the
comparison goes farther. In both cases. when
they errive at kind of independence, it is the
man alone who arrives at ease. Being mo
longer obliged to work in the field, he only ex-
ercises kind of supervision over his affairs.
working little every day if he chooses and
the remainder of the time smoking and chat
| ting with his customers.
AS usual in German inns, there is no place
where woman can sit down and be decent or
| comfortable, except in her room, and here we
took all our meals. The rooms for guests
were furnished with the usual quota Of long
wooden benches, placed against the walls. and
the long wooden tables in front, and never
made more cheerful by cloth or napkin. There
might be seen at every hour Of the day also the
usual quota of wine-bibbers and beer drinkers
munch'ng black bread, and smoking and Cos
s'Plng, as II these we're the great objects of life
We asked for room with one bed, but were
Obliged to take one with two, and. when we
came to pay our bill, found we we're Obliged TO
pay for two also, though only one was occupied
1t was made up with special care for our com.
fort, and consisted first Of thick straw bed. as
foundation upon this, at the head, large
solid straw pillow, made upon the principle of
an inclined plane. Then came another hard
bed, but little softer than the straw Now the
snowy linen sheets, and two feather pillows,
upon which it would be impossible to sleep ex.
cept IN an upright position. Upon these WEI
placed two feather beds, each half yard in
depth, 60 that from the top to the bottom, the
whole measured two yards In many peasant
houses that we have seen, the guest chamber is
furnished with q ladder upon which to climb to
the top Of the bed, and we should certainly
have needed one here if we had thought of
finding repose upon such q mountain but in.
stead Of this, we spent half an hour removing
the several layers, until the proper height was
reached for our convenience. We did not have
to make our bed, but it was considerable labor
to re-make it but we could not think of asking
any change in the arrangements, az this would
destroy the beauty of the bed, which ia every.
where made up as high and round as possible.
in order to look we'll in their eyes. How Il ia
possible for people to preserve health, sweated
and sweltered every night by such a process.
we do not understand, and they wondered not
less how we could sleep in any other way. The
only other furniture of the room was a deal
table, upon which every evening was set a bowl |
OF fresh water for our morning abutions and |
tumbler filled with the same for our mouth !: |
with each day clean towel, and three times a
week all the linen of the bed renewed, which
was a luxary we never found elsewhere, and in |
no city oftener than once month.
We had furnished ourselves with chocolate |
knowing it could not be purchased 90 far in the
country, and had, every morning, sweet milk,
and the usual good bread, with two eggs, for
our breakfast. For dinner, boiled beef and |
black bread, after soup which was only the
water in which the beef had been boiled, some. |
times pickle, and perhaps for dessert piece
OF fried pork, or liver, with potatoes. For SUP.
per, chocolate and bread, but others had
hearty meatsupper, at nine o'clock, in the
room. The mother and daughters
worked all the day in the kitchen and dining.