Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-02-04
/. Ross Browne or Life in Germany.

J. Ress Browne on Lie in Germany
Mr.. J. Ross BRowNE, Of whose lecture OF
Iceland in this city on Monday evening We
gave a synopsis yesterday, proposes to. deliT.
er in San francisco during The spring a series
of four lectures on Northern Europe, one
fourth of the proceeds to be devoted to the
cause of the country. In a letter from Frank.
fort-on-the Main, Mr. Browne thus summed
up the peeuliaFities Of old Europe=
Everything here has a soporife tendency
One week is the same as another, and so Of
months and years, allowing small variety
for the seasons There is no progression, as
in California People become stagnant at the
age of thirty at forty they become pussy
and waddle like ducks at fifty they became
bald-headed and apoPlectic, and carry their
hats in their. hands to keep their. brains cool;
at sixty a leg or an arm gives way, and has
to be dragged along or nursed; at seventy
they take to little hand-carriages, and get roll
ed about the public promenadefs by servants
in livery; and at eighty, OF ninety, they peg
out for want Of breath, and help to make
vegetables for new generation. All this time
the sun rises and sets exactly orce a day, Tor
365 da-s in the year; the town clocks toll
the quarter-hours and hours; the police mount
guard at the gates and salute the passing Of
Rcers; the soldiers hug and kiss the servant
girls every evening in the by ways and al
leys; old burghers take their afternoon stroll
around the glacis and drop in at their regular
beer house, where; they, sit for hours gossip
ing over the affairs Of the city children. 60
to school and back again, with their satchels
on their backs, and in tie course of time go
to business and gradually merge into old 10
gies. like tile rest Of the. good. citizens-and
50 .wags the world IN Germany.
at is enough to drive an active-miqded
man perfectly crazy Bot am prejudiced,
perhaps, IN favor of my own country; very
likely. If you were to put bali in a china
shop, or chicken in apond Of water, or a
snail on a race course, or a grizzly bear
in millinery establishments, or a thoroughly
honest and conscientious man before the pub
lie as a candidate for high political honorsy you
would not commit a greater incongruity than
the Californian who visits Germany with. any
idea of enjoying life. What is life to some
people is death to others. For myself, I real
ly ike the Germans, but their habits Of life
IN the Faderland are fearfully and wonder
fully slow. They certainly improve very much
after they leave home. can tell a German
Californian the moment look at his face 1t
is far brighter, sharper and more intelligent
than the generality Of, faces one meets in his
daily rambles. Nor have I yet encountered
one who does not fully agree with me in all
these views.
"Why, then, you may ask, do stay here
50 long? There's the rub. 1t arises pTinci-
pally from acechsel, which was been growing
higher and higher every day, till it now
stands before me and California like the Chi
nese VIII. Ever since my return from Ice
land I have been settling down under ter
rble load of unpleasant connectiOns.abOut our
yet determined never to give up |
the Union while there is plank left. 1t is !
dreadful to love ones country with all his
heart and soul, and find none around him to !
do her reverence, much less justice. She
weepeth sore in the night, like Jerusalem;
for she hath none to pity her. All. me, if
you only knew how we feeIOyer here )! How
much dearer our country is to us?
"But It is no use to be sad about anything
n this world 1t doesn't help the case, and
we have but short span of life anyhow
Let every man do his best to help the cause,
md it will yet be all right. I feel that
ought to add my mite to itin seme substand-
Il way. What propose, therefore, is to re-
urn to California and strike out something
hat VIII be useful, popular and entertaining
-deYoting any one-fourth of the proceeds to
he great cause of our country. If I had the
means would cheerfully do more, but the
expenses Of a large family are great check
1pon my inclinations IN Y Post, 24th.