The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-08-01

'has 'hoy recheu nttle for war and oil the hubnub
IL orlngs IN it's train. Merrily they trip along the
smooth path on the side Of the road, gracefully
paia nclng tho baskets on their heads without any
apparent efort. My companion was gay blade,
extreme in his politeness to these wayfsrers. I
nius' 90 hlm tho justice OF saying that he allow
eo noe one OF these young peasant girls to pass
Without drawing his bride, taking off his hat and
in his blandest smile saying Guten Tag, Ltebchen
The answer would generally be in modest
"Guen Tag" with slight, scarcely visible, lift
ing OF tho eyebrows from under the basket.
Some would blush,-at the "Lie5cteu" I suppose
but all seemed in excellent humor
We now passed through fine grain country.
Wheat was just being gathered, and the country
all around resounded with the gay carols of the
reapers. The greater part Of the laborers On.
gagged arc women, both old and young. The ma.
chinery in use here is very primitive in it's charac
ter. MCCORMICK has never invaded these seolu.
ded wales. The only cutting instrument for wheat,
barley or rye is the sickle, oldfashioned cres-
cent reaping hook. Hay and oats are moved
with scythe. Labor is abundant here, and
cheap; and labor-saving machines are not, there
fore, OF the Same Importance to the farmer here
that they are on the Western Continent. The
picture presented by one Of these large fields.
with the reapers engaged in 1.-THE various ope-
ratlons OF cutting, gathering, tying into sheayes
and p1ling, all going on at the same time in va
rious parts OF the feld-is very striking, leaving
pleasing Impression on the memory. The costume
is very pcturesque-none the less for its scapti-
ness, sometimes observed in very hot weather {"
But we must not allow the pastoral charms of
the RUTHs, cleaning ears, to entice us too far
from our way. SO on let us 60. We now ap-
prosch the mountains. Their bare perpendicular
sides pointing to the ruthless, invading hand of
man, where, utterly forgetful OF what is due to
the beauty Of the scene he has blasted great ugly
gashes, under the guse Of quarries. A soft pink
Ish colored freestone is obtained here, which
"outs" beautifully for building purposes.
The land hereabouts is very rocky, and it Is dif-
fcult for the lowlander to how the farmer here
can ever be rewarded for his toll. So much of bis
seed must fall upon stony ground. The generality
OF the people here are very poor. Their food Irish
potatoes, with bread occasionally; meat they only
get when they work by the day with aome rich
farmer. The bread is nearly black (csled
made Of unbolted rye, or barley, or
both mixed. Their drink water beer, when thew
eau got 1t, or schnapps, ohoap whiskey made OF
Irish potatoes-villainous stuff, IL you will take
my opinion. Cheap as wine is, the laborer here
very seldom gets it; for although plenty of it
grows within q few miles OF this place. none ia
made here.
And now we enter Albersweiler, village of
some fifteen hundred or two thousand inhabi-
tants. 1t is Saturday evening, aud everywhere
you look you see the. busy housewives scrubbing
their tubs, pots, pans, and other kitchen utensils;
not merely because tomorrow is Sunday, but be-
cause tomorrow is Kuch,ceihe, i. g., the annual
fair, which always commences on Sunday, will
take place. The term Kirchpeihe, like many 9TH
ers has lost its original Specification. The literal
meaning OF the word is 'churoh consecration;"
and this, doubtless, the origin of the festival
namely: the celebration Of the anniversary of the
first consecration Of the church. But soon it came
to mean nothing more than time tor general
irolicking-a local saturnalia. Every village
throughout Germany has some Sunday set apart
for this observance. This was the cause of nv
visit to the place at this time.
Well, Sunday and Kirchweihe have both come ::
the little boys in the street, with their newly
bought penny whistles, dolefully announce the
glorious advent At breakfast we have abun-
dance dane OLE OF Suchen lcake)-various kinds Of sweet.
we were invited over hundred times to eat
with h9 good People Who all felt rich
without bounds, and every family in the place has
slots" Of company.
Inls ii a Oatnonc commune. The customs
however, here described are very much the
same also in the Protestant villages. Everybody
goes TO church in the morning. then to dinner
yonna Folks he o h 95a to
fiddle. Dancing is carried on almost without
ceasing from noon till daylight next morningIin
every tavern Of the place-for Wirthshaus Tho.
tell without q Idnz60den (ball-room) is an anoma.
ly In this part OF the world
The elders, both male and female, look in ut
the dancers from time to time, then withdraw
again to the hall down stairs, where beer, pipes,
war and politics form the stock in trade.
The booths Of the peddlers and merch ants,
put up In the principal street. form the chief at
traction to the juveniles. Here every thing can
be purchased, from penny trumpet or o pint of
ohesnuts to the finest silk or lace. What In
America would be called motions" or cheap fancy
goods, compose the principal stock. Some OF
these merchants have good harvest during the
three or four days OF the Fair. l..
The usual sccompapiments of such gatherings
e. substitute for it, here called R.itschue, or
riding school, is never wanting. Here boys ride
on wooden horses, and girls in carriages, which
are swung round ring "a favorite amusement
with the children. Snakes, monkeys, and other
such vermin are on exhibition 80 also panoramas
of all sorts. Tight-rope dancing ia likewise i'm
high repute. Thimble rigging is an English
institution, but there are scoundrels hero who
edo" the poor people out Of their money by a
method very similar to that immortal game
Jugglers and Bwordswallowers proclaim their
merits. These features you will find impressed
upon the village fairs In every part of Germany
with some slight local notifications only in the
different sections OF the country.