The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-08-09
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE.
LANDAU IN DEE pFALZ. ,July % 1916


In my last commeuccd an account of rural en-
cursion madoi in company with young friend. and
designed giving you series of pictures illustrat-
ing the homo and public life of the good pcopIc
lVing on the mountain slopes, in tho secluded
Giens and lovely valleys of this charming country
No task more grateful to mc-for in visiting these
haunts, entering into the joys and SORROWS of the
rude forefathors of these hamlets and lstonin,
to tho simple talk of the Venerable matrons. in
looking at the innocent pleasures of sturdy youths
and pretty maidens, with an occasional by.play
fragment from Cupid and Psyche,--and in watch
ing tho hilarious sports of playful childhood
forget the years that have passed, and oco moro
feel, act and think as ono of them
Never before have seen tho buoyancy of a peo-
PIE SO strlklngly illustrated as among these peas
anus. Win the war raging at their very doors
almost, they follow their usual ayocatons, both
OF business and pleasure as though nothing un.
common was going on around them. I am no
philosopher, and shall leave it to visor men to
decide whether this is the result of the proverbia
German phegm, or owing to their contiguity to
the gay inhabitants OF la belle France.
We rode along tho foot of a mountain slope. on
our right an immense plain, entirely covered with
the luxuriant foliage of the vine Clunnps of fruit
trees here and there on this vast plain indicated
the site of a Dorf (viage). The church steeple
even, could only be seen after some time, and
upon close scrutiny; the whole forming a most
lovely landscape. En- pasSant may say that in
this part OF Germany there is no village without
its church or churches, and no church without a
steepe. The beauty Of the landscape is not
marred by rock, worm," or any other fence
The only element lacking is water. There arc
small streams meandering through the plain, at
considerable distances apart, but from our point
of vew they are not visible.
On our left we have tho mountains dark and
misty, with an occasional CLEAN of morning
sunlight High up on tho peaks all around we
see the ruins OF many once proud RaterJuo
(castle). Most of them decidedly "out of repair"
nothing left but mere fragments of huge stone
walls. Again, about half way down the slope we
see village, T. e. long array of houses, with the
church at one end of the street. This, we were
told, is Birkweiler. 1t looked beautiful, gilded by
the SUMS horizontal rays. The big brass knob
or globe, on the steeple, and the proud
looking rooster keeping watch on it's topmost
point, all looked as il of molten gold. Bs the by
l am not sure that ycnr readers know of this in
eVltabie arrangement Of German Village church
stecples; this knob and cock aro e.senIlals. Tho
church yard is outside the village the graves ap-
parently very close together, and black cross on
are about to approach is Catholic. "Here small
and great are both alike;" no costly monuments
point to the ephemeral distinction Of one above
his follow worms. The graves were all beautiful
ly and tastefully decorated with flowers; the blue
iris, and different varieties Of tho pink with the
rose, appear to be the fayorites for this purpose
The fnn,ortele is not as we'll known kere ss among
the French.
The air is cool and damp, and felt more chilly
than was agreeable, wishing for breakfast hour
and place. The clock struck six, and was imme-
diately followed by the matin bell. We were sur
prised to find the laborers all, great and small
young and old, stop in the hi" hway, or in the
fields, wherever they happened to be, and kneel
down to their morning devotions. All went through
the form; how many Of them were really devout
it would be difficult to say. However, We were too
cold and hungry to linger the road in such re-
fections. A sudden turn in the road brought us
into the village, and right at the upper end where
we entered We see the largo and hospitabe sign
"Zunl 90ldenen adler" Ito the golden eagle). The
eagle, OF course, has two heads all German eagles
are bicephalous. But notwithstanding & this orni-
biological anomaly, we dismounted, gave the
ostlcr our horses, walked into the largo "Wein-
st,tGe" (stting room), where a few GUS omers
were drinking their little glasses of bittors "Was
Oelebt, meme He1TeR =" 'Breakfast for twO."
And presently we sit down to the incest of coffee
and rolls. That is all they give you here for
breakfast. We could have had ham and eggs by
asking for them, but novcr like to offend peo-
ple's prejudices, anu not Wishing to be considered
n glutton, or eccentric genius, mado very
light breakfast, and with some trouble persuaded
my companion to do the same. We paid our bill
and rode on towards Gleisweiler.
This is watering place of considerable local
celebrity for the sanitary properties of it's springs
Tho place has been used as a spa for about
twenty years, and in other days had been very
fashionable. AS usual in places of this kind, the
birds of fashion are migratory, fitting from ono
popular resort to another while the invalids come
and stay the entire season. Tho natural situation
OF this place is incomparably beautiful. know
no place in your State that will bear comparison to
it though have seen localities in Virginia and in
Western North Carolina Of fsomewhat similar topo-
graphical features. The Saltville valley, on the
edge Ut Washington and Smith counties, in Vir-
ginia, comes nearer to it than any other place
nave over seen. The people in the immediate
vicinity, and indeed all through this mountain
district, are extremely poor. Labor is abundant
and cheap; the complaint being, that for the
greater part Of the year they cannot find employ
ment They eke ont n preo arioua liyelihood nv