Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-04-22
Domestic Life I'm Germany.

DR.. Hurst is writing to the Methodist
of New York city a series of letters
FROM Germany. The last one is dated
Bremen, and gives thefollowing pleas
ant picture Of domestic life in that
country:
An average German family, of mod
crate means, is without a superior in
human society as picture of content
ment. 1t may consist of a dozen MEM
bers, and yet there is no disposition on
the part of its head to occupy the
whole of a large house. just enough
rooms to satisfy every requirement.,
and they are generally much smaller
than Americans are accustomed to, are
all that are desired.
Bremen can hardly be taken as a
fair specimen OF the style of living
common in Germany, for being a sea-
port, it is largely affected by the intiu-
ence of foreigners. Yet no stranger
can reside here for a length of time,
and form the acquaintance Of citizens,
without becoming impressed by the
contentment, frugaity and union
usually reigning in the German domes-
tic circle. The family Of many a man
doing a large business, and moving in
society of the highest respectability,
often occupy but one floor, and every
room is furnished with great simplicity.
His business may increase every year,
and yet he does not seem to be troubled
with the restless thought of getting out
of his apartments into larger ones, or
of buying house for its entire occupa-
ton. The disposition, on the increase
Of wealth, to get into more aristocratic
circle by buying a large house on a
fashionable street, beautifying it with
costly furniture, giving great entertain
ments, and appearing every afternoon
with large equlpage, is not part of
the Germans character. If he indulges
in all these things, on anything less
than an immense fortune, the pre-
sumption is-that either he or his wife
has been in America.
The German breakfast IS very simple
indeed it is never called breakfast,
but only cOffee. Not an inch will the
real German move from his house, or
scarcely in it, until he has had his cof-
fee, which is accompanied by a biscuit
or two without butter. The German
scholar will not open a book, or take
up a pen, until he has had this light
repsst. At ten o'clock q lunch of
bread and cheese, or something of a
similar character, is taken by many,
though not universally. The dinner,
invariably introduced by soup, consists
of substantial and nutritious dishes,
and closes with bread and cheese. In
the middle of the afternoon, coffee IS
taken again, and a light tea at half
past six, closes the meals of the day
In summer afternoons, many families
take their coffee in little arboTs in the
front garden. The garden may be very
small, but, by dint of management,
enough of its narrow dimensions are
subsidized into space for little table,
surrounded by half dozen seats, oVe-
which rises a ViIe-covered lattice.
Where there Is no spare ground, but
the verands reaches the street. even
one end of the Veranda itself is often
divided into little room, which IS
half screened from the street by some
ingenious device, and supplied with
chairs, table and pictures. These
pleasant little hooks are usually occu-
pied the whole of the afternoon by the
ladies, in pleasant summer weather,
who there converse, sew, sip their cot
fee, and entertain their friends, and in
the evening, are joined by the gentle
men, on their return from their places
of business.