The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-03-22

wATzRrSs PLACE AS sxErcHED By BAYARD
TAYLOR.

and pleasure than we are, but they have reduced
this part OF life to system, and thus made it
atiainable to almost sll classes.
Friedrchroda, for instance, Is BY no means q
waterng-pl In one sense of the word. IL has
nc mineral springs, no elegant hotels, no amuse-
ments; il offers only pure mountain air, delightful
scenery and summer quarters at moderate prices
Yet the number of guests already amounts to
1900. II any one of these have brought their
home conventionaities with them. have seen no
evidence Of the fact they certainly find no new
ones here to be assumed. They live and dress as
they please, make and avoid acquaintances
spend much or little, knowing that no one will
take the trouble TO inquire into their way Of life.
There are two or three pensions, wherein al the
guests dine at the same tine, but the most Of
Them take furnished apartments by the week. ard
either get their meals at the hotels or have them
sent to them, hot, in covered dishes. Il costs
them from Sc TO $40 week to live in this manner.
During the hot days the people live mostly in
the woods: Ladies take their work. and gentle
men their books, and make the cool 6r-trces their
sitting room. They are plainly and practically
dressed; they soon discover the most picturesque
points, the most agreeable excursions, and to-
ward evening there Is not a summit or valley
within radius of FIVE miles where yor Will no.
discover groups Of them. Now and then The land
lord Of the Fesenkeller tries to get up bal but
only few Of the young people attend. When
DR.. Holzkopf advertised that he would read Sc.
ections from Shakespeare and Goethe, they came
together; bat the most of them showed their cor
rect appreciation OF the performances by leaving
before its close There Is a committee of the
principal persons Of the place. who hear aud act
upon all complaints or suggestions OF the guests.
The police force Is not increased there are no
disturbances or excuses the girls bleach linen
on the meadows all day. the white headed boys
tike of their caps to the stranger and everybody
sautes everybody else. BY and by the summer
crowd will gradually drop away. and the little
city will fall naturally into its winter quiet.
Our custom seems rather TO be, TO crowd into
few places-which soon become outrageousIy ex-
pensive--because others go there. once went
TO Cape May, intending to stay fortnight. but
went home the next morning after one of the most
uncomfortable nights Of my life. was at Sara
toga day, and saw ladies going to the spring Gin
lew-necked dresses, lace and iewels-which they
could not do without loss OF charactsr) even at
Baden Baden.
However, my purpose was to describe family
picnic, In which we all participated the other day.
The giver of IT resides in Gotha. twelve miles to
the north of us, but he appointed for our meeting
the summit of the mountain rarge, four or i've
miles 10 the southwark We took a carriage for
the sscent. but left II after entering the deep,
narrow valley behind the town, in order to follow
new footpath through the forest. Here, in the
dense shadows the air was cool and sweet, only
sprinkle Of golden light occasionally burned On
the messy carpet. Where the brook made
plunge Of eight feet into rocky basin, young
artist sat, painting, with his boots In the water.
gloves lifted their tall crimson spikes, and the
chime of innumerable bells, from the grazing
herds, filed the air. So, little by little, the
children accompanying us on donkeys, we reached
the crest, beyond which the mountains slope down
to the land OF Meiningen. f .f.i.s
Here our host, with three stalwart sons, was n
waiting, that he might guide US to beechen forest
on a higher SLOPE half mile distant thread
Of smoke, rising above young plantation Of frs,
denoted the spot IL was a secluded nook. shaded
by the roof of beach, yet with an outlook on the
southern spur Of the Thuingian Priesthood,
sunllt mountains, sinking into glimmering valleys.
| Sea W h.
gray boes; 10 an open space the fire cracked lus-
lily; rustic table had been arranged on forked
Sticks ard the baskets and boxes around it pro-
missed something substantial. Two young gentle
men adjusted small portable cask of beer be-
tween two tree trunks, and then covered it with
ice, while the councillor, saying: Let me show
you my wine cellar" lifted up a huge sod, and
disclosed number of bottles lying imbedded in
the EARTH, ~,
BY this time the party had assembled-twenty-
five or thirty in ALL When the brdttclrdl began to
hiss and sputter the bars, there came differ
ent perfume into the air than that of wild fern and
mountain grass, aud the scattered company was
drawn together by an instinct which was not alto
geiher unconscious. The cask, meanwhile, had
been preached, and its cold, fosming contents
rapidly circulated. The baskets were unpscked.
and supply came forth which seemed sufficient
for army cold yenison, ported sardines, cheese
and salads, with lighter and less substantial re-
freshments. According TO the old German pro-
verb, the wine came after the beer. II was gen.
the enemies Of the beverage always pre.suppose.
When ali had eaten and drunk sufficiently, the
company took their seats upon the grass, aud adj
dressed themselves to song. The course Of music
meandered back and focth, from the Tyrolese
melodies sung by Viennese lady to Che lament
OF dearest May" and the sprightlY enigmas Of
"Ob, susannahln Under the arms OF the beech
trees broader, browner shade began 10 creep,
and the twilight had extingushed the glory Of the
distant hills, before we thought Of leaving. Then
the forester placed the snperhuous ice upon the
Goals, the baskets were repacked, the coachmen
blew Boot and saddle upon their trumpe 8, and
we took our way down the mountsin.
! find that the principal difference between
Germany and the United States Is that In the
former country recreation Is better organized. We
have the same needs. the same tastes, but not yet
the same facilities: Pleasure with Us is still
luxury, and generally an expensive one. Wehaye
q small class who furnish the requirements Of re-
creation 10 the rich, not large class who make
them accessible TO all. Perhaps II is too soon to
anticipate any change in this respect; but one
may AZ least point out the difference. Perhaps
we are not sufficiently poised and fixed to regulate
our social relaxati0ns. On one side we are sone-
tines too grave, on the other too lawless; the
proper balance has not yet been attained.
To Offset this deficiency, we have more private
comforts than the Germans. Our mode OF life is
altogether more luxurious. People Of the same
relative means spend more on their table, their
furniture aud their clothing, than here but they
devote less time to amusement and rest from the
hard work Of life.
The more simple and unpretending features Of
domestic life here-the absence OF expense and
dspIay-are very favorable circumstances for the
betrothed and the newly married. No one thinks
OF occupying entire house, but chooses his
quarters according TO the size of his family
husband and wife can be well accommodated on
rent Of 500 year, their household cares being
diminished IN equal proportion.
The German custom Of celebrating birthdays
and family anniversaries gives an additional charm
their domestic life. In this respect, again, we
are rapidly learning from them. We cannot re-
ceive so immense an immigration without taking
q little character-h0wever less il may be than we
g ve--fromit il. We have, 1t seems tonne, the raw
material OF life in greater profuson and Of better
quality than any other land in the world but we
have not yet shaped It into the best and pleasant
est forms. We need to borrow a little organize.
ton from our older neiRhbors.
TIE TROUBLE AT HAVANA on ACCOUNT OF
RIsT0kI.-T The following Is clearer statement Of
late affair at Havana than our dispatches
afforded. When Madame RstO-i was Announced