Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-03-23

heard, and the spectacle has by no meanf
been rare one, of regiments of the Land
wehr marching through the city to the
depot, accompanied not by friends only,
but by their wives and children. Officers
began long since to be plenty again, but
now with bandaged heads, on crutches or
the arm in sling, many displaying con.
spicuously the highly priced decoration
Of the Iron Cross. The hour of noon is
usually the time when the official dis
patch arrives from Versailles, and that
naturally awakens some interest. The
news boys, oftener women, cry out the
"extra" but most people pay little atten.
tion to them, preferring to save groschen
and find out the news from the dispatches
Of King William to the Queen Augusta,
these missives being printed as soon as
they arrive and pasted up on the theatre
neutrality-suspicious., which are scattered
all about the town. Soldiers in squads
of two and three are of course very numer-
GUS, some Just recovering from wounds or
sickness, other having formed the escort
of batch of prisoners, or of a number OF
imperial eagles or other trophies, the
strange uniform of soldiers from other
German States, always exciting consider
able curiosity. The latter always i'm
prove, very carefully, the opportunity of
seeing the great city of Germany, and
they go through the Museum and the
picture galleries, as dutifully as an Amer
ican Innocent abroad.
The various places of public resort do
not seem to have suffered much from the
war. The innumerable beer-heuses are
always full in the latter part of the after
noon and in the evening. It is doubtful if
anything could seperate a German from
his beer glass. No occasion of Joy is COM
plete without it,and it is equally sought for
as a source of consolation in sorrow. 1t is
ceoling in summer and warming in winter
like the Irishman's whisky and nothing
appears better to answer the purpose of
promoting conversation or to serve as an
aid to reflection, for single glass of beer
will last German an hour. 1t is in the
beer-house, that the Berliners, like other
Germans, meet to talk over the questions
of the day, and it is natural that now
when every day is SO full of news, the in
ducement to those meetings should be
much greater than usual. The theatres
have been doing as we'll probably as in
times of peace, since pieces OF national
character have been introduced in part or
exclusively in most of them. A visit, es
pecially to some of the more popular ones
has therefore a great interest, as the
thoughts and feelings of the people no.
where find fuller expression than in these
"Pictures of Life and the Times" Patri-
etic flags, grave and gay, which had long
been forgotten, have been revived, the
memories of 1914 and rs are recalled and
linked with those of to-day. One piece,
"We Barbarians" has had great run
the camp life before Paris is therein de-
liniated, the diverse political views and
the social peculiarities of the North and
South German, of Bavarian, Prussian and
Saxon are broadly and humorously char
acterized Napoleon is honored with
several not very complimentary coupl-
cts; finally there is a very signi-
ficant marriage of a Barbarian" with
a proud, AT first disdainful daughter of
Alsatia. These.few details may not be
uninteresting as serving to characterize
Berlin in war time. With all its causes
for Joy, and with all it's actual rejoicings,
it has borne, during the last few months,
a somewhat serious air. Even the sur
render of Metz failed to call forth that
extravagant jubilstion which would have
appeared excusable in view of the i'm
portance of the event, and the calmness
with which the cspitulation of Paris was
received caused universal surprise and
not few unjust remarks on the part of
the provincial press. The more creditable
explanation is not hard to find. The Ger
mans are weary of the war, and this feel
ing naturally has its first expression here
at the centre of action, where public
opinion is affected and formed by the
work of SO many opposing influences.
They are not yet willing and feel that
they have no reason to sacrifice any of the
objects for the attainment of which they
have been putting forth all their strength
they are determined to have Alsatia and
Lorraine, but they also desire the return
of peace. They want what they are, right
ly or wrongly, convinced is their own, be-
yond that nothing, that French love of
glory has no charm for them, and the
great rejoicing which was expected to
follow the fall of Paris has been reserved |
for what appears much moro desirable
the proclamation of peace.