The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-09-05
THE CALIFORNIAN AT VIENNA,

/ am in bonds and fctters through not
understanding the German tongue. It Is
a weary torture 10 be a stupid, uncom-
pretending foreigner. am lost in lin
guistic swamp. Ii is necessary TO employ
one man to talk to another. The commits
sionndire does not understand more than
half say. What might he not be inter-
preting to the other fellowg The most
trivial want costs ne world of anxiety
and trouble. desired some blotting-pa-
per. went to little stationery shop.
said. Paper. paper! fur die blot, you
know. Ich bin Englisher-er; ink no
dry; what you call UNI? Vas? vas Z
Hang - They took down all sorts of
foolscap, foreign post. 1 tried to make
my want known by signs. / made my
self simply ridiculous. The shopkeeper
stared at me in perplexity, disgust
and despair. Then he discussed the
matter with his wife. l fretted, per-
spring vigorously. / went away.
went to commissionnaire at my hotel.
1t required five minutes to explain the
matter to him. He discussed the matter
with the porter. The porter is quite
buried under gold lace and brass buttons.
The commissionnaire returns to me. He
thinks he knows what | require, but is
not quite certain. All this trouble for a
bit of blotting-paper! IL Is so with
everything. Every little matter of every
day life, which at home to think Of and
do are almost identical, here costs so much
time, labor and anxiety. NV strength is
all gone when have purchased paper of
pins and bottle of ink. Breakfast and
dinner task me TO the utmost. The slight
est deviation from established custom
seems TO act on the people at the restaurant
Ikea wrong figure In table oflogarithms.
Ii required three days to convince a stunt
ed boy in long-tailed coat that did not
wish beer for dinner. He would bring
beer. | would say, |" | don't want beer
/ want my--sOme dinner" He would
depart and take counsel with the head
waiter, and | would feel as If had been
doing something for which | ought to be
corrected. The latter functionary ap-
proaches and exclaims with domineer-
ing voice, ..vat you vsntsY, Ireply with
meekness, "Dinner, sir, If you please
He brings me an elegantly bound book
containing the bill of fare. But IL Is in
German look at it knowingly San
scrit would be quite as ineligible. put
my finger on a word which ] suppose
means soup. look up meekly at the
functionary. He glowers contemptuous-
ly upon me. He recommends me to an
underling. and bustles off to guests more
important. There are I'm the dining hall
French, German, Italian, English and
japanese. Tongues, plates, knives and
forks clatter inside-wheels roll, rumble
and CHATTER over the stony pavement out
side. wait for my soup. Hours seem
to lag by. appeal in vain to other
walters. Life Is toe busy and important
a matter with them to pay any attention
to me.
The aristocratlc German waiter Is cool
and Indifferent. II Is beneath his dignity
to approach you within half an hour after
yous down. He knows you are hungry.
and enjoys your pangs. He Is sensible OF
every signal, every expression Of the eve
with which you regard him. TO appear
not to know Is the chief business of his
life. He will with the minutest care ar
range napkin while half-dozen hungry
men at different tables are trying TO ar
rest his attention. Before met this man
my temper was mild and amiable: | be-
lieve In doing by my fellows as | would
be done by. Now lam changed. never