The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-07-16
SCENES ON A RHINE STEAMER.
A Group of AIistscratic Germans ON
Pleasure Bound.


A Group Of A,istecrntic Germans on
Pleasure Bound.
Up the Rhine from Cologne to CO.
blenI2, with party of noble German
fellow passengers, all bound for Ems.
The saloon.steamer gIides up the foam
ing stream under II warm June sun,
ripening tho cornfelds on the river
banks and making the grapes, as yet
small as peas, swell and color in the
vineyards, A pink and white awning
has been seen set up on deck, band is
playing one of Strauss waltAes, and
kellner rushes up the cabin stairs with
glass schoppes of cool beer, into which
those ladies gathered near the wheel
will dip their pink lips as bravely as
the gentlemen who escort them. One
would rather see them suck sherry cob
blers through n straw, or try that lus-
clous French drink of strawberries, SUI
gar an champagne or ut least trIhe
with vanilla ices, but these things are
unknown on board and, after all, if the
ladies choose to driLk the beer, which
renders feminine features plump rs pref
ty pudding apples, they have the right,
for do they not all belong to kurtahig
society? The gentlemen are counts
and barons to Il man, and dressed in
gray with felt hats of wOndrous shape.
They stalk about with the easy supple
ness of ramrods, like men little used to
civilian gear and the ladies are Fran
Grain Won Rosenbaum, Frau Grain
Won Reiseled, and Fraulein Won La
chenspiel, who lead fashion and every
thing else worth leading in Berlin.
They are arrayed in silk NAIVE, blue
and cherry, these iadies-things most
app opriate for travel--and, Judging by
the attention which the young Capt.
Won Reiseliej, the countess's s brother-in-
law, pays to Fraulein Irma Won Lachen-
spiel, the countesa's sister, it is evident
that he is smitten in that quarter The
elder Herr Won Reselicd, the countess's 3
brother, is one of your old stock Ger
mans, who smiles only at marked inter
walls but his brother, the captain, is a
true ladies' man, who can click his heels
together for bow as no other Prussian
can who walt2es half an hour by the
clock, leads cotillions, trolls out lis
part in duet and has fund of anec
dote, banter and conundrums most
choice. Hark to him describing how,
during the war, he was billotcd in Il
French chateau where there was a ven
erable footman in spectncles who had
served the family forty years, and who
one night mysteriously brought him his
mistress poodle and cOnfided the ami,
nal to his honor. He was persuaded,
good man, that nothing but this could
save Toto" flom beng roquisitioned
and eaten, and, as he explained with all
a Frcnchman's grave chivalry, "thc
! death Of his dog monsieur, would
bring disgrace on my white hairs. VI
German ears are well attuned by this
| time 10 anecdotes of this sort, hnt they
never fail to make fair listeners langl
glcefnlly-and not, mind, with that
noiselcss lip-laughter of polite Fronch,
women, but with gay tinkleg audible
afar, and buoyant rs healthy weather
! For all which, conversation does no
hinge only on camp stories, for Eng
lish novels much read in Germany
native metaphysics, the catholic ques
ton, and the health of Bismarck are al
prattled over in turns by these well-in
formed and not frivolous ladies. Or
and on shoots the steamer, pIowing ur
long burrows of white, and ganclnG by
repeated cump7 of wooden villages,
gabled town, and new riverside hotels.
The band exhausts Strauss, and takcs
to Offenbach, Godfrey, and Metra s
dinner bell rings, and draws down halt
the passengers to II prolonged sitting
over hot meats, new potatoes fried, and
lank bottles of Rhine wine then the
afternoon melts into evening, and Just
as the setting sun is casting broad sheets
of purple ligh over the noble river the
boat darts by the Giant Hotel Mt Co
blenta, and reaches the landing stage
groups of Prussian soldiers, blue anC
white, hang about with brown kirtled
factory girls and tlaxen-headed school
boys to see the passengers disembark
and above the two forts, Constantine
and Alexander, which the French "shal
never have" gaze proudly and secnrel
down at the tract of matchless LAND
scape where the Rhine and the Mosell
blend their waters. -PaH MAI G0ZCti'