Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-04-01
For THE STAR
SkEIiBiS FROM GERMAN LIFE
ylII.-kocfaS Lire.

mire. not only the pretty grscefulneSs OF
German etiquette. but the never-forgotten
courtesy which comes so truly from their
hearts. They have a more whole-souled
manner OF welcoming every body who enters
their homes than Is 10 De found in any other
people. Tney speak and act as though YOU
pad honored them by your call, and on the
departure OF each guest comes The prettitv-
worded 81 thank you for your visit" Thai
Is not matter of form, either, with q people
who enjoy life as IL goes and believe so thor
oughly In hospitality. How hearty, well
bred aid enjoy able are their table manners
al 49,, wen VIZ 10 1efmsn friends come together
The wishing OF glfen dPpeta az the com
Increment OF the meal, and the hearty
0eSeg7'ete ndilSeS O. May your meal be blessed
10 your at the clc-e, show IN what a sensi
bic light the Germans regard what we,
alas. too often look upon as the blts1-
ness OF eating. The length OF time that they
SIT al iable-at dinner parties from four TO d We
tours-aDd the frequency OF their meals lead
many people 10 consider them ino.dinate
eaters. In fact all our lives we have heard
this OF The Germans. For my part saw
nothit OF the kind In & EN- as a people.
They cat heartily and well, but ~ isr as gOr-
msDdiZlng goes l maintain that IL il iudnite
~ more pggish-tO use that iueiegantIs eK
preksive term-to bolt down food in a Jhauk
less way than TO eat a little more SLOWLY
properly and entoysoly as they do. Whel
Hlends meet together 10 partake OF a II tile
repast, though az ne Only glass OF bee-
bread aud cheese, they spend al hour or two
Al IL, laughing AMI talking necessarily, occa-
siOnaliy eating and drInkiug n little Ca.
the unbe arabic tedious.leSs OF such occasions
TO a stranger! / recall now with a smile our
positive horror OF them when our ideas on
this, as every other subject, were Yet truly
ara Loyalty American, and when we wouli.
Lot understand syllable Of what caused al
the immoderate laughing and gay spirit
Many signal of distress would. GU such
occasions, pass between poor L and me. ard
II there WAS chance for whispered cOnyer.a-
ton IL always took the form OF one greai
wail,"Why dOglt they eat,get through with a.
and then leave this everlasting table" For.
NAL coffee parties given at home 10 which
the guests are especially invited last uut.l
youhaNe almost forgotten how 10 walk when
You a,lse from your chair 10 depart Tn@y
are sometimes thought very enjoyable. co, y.
little affairs, IL not too tedious. Toe trout.
Is that IL Is a style of Ue.tainment mos IL
patronized by inyeterSte old gOSsipers whoss
tongues run pretty even race with Their
galloping knitting needles. To sit three ,lr
four hours and listen To their scandal is Dot
ePctly agreeable II might be entertaining
enough If they only introduced little va
rlety into their Oft told tales, but IL is always
the same old story. They draw material
from the two gossip provoking classes, tn.
nobility and the military, especially the
latter. They will tell woeful tales OF He,'
Lieutenant ION So dHd-SO. and as IL is very
hard TO md Her Lieutenant, or ia fact "a
officer of any rank, who is not he I'D and heels
IL debt and living very fast OF course th-re
is abundant G; use for scandal. Sometimes
yersation viii turn upon America and Ameri
cans. Then Oh, there the entertainment
begins. The estimate which the narrow
minded Old coffee drinkers place upon GU
national character is not very fatteriug sc
Is surprising that people in this enlignteno1
age should entertain such prepoSterOusiy
erroneous ideas regarding another nation A.
they do. Like all ill-informed individuals
they will bring out a sweeping assertion 81
condemnation with twice the confidence tt+t
person better acq uairted with the SUB. ct
sFHnN a QrE 70 fH.ar
bemOaning our shortcomings the co clu .Ilg
is arrived at that they ought To oe eternaiIy
thankful not 10 have been born Americans,
10 which always echoed fervent Amen.
Setting these Old gossipers aside the genera
class of Germans are better Informed COZ
cerniBg our national government and Cns
acter as a people than We are regarding deg
many.
GERMAN COURTESY TOWARDS sTRASgE,ss
Though charmed with the true, hea -ty
TeutoBic politeness in social life, this is .cl
fairly the place to look for IL; everybody b
courteous in their own homes ans TOW Al
1riends-or at least is expected 10 be. rhe
tIuest evidence OF German good b eediug :
To be found in their universal courtesy 10
ward strangers. Toward people 20 whom q
is not gong TO especially pay" To be pblils
IL Is true that their style OF living Is higuly
favorable tOpolished manners, that " wherever
they go or travel being claseed of, and o. e;
lug only tier peers, il is comparatively u.tsy
To extend this courtesy, ana a - lat taxi L
life SO easily they have plenty OF TIM. i,T
all little buwingS, bOboings, and long wurlel
familiarites. What rs lmost a secpnd IA
tnre with them Is very bard TO prdctics Ia
the busineSs-like rush or American !lf,.
where we know no distinctions of rank, sni
are as a travelling public most prom Sc I1us-
~ Jumbled together; Bot, taking "a h"
into consideration, there il with the G-rrlat,
genuine kindhearJedness toward strsE gers.
for which one must give them great ere "a
Meeting them as strangers, hOgever. uurs
are not easy To get acquainted with, D.. ypad
these polite familiarit1es. Tney are. a. tfss
cling companions for ms tance different from,
the American, who will either ignurs yog
entirely, or else enter into lengthy CO v-->.i-
| tiop. Our first day Of German trave s.e re-
marked this distinction. A lady and g-istls-
man sitting in the same coupe with US 1ari-
| ly seemed TO notice that we were there Vet
when they left bowed and wished u good
| day. An officer then came In. and mon "a
| he seemc1 10 ind time very tedious, SisCei
bis mustache and drummed most disfnaily
on the window pane, he never turned - iDng
where we sat, but when ne went ouL faced
| us and gave a most nattering military sd-
| lutte.
BOWLING ACQUAINTANCE.
The same day we were caught out - the
rain and ran to the portico OF an old G Crcu
| for shelter. Two ladies followed our s6a1l-
| pie, and before they left bowed In giaLefIl
Acknowledgement of that fellow lee lng Of
| sympathy we always have towards J,.DI,le
| like ourselves caught in a shower. T. enter
room such as a doctors, lawyers, a. a, D -
| lists Office, where other pc Dple are Vsttiag
| anu not 10 lDcllne the neau Is IN Tue gHeS Nf
| Europeans a great breach OF etiquette. Ia
deed, the custom OF bowling is liu.it,ess.
| Bow, under all circumstances, aud you Will
| be sure TO do the right thing. We Lao not
| been many weeks in Wiesbaden b5,pry our
| bowling acQ daintance IVES most eXIs-Gs We
| Every shopkeeper OF whom we b1UgnJ !.
| paper of pins remembered us, and ever after
| bowed on the street. One day i'm d%yenne
we were watching Catholic pr1cs-sssi.n
| when one of the four individuals who held
| the canopy over the Archbishop, suddenly
| bowed TO US. Great was our aston ,Insnt
10 learn that he was guide who ha: sIosgn
| us the cathedral six months previously. L.
| is customary TO leave no person, EOt even
| the greatest stranger with whom you Inay
| have exchanged a word, without wishing
| them goodbye. On leaving a store you say
| To the salesman "dfieu," and he ,,oVging,
| deeply makes reply, "Fraulein, ! r,,so n
| mend myself" All messages sent ~ ser
wants are most tremendously woriti. III
| one business man wishes TO See ano ncr, Ia
| stead of saving , the porter, Tell Sr.WGge
want TO see him at twelve o'clOca,' n is
| my compliments to Mr.. Browne; fac lire IL
| he is well, and tell him shall be pe-ssd 10
meet him at noon TO day"
| SOCIAL DISTINCTIONS
| are most clearly defined In Germany. Not
but that the liberal views of this ui.efaer IN