Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-07-15
FOR THE STAR.
SKETCHES FROM GERMAN LIFE,
Xu-Ep the Rhine.

AAl-tp fhe Rhine.
Every American traveller abroad takes in
me Rhine trip III possible. Germany itself
may possess little or no interest for him,
but the Rhine is such a world-renowped fea-
ture OF continental Europs that he regards
III more in that light than as especially be-
longing 10 Germany. doubt II there is ever
one OF our countrymen who takes this trim
Wltr0ut comparing the river TO our A.neri-
can Rhlne-tne Hudson " no does not see In
every point OF detail something In favor OF
one or The other river, and then draw final
opiplon from The whole. Now 10 me &c does
not seem just to either river TO arrive at a
sweeping conclusion in this case for the
roints OF difference are as strong as those OF
similarity, and the Rhine and the Ru ison
nave each It's own charm. How often do we
hear people say: take away The ruined
castles, the legends and historical assocla.
lions OF the Rhine, and it would not COM
pare at ali favoraoly with the Hudson"
Yes, but quite as consistent would it be TO
say .stake away all the beauty OF the Hudson
ano IL would be quite an ordinary river after
all" In these stored legends and historical
ASSOCIATIONS lie the chief charm OF the Rhine
and II practical Americans pooh pooh ali
Teneration for ruins and antiQultyand prefer
the noble Hudson, the sentimental Germans
can see nothing more charming than their
river. They love to dwell upon ali that has
transpireo on its banks, on the days when
The Romans conquered and were defeated
there, on the deeds OF the chivaIrous middle
ages, which have clothed the shores with so
many stored legends, and on the wars and
enacted In Its neighborhood.
THE RHINE BY DAYLIGHT.
One bright June morning We started on
this trip from Bieberich, nearly opposite
Mayence. A line of day steamers ply be-
tween this place and Cologne, as do our
Norm river boats between New York and
AIoany. l am sure our American tourists
would get much better impression of the
Kline II these steamers were more Ii ke those
OF the hudson, but they are low and clumsy
without an idea of the lavish elegance put In
the noat1Dg palaces OF America.
Bieber1ch lis q small place, so there was
none of that bustling confusion that gener-
ally seems Indispensable to steamboat land
1ngs. The Few passengers sauntered aboard
little bell tingled, the paddle wheel began
TO move slowly, and we pushed of up me
blue waters OF the far famed river.
RHINE STEAMER.
The quarterback of Rhine steamer pre-.
sents very lively appearance If there are
many Germans and Hollanders aboard, for
the feasting that goes on is something mar
vicious. Small tables are placed around,
alter the manner OF restaurant, and each
one anan rs under charge or waiter. A German
helner is invariably long legged and short
lacketed, and carries mammoth napkin
wh1sKed up In mussy fashion under the
LEFT arm. The Rhine walters add to the com
mon accomplishment OF carrying a great
u1mber OF foaming beer mugs with safety
wonderful deXterity in guiding popping
corks, SO that they fly right between the
water. If the kenneTS were not quite SO ex-
pert ii might be exceedingly dfsagreeable.
for the bottIe-opening business goes on very
an1matedly sometimes.
goodly proportion of the passengers on
these steamers Is always English people
mostly young men OF on summer vaca-
tlon. Ihey always sit as far as possible from
the eating and drinking, look volumes of
disgust at 1t and occasionally break out In
terms That seem to proclaim them laboring
under the delusion that no one out Them
selves understands the English language
The youths from the universities and Ia ose
travelling with tutors always loudly dispar-
age the kline from beginning to end. But
then they are just at AL age wnen to them IL
seems 10 evince sort of superior in igment
TO condemn everything foreign and 10 recog-
nlze no good outside of England, so tney ara
TO be excused, for their cOuntrymen gener-
ally are very enthusiastic over the Rhine
Every body ON board sits with two yard
string OF river panorama hanging across the
lap ard book OF Rhenish legends in hand
10 Doth OF which reference is made as objects
OF interest appear in sight. They are even
carried down 10 table dhote and read in
snatches, between the courses, for the cabin
Is lined by succession OF large windows
giving almost as fine q view as up on deck
at blnsen the beauty of the river begins, the
abrupt, and the surrounding vineyards
run up to greater height among precipitous
crags. On the right bank the Nassau rail-
ROAD runs close to the waters edge. Some
OF the projecting mountain profiles have
been tunneled through, and you see q train
rush in one side and out the other precisely
is one point on the HUDSON just as you are
nearing West Point that most closely resem-
bles bit OF Rhine scenery. 1t is wnere the
stream makes narrow abrupt bend, for the
rest OF the way the American river is SO
much broader, straighter and mightier than
Its rival that there is nothing more than q
general similarity between them.
The Rhire,
Whose breast Of waters boldly swells,
Between the banks viii CHI bear the yine,p
q 49,.
might easily speak across from vineyard to
vineyard, and In rounding the bends IL seems
as though you must certainly run ashore
close 10 them, nothing but straight stifrows
OF vine bound up on sticks, but rom a short
distance they lose the monotonous regularity
and serve to clothe the mountain sides with
beautiful verdure. Besides, they are perfect
monuments OF industry, and cannot rail to
be pleasing to any one who likes, Ia passing
through country, to see evidence OF the
thriftlness of its people. Not only is every
available inch OF the slope used, but far up
among the Hottest range are little patches OF
green, that look as though you might cover
them with your pocket handkerchief All
through the Rhine country the air is wonder
fully clear and pure; the rapid current proves
such an enemy 10 mists aud vapors that the
atmosphere seems to have loaned YOU new
eyesight. Every detail on the shore appears
with such clearness that Ii recalls the quaint
little Rhenish views you have seen, in which
the deep blue water, the vineyards, and the
gay dresses OF the peasants on the shore do
not now appear to have been portrayed with
such unnatural distinctness after all. AS
the LtTtei rocks, so quoted In German poetry
ard song, frowned upon us, a gun was shos
of from the steamer, and was echoed and re-
echoed so terrificalIy that IL sounded, indeed,
as though the fair maidenwith golden locks''
was retaliating. At Rolandseck, where a
rugged gray ruin marks the spot from which
that constant young lover watched the
movements OF his loved one In the convent
garden below, Is one OF the most picturesque
points on the river. The little island OF
Nonnenwerth, on which the convent is sit
uated, divides the stream just In the center.
1t Is delightfully."- shady spot, the thick
trees nearly conceal entirely the nunnery
which now serves as young ladies' semin-
ary under the charge OF Franciscan nuns
There is hardly any one who in sailing up
the Rhine, and rejecting upon the legends
connected with the ruined castles and fort
resses, who does not consider how far civili-
cation has placed rs above the days when
Iobber barons struck terror into the land.
But just q shade Of doubt must and does
come over such o reflection, when with il
arises the thought of the prevalent dishon-
esty of our age, OF the common fashion to
N isrepresept facts, and ruthlessly take
away peoples character with al the spirit
of pillage and plumber that actuated these
robber barons with q Thousand times more