The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-06-29


thirty-six feet long, and twenty four feet
high, and will contain eight hundred
hogsheads of wine. 1t is bound by eigh-
teen wooden hoops, which are each fifteen
| inches in thickness and eight inches deep
l was sorry to find no wine in it. 1t had
been filled three times, | was told, in ages
long since passed. The manner in which
1t was filled was as follows: The lord of
the manor, when he wanted more wine,
called upon his vassals-and they were re-
quired to give the one-tenth of all the
wine they raised-to bring it to the castle
and pour it into this large cask. Over this
cask is erected a board platform, wherein
dances were frequently enjoyed. Down on
the floor is the image or statue of Clemens
| l'erko, who was the court fool or clown,
and who made the guests laugh while at
meat. This fool showed that he was fool,
by drinking over fifteen bottles of strong
wine daily. In this same room they have
another amusing affair, which is nothing
more or less than fox's tail, which comes
flirting out of box when a person wits.
pers into the mouthpiece, and strikes you
gently in the face 1t comes SO suddenly
and unexpectedly that it takes a person by
surprise. | remember a lady of uncertain
years, and who, | think, was unmarried,
and who was very inquisitive and wanted
TO know everything, and who was at the
same time fearful that she might miss
something, asked the guide What is in
this box?' lie said Whisper in that
little tube and you will find out" She did
so. Out came the fox's tail, brushed her
in the face; back went her bonnet; up
went her hands, and she left that place
boiling over with Indignation The Ger
man and French visitors merely smiled,
but an uncouth American not myself
laughed uproariously, until the maiden
lady darted at him one look of whitening
scorn, and he "squelched.''
Another curiosity to be seen at this town
of Heidelberg is the University building.
1t is, if ! remember correctly, built near
the center of the town 1t is a very large
plastered building, white in color, and
about five stories in height. 1t surrounds
hollow square, and occupies one square
about the size of those in Philadelphia,
near Ninth and Chestnut streets. The
windows have no curtains. The students
must sit out of the light of the sun unless
they prefer sitting in it. The students are
all graduates of some other college, rich,
and come there to finish their education,
and especially to drink beer, join some
club, and get their faces all cut up in
sword duel. While was at Heidelberg,
was one evening sitting in restaurant,
and at a table near me were some of these
Heidelberg students, making merry, tell
ing stories, and having a good time gener-
ally. Some of the party were either Amer
leans or Eng lishmen, as they spoke the
English language; the rest, | presume,
were Germans. At any rate, one of them
was telling a story in the English language,
about some poor student who had pur-
81 Sal han raI ha
tirely too short for him. His room mate
said to him: Why, John, your coat is en-
tirely too short for you WE'LL" said
John, 1T will be long enough before l can
get another one The fellow student
thought that it was such good play upon
words that he concluded to repeat it, So,
meeting with some of his college chums,
be said: " John got off a good thing the
other day. | remarked to him that his coat
was too short for him, and he remarked, in
reply, Well, it will be a long time before
can get another cne.' +" The Americans
laughed at the happy play upon the words
time and enough, but the Germans could
not see any fun in the story. Their lam
guage does not admit of any such plays
upon words. | saw many of the students
with their faces disfigured with sword cuts,
and one young blood with the end of his
| will tell it as rapidly as possible, to show
how far and to what length this disfigur-
ing by sword cuts entends. Two young
students went to the usual place for fight
ing these duels and engaged in a quarrel
with swords. The sword of one of the
contestants shipped off the end of the nose
of his antagonist. The one thus dishgured
dropped his sword, and stopped down to
pick up the lost piece in order to replace it;
but, unfortunately, his faithful hound had
snapped up the piece of flesh and had
"gobbled it up" So the young student
is compelled to travel through this world
without the end of his nose to the end of
his natural life. The place where these
duels are fought is in a building which had
been used for hotel. The students now
hire it for the purpose of having these
brutal fights therein. They never kill each
other, but they give each other frightful
scars which they prize more than diplo-
ma from that great institution of learning.
While writing this letter, ! am reminded
by the sad death of William Cullen Bry-
ant, of another man, native of Genoa, and
whose life the people of New York recent
" COMMUNICATED in the immense gather
ing in Central Park, and where that good
and noble old man received his death fall,
shortly after the exercises of the day had
been concluded. Only 4 few weeks ago, in
Central Park, New York, the people had
assembled to commemorate the erection of a
bronze statute to the memory of the ltal-
ian patriot-Giuseppe MaZzini. The day
was bright, clear and beautiful, but the
suns rays were intensely warm. William
Cullen Bryant, after he had performed the
duties allotted to him. repaired to the home
of friend to seek rest and refreshment
AS he was entering the house he fell heav-
lily upon the stone steps, overcome by the
heat. Although the best medical aid was
summoned, their efforts proved powerless,
and this great and good old man passed
from earth to heaven, after doing all the
good he could in this world.
Mazzini was born in Genoa, June 2Sth,
1905. He died in Pisa, March 10th, 1872.
III his lifetime he was considered revo-
lutionists, a rebel, and even a traitor. But
the people of Italy think differently of him
now, and his grave at Genoa is constantly
covered with flowers. | have a very i'm
recollection of his tomb, but | will give
description of it. If remember correctly,
his burial place is located short distance
from the city, and the portal is of granite,
and built in the Greecian style of architec-
ture. Over the entrance is simply the
name of Mazzini." ] remember that his
tomb Is very rough in appearance, L pre-
sumo emblematical of his rough life. He
was always engaged in revolutions, and the
people could not understand him, and he
was hunted and chased throughout the
whole of Italy, until he left the country
and took refuge in the Republic of Swift
zerland. Afterwards he was recalled, and
shortly died. The people of Genoa now
do him reverence, but his tomb, rough
as it is. is not half as homely as the tomb
of Washington at Mount Vernon. In my
humble opinion, the old brick and mortar
ice house at Mount Vernon, which contains
the remains of George Washington, is
perfect disgrace to the citizens of this
country.
| have just thought of the name of
Paganini's pupil, who was permitted to
play upon his violin. His name was Err
nesto Camille Sivori. He was a famous
performer and was called The Wizard"
a more delicate and polite sOubriquet than
was affixed to the name of his master.
My next letter will describe the city of
Berne and its bears, and also the city of
Interlaken and the ,jungfrau. r. II.