The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-25

.oulJ 10 called a cOstrne-were plain, and !
eocmed to indicate no particular historical
npoch or character. A general suggestion Of
ihe peasants holiday attire was dominant in all
,hecosiumes Everybody was closely masked.
All carried short. gnyy-striped baton OF split
Uood. called pritscie." which, when struck
sharply on the bnck or shoulders Of some spec
tator cl sister mnskcr. emitted Gathering. rasp
ING sound. To wander. hand in hand. down
his broad allie. 10 strike almost mechanically
md og n monotonOusly at each other with
their iions. seemed 10 be tho extent OF that
wild dissipation. Tho crowd thickencd:
young men with false noses hideous masks.
cheap lack or red cotton dominos. soldiers
IN uni ,rm. crowded past each other up and
down tho promenade. all carrying prtsche
md cN hanging blows with each other. but al
ways with tho same slow seriousness OF de-
meanor which, with their silence. gave the per-
iormnucc tho effect Of II religious rite. Occa-
slonally some one shouted perhaps dozen
young fellows broke out in song. but the shout
was provocative OF nothing the song tailored rs
II the singers were frightened at their own
voices. One blithe fellow, with u bears head on
his fur-capped shoulders, began TO dance. but
on the crowd stopping TO observe him seri-
ously he apparently thought better Of 1t. and
blippci away. Nevertheless tho solemn beating
OF prHseic over each others backs went on. l
rememb that was followed the whole length
Of the dlte 10y u little girl scarcely IL years old
IN a br KIT striped skirt and black mask who
from time to time. struck me over tho shout
ders with a regularity and sad persistcncy that
was peculiarly Irresistible to me. the more So
rs could not help thinking that It was not half
rs amusing 10 herself Once only did the
ordinary brusque gallantry OF the Carnival
spirit show itself man with an enormous
pair of horns. like n half-civilized satyr sud
denly eeized young girl and endeavored to
kiss her, A slight struggle ensued. in which
Iancicd detected in the girls face and manner
The COZ usi0n and embarrassment of one who
was obliged 10 overlook. or seem to accept
fan iarity that was distasteful. rather
han Dee laughed at for prudishness or igno-
rance. But the incident was exceptional. In
deed IL was particularly notable to my American
eyes a. End such decOrum where there might
nasiiy have been the greatest license. | am
afraid that an American mob OF this class would
have arcely been rs orderly and civil under
The cir umstances. They might have shown
moro humor but there would have probably
been more offrontery; they might have been
more eNuberant. they would certainly have been
drunken. did not notice single masauerader
unduly excited by liduor-there was not word
or motion from the lighter sex that could have
been construed into an improperly. There
iemptto wresi gayety and excitement out ofthese
dull matcrals-to fight against the blackness Of
that wlutry sky, and stubborn hardness OF the
frozen soil. with these painted sticks OF wood.
10 mock the drearlness OF their poverty with
these Haunting raiments. II did not seem like
them, or rather consistent with my idea OF
them. There was incongruty deeper than
their bizarre externals a half-melancholy half
crazy ahsurdity in their action. the substitu-
hon OF grim. spasmodic frenzy for levity.
that rightly or wrongly impressed me. When
the increasing gloom Of the evening made their
figures undistinguishable. turned into the
FIRST cross street. As lifted my hat to my per-
sistent young friend with the priiSche. l fancied
she looked as relieved as myself. H. however.
was mistaken; II that childs pathway through
life be strewn with rosy recoections Of the I'M
resisting back OF the stranger Amercan-if any
burden. oh Gretchen. laid upon thy young
Shoulders DO lighter for the triHing one thou
didst lay upon mine. know then that l too am
content.
And SO. day by day has my spion reflected
the various changing forms Of life before 1t. II
has seen the first flush of spring in the broad
alice when the shadows Of tiny leaflets over
head We're beginning to chequer the cool.
Square hagstones; II has seen the glare and
fulness II summer sunshine and shadow. the
flying Of November gold through the air. the
Eauut limbs and stark. rigid. death like white
ness OF winter Children In their queer wicker
baby carriages. old men aud women. and occa-
sionally that grim usher Of death. in sable cloak
md cooked hat. a baleful figure for the wander
ing invalid tourist 10 meet. who acts as under
laker for this ducal city and marshals the last
melancholy procession. / well remember my
flrst meeting with this ominous functionary. Ii
was an early autumnal morning; so early that
the long formal perspective OF the auSe. and the
decorous. smooth, vanishing lines Of cream and
gray fronted houses were unrelieved by a single
human figure. suddenly tall. black spectre
as theatrical and rs unreal as the painted scenic
distance. turned the corner from n cross street
md moved slowly toward me. A long black
cloak. falling from its shoulders 10 its feet
1oated out on either side like sable wings a
cooked hat trimmed with Grape and surmounted
by hearse-like feather covered passionless
face AMI its eyes looking neither left nor
right, Were fixed fatefully upon some distant
goal. Stranger az / was to this Continental
ceremonial figure. there was no mistaking his
functions as the grim messenger knocking
with equal foot" on every door; and indeed
80 perfectly did he act and look his role that
there was nothing ludicrous in the extraord-
inary spectacle. Facial expression and dignity
OF bearing were perfect: the whole man seemed
saturated with the accepted sentiment Of his
once recalling the hali-coniuSed ana nall
conscious ostentatious hypocrisy Of the Ameri-
can sexton the shameless absurlites OF the
English mutes and mourners could not help
feeling hat il II were demanded that Grief and
Fate should be personihed. 1t were better that it
Should Dee well done. And It Is one obseryat on
Of my spion that this sincerity and belief Is the
Characteristic Of all Continental functionaries.
It is possible that my spion has shown me
little that is really characteristic Of the people
and the few observations l have made offer
only as Gn Illustration OF the Impressions made
upon two-thirds of American strangers in the
larger towns Of Germany. Assimilation goes
On more rapidly than We are led to imagine. As
have seen my friend Karl. fresh and awkward
In his first uniform. lounging later down the
allie with tho biaS5 lis,lossness Of ful-blown
mUtaWe. so | have seen American and English
residents gradually lose their peculiarlties and
melt and merge into the general mass Return
Ing TO my sDiOH after flying trip through Bel
GUM and France. As look down the long per-
spectiye Of the srasse. am conscious u recall
Ing the same style Of architecture and humanity
at Aachen, Brussels Lille. and Paris; and am