Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-10
"Eerlin Under the New Empire.
HOW THE CITY LooEs lHRouGH Mr.. vIZETEILY's

"Eerlin Under the New Empire.
how THE CITY LOOKS lHRouGH MR.. vIZETEILY'S
EYES.
As pictured In this book the city is the 1T
ting headquarters nf Heme,s "Tartn1e among
Nations, The true capital Of the brand new
ire n-ha nded. brazen-headed Empire OF crIft
and force. Its appearance is o5tentatious and
uDfreposSGssfag, pretentiouSrand unattractive,
garish and yet MT brilliant. To the Vlennese
II Is The "SalGbOX OF Germany" 10 its own peo-
PIE II Is The Athens OF the Spree" To the
world at large the sandbox quality OF Berlin is
great deal more apparent than the Athenian;
and it has withal a mingled flavor Of brutality
and science, of pride and vulsarty, Of poverty
and annoyance peculiar to itself, and giving 1t
a place apart among cities. Apparently, it is
built OF solid stones; actually It is a town of
stueee and plaster Apparently; II was d.
it is arranged for military despotisn ana with
an eye to the prompt suppression of revolt
ton.
Apparently, it is universally educated, excep-
tiODally intelligent, abnOrmally prosperous,
preternaturally pious and obedient, content to
be the centre OF grand military system; &C
tually, its roughs are the worst in Europe, its
press and its theatres are paltry and corrupt,
its misery is excessive. it is a headquarters of
political and theological scepticism It numbers
some 10000 male Socialists alone among its
population, apparently it is supplied with all
kinds OF modern Improvements, and governed
and ordered on the pureSt modern principles:
actually, it abounds in open deba' lchery. its
roads are ScandalOuSly bad and comfortle IS. its
stenches are as gross and multi 'ldineSs as those
that Colertdge counted In Colo Ie.
1t is almost needless to add that every second
person In Berlin Is specialized. Youth glaaceS
amorously at beauty through one plir OF
glasses, and beauty returns the eSSaye coyly
through another. The Prussian Cupid is not
blind, but only ShOrt-Sighted. Possibly this Is
the reason why he should be the keen hand he
Is at bargain. OF course Berlin is not withal
healthy city. Mr. Vketelly confidently ex-
poets 1t to be one OF these days the prey of a
tremendous epidemic. There seems to be no
money to spare on such a commonplace matter
as sanitation. Sewers are useless from mill
tary point OF view; and not penny OF the e2l.-
100000 Prussia received as her share of the Five
some.
The Berlinese are extremely thrifty. They
live cheaply, an officers dinner costing him no
more than nfnepence or shilling; and as they
have hard struggle to make both ends meet,
this that they are divided into castles, which
castles are themselves divided into sections,
which sections in their turn are Subdvided into
chques, and 1t will be seen that the difficulties
In the way OF social intercourse are many and
great. The Emperor is the All-HigheSt; aud
after him in genteel dimmuendo, reminding
one OF the Mouses Tale In ''Alce in Wonder
land, his anxious subjects troop. Mr.. Vlzetelly
processes to have seen card inscribed with
the style and dignity of the Royal Sweeperess
OF the Apartments; and declares that "a shop
man or domestic entering the service Of grocer
who during the whole course of his career has
by some chance Or other once supplied the
Royal Palace with pound of coffee, Will be
compelled to address his master on every oc-
caSlon as Herr HOfiierant-PurveyOr to the
Court" And then every male is privileged to
extend the style he bears to his female, and it
Is etiquette to address them both by it in full 1t
Will be noted how admirably the EmperOr'S
well XXI owl. principles of Divine Right and the
Authority of kfngship have come to caricature
themselves. What is most Prussian and lamen-
this stra ming after The shadow of birth and al-
thOrity, is paid to good manners and even COM
mon decency. Your PrusSian, says Mr.. Vie
telly, is the most impolile OF men. He may
seRlimentalize devotedly with lady, and quote
pages of the hyperbolical rhetoric Of German
erotics to her; but he will not stir to open
door for her, or hand her a chair, or assist her
with her cloak. Of the salon as it exists in
Paris, OF the drawing room as it exists in Lon
don, Berlin knows next to nothing. Either its
visits are purely formal, or its meetings are
interest to anybody who is unattached to a par
ticular group or particular section. Some
times Berlin dimes solemnly; but Mr.. Vizetelly
poorly. On the whole, this author is clear
that society in Berlin is not only dull in itself
singularly well qualified to be the cause OF dull
ness in any one who gets into it.
1t is to be noted that Mr.. Vketelly Is shock
ingly ungallant to the ladies of Berlin. He
looked at them In vain, it appears, for a single
In Berlin beauty has awegs S GO and
he declares that in dress she Is garish, or She Is
doWdy, or she Is both. fthe $4,000, 900 gallons
of beer, moreover, that are Berlin's annual
brew Beauty consumes fair share. To the
click-click OF her knitting needles she assimI-
lates alike the music Of Beethoven, and the
batteries of her suitors; the comic songs of
Helmerding and his 1mitators, the vows Of as
pirants to her little fortune and her fair lar &c
hand. Mr.. Vizetelly has noted her In the Thier-
garten, sumptuously apparelled and conversing
with generals, and counts; has viewed her eat
ing peas and gravy with her knife, as all good
Prussians do, and the outcome Of his studies
is that she Is not disposed to number himse'r
Ind In
think that there is not much that IS truely ad
mirable in the Prussian capital, unless, per-
chance, it be its geological collection and its
f1re-brigade. Perhaps he may be little preju-
diced; but whether he is historical or pictur-
esque, didactlc OF reflective, epitomzing the
career OF Bismarck, or the Red Prince, or no.
ting the manners and customs OF the Berlin
rough, he Is always worth listening to; for he
always speaks in such tone as to convince
you that he is speaking honestly, from compe-
tent observation.-(PaU Mall Gazettes Reuie,r.
Woman's Danger and Deceit.
No lady" OF any age, color, occupation,