The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-08-06
l got much of this information from
the students themselves.
| V.

There is one German custom which is
universal-the bowing courteously to
strangers when sitting down ut table or
rising up from it, This bow startlcs Il
stranger out of his self possession the
first time it occurs. and he il likely to
fall over chair or something in his EN-
barrassment; but it pleases him, never
thcless. One soon learns to expect this
bow and be on the lookout and ready to
return It; but to learn to lead of and
make the initial bow ones self il diff
cult matter for diflident man. One
thinks: eff l rise to go and tender my
bow, and these ladies' and gentlemen
take into their heads to ignore the GUS
tom of their nation and not return it,
how shall feel, in case | survive to feel
anything?" Therefore he is afraid to
venture. He sits out tho dinner, md
makes the strangers rise first and origin
ate the bowling. A table d'hotc dinner
IL tedious affair for man who seldom
touches anything after the three first
courses; therefore / used to do some
pretty dreary waiting because of my
fears. 1t took me months to assure my
self that those fears we're groundless,
but did assure myself mt last by exper
imenting diligently through my agent.
l made Harris get up and bow and leave;
invariably his bow was returned; then |
got up and bowed myself and retired.
Thus my education proceeded easily
and comfortably for Ge, but not for Har-
ris. Three courses of n table d'hote din
ner were enough for me, but Harris pre-
ferred thirteen.
Even after had acquired full conf
dence, and no longer needed the agents
help, i sometimes encountered difficult
ties. Once ut Baden Baden nearly lost
n train because could not he sure that
three young ladies' opposite me at table
were Germans, since | had not heard
them speak; they might be American,
they might be English; it was not safe to
venture bow; but just as l had got that
far with my thought one of them began
II German remark to my great relief and
gratitude; and before she Ind got ont her
third word, our bows had been delivered
and graciously returned, and we were off.
The Germans are very conscientious,
and this trait makes them very particu-
lar. Therefore, If you tell n German You
want thing done Immediately, he takes
you at your word; he thinks you mean
what you say; 80 he does that thing I'M
Notwithstanding to his idea of i'm.
mediatcly-which is about week; that
is, it is n week if it refers to the building
of n garment, or it is an hour and half
if ii refers to the cooking of trout.
Very well, if You tell German to send
your trunk to you by "slow freight" he
takes You ut your word; he sends it by
"slow freight" and you cannot imagine
how long you will go on cnlarging your
admiration Of the exprcssiveness of that
phrase in the German tongue before You
get your trunk. The hair on my trunk
was soft and thick and youthful, when |
got it ready for shipment in Hamburg;
it was baldheaded when it reached Held
elberg. However, it was still sound,
that WIS II comfort; it was not battered in
the least; the baggagcmcn seemed to be
conscientiously careful, in Germany, of
the baggage Entrusted to their hands.