Sharp County record., 1880-12-30
Village Life in North Germany.

The Younger women, the children OF
an age to labor, and the few young men
not in the army we're generally absent
in the fields. Only very aged persons
and small children were consequently
left for nv studies. Although the hor-
rible kauderUelsch which they spoke
and my own perhaps too carefully spoken
German somewhat Obscured our con-
yersation, the language of Ptennige (tfe
smallest coin in use) was fully under
stood, and under its spell the little toY-
heads became familiar, and the old peO-
pie friendly and communicative. The
babies and their feathered and bristled
comrades of dung-heap and puddle ap-
peared to have a language OF their own,
and to be on the best Of terms. The
old women tottered back and forth with
fagots or huge bundles of grass, which,
viewed from behind, left only their bare
brown lees visible. The little boys
climbed the poplar-tree8 which bordered
the chaussee and stripped of the leaves,
which are stored up for sheep fodder in
winter. They find a use for everything.
One Sunday afternOOn-it was soon
after nv ARRIVAL went to the village
and found on the green a CarTOuS5eL IN
operation. | had seen similar con-
trivance at German festivals in America.
1t corresponds, [ think, to the " merry
go-round' of the English. This one Wss
a cumbrous affair, consisting Of four
clumsy wooden efigies of the horse at
tached to a circular ring, which was
made to turn by crank in the hands Of
a grimv Snowman. For plennig one
was permitted to mount one Of these
foaming chargers and revolve for five
minutes to strains evolved by disrepu-
table-looking peasant woman from the
inner consciousness Of a tiendish organ.
The people seemed to enjoy this excit-
inc recreation, in a stOlid sort of way.
They were out en- nlGSSe, and in their
poor Sunday best. The attire Of the
men could hardly be calIeda costume, "
but that of the women was rather
picturesque, especially on the few young
and cOmely girls | saw. The main feat
ures of this costume were the curiouSly
arranged head -kerchiefS, one Of white
lawn, the other of black silk. The
former is first bound about the head,
covering the hair entirely. the stifily-
starched corners standing out like winay
behind the ears. Over this the black
kerchief is tightly wound and tied in 4
large bow, like the AlSatian, on the top
of the head. Another mentiOnable feat
ure is a superabundance Of very full
gathered wooden skirts. To attain the
number of fourteen, all worn at once,
the longest beneath, that the edges Of
all may be seen and c02nted, is the de-
sire which lies nearest every weu-regu-
lated peasant girls heart.
In the section where l spent
those months of which write, intem-
perance ragged fearfully. They manu-
facture and consume great quantities Of
fiery liquor distilled from potatoes.
This, with coarse bread and Quaab, a
kind of sOur-milk cheese, forms their
sustenance. Men, women and children
reek with the fumes of this direful
liquor. Meat they seldom taste, and
though they have many ducks, geese,
ETC., these are kept only for their feath
ers and eggs. l once asked B why
70 one endeavored to instruct and ele-
vate them, or to introduce a better way
of living. 80, my DEAR" was the an
swer, ''they have ARRAYS lived so. New
ideas would disturb them and render
them unhappy. They are contented so.
Let them remain in the condition lChere
God has placed them" "--AtLantic Monthly.