The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-12-11
Village Life in North Germany.

The younger women, the children OF
an age to labor, and the few young men
not in the army were generally absent
in the fields. Only very aged persons
and small children were consequently
left for my studies. Although the hor-
rible kdudertOelsch which they spoke
and my own perhaps too carefully spoken
German somewhat obscured our con-
versation, the language of pfennige (the
smallest coin in use) was fully UNDER
stood, and under its spell the little tow
heads became familiar, and the old peo-
pie friendly and communicative. The
babies and their feathered and bristled
comrades of dung-heap and puddle APP
peared to have 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 legs visible. The little boys
climbed the poplar-trees which bordered
the chaussee and stripped off the leaves,
which are stored up for sheep fodder in
winter. They find use for everything.
One Sunday afternoon-it was soon
after my ARRIVAL went to the village
and found on the green CarrousseI in
operation. l had seen a similar con-
trivance at German festivals in America.
1t corresponds. think, to the Z" merry
go-round' of the English. This one was
a cumbrOus affair, consisting of four
clumsy wooden efligies of the horse at
tached to a circular ring, which was
made to turn by crank in the hands of
a grimy Snowman. For a pfennig one
was permitted to mount one of these
foamihg chargers and revolve for five
minutes to strains evolved by disrepu-
table-looking peasant woman from the
inner consciousness of fiendish organ.
The people seemed to enjoy this excit-
ing recreation, in a stolid sort of way.
They were out en- Dlasse, and in their
poor Sunday best. The attire of the
men could hardly be calleda costume,
but that of the women was rather
picturesque, especially on the few young
and comedy girls l 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 stifliy-
starched corners standing out like WINGS
behind the ears. Over this the black
kerchief is tightly wound and tied in
large bow, like the Alsatian, on the top
of the head. Another mentionable feat
ure is 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 counted. is the de-
sire which lies nearest every well-regu-
lated peasant girls heart.
In the section where spent |
those months of which write, intcm-
perance ragged fearfully. They manu-
facture and consume great quantities of |
q fiery liquor distilled from potatoes.
This, with coarse bread and Quaak, a
kind OF sour-milk cheese, forms their
'ustenance. Men, women and children
-eek with the fumes of this direful
liquor. Meat they seldom taste, and
'hough they have many ducks. geese,
'tc., these are kept only for their feath-
RS and eggs. l once asked B why
20 one endeavored to instruct and ele-
1ate them, or to introduce better way
" living. 90, my DEAR" was the an
wer. they have always lived so. New
IDEAS would disturb them and render
hem unhappy. They are contented SO.
let them remain tn the condition suhere
Tod has placed them "--Atiantic Monttly.