New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-17
SOCIETY IN GERN1NT.
ErOm The Qnccn.


Time WAS and not so far from our present genera.
ton either, when the Court 81 ght which filed
any man worthy OF he name with utter disgust
The language toward the person who wore the
crown was almost incredibly ablcct and every
thing in the land graviated toward the orb the
thIone, luminous or otherwise. Even men like
Goethe, Micland lIerder, were courtiers in the
least crcditable sense of the word, and so was
Alexander Won Humboldt, who avenged himself for
his sef-intliced humiliatIoDs in very unidentified
manner IN his private correspondence, which, pub
llshed after his death, fell on the Prussian Cont
princes and all, like boiling water on IN ants nest
something IN the style of Carlyles "Reminiscences
barring the attcr's ingratitudc.
The Irlsslan Court, all stuck up in uniform was
very sad AFFAIR; stun receptions stiff dinners. sti
balls sim ana solemn concerts and all who did not
wear NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. There was no
room Tor women ladies are flowers exclusively
sprung from English soil within that circle of iron
ana pedaltry-not the least occasion to shine or
please. There was III Berlin one family which con-
nected itself with the literary movement of Goethe
thelQ To create what the French call an salon. But
that very family was considered us eccentric as if
ihey had IINed within the ri lcs' of madhouse.
we snail not name 1t, but only mention that the
last conspicuous member of it died some time ago at
Nice, poor carllon vessel which had imprnlcntly
run against tllat terrible iron vessel Bismarck and
come To grief III the contact
BY strange anomaly, German poets have cele-
bratcd women on all kinds of instruments from the
clarion TO the Jews harp. yet women exercise 40
Iniinencc over society. Innumcrlble artists strove
hard To idcaliSc German beauty, and "A kim of
Bavaria went far as to conSccratc "A hall of his
palace TO the portraits of BdNaTian bcautics but
WOmrn's influence remained in Sfafn 0Ao--ucuatiyr
In the assemblies and tea parties and picnics Of
the middle classes as at church. the men remain
i,3itcu on one SIDE while the women gossip the
otnrr; ana III the small towns of Germany women
VIII Hook 10 tea and coffee parties ia" clash and
gossip while their husbands stay at home attend
M to the business and thc servants TO the children
to be backed by wciilied iron SAFE the only per.
sons who could mdulec in representation by dress
JeWols, luIhiuI' receptions, horses, carriages in
tcrnany, rs II S now constituted. are the jews
nNt seen once G'rnan S%'on perhaps the only one
mat ever EXISTED beyond the Rhine. 1t was in
r, ioNolX hiile town IN the Forest of Thur
i,nsia. iherc llVrd IA doWagr, the widow of a
lrllne minister OF the Grand Dukrdom where the
town was situated. An cmigratcd abhc had taught
her frchch to perfection, and initiated her IN all
the drcdnd of French literature and high life. She
was very amablc person. notwithstanding her
sixty summers or winters. She had succeeded in
assembling round her once week a circle of men of
scnsc-ncn who knew how to leave in the hall with
their oNercoatS their professional ideas. prcudccS
and jaIgon. They were sure to meet n b"yy of
amahlc. wcll-mforincd women. Whoever Of note
came To the capital of the Grand Dukcdom did not
ta!! to make the voyage TO L in order to pay "A
WISH 10 I'll" DoWagcr and ii in her sdiDn that |
met the aitcrwad famous MOutacmbcrt. eager to
20 ON pilgrimage 10 the Castle Of the Warturg and
the chautab" institutions of St Elizal eth tor The,
purpose of writing her life. He was then n promis-
ing young man, very aScctc. very Sly and happy TO
una an occasion of conYcrSlug in lronch-his
hiio" ioHGe oil herman being at that time very
1t her rare distinction that allowed the
baroness oi B. to keep "A sdiop. She was. rcla-
lively speaking. poor living ou "A pension ana from
TIE dei7ta of the fortune of husband ruined by hi,
i'eI p"0HI"n WIN low pay. she gave hot guests
weak tea with stale bread and doubtful butter; yet
II was great favor to be admitted To- her house
ana every body went away dcghtco csprcially ai
the prospect of coming back.
The ruin of German households Is the casino. a
KIND of club, Of which one or more exist N every
town, however small. During the day the casino
II "a reading and smoking room; but in the evening
II becomes restaurants where, t11crd conjU3jS iii-
menor, the man OF small income viii sprn0 his
money IN good eating. while his large family is
Obliged to put up with the most homclN fare. The
VII" Is plnching and pairing at home to keep her
family IA poor but decent apparel. while the
truant husband Will consume oysters and drink
of
season DRESS becomes IN that ease next To nothing
more than "a Tlincnt commanded 10y dcccucy. or
destined to combat the rigOr, of the season. and
taste II reduced TO silence. where even the most
ordinary comfort OF life Is forbidden fruit.