Litchfield enquirer., 1881-09-15


 LIFE IN MODERN NGERMANY.-Twenty years ago Germany was perhaps the worst dressed nation in Europe, the long coats mufflers, and long hair of the men, the dowdiness of the women, being proverbiai. All this is of the past. Very great attention is now paid by both sexes and all ranks to personal appear ance, while a general increase of well-being, better food, and better hygienic arrangements is telling upon the good looks as we'll as physique of the rising generation, Here peo. pie are not materiallzed by great wealth, and slthough in our eyes German respect of titles and military rank may seem over-weening, the general contempt of money, merely as money, has something fine about it. The golden calf is not worshipped on German soil. Learning, official, military and professional position are paid supreme court to. Small means and modest living are not held in de. gradation. People who live sparingly, or as we should say, stingiy, are not ashamed of the fact and are not socially inconvenienced by 1t, as among ourselves. In Germany it is the man, the maensch, the aoesen, that is held in honor, not the fine things of this world which lend him fictitious splendor In what other country of the world is the pro- lessor, the teacher, and the savant held Tn such esteem? German teachers have a recognized position in society, and that respect is paid to the instructed which is their due. Again take the uncompromlsiDg sef-denial exercised by German men and women in daily life l French people are as .rigidly economical, but while laying by for their children or for old age always contrive to enjoy the present What French people, even in the number ranks of life, spend on eating and drinking is enormous, Doubtless such good fare and wine have much to do with their amiabilty and high spirits; but the Germans cannot af- | ford to have single extravagance, and only l indulge in intellectual pleasures The nation- | al love of music, literature, aud the drama is | the bright side of life. N tt l+.g
 And there is yet one more lesson we may learn from our German neighbors rs-nanely. | discipline. the incalculation of duty, the al. | mighty ''pficht, before which every German child is taught to bow. ''Pficht: istalght in i schools as regularly as A B c, and it is taught l after the Sernest fashion in life. Not only the | young recruit learns it during this three years 1 enforced military service, but the man of l pleasure. the inoffensive citizen, the head of | family i1 every phase of his existence. Were | an Englibhman subjected to. all the police reg ulations and State interference hemming round l a German he would find life intolerable. 1 This discipline, therefore, however much we I may admire it from one point of view, Sand | however valuable we have seen it to be as an | element of nations success, has dark side, l
 
 man social life generally. There can be no | doabt whatever that the German individuality I is disciplined and taxed to death, and that So- | cialism s0- called is but another name for | wide spread and deep-rooted discontent. The ! Limitations put upon speech and the expres- 4 sion of opinion must be felt as 8 real griev- I ancce, while the result is a caution, we might l almost call it timidity, that particularly | strikes an English mind. Nobody ever seems o& l:a | rewspaper, and, alike in the case of social and political expressions. there is no safety-valve of protest and discussion.
 It IS very difficult to get fair question fair ly answered that has reference to any impor- tant social or political matter. No one talks readily onthe subjects that are most interest ing to a foreigner, and, as rnle he must judge for himself, instead of trusting to infOr- tnation gained from others. have come to the conclusOn that the foreigner zon German soil has muth the best of it, and that, ln spite of the greatartistic and intellectual resources here, there ae checks and vexatlons which would rendel German life unindurable to out siders. Priree Bismarck, like an over-strict l and -vigsant schoolmaster, has overshot 1 the mark andmakes hypOcrites of his scholars l At least so pnst believe, and, notwithstand- ing outward expressions of loyalty, and an optimism conhonly indulged in, there is no countryin Eoppe where great changes are l more ferventli hoped for and relied upon. There is one pint more would mention, and that is the unanimously expressed kindliness and admiratienof the people, considered indi- vidually, towail the French nation. l. have heard thoughtfi, highly educated Germans, | men of the word too, express as deep a regret I for the annexaf,n of Alsace and Lorraine as the most ardent French patriot could do, and the general fefing seems to be a desire for equalization an friendly intercourse. 7PGH Mat Gasette. f..'7 '''n' 'FF'' ''7 t.t0s