The National tribune., 1882-09-09
GERMAN LOVERS.
Their Antics at Theatre - Drinking Ont Of the
Same Mug.

Same Mug.
| A Berlin correspondent of the San Fran
cisco Chronicle in describing Teutonic pecu-
liarities, writes: One sees now and then, at
theatre, a pair of lovers, and, as German
lovers, especially among the middle classes,
are privileged characters, and do as their
own sweet wills dictate, it is well worth the
price of admission to see them enjoy them
selves. The first time we ran across such
couple Chicago and [ were shocked. Our
puritanical bringings-up could not reconcile
! themselves to the open love-making. We
! had been used to see love-making INDUCED
in in conservatories and dark Railways, while
all the public demonstrations that we had
ever been compelled to wink at were sly
hand squeezes and surrepticious glances.
But here the thing was different This couple
had come to the theatre to amuse themselves.
and while they watched the performance
they did not neglect the other business on
hand. 1t was very warm in the theatre that
evening, but the heated air was not nearly
so warm as their feelings toward each other
So they sat very close to each other Not
around her by no means diminutive waist
and every minute or so he would give her a
hug that would nearly make her black in
the face. But she seemed to like it, for
about every second hug she would look up
in his face with a very touching expression
of mingled love, trust and "do-it-again-
please" ON her face. And he, whenever this
opportunity offered itself, would imprint
large kiss upon her upturned face, and gaze
down into her eyes with look of love that
was truly touching. Between the fervidity
of their love and that of the theatre air the
perspiration was rolling down their faces in
miniature cataracts. But that made no diff
ference; they would lay their cheeks to-
gether Just as affectionately as if they had
been on the ivy-clad porch of an East Oak
land cottage, with the balmy air of a sum-
mer evening playing about them. 1t seemed
to ME that kisses under such circumstances
must have been rather salty. No doubt they
were; but he seemed to enjoy them for all
their saltiness, while she fairly reveleld in
them. On the table in front of them was
large quart vessel of beer. Between hugs
and kisses he would hand her the beer; she
would take good long pull at it, and pass
it to him, and he, carefully selecting the
place where her rosy lips had touched the
glass, would also drink. And though this
sort of thing was kept up during the whole
evening, and was seen by a large number of
people, no one but Chicago and paid any
of+n 70 iy,o n TU1,il 10
some old, steady German would glance that
way, and his face would light up with amean-
ing smile as he thought of his own exploits in
the same line $50 many years ago." but that
was all. The lovers kept up their caresses
just as if there wasn't another person within
a thousand miles of them.
This custom of several persons drinking
beer out of the same vessel is not confined to
lovers. One sees families solemnly sitting
around table, with the beer circulating from
napd to hand, and each taking his or her
share in strict conscientious rotation. In
such cases there is no promiscuous grabbing
at the vessel, and first come, first served
appropriation of its contents. Like every
thing else here in Germany, there must be a
strict routine about the thing. The father
of the family always takes the initiative.
lie slowly and calmly takes his drink Then
the vessel goes to the mother She drinks
and passes it to the eldest son. From the
eldest son the vessel passes down the line of
SONS in the order of their ages. Then it cir
culates among the daughters, beginning with
the eldest and winding up with the youngest
whence it goes back to its station before the
father. Of course, if the first drinkers are
thirsty the Others do not get their full share
But there is generally sort of drinking
honor displayed which assures equal justice
to everybody concerned. And it does the |
younger portion of the family no good to
look with longing eyes upon the beer, for it |
begins to circulate only when the father feels
thirsty.