Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-02-02

y pleasant affair, but TO an American stomac
!, mighty task.
II The tclman' are the most Curcmoniut
8 ana polite people | have ever met. The hi
r is Invariably raised on meeting You go
l. the posolllcc und ask for the letters 70
o must remove your hat before asking and I'll
= polite official docs the same. You enter
It store and the hat must again I've doiTcd tn
d gentleman bows first TO the lady. Every on
J. in Germany has title of some sort from th
n SIMPLE Herr up TO the pondcrous titles of tn
# Emperor. II is serious offensc TO addrcs
r letter to German without giving him hi
/ iull title and to one not well versed in sucl
e matters mistakes are unavoidable.
I AS rule Germans have little gallantry TO
women seldom giving way to them on til,
, sidewalk. The sidewalks in the majort,
! OF streets are exceedingly narrow with only
room for one TO walk on. Once in Dussoldor
inc wife and | were walking along, the wifi
IN front; German meeting us crowded hel
| of the sidewalk into the gutter and on the
impulse of the moment pitched him off into
inc street with more vigor perhaps than was
necessary. 1t took no end of explanations &c
soothe his wounded dignity nor could the
oiiicials-l had to 60 before the mayor-at
! all understand why IL was that man should
ever give place to lady on the sidewalk
German women as class work as
hard as the men and at the same kind of
labor. AT Rabenau near Dresden | saw a
wife, three daughters and the son pulling a
plough, which the man held, doing the work
OF horses In some of the great iron works,
l saw German women and girls at work as
coal beavers working for about eighteen
cents day. Dogs work in Germany as well
as women and the two work together. All
milk and vegetables are delivered in the
streets by means of dog carts, large wheel
barrows with the dog hitched in front and a
woman guiding it behind. A not unfrequent
sight is dog fight when two carts are left
near together
The Germans lead the world in music and
drama. In every.town even the smallest,
not including hamlets, in 'ton halle" or
music ball supported by the municipal gov
cfnment. Here two Or three times week
is concert by q thoroughly drilled band
Anything mediocre in the way of music
would bc al once summarily disposed of Nv
the German audience and the admission to
these delicious concerts is but five or ten
cents. Tim ton halles are invariably smok-
| ing halls with stand at one end for the
/ band. All the world and his wife are there
from the highest TO the lowest. The room
is so thick with smoke that from the further
end one can hardly see the musicians. Swift
footed walters noislessly glide about bringing
wine, beer, cigars and eatabcs. There are
myriads of little tables, each one occupied
by families or n company of friends. During
| the performance or while the orchestra per-
forms silence reigns and a word is at once
| Kissed down. The moment the orchestra
ceases however, a perfect babel of tongues
takes its place. the merits of the different
pieces are discussed, politics and other topics
make perfect pandemonium of the
place.
The Germans in drinking with each other
invariably clink glasses, that is holding them
by The stems and touching the rims to pro.
duce clear note. Wine glasses are chosen
not for the beauty of workmanship but the
purity of tone in clinkng. | was shown
very expensive and rare set of glasses that
looked very ordinary but which had exceed
ingly sweet tones and all in harmony. Every
principal city or palace has its theatre owned
and controlled by the municipal or royal
government. Those in Messenger Dresden
and Munich are the most elaborate. That at
Dresden is supported by the Saxon govern
menf, which contributes 5000 marks u
year towards its support Opera is given
four nights week including Sundays. The
prices are not by any means cheap the seats
barying from $3.50 TO IL and l-2 cents The
wallet corps is one of the finest in Europe
and wholly different from the Italian ballet
which perhaps is the most celebrated The
Germans whatever their morals may be are
til, most modest We found abroad and the
ballet instead of being II display of naked
legs aud arms depends purely upon the grace
OF the dancers and the exquisite finish of
their performance. while they are draped as
modeslly rs the free use of their limbs will
permit. The scenery in these theatres sur
passes anything have ever dreamed of.
No matter what the merits of tho piece
may bc II seldom runs moro than ono
night.
The leading tenor in Saxony refused once
to sing Wagncr's music, claiming that in
few years it would ruin his voice. The King
OF Saxony at once gave him pension of
eight thousand dollars during his life time
and told him to ''sing Wagner" let il spoil
his voice as soon as it might.
The Germans are extremely fond of OBJ |
serving feast days. One of the pcasantest
of all these feasts is the "lantcrn fest when
all the children in the tity and many grown
people as well as all the students in the
schools turn out in large bands Enthusiastically |
arrayed and carrying chinese lanterns, many |
OF them bearing long poles on which are |
swung dozen or n score of lanterns grouped |
in exquisite taste. #
One of the most beautiful features of all |
German towns is their exquisite parks usually |
just away from the centre Of the city They |
are generally Of large extent and kept with |
that marvellous care and skill which removes
every trace Of apparent art and leaves only |
perfected nature. The hand OF man is Won
derfully concealed. The trees are pruned |
and cared for SO that each, even the most in
significant is brought to its highest perfection
and i is but one step from the busy teeming
city INTO solitude ms great ms that Of the |
prlmeval wilderness were il no, for the |
throngs of happy people that fill its every
avenue.
At nighlfall the cities are quictncss itself. |
The social evil which thrlists itself in the |
faces of every passer by in the cities of many
other countries is here entirely absent.
Whatever may be the fact, for the Germans
are certainly no more moral than other con-
tinental nations, every outward sign is rgor-
ously suppressed.
The hotels are simply abominable. There
Is no hotel in Germany, not even in Berlin
that would pass for second rate hotel in
any OF our American cities. There arc alb
solutely none of the convcnicnces which
Americans regard as necessities Mushrooms
are entirely unknown; there is no apparent
Office; there are no parlors nor waiting
rooms. You go to an hotel and are met at
the door by porter who takes your name,
number OF your party, writes the number of
The room on slate and you are at once
shown to bare, half furnished dreary room,
the only room in the hotel which you can
ever occupy with the exception of the dining
room. have already given bill of fare and
1t is unnecessary to rcpeat it is the same
all over Germany with little variation.
One Of the pleasau'cst features OF the
whole German people is their love for their
children and the charming little children
themselves. If you have been long enough
in place so that they know you by sight,
wherever, you 90 the little caps come off aud
II cheerful morgen is lisped as you pass
they are quaint little bodies full of The i'm