The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1884-05-14

Il really difficult business to "become"
a German paper; even at the depots
they are not always to be had. The
German dailies are much cheaper than
ours, and receive an immense amount
of advertisements. The Dresden An
eeiger, e. g., varies from four to nine
times the quantity Of the Dispatch, ac-
cording to the number of supple
ments" required to accommodate the
advertisers 1t is delivered to its Dres-
den subscribers at the rate of one dol
lar for three months. The Leipsic
IdgebLdtt has about the same rates, and
often sends out in one morning issue as
much printed matter as five CentrdlS
would make. a German daily is gen
orally dull and heavy thing, and the
subscribers are not in as great 4 hurry
to get hold of it, as we are to receive
ours. Sometimes the charge for deliv
cry varies, according rs the time is, say
seven or ten in the morning. In Got
tingen, with 10000 people, and its large
university, Il woman used to walk
around leisurely about eleven o'clock
and distribute the paper; and to give
in Tuesdays issue an account of Il
Monday nights concert was altogether
too break-neck haste; it did not allow
time enough for the construction of the
awkward, heavy, long, and inverted
German sentences-and no wonder!
1t would look odd in Richmond,
wouldn't it, to wait at your front door
until load of coal had driven through
it into the backyard? Yet houses in
German cities are often built with one
entrance for vehicles and people. The
stairs leading up to the different stories
branch off to the right or left Of this
passage-way, and the real front door,
where one rings for admission, is found
above. Often, and especially if the
house stands by itself, the front" door
is at one side, or even at the back. In
Gottingen it was unusual to see sin
gle house with its front door in front;
and sometimes visitor would have to
pass the kitchen in order to get to the
front door.
Perhaps the most curious thing to be
found in Germany is the beds They
don't know what a good bed is, for one
thing, and they don't know how to
make the best of those they have. The
German bed is always a narrow single
cne, and usually is too short even for
man of moderate height. This may
suit German notions of economy, but
decidedly does not suit American no
tions of comfort. Get into one of these
little things and try to wrap up with
the thick feather bed that does duty
for sheet, blanket, comfort, counterpane
and all, and you are apt to fall asleep
repeating to yourself half unconscious
ly: "The beds shOrter-than that
he can stretch-himself-i 1.-THE
cover-naTower-t that-he can
wrap himself" After several hours
you may wake and find that you have
dumped this feather bed on the floor,
and given yourself fine chance to take
cold. You may explain to German
the superiority Of our sort Of covering
for a bed; one may wake in the night
and wish more or less cover as the case
may be, and our system adapts itself to
changes In the temperature, while the
old feather bed is fixed quantity-in
this respect, at least. But the German
will smile, and still think his way is the
best.
Two other points of superiority in
our houses as compared with the Ger
man, are the windows, and the handles
or knobs on drawers in bureaus, writ
ing desks, etc. | never once saw in
Germany window that could be raised,
like ours; they all open out in the room,
like two little doors; and inconvenient
as this is, especially for people so fond
of putting flowers in their windows.
they do not seem to have found out
that there is a more excellent way.
And think of generations of house
keepers managing their bureau drawers
with only the key to open them all, and
having to take it out Of one drawer and
put it in another every time one is to
be opened. This may seem small
matter but you just try it awhile,
"dear reader" and you will find it a
big bother And the race did once
know the good Of knobs; they are seen
in old furniture, e. g., in Wailenstein's
palace in Prague, and such places.
In one point / grant them the SUI
periority they have on their doors,
not knobs, but handles, which afford q
much better grip; and a housekeeper
can have her hands occupied with a
large pile of soup-plates, and yet can
easily open the door with her elbow.
Now try that good Central, on one of
our knobs, and report the result, please,
in your next Yours truly,