Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-07-25
DOMESTIC LIFE
As SEEN IN GERMANY BY A YOUNG
LADY TRAVELLER.
Sim plIcity Of the Household Machinery-
A Curious Custom-Meals and Meal
time-A Servant Girls Wages
Tenacious of Their Titles.

tCor New York 0riItian Adyoeatel
The domestic machinery OF the Germans
S much simpler than ours, and in many re-
spects more economical and practical One
rutn is soon male apparent to stranger,
hat is that economy is q necessity in Ger
many. In a famil, OF seven there is usually
u one servant She rises at makes the
kitchen fire, washes the floor and puts her
1wn room in order. At the baker comes,
then the man with milk AMI butter tthe
Germans never put salt in their butter, so
they buy it frsh every morningl.
The chiliren are awakened, and the maid
helps them TO dress, tEen makes the coffee
and serves it first to the older children, who
are obliged to be of for school at $50 in
summer and Z in tie winter. This done. in
our family. the mali putt my sitting room
in order, washing the for. du,tiny tae fur
niiure and shaking the rugs At We have
Office and by 7:3J / am ready to begin my
work After the rest Of the family are
served with coffee AMI rolls, the sleeping
and other rooms are put in Order, each be-
ing washed OF ~axed and rugs thoroughly
beaten; then the maid goes to the market to
buy the dinner There are no supplies in
iar1er in Germany a. at home. Ii cold
boiled ham or any cold meat is needed for
supper, the maid goes to the butcher and
Guys just enough for the meal
A custom that struck me curiously was
that Of having shops In the Easements Of
sven the handsomest hou-es on the mo {
fashionable streets-butchers, bakers shoe
makers, notion stores, jewelers., all who can
be found within q radius of q block
from any given point 1t is undoubtedly
convenient for the people, but it mars the
beauty OF the streets very much. My maid
has gone to market l believe, so bv this
time she has returned and is preparing the
second breakfast, which is served at IL, and
consists Of a couple of eggs and a slice OF
brown bread, and perhaps glass Of milk
Tor boarder; but for the children and the
rest Of the family it is usually only a slice Of
brown bread an inch and half thick with
little cold meat Occasionally cup Of
chocolate varies the monotony
Then comes the dinner at 2-soup, meat
and vegetables, and dessert, the latter the
children only are allowed to have on Sun
days. After the soup has been served the
lady Of tho house puts what she intends for
the maid in a dish, and on no account would
q servant be allowed to take more than had
been given her. Tho same plan is followed
with meat and veRetablsx After the din
ner dishes are washed, and the kitchen put
In order, the maid dresses and takes tho
children out for a walk in the park, return
ing in time for O'Clock coffee. which even
the little 3-year-old boy Of my landlady
drank every day. 1t was a problem to me
how these children kept their health, with
coffee in the morning and afternoon and at
night l am sure American children could
not endure it
At supper is eaten; cold meats, tea or
milk or beer and bread and butter compose
the meal. The laundry work is Away zone
out Of the house; so that lessons the work of
the one maid very materially. All broad,
cake, pies and even buildings, are bought
ready-made--as we say Of clothes The
bread Is much better than otrs, because it is
always thoroughly done.
A good maid is not paid more than SO
year, and in many families only tl2. They
are allowed one Sunday evening out in two
weeks. and il they should come home later
than they have promised, they do not 60 out
again for month. All disputes be ween
mistress and maid arr settled by the police.
In one house was in the quarrels were SO
frequsnl that ono policeman, at least, was
there most Of the time.
German women are much Interested in
their housekeeping: they obey their hus-
bands relizi Iusly. becau % they have to. and
are very fond Of fancy work amigo sipl
They are very tenacious Of their titles, and
if lady's hull ani is doctor or professor,
and you do not call hsr Frau Doctor or
Frau Professor. you offend her mortaly.
told my Germ IN teacaer that had some
frie IDS in Berlin whom / hal m,t Soma
years ago in Rome. and ask.i how I
should al iress tue LAZY. - l was going
there to dine. thought the gentle.
mans title was Ju-tizirath: tten l must
call her Frau istizr,th. But" sui, "hs
is also Geheimerath- ~Oh, then, that IS
still higher. and she NUT be called Fran
Geheineratn." Later on in this conversa-
ton l mentioned that he was also professor
in the university The look of amszement
and surprise l got. ana the way in which
she said, "How lucky that you toll me; You
mu't call her Frau Profe ssor," convinced
me that wonl1 have male a serious mis-
take i. hal used either of the first men.
A. IL