Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-06-05
WHENCE GERMAN POETRY.

~ oossoAry " tuouBut ouu uueueSS Oi tDucn
which ono finds Ia the German Literature
with the personal appearance OF the people
sround uA The German men rs general
hing mako good appearance. They are
remarkably well developed, and give an
OF health aud strength. We be-
lieve that there are no finer specimens of
humanity to be found than are seen among
the Prusslan officers Their handsome fig
ures, elegant uniforms, bright sabres, and
rattling spurs make many an old German
strsst lively which would otherwise he dull
enough, and they walk with an air which
seetns to say with every step, France lies
under our feot." But the German face is, as
= rule, any thing but an ideal one. The
square features, high cheek bones, light
eyes, and the almost never-failing suggestion
Of beer in complexion and nose would lead
one to think of any thing sooner than Of
poetical fineness and delicacy; and among
the less-educated classes you find an ex-
preston of stolidity and unimpressibility
which makes 1t an impossibility to conceive
OF Hans Sachs arising among them. Often
after an hour with GOethe's unparalleled
lyrics or the lovely creai ons OF Schiller's
fancy, with the exquisitely delicate thoughts
OF Heine, Chamisso, Geibel, Sturm, aud
scares OF others which we might mention, a
half.mile walk upon the street has led us TO
exclaim, "How could such good things come
out of this Nazareth" But a year or more
of acquaintance with these people has shown
us that, whatever the face ana manner may
say, the German mind IL essentially
poetical one. This characteristic shows itself
In various habits and customs, few OF which
we will mention. One of these is the ma
tioDal passion kor the woods There is a con-
staut stream of people " mach dem Walde.'
All the horse cars and omnibusses which go
in that direction are crowded with men,
women, and children for as soon as Ger
man gets a leisure hour he starts for the
woods The city of Hanover, from which
we are writing, is surrounded by charming
wood, or, more properly speaking, park, full
OF lovely walks and drives. Every once in a
while one comes to a little house where tea,
coffee, beer, and bread-and-butter may be
had. Scattered about under the trees near
these houses are any quantity of little tables
with benches and chairs about them. They
are generally painted white, aud have a very
clean, inviting look to the weary and hungry.
Here people cougregate by scores, and spend
the afternoon in slipping and chatting, the
ladies knitting and the gentlemen smoking.
A German is never happier than when SIT
ting under tree, with something before
him to sip or nibble at A lady giving a
coffee party often invites her guests To- some
part OF the woods instead oi To her house
Not long since, as we were sitting in one o.
these places, party of perhaps ten gentle
men came aud took seats not far from us
They were evidently some singing club b, fo
alter partaking OF their simple supper o
black bread, sausage, and beer, they drew
out their music-DoOks, and under the direc
tiOn of their energetic leader practiced tbeii
songs the same as If they had been at home.
We who had so Unexpectedly found our
selves in a delightful concert were more
charmed than ever with this pleasant Gus
tom OF almost living i'll the woods.
A GERMAN COFFEE GARDEN.
The coffee garden is a sort OF sister to these
lodges in the wilderness. Every city is pro-
vided with number of these places of re.
sort, and every pleasant afternoon, psrticu-
lsrly Sunday afternoons, they are full of peo-
pie. They are prettily laid out with flower
beds, trees aud shrubbery the latter trained
30 as to form arbors where the people SIT to
take refreshments. The children play and
frolic on the green, while the father, mother
and older members OF the family sit in the
bowers as leisurely as il there was nothing
else to do in life bat to sip a cup of coffee or
drink glass of beer. The celebrated gar
den OF Hanover is called Tivoi. 1t is Wis
tied mostly in the evening, on account of the
concert which is given every night from half
past six to eleven o'clock. A good share OF
the music is classical, aud the performers of
the first class. This long musical treat may
be had for about twenty cents, and those who
subscribe for the hour can 90 in for less than
half that sum. On entering the place the
hrst thing one thinks OF IL iairy-land. The
eye IL delighted by trees, flowers, rookeries,
statuary, fountains, rock work, and, in sh orL
by everything. Taste, with her magic wand,
can call into being, and the whole scene is
flooded with light from l6, 200 gas Jets. The
lights are arranged in graceful patterns on the
sides OF the booths where the people sit 10
drink their coffee or Ice. Every now and
then one sees an illuminated tree, with the
lights so arranged that by means OF shades
they have large bell-shaped flowers depend
ing from the branches. These are artificial,
bu; the deception is so good that you can only
feel respect for them. There are two bands,
which play alternately, while the people
promenade or sit at their refreshments. The
ladies crochet aud the gentlemen smoke
In the gardens OF the rich, these places are
made with extreme taste, being often orna-
mented around the bottom with rock-work
covered with moss and ferns, and festooned
above with rare vines Here the family
drink coffee in the morning and take supper
in the evening when the weather will in any
way allow il, and their idea of the suitable
1ess OF the weather for such rural repasts is
much more liberal than ours would be.
There is seldom family so poor that it does
lot contrlve to have its Laube." The
'ther day, in passing miserable little hovel,
We noticed one OF these arbOrs made of bean
poles, over which scarlet and white beans
lad spread wealth Of flowers. Here we
'ohtuio W say, the ndru-WorklnS father and
weary mother have often gathered their
iaxen- haired flock around the simple noon
ide meal of potatoes and pork. The Ger
mans are very fond OF flowers. Even the |
louses ot the poor have their tastefully ar
anged gardens, and the windows. even in |
ne narrow dirty streets, are bright with |
blossoms summer and winter. The weather |
: not as warm in North Germany az it is in |
>ew YORK and Boston, and blinds, those |
OF hower-pOts, are Unknown. |
iERMAN FoNDNEsS FOR THE "kRANZ" |
The passion for the wreath, or "Krapz,n
which plays so important part in all Ger |
nan literature, belongs also to this poetical
tratum which underles the national char
cter When German is born, his cradle
, hung with wreaths, or "bekranzt,n as IL |
J called, and on all his subsequent birth
ays his chair, table, birthday cake, and all |
Is presents are "bekranzt." If he returns |
D fon Journey, the house, and particularly
ne door by which he enters, is 'sbekranzLn
! bride IL "bekranZt" to within an inch of |
er life. When German dies he is borne
his grave under literal burden of wreaths
part OF which are buried with him, and
art USED 10 cover the sands of the new-made
hound. And that is by no means the end
the story. The dying German NAV be
lre that his picture will be "bekranzt''
ntil the hands of those who loved him best
ave ceased TO pluck earthly flowers One
the prettiest of the old German customs
the winding OF the bridal wreath. In the
yes of German myrtle wreath is lust as
dispensable to wedding AS the clergy
IAN. Ii is usually made at the house of the
ost Intimate friend of the bride ON the day
recedlng "Polterabend," which we not
'pg since described To our readers. The
oung ladies who are to be the bride maids
70 lhvited and usually few others but
. ',,, one who has ever had any thing 10 do
~, ~. shst sweet little boy with his hands
uli OF darts" Is allowed to take part nm The