The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-10-01
THE GERMAN WoMANs KNITTING
where Knitting Needles lick Perpetually
and the Stocking Is Immortal.

and the Stocking Is immortal
have Just returned from tour
through the provinces of Brandenburg
and Silesia
Too not propose to give a narrative Of
the impressions 1 have received on my
trip. ONLY one feature in my intercourse
with the people OF the provincial towns
shall be mentioned that impressed 1t ell
very forcibly upon nay mind as being
characteristic of the German female.
Strangers who are admitted into the
houses O. German families cannot help
being puzzled at seeing every German
Woma of all ranks, from ten yea 5 up
to eighty-make the unintermiii ting use
of her kni ting needles the be-au ana
end-al of her outdoor existence.
I say outdoor, advisedly, SOr within
cooking altarnates with knitting In
the pr0vincas you can hardly see fe-
male native unprOvided with ner ever
lasting " strickzeng." At the teer gar
dens, at the cafes, at places OF amu7e-
ment the f-lus and TiIzteitS knit ana
knit as II their whole soul, like an Irish
womans money, lay within stocking
heel.
For 1t is none OF your pretty, young
ladylike, fancy-hair looking fantasies
/ which those Fl e resolute needles peIpe-
trate No, the works Of heir p lntS are
/ solid. uncompromising coverings for the
/ feet Of husband brother, son and dauSh-
ter.
The rise and progress Of pair of Ger
/ man stockings, which l took on several
/ occasions special pains to watch care
7 fully, strongly reminded me OF certain
glass of hot punch.
Jolly old Irish farmer in western
/ New York, whom l well remember, was
wont to boast that he never on any occa-
sion drank more than one glass OF punch
at one sitting This was perfectly trae,
but il was equally Ger ain that he was
to- rr, ItaF
The old gentleman, after supper, used
to manufacture a potent glass. After
slipping a few spoOnfulS he would COM
plain shat it wanted sugar. A lump or
two we're added. Then 1t was too sweet
A somewhat too liberal infusion OF pure
water required a second dose Of whlSkey:
Then a little more Igar was added, ana
so on. until, under The delu5ive name OF
one glass, a round dozen or so had been
imbibed.
Now. in a somewhat analogous manner
is a German stocking pre- erved by lts
thrifty owner TO venerable old age
When the foot after careful mending,
Is irretrievably gone, a new one is knit
on the upper part, and when this IN lLS
turn becomes superannuatedr a new iee
is ioined to the foot. This operation
being several times repeated, the artlcI
In question enjoys an immortality o
stockinghood although, like the frame
which it helps cover, Its substance Is
perpe ually renewed.
The German ladies hold in high con
tempt all females unskilled In this PAL
tiCular branch OF industry.
Even in public places where ladies at
tend. they seldom go urprovided wit
the fndefati able needles, which seem L
fill up every unoccupied moment of wai'
ing.
One advantage, or disadvantage, a
the case may be, Of this mechanical II
dus ~ is the free license which ii PEE
mits to the exercise Of the tongue
privile.e by no means neglected by eith'
frau or .fj'attlein.
1 remember once to have heard Cons
Island described by an eccentric tour
as the sea-bathingest and vhlshe
= drinkinSrst place he had ever visited.
1 VITA quail truth might almost any pro
V ncial t-W. in Germany b. described a
n one Of the knit-ingesJ and -mokir ges
4 places in the worI...'-l New York sun.