The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-02-11
GERMAN DOMESTIC LIFE.
An American Girls Opinion of Housekeep.
ing in the Fatherland.

An American Girls Opinion of HOusekeeps
ing in the Fatherland.
The domestic machinery of the Ger.
mans is much simpler than ours and in
many respects more economical and
practical. One truth is soon made APP
parent to a stranger, that is, that
economy is necessity in Germany. In
a family of seven there is usually but
one servant. She rises at five, washes
the floor and puts her own room in
order. At six the baker comes, then
the man with the milk and butter (the
Germans never put salt in their butter,
so they buy it fresh every morning).
The children are awakened and the
maid helps them to dress, then makes
the coffee and serves it, first to the older
children, who are obliged to be off to
school at half-past six in the summer
and seven in the winter. This done, in
in our family, the maid puts my sitting
room in order, washes the floor, dusting
the furniture and shaking the rugs. At
seven we have coffee, and by half-past
seven am ready to begin my work.
After the rest of the family are served
| with coffee and rolls the sleeping and
other rooms are put in order, each floor
being washed or waxed and the rugs
| thoroughly beaten; then the maid goes
| to buy the dinner. There are no sup
plies in the larder in Germany as at
| home. If cold boiled ham or any cold
meat is needed for supper the maid
| goes to the butcher and buys lust
enough for the meal
| A custom that struck me curiOusly
was that of having shops in the base
ments of even the handsomest houses
on the most fashionable streets
butchers, bakers, shoemakers, notion
stores, jewellers, all can be found with
in radius of 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, believe, so by
| this time she has returned and is pre-
pairing the second breakfast, which is
served at eleven, and consists of a
couple of eggs and a slice of brown
bread and perhaps glass of milk for a
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, Occa-
sionally a cup of chocolate varies the
monotony. Then comes the dinner at
two-soup, meat and vegetables and
dessert; the latter the children are only
allowed to have on Sundays After
the soup has been served the lady of
the house puts what she intends for the
maid in a dish, and on no account
would servant be allowed to take
more than had been given her. The
same plan is followed with the meat
and vegetables. After the dinner
dishes are washed and the kitchen put
in order, the maid dresses and takes the
children out for walk in the park. re-
turning in time for five o'clock coffee,
which even the little three-year-old boy
of my landlady drank every day. Ii
was problem to me how these chill.
dren kept their health with coffee in
the morning and afternoon and al
night. ! am sure American children
could not endure it.
At eight supper is eaten; cold meats,
tea or milk, or beer. and bread and but
ter compose the meal, The laundry
work is always done out of the house,
SO that lessons the work of the one
maid very materially. All bread, cakes
pies, and even puddings, are bought
ready made--as we say of clothes. The
bread is much better than ours, be
cause it is always thoroughly done.
A good maid is not paid more thar
twenty dollars a year, and in many
families only twelve. They are al
lowed one Sunday evening out in tive
weeks, and if they should come home
later than they have promised they d.
not go out again for month. All dis
putes between mistress and mid arr
settled by the police. In one house
, was in the quarrels were so frequen
that one policeman, at least, was there
most of the time.
German women are much interested
in their housekeeping; they obey theil
husbands religiously because they hav.
to, and are very fond of fancy worl
and-gossip. They are very tenaciou
, of their titles, and if a lady's HUSBAND
is doctor or professor and you do no
call her frau doctor or frau professo
, you offend her mortally. / told n,
: | UtIlldu tCdCuCl bildb hdd oOAiAS AL
in Berlin whom l had met some year
,, ago in Rome and asked how | shoul
address the lady, as ] was going ther
to dine. thought the gentleman
: title was Justizrath; then might ca
her Frau Justizrath. But" / said
! s.he is also Geheimerath. 80, then
that is still higher and she must b
r called Frau Geheimerath. Later o
4 in this conversation l mentioned ths
he was also professor in the university
q The look of amazement and surprise
got, and the way in which she salt
/. Chow lucky that you told me; yo
s must call her Frau Professor, col
vinced me that would have made
s serious mistake if / had used either I
! the first mentioned titles.-Cor. Chri
tian AdUocdte.
r There are some people who wi
grumble when they get to heavel
Nose Schaumburg is one OF ther