St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-02-20
GERMAN DOMESTIC LIFE.
An American Girls Opinion of Housckeep.
ing n the Esther1and.

| An American Girls Opinion of Housckeep.
ing n the Fsther1and.
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 stranger. that is, that
economy is necessity in Germany. In
family Of sesetl 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 rlesef put salt in their butter,
so they buy it fresh every morning).
fhe children are awakened and the
Ifiaid helps them to dress. then makes
the coffee and serves it, fist 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 ha1f.past
seven / am ready to begin my #Ofk.
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 iii the hrder in Germany as at
home. II cold boiled ham or any cold
meat is needed for supper the maid
goes to the butcher and buys just
enough for the meal.
A custom that struck me curiously
4ns that Of having shops in the base
ments of even the handso1icst houses
on the most fashionable streets
butchers. bakers, shOemakers, notion
stores, jewellers. all can be found with.
in radius of block from any given
for the people. but il mars the beauty
II the streets very much. My maid
has gone t1 market, believe, so by
this time she has retdtnea and is pre-
pairing the second breakfast. Which in
served at eleven, and consists OF
couple of eggs and 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 q
slice of brown bread an inch and half
thick with little cold meat. Occa-
sionally cup of chocolate varies the
mori0tone. 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 put. 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 a walk in the park. re-
turning in time for five o'clock coffee,
which even the little three-year-old boy
of my landladt drank every day. 1t
was problem to me how these chill.
tifen kept their health with coffee in
the morning and afternoon and at
night. am sure American children
could not endure it.
At eight supper is eaten; cold meats.
tea or milk, or beer, and bread and butt
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 buildings, 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 than
k~S~n \ Ill. nd IN,
families only twelve. They are al.
lowed one Sunday evening out in two
weeks, and if they should come home
later than they have promised they do
not 90 out again for a month. All dis
putes between mistress and mid are
settled by the police. In one house l
was in the quarrels were so frequent
that one policeman. at least. was there
most of the time.
German women are much interested
in their housekeeping; they obey their
husbands religiously because they have
to, and are very fond of fancy work
and-gossip. They are very tenacious
of their titles. and if lady's husband
is doctor or professor and you do not
call her frau doctor or frau professor
YOU offend her mortally. told my
German teacher that had some friends
in Berlin whom had met some years
ago in Rome and asked how should
address the lady. as was going there
to dine l thought the gentleman 8
title was Justizrath; then / might call
her Frau Justizrath. But" I said,
..he is also Geheimerath. 20, then,
<bof - st;Il hiuber and she mlSf o0
called Frau Geheimerath." Later on
in this conversation l mentioned that
he was also professor in the university.
The look of amazement and surprise
got, and the way in which she said:
"How lucky that you told me; YOU
must call her Frau Professor" con-
yinced me that I would have made a
serious mistake if had used either Of
the first mentioned titles.-Cor. Chris
tian A1rocdte.
There are some people who will
Jrnmhle when they get to heaven.