Wichita eagle., 1886-09-10
THE GERMAN w0MAEs KNITTING.



Where Knittin: Needles lick Perp-tuaIly
and the stocking Is Immos tai.
have just returned from tour
through the provinces Of Brandenburg
and Silesia
Loo not propose TO & We a narrative of
the impressions have received IN my
trip Only one feature in my intercourse
with the people o the rovinciai towns
shall be mentioned that impressed itself
very forcibly upon my mind as being
characteristic of the German female.
Strangers who are admitted into the
houses OF German families cannot help
being puzz.ed at seeing every German
womaA-oi all ranks, from ten years W
to eighty-make the uaintermitting use
of her kni ting needle the be-aiI and
end-au Of her outdoor existence
l say outdoor advisedly; for within
cooking alternates with knitting In
the provinces you can hardy see a fe
male native unprovide! with her ever
lastirg s;-ickzeng." At the t.eer gar
dens, 1T the Gates, &. places OF amuse-
ment, the .fraus and .frI,.ieins knit and
knit, as if their whole soa. liz. az Irish
woman's money, lay within q stocking
heel.
OK IL 10 GOLc W. NVul SACItN, ScN'iS
ladylike, fancy-hair looa.ag fantasies
which those Fl reso!ute needles perpe-
trate. No, tie wor6s OF heir p ints are
solid, uncompromisinS coverings for the
feet Of husband, brother, son and dau III
ter.
The rise and progress of pair Of Ger
man stockings, which I took on several
occasions special pains 10 watch care
fully, strongly reminded me OF certain
glass OF hot punch.
4 jolly old Irish farmer in western
New York, whom well remember. was
wont 10 boast that he never on a-y occa-
| sion drank more than one glass o. aQnch
| at one sitting. This was perfectly true.
but it vas equally Ger ain that ne was
| never known TO 60 toAtt: sober.
The old gentleman, afte:. s,liper, used
| to manufacture potent 81 IS. After
slipping a few spoonfuls he would CON-
! plain that it wanted sugar. A lump or
| TWO were added. Then 1t was too sweet.
! A somewhat too liberal infusion Of pure
water required a second dose OF ~ti!sAey.
| Then little more sugar WAS addei, and
| so On, until, under the delu5ive name OF
one glass round dozen or so had been
| imbioed
Now ina somewhat ANALOGOUS manner
is German stocaiG. pre- ervei by its
thrifty owner 10 q venerable OH age.
When the loot, after careful meading.
is irretrievably gone, new one is knit
on the upper part, and when this in its
turn becomes superannuatet, new les
is Joined to The foot This operation
being several times repeated, the art.Hl'
in question enjoys an iairaqr' = O
stockinShood, although, Nk9 the flame
whica I. helps o cover, - substance ia
perpe sally r'neT,d
The Geriaj,i! ladies' hold in high con
| tempt ali fe.na.e uask;lled in this par
ticu.ar brlEca OF industry.
Eycnrn puzzle places where ladies at
tend, they seldom 60 unpr .videi wit,
the indelati able needles. which seem (,
fill up every unoccupied moment OF wait
ing.
One advantage, or disadvantage, a
the case may be. of this mechanical in
dustry is the free license which it per
mits to the exercise of the tongue
privile e by no means neglected by eithe
1roU or .frdu}ein.
| remember once to have heard Cone.
Island dies cribed by an eccentric tours
as the sea-bathingest and whiskey
drink: 1-cst place he had ever visited.
vi qua Ira might almost any pro
vrc.al v in Germany described a
enc OF tie " iinit.inyesi and smokiages
places in the world."- New York Sun.