Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-01-14
THE GERMAN CAPITAL.
The Reality of Inter der Linden-Health
OF the Kaiser--A National Prospect
Life and Living In BERLIN

- 80" ratscE-A Nabioual prospect
Life and Living In berlin.
Inter der Linden, writes q Berlin
correspondent to the New York Euen-
ing fost, has very fine sound. The
lime tree Is as much like an elm as 1t
IS like any other tree, and .aNeath the
Ems is the idea Under der Linden
Is intended to convey, and does convey
until the thing has been seen. .'Neath
the Elms, !" broad-spreading, thickly
shadoWlng, with grass underneath up
on which to stretch ono's self at full
length and think Of all lovely things,
and all this in the midst of vast city.
Let us start at once, and there make
our home.
The reality is sad enough. Utter der
Linden is street, with houses, num-
Ders. shops, palaces, etc, about mile
long, and about two hundred feet broad.
In the middle is a dirt walk perhaps
nifty feet wide, u row of trees on zach
side OF 1t, guarded by iron rails sup
ported in very ordinary stone posts.
Upon one side of the dirt footpath are
about twenty feet of thicker dirt for
horsemon: upon the other side about
twenty feet of stone roadway. Then
come two more rows OF trees, those of
the roadway being in a narrow plate
bande. Then on each side follow ordi-
nary street and sidewalk reaching to
succeed shops, hotels, and palaces.
The lime tree in its proper growing
places is lovely tree; not very large.
but large enough. with dark green and
very thick foliage. There are many
excellent specimens in the Thier gar
ten, and even in some of the squares
where grass is allowed to grow beneath,
seeming to require the companionship
of verdure. But just where of all
places they ought TO grow and flourish.
just there they will not--that is, at all
comensurately with the expectations or
hopes of those who put them out. As
lines will not grow. experiments are
being made with other trees. Naples,
elms, and horse-chestnuts have been
substituted, but none of them seems
hearty.
The one thing to do in Berlin just
now is to see the emperor. that one
may know of ones own knowledge-so
far as eyesight imparts knowledge
physical condition and prospects. Ac-
cording 10 my eyesight, The change
since the last time l saw him is pain
fully startling. He is no longer upright,
his chest has fallen away so that his
orders overlaps he has hardly strength
to reach his hand TO his helmet; his eye
is dull and heavy. The newspapers
speak OF him every morning as being
fully re-established in health, and as
having worked for hours the day be-
fore with his various ministers and
generals. That can not be; there is no
more work in that head or in that hand.
And what has the kaiser done for the
people? Are there any fewer poor old
women and little, half-nourished chill
dren working on their knees in the
fields. Juggling with feeble fingers at
the roots and weeds, as though their
lives depended upon it--as. indeed,
they do? And what novels they crawl
into when their days work is done, and
what they eat before they fall dead
asleep! All the while strong husbands
and brothers are far away. watching
lest an irritated foe acquire means for
revenge; and all the while, too, the
emperor. .Allerhoechst, is distribut-
ing medals and honors, which they
have dug out of the ground for him,
though they are poor, sick, ignorant.
starving, and helpless. There is not a
second of rest from labor for either
play or prayer; and what the emperor
has done the nations about him must
also do, or be ingnlfed. The strain
must break soon.
Another and less solemn side of the
question: Is the individual German
any better hammered than he was
twenty years ago? Is he any more
clearly in his personal habits2 Is he
any more likely to defer to lady, I'M
less he knows her name and knows that
she is countesSp Is he any less of a
most fearful nuisance when let loose in
Switzerland? Is his scholarship less
pedantic, are his ideas less vague, is
his language less confused, or his cook
ing less abominableP
There was time Just after the
French war when dining in Berlin was
tolerable. OF the French prisoners, of
course, nearly the whole number knew
how to cook. For some years their
teachings were remembered and obey
ed, but now they seem completely for
gotten. / dined yesterday at the Cafe
de Europe. Each Berlin restaurant
has itS fixed dinner for the day, and
you are expected to take it. The first
thing, and terror, is the dish of hors
d'Ruvres-a vast rotating platter,
about three feet in diameter, covered
with small dishes, at least twenty in
number. each dish containing social
ed appetizer: Italiaenischer salad,
sardines. picked herring, and all sorts
of picked things unknown elsewhere.
Three Germans seated at table next
me called at the start for champagne,
and took enough of the hors d'Guvres
to exhaust any non-German hunger.
AS to the dinner, | can not land could
not go through with it. Everything
was cooked to death, and everything
was swimming in the vilest of sauces.
Berlin is yet most delightful city.
and if Mr.. Pendleton will present half
. dozen Americans at court every win
Ter. SO as to give Americans tbs social
position they have nos hitherto enjoyed.
there Is no reason why the American
colony should not rival that of Paris.
Above all others, Bcrlin is the place
for work. Everybody is doing some
thing, studying something. The peo-
pie you meet, of whatever nation they
may be, look as il they were making
the best of their time, and not worry
ing themselves with the idea that they
were too young or too old to take hold
Of anything. In classic art Berlin has
won the lead. The Perganos marbles
| must be seen and closely studied by
everyone who would know anything of
Greek sculpture. Their creator was
the Giulio Romano of antiquity. Twas
at once taken back to the Palazzo del
Te. Such vast richness of sculpture
has not been given to scholarship since
the time of Lord Elgin.
Let me close this long letter with q
story of his lordship's name: Once up
on time neophytish professor was
lecturing at Yale college on the Elgin
marbles. AT the end Of the lecture up
stumped anything but neophytish
professor. and said to the lecturer: do
you say Elgin or Elg(Din'' Chat is,
with the G soft or hard). II say
EIg (h)in, Of course (g hardy. answer
ed the neophyte. ..In the course of
your lecture you said both EIgin and
Fig (h)in. Good evening" And all
without a smile.
Tho Modern Novel.
In one of the new novels appealing
to intelligent readers the hero rescues