The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-08-27
The German Knitting Needle.

A Berlin correspondent writes: 81 have
just returned from a tour through the prov
inces of Brandenburg and Silesia. | do not
propose to give narrative of my trip. Only
one feature in my intercourse with the peo-
pie OF the provincial towns shall be mention
ed that impressed itself very forcibly upon
my mind as being characteristic of the Ger
man females. Strangers who are admitted
into the houses of German families cannot
help being puzzled at seeing every German
woman-of all ranks, from ten years up to
eighty years-make the uninteresting use of
her knitting needles, the be-all and end-all of
her outdoor existence. l say outdoor ad-
visedly, for within cooking alternates with
knitting. In the provinces you can hardly
ever see female native unprovided with her
everlasting 'strickzeng.' At the beer gar
dens, at the cafes, at places of amusement,
the trduS and fTduteinS knit and knit, as if
their whole soul, like an old Irish woman's
money, lay within stocking heel For il
is none of your pretty, young, lady-like,
ncy--fair-looking fantasies which those
fine, resolute needles perpetrate. No. the
works of their points are solid uncompro-
missing coverings for the feet of husband,
brother, son and daughter.
1.-The rise and progress of u pair of German
stockings, which took on several occasions
special pains to watch carefully, strongly re-
minded me of certain glass of hot punch
A jolly old Irish farmer in Western New
| York, whom | well remember, was wont to
| boast that he never on any occasion drank
more than one glass of punch at one sitting.
This was perfectly true, but it was equally
certain that he was never known to go 10
bed sober. The old gentleman, after supper,
used TO manufacture potent glass. After
slipping few spoonfuls he would complain
that it wanted sugar A lump or two were
added. Then it was too sweet. A somewhat
too liberal infusion of pure water required
second dose of whisky. Then little more
sugar was added, and so on, until, under the
delusive name of one glass, round dozen or
so had been imbibed.
"Now, in somewhat analogous manner,
is German stocking preserved by its thrifty
owner to n venerable old age. When the
foot, after careful mending, is irretrlevably
gone, new one is knit on the upper part,
and when this in its turn becomes supeiannu-
ated, a new leg is joined to the foot This
operation being several times repeated, the
article in question enjoys an Immortality of
stockinghood, although like the frame which
1t helps to cover, its substance is perpetualy
renewed
"The German ladies hold in high contempt
all females unskiled in this particular branch
OF industry. Even IN public places where
ladies attend, they seldom go unprovided
with the indefatigable needles, which seem
to fill up every unoccupied moment of wait
ing. One advantage, or disadvantage, as the
case may be, Of this mechanical industry, is
the free license which it permits to the exer-
else of the tongue-a privilege by no means
neglected by either frau or .fruu1ein. re-
member once to have heard Coney Island
described by an eccentric tourist as the sea
bathingest and whisky -drinkingest place he
almost any provincial town in Germany be
described as one of the 'knittingest and
smokingest places in the world"