Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-11-21

wind were so inflated that the girls looked
much like ballet dancers.
The wife and mother OF my guide were n,
tired much the same as the daught save
that the Colors were not so bright. The hea,!
Of the old lady was fearfuliy and wonder
fully gotten up, and the handkerchief whic.
covered il was as stiff as starch could make
it and had two ends which stood out like the
extravagant collar Of an end man at the
n.instrels.
The dinner was nearly ready when came
in and a moment later was upon the liable.
Although had just had my dinner did not
refuse my hosts invitation and | sat down
with the family at the table. there were no
plates, knives or forks, the only eata5les
were pot Of corn meal muSh and dish Of
lettuce. The mush WAS put on the table in
the same pot in which il was boiled and we
ate it with iron tablespoons. each person
helping himself and dipping into the pot at
every mouth!uL The salad was eaten in the
same way. 1t was first a spoonful Of mush
and then a spoonful Of salad and so on: and
when We were done both pots were clean
Ny host made no apology for the scautineSS
of the meal 1t was probably his best meal
OF the day and he doubtless thought it good
enough for any one
The dinner over we took the kahn and
began our journey. | laid myself on the hay
My guide lighted his pipe and took the push
ing pole in his hands and for several days We
lazily moved about through the narrow
canals OF the Spreewald Aglorious journey
it was. Now We would go through luxuriant
meadows, on which the young msn and
women were cutting the grass and loading it
on boats and pushing it along the canal with
their bare arms The women work here in
the field with the men, and as a rule they
have the hardest part Of the work. With the
green fields as a background, with the fresh
skin Of out OF door lie and their picturesque
costumes they made a sight | never tired
looking at And then nature during the
ride WAS so changeable and beautiful. The
banks OF the smaller canals were SO near that
l could almost pick flowers from them as we
passed lazly elong Now we would shoot
into great forest, and for miles the trees
would form perfect arsor over us, shutting
out the rays OF the sun. On the PLAINS the
grass waited its lotUs-liSe perfumes into our
n0strils, and the birds and insects of the
forest and meadow sang a march as We
pushed along Here and there We would 60
by a thatChed cottage, with moss, perhaps,
growing on its roof and white capped, short
skirted children playing upon its canal bank,
and every human SOUL from the child to the
old man, would sing out a CHEEKY "Guten
Morgen."
And then the queer scenes Of Swedish life
Now young man and woman pass with q
kahn filed with household goods and the
happieSt smile on their faces, leading you to
think they have jus: been married and are
going to housekeeping. Now bare-legged
Venus goes by with a load Of hay. She
smiles as she passes. Her kahn almost grazes
yours, and you are half tempted TO pinch
those rosy limbs as they pass. Their. is moth
ing new TO bring you back to the present.
Everything Is old and quaint. The moss on
the. roofs is deep and thick, and the boards
and stones of the houses are gray with the
age Of a hundred years.
At one point | stopped the kahn, and, look
ing into a stable, | watched the milkmaids
working away with their buckets held fast
between their knees. Ny guide told me that
the girls did all the milking, cleaned the
stables and took care of the cows
This guide was a character. His broken
German enabled us TO get along very we'll.
He told me that most of the Nends were
Protestants, and that he believed in the
Bible He looked upon me as great curl
osity when he found was an American, and
he pointed me out rs such to every one We
met. He had been a soldier ia the German
army, and be sail times were good in Ger.
many, and that the ordinary wages in thi.
part Of the country We're now from twenty
10 thirty cents ,.Ly for women, and from
twenty-five To fifty cents day for men. He
was very grateful when | gave him little
more than the regular fee at the close, and
he told me he wanted me TO take his wife's
photograph TO America 50 that he could say
that his wife had been there. He afterwards
sent me this photograph, and publish it in
this letter II he ever sees it | doubt not he
will think the millennium has begun.
FRANK G.. CARPENTER
The song of the sandwich man u: 80,
fer thousand tengusx."