The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1889-06-28
GERMAN ETIQUETTE.
Some of the Rules That Americans are
Forever Dlsregarding.


German etiquette is very minute.
IL does rot stop with the ordinary
rules for Eating, drinking. calling and
receiving. 1t prcscribes mazes OF
trivial details which would till SO many
fat volumes that even tho Germans
have not had the courage TO write
them. 1t directs a man what 90 say
just before beginning To drink a glass
Of beer and just before finishing IT, IL
tells him the exact words he must use
in insulting stranger. II graduates
nicely the depth OF the bows that are
due TO the Privy Councillor, the Court
Councillor, the tutor, the judge, the
tradesman, the barber and the rcstaur-
ateur. 1t explains why the clergyman
should bow first 90 the Herr Baron and
last TO the Herr Banker II describes
just how man must kiss woman's
hand in the draw yhg-room and just why
he need not give her his seat in a
horse-car. 1t even prescribes the circle
in which a man may waltz at ball.
Perhaps the best criterion OF the
minuteness OF German etiquette is the
little unwritten code ON pocket man
ners. German good form is shocked
by the helter-skelter condition OF the
American pocket. A well-brcd Ger
man never allows his keys and his jack
knife, his small change, his shoe-but-
tonor and his cigal-cutter 10 jingle
about loosely in his trousers pocket.
A naked cigar protruding from a
waist-coat pocket shocks the modesty
OF German good form much more
than "A dozen or more OF Rubens'
strapping Dutch rgoddesscs. The
greatest oiTense against German pocket
manners is TO carry small silver coins
loose in the pocket A German Lieu
tenant may have only half n dollar TO
his name, but he carries as big purse
as If he owned all the notes OF the Inn
perial Reichsbank. In paying for five
cents worth OF beer he goes down into
his trousers and draws out his nabby
pockct-book with dignity, thanking
Heaven he Is a mannerly, high-born
Prussian, and not vulgar tradesman
like the American at his side, who has
just slapped down on the table a moss
OF gold, silver, keys aud manicure ap-
paratus. The small German school
boy is not even allowed 10 carry his
car fare without "A purse. The servant
girl, who earns but $40 u year, would
not carry the price OF loaf OF black
bread through the street in her hand.
Every reputable smoker in Germany
has his "cigar-etuis." He prepares TO
smoke by emptying out all his three
cent cigars on the table before him,
and laying the case aside. Then he
draws II little cigar clipper from an
other case, removes the tip OF the least
offcnsive-looking cigar, and drops the
small bit OF tobacco into tiny box
pocket. At the end OF each smoker s
year he sends all these cigar tips TO "A
charitable institution In his province.
Two years ago the asylums in the little
province OF Brunswick received four
hundred marks worth OF tobacco In
this wise. After slowing away the
"orphan's share" OF the cigar. the
smoker takes "A knife from It's chamois-
skin bag and finishes the job which the
clipper began. a case containing a
cigarctte-holder and leather match
safe are the last articles which the
wcll-brcd German about TO smoke adds
20 the collection OF small bags and
cases on the table before him. OF
course, all this elaborate preparation
20 smoke one three-cent cigar strikes
the American tourist as trine ridicu-
lous. A German, however, regards II
as indicative OF tho breeding OF the
smoker. He looks upon the rough
and-ready manner in which an Amer.
lean carries his cigars, matches and
knife much as an American looks upon
a man who travels without a tooth
brush and night-shirt.
The little code OF pocket manners IL
enforced just as tyrannically by Ger
man public opinion as other branches
OF German etiquette. Americans, who
consider such minute matters all bosh
aud say so. are apt TO be roughly cor
rected or altogether abandoned by
their more fastidious friends. Like
the Inspector in THE Moonstone,' v
German etiquette holds that shere arc
no trines, and any foreigner who holds
otherwise can not cut much OF a7fgurc
in German society.-N. Y. Sun.