Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-08-23
A MILITARY DUDE.
THE HERR LIEUTENANT OF THE
GERMAN ARMY.
Intelligent and Manly, With Care.
fully Trimmed Moustachc, He
is u Social Lion-His
Daily Life.

no tra-fashionable attire, and talks no
ultra-foreign jargon. He has no yellow
top coats, nor wide trousers, nor pot hats,
nor patent leather shoes. nor big headed
cane. But there is Il red stripe on each
OF his trousers legs, Il big imperial eagle
on his helmet, rcd straps on his heavy
ulster, spurs on his boots and at his side
n sword in IL massive scabbard, which
strikes the pavement at every step. lie
often wears monocle, and always Il
moustachc.
n Lieutenant's mousiachc is probably
tile most carefully trained BIT of whiskers
III the world. lis proper development
involves more labor than the combined
moustnchcs Of any three dudes in the
whole United States. Three times every
week the Licutcnant's barber dcvotes half
an hour or longer to oiling it, twisting it 4,
patting 1t and burning it into shape with
hot irons. When the Lieutenant is
shaved the ends of the moustache are
done up Ill tissue paper, so that the latlicr
brush and the BARRIERS fingers cannot
muss it. a very fastidious Lieutenant
puts little Hat wooden clamp on each end
OF his moustache every night when he
goes to bed, to keep the hairs straight
and even. The result of all this training
is n moustachc which all German girls
dream about, and I'LL German men, out
eide Of the army, ridiculc. The hairs are
still, crinklcd and spread away from the
corners OF the mouth in fan shape.
Fhey shine with oil and are odorous of
perfume. The Lieutenant his his hair
billed daily, curlcd in front frequently and
rubbed down with German eiixirs of all
,olors; otlorS and effects.
After the Lieutenant has been refreshed
by his barber from the fatigue of carly
morning drill, he goes TO the most popular
cafe to show the poor humdrum chaps
without swords or spurs or trained NOUS
tachcs or curled front hair what Il mighty
line fellow Il Lieutenant of the Guards is.
as soon as he enters the cafe his favoritc
waiter begins all sorts of feats of aero
batic politencss. lie bows himself double
whenever the Lieutenant turns hair
lie scurries around like mad after the
military periodicals, and shouts himself
hoarsc in ordering for the Herr Lieutcn-
ant the very best caviar, the freshest rolls
and the strongest coffee which the cafe
affords. lie never addresses the Lieu
tenant directly us ''you." That would
be too disrcspectful to II real Lieutenant,
though it is good enough for men in bob
tail coats and trousers without stripes.
No, the waiter always asks: "Will the
Herr Lieutenant kindly have sugar in his
coiTec!" "Will the Herr Lieutenant have
2-cent beer OF 2iccnt bcer?" 'sWill
Iha IIarr | 1,I hn,-
cigar for j cents, or supcrlinc imported
cigar for cen;s.' All this scrvilitv
costs the Lieutenant Il cent 1t would
cost an American double that amount. A
German civilian would have hard work
to get it al any price. A Frenchman
could not get il nj all
After coffee the Lieutenant takes two
little brushes from . case in his pocket
and brushes his mousta"hc Then he
goes out TO give the girls n treat. In
Berlin he exhibits himself on Inter den
Linden; in LeipS;c, on The Promenade;
III Dresden, on the Bruhl Terrace. lie
marches along in the middle Of the walk.
rs erect aud conscious as if he were on
dress parade. He turns neither TO the
right nor left, save for an officer of
higher rank. Civilians make way for
him, for he is Il bad man TO bump
against. He is keen to resent any inciv-
ility, and the man who shovcs him
rndeiy or gets on his toes, is apt 10 bring
up opposite him with swords or nistols
the next morning in the Grunewald or
Rcsentlal. The Lieutenant on this
street parade, however, is not so busy adj
miring himself that he has no time TO adj
mirc all the girls, who admire him. lie
osles every pretty woman through his
monoclc.
AT dinner iii a restaurant the Licutcn-
ant always gets the prcttiest waitress, her
incest smiles, the latest bit of roast
goose, and the biggest piece of cheese.
He is admitted to the theatre for almost
nothing, and attracts more attention
there than the rich banker who has pro-
sccni'm box all to himself Between
the acts ne brushes his moustachc before
the whole house and ilirts with the prct-
tiest girl whose Frau mamma isn't look
ing or whose Herr papa has gone ont TO
see man. lie knows all the soubrct;cs.
Ills card Is attached almost every cvcnin"
to bouquet that is handed over the
!ooilights. He leads at all the dances.
His red and blue coat attracts more FL
voiS than dozen swallowtaiIs. In the
'lamcntour lie is the first man Oh the
floor. In fact his social domination is so
complete that OF late years disgruntlcd
critics OF German high life usually speak
OF ii as a Lieutenant beriddcn society,""
The Lientcnant's social success is not
due entirely, however, TO his fine clothes,
perfected mousiachc, cnrlcd front hair.
and good dancing. The German Lieu
tenant is generally a nobcman and gen
tieiEan. lie is always well educated and
well informed concerning topics OF the
day. Long after entering the army. hc
frequently subscribes to university lecture
courses, and appears in the lecture room
regularly with his little leather BAG full
OF notes, just as if he were an ordinary
student. He reads a great deal about
civil government, political economy, Bis
marck and the Hohcnzollcrns. lie can
say his Goethe backward, and can cite
Shakespeare more appropriately than
thrce-fourths OF the Englislmcn He can
quote lfpinp with fbo Drofcecorio ,,rott,.