Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-12
GERMAN PEASANT LIFE.
HOW THE PEOPLE IN FATHeRLANp
PASS AWAY THE TIME.

PASS AWAY THE TIME.
Little Settlements That Seem Like One
Family-An Industrious and Modest Peo-
pie- Band-to-Mouth Existencs-In the
Merry spriDgtime.
There is something picturesque and roman
tic about the life OF a German peasant. At
least every one but the peasant himself sees
Il In this light. You look at pretty picture
in gallery and see the country people grace
fully grouped at a rustic wedding. You
hurry by in a train aud catch sight Of them
In their provincial and quaint costumes, dig
ying peat OF making hay. You stroll into
The country md watch them eat their mid
day meal in the shade OF some tree. 1t is all
picturesque certainly. but in every case you
zee only one side
The peasants never live in isolated houses
about their farms. They come together and
form a little settlement, sometimes not more
than dozen buildings in ALL 50 it Is not in
frequent to sc a small valley thickly dotted
with these doris, or villages, which, IL put
together, would make a small town only
One OF these villages is seen to the best ad-
vantage at twilight in summer Everybody
Is back from the days work I'm the fields, and
the place Is now as full OF life as it was de-
serted at noon. For then only the grand
mothers and grandfathers, whose eyesight is
dimmed or their joints rheumatic, stay at
home, and tell their young descendants the
wonderful stories OF witches and hobgoblins
which they heard under similar circumstances
from their grandfathers and grandmothers
years and years ago.
OUT IN THE FIELDS
By dusk the peasants have already eaten
heir supper. The men lie about and smoke
heir long pipes, the women make their knit
ting needles ty while there is light. and the
children play the identical game that their
parents played before them, where they Join
hands in a wide circle, sing, and act the pan
tomime Of the courtship Of a soldier and
peasant girl.
BY sunrise the entire population is up and
out in the fields. Not only does the man
shoulder a hoe or a scythe, but the woman
falls in and works as we'll Entire families,
except only the very aged, go out. Children
a few months old, who have no decrepit rela-
tives in the dorf TO keep an eye upon them
until evening, are carried out by the mothers
and left under the shade OF a neighboring
tree.
Boys and girls are obliged to attend school
until they are II, and IL they do not the par
ents are fined. In the busiest parts of the
SUMMERTIME season for gathering hops, max
ing hay and other stated times-a vacation Is
given that the children may help in the fields.
But during any OF these seasons, il it should
set In and rain, with no prospect Of absting
soon, school is called again and continued
during the wet weather Then the teacher
lays aside his ferrule until the crops are in.
Tfal Lab flafv 81. 4.
with them. The peasants live almost entirely
ON grain food and cheese. Milk aud butter
they exchange for other more necessary aud
less luxurious articles.
great epoch in every Germans life, and
especially the German peasants, Is the serv-
ice in the great standing army. Every man
who is sound in body and not deformed must
serve three years Money or influence viii
not exempt a man from this iron law. In
case he attends the university he shortens hi.
time to one year. 1t is seldom, however, that
the peasant lad goes further than the school,
50 that three years are taken from the most
active period OF his life.
During the winter the peasants are not so
busy as when planting and gathering thar
crops. When the snow lies thick on the field.
the men thrash out the grain and thu women
spin and weave the fax, which they grow
themselves Out OF the long rolls Of this
heavy gray linen they make clothes and ar
tcles necessary for domestic use. A great
part Of II, too, they store away for their
children, who, in their turn, preserve it for
theirs, 50 that quantities are handed down
from mother to daughter, like the usual heir
looms OF pewter tankards and spinning
wheels
THE WEDDING.
One OF the customs among the peaSantry
which does not confine itself to any special
season, although in accordance with the time
worn Law is more prevalent In spring, Is a
wedding. Aud the preliminary arrange
ments are somewhat complicated. Every girl
Is expected 10 have her doNry, consisting in
any case OF an entire household equipment.
from enormous feather beds to knives and
forks. The young woman who comes with
out this supply generally feels pretty much
ashamed Of herself. and the husband does not
receive her with such joy rs II she came laden
ed with complete housekeeping outfit. When
couple have decided to travel on through
life together the respective parents, in solemn
family conclave, arrange the details Of the
young lAdys portion.
The peasants live in the present and do not
waste time in senttnentalizing about old
ruins and historic spots near them. 1t some
times happens a tourist comes across an old
cloister that fourishsd thousand years ago,
now, perhaps, turned into a waySide inn. He
asks one Of the peasants, "How old is this
placer
Il don't know is the stolid answer.
WAS II not q monastery formerlyf'
IL shouldn't wonder, but don't know"
That Is a fine old chapel continues the
traveller enthusiastically.
oh, yes" returns the native, waking up.
Its the best place for many a mile about to
keep the milk cool and the eggs fresh"
Most Of these peasants lead hard hand-to-
mouth existence They earn a pittance in
the summer which barely enables them to exc
out an existence through the winter. Their
life seems almost uncomfortable, but it appears
30 70 the stranger only. They are hardy,
sunburned men and women and their close
intimacy with nature and dependence on her
give them healthier and happier moral and
physical tone than corresponding class who
live In cities.-New York Mail and Express