Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-19


They use the water courses to convey their
cattle and harvests TO Lubbenau and their
children to the schools. At Lausits the most
common products Of cultivation are horse rad
where carried on under great difficulties owing
to the severe winters. As soon as the Spree
rises during the autumn rains ell its branches,
as well as the canals, overflow. and the plain
beyond the forest is turned into q broad lake.
with only a few trees aud houses visible on its
surface. This is promptly converted into =
sheet OF Ice. and the boats become useless; all
intercourse with the central stations Of Lubben
and Lubbenau is then carried on on skates.
But even this means of communication is cut
of from the jewellers in the Spree VALID. who
are reduced to the scanty resources offered by
scattered community dispersed in settlements
or a dozen cottages and by the more numer-
GUS but equally scattered houses Of Burg. dis
tant many miles from the nearest railway sta
ton.
TIE QUAINT CHARM
OF the strangers expedition begins on entering
the woods; in the summer the vegetation is
luxuriant under the sunless trees; creepers,
MOSES and waving ferns are tangled in lovely
CONFUSION. rising half way up the rugged trunks
or throwing their tendrills across the shallow
waters; 1t is almost impossible to believe that
other human beings have trodden these soli-
tudes, and that it is not a virgin forest whose
depths open before the boat Any accident,
trlcate mazes after nightfall appears fatal in
the eyes OF the natives; they are superstitious
IN the extreme; their Imagination is fed by
folk lore and tradition. To them the glades
are peopled with fantastic or menaclng forms.
vengeful spirits or weird specters. from which
they find no security save In broad daylight
The real danger of the forest however lies not
IN Its supernatural perils, but in the very real
danger OF getting lost during the night in the
labyrinth OF crossing and recrossing streams
nranfr In, II
part of Burg where the rustic inn stands called
for no appreciate reason Die Bleiche" liter
ally 1.-The bleachery." 1t is small, clean pic
turesque, embosomed in trees, surrounded bv
gurgilng brooks, and. with the church, is the
most important building of the place 1t al
fords good headquarters for exploring the
Spree Valid and becoming better acquainted
with its inhabitants.
CUSTOMS.
To the Wends Prussia is merely military
expression; like the Jews, like the wandering
tribes with no fatherland of their own. they
have always remained closely united among
themselves, preserving the old customs and
considering the mingling of races by marriage
as opposed to the laws OF origin. The women
wear the short skirts of vivid red and blue, not
descending lower than the middle of the leg
an apron of different but equally bright color,
silken bodice crossed by a brilliantly en-
broidered kerchief. The headdress is peculiar:
1t forms triangle on the summit of the head
and two wide wings at the back; although dis
proportonately large. combined with the whole
costume, the effect Is picturesque, and it is
worn with a spice Of coquetry inherent to all
women in any stage of civilization. The women
spin and weave IN the long winter evenings all
the materials they use; they put on shoes and
clothing only on sundays, to go to church
Then Is the time when they compare the
bravery of the attire and vie with each other
"a a of at no
close OF the sermon delivered in the Wend
tongne. The men have not remained quite so
faithful to the old traditional dress. but they
are all closely shaver, neither beard nor nous
tache being tolerated by the Nend race.
The distinction of caste among them are
very marked and scrupulousy respected al
though hardly noticeable to an outsider The
peasant owner of land ranks first, then the
peasant whose property is smaller, the "haus-
Ter" who possesses only his cottage, and. finally,
the "tagelohner," whose services are hired.
Marriage between the daughter of the first OF
these magnates and day laborer would be
considered by the forest jewellers as grave a
mesalliance as the union between a princess
and a private soldier. 1t would yet be less
degradation than mating with a PrussIan.
MARRIAGES.
They marry more for interest and solid adj
vantages than for love, and it is the girl who
chooses and proposes to the man. When she
has selected youth, which is generally at
very early age, she sends her mother or some
experienced relative to make the necessary
prudential inquiries about him; if thew are sat
lsfactory she follows with a formal demand for
his hand; the ambassadress eloquently de-
scribes the qualities, wealth and social rank of
the bride, aud. as soon as she has obtained the
bridegrooms consent, the ecclesastical author
lite are advised and an early date fixed
On the appointed day the bride. crowned
with myrtle and clad entirely In black-the
nuptial color-is accompanied by her friends
to the house of the young man. sometimes at
great distance from her own. She thanks him
for taking her and reminds him of her do
mestic duties; then her supporters and his
drink each mouthful of beer and the double
cortege sets out for the church, the boats that
carry them being testively decorated. The
bridegroom wears wreath of foliage fastened
to his hair by large waters: the brides mother
carries pair of fattened fowls Offering
to the minister. On the way the groom must
reclte the len Commandments and only once
address his future wife, using then the words:
.Chaste and good. such is life IN speech and
deeds" To which she answers: "A wife must
love and respect her husband"
The religious ceremony is long and COM
plicated, many of the forms taking place out
side the church. The concluding festivities
are held at the brides home. They last three
days. The Wends are not a sober race and lose
no opportunity OF drinking hard.
THEIR EXCESSIVE DREAD OF DEATH
is probably the cause of their exaggerated
funeral rites. As soon as one of them dies
every attention is paid 10 the performance of
certain tormalities supposed to prevent the oc-
currence of any signs of Ill omen portending
another death. All the doors and windows are
thrown open to allow the soul free egress; as
many candles are lit around the corpse as the
deceased numbered years; the bench on
which the bier was placed is burned as
Il ia rEnAnXA1 lost
one should sit on it and court dam
ger. All the animals belonging to the house
are collected before the door and the death of
their master is announced to them with every
detail OF his illness and sufferings. The friends
and relations are invited to assist at the funeral:
they come to the house dressed in white, the
color OF woe; they are wrapped in large sheets,
leaving only two hands and eyes visible, and
the incest discernment is observed in placing
them according to their social standing. At
tl.a