Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-05
Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
NAxzxIN, HKssE DARAsfADf,

SoxESsPooosoc0 OF Inc Evening Ctef.
NAxHxN, HKssE DARHsfADf,
August 10, 1891.
LEW ENGLISH, AND STILL FEWER
Il Americans know Of this little place Of Nam
helm, though OF late years the virtue Of its
waters has led some Of our countrymen to
brave the probable horrors of sea sickness in
order to test them. Many Germans flock here,
however, for the baths. So you are enabled to
see good many Of the national types in great
perfection. Being only about twelve miles
from Hombourg. it has still not been over
Swallowed by the superlative smartness Of that
very fashionable resort for the reason that it
makes no attempt to do so.
Nothing can disturb its habitual quiet seren-
ity, and though it offers no Inducements to
the pleasure seeker or globe trotter thirsting
for fresh fields in which to flourish the peren-
NAL note book it has yet charm all its own.
Lovely grounds, shady walks and avenues.
flower beds in profusion, . capital band that
plays three times day with the most charac-
teristic Of conductors-all spectacles and back
hair and imbued with profound belief in the
beauty Of his own compositions-a charming
little lake with the reddest of red boats and the
whitest Of white swans on it: good shape and
pretty villas in the new part Of the town and
in the old delicious little crooked streets with
| their red-tiled roofs. surprising corners and an
giles: and focks Of geese and little children-it
is all picturesque and delightful.
The kurhaus, where we 60 to table
d'hote, is quite an imposing building, used
originally for gambling purposes. A large
dining sale Mt one end and at the other q read
ing room with native and foreign papers and
m 'gazines, COMFORT hall where there is dane
tng every Thursday evening and an occasional
theatrical performance and billiard, card, sit
ting and private dining rooms on each side Of
the wide stone hall. The porter who ushers
you in makes bright spot Of color in his red
and black livery and the cuisine is excellent,
though your appetite is occasionally hampered
by the gentleman opposite you, who swallows
his knife with alarming rapidity and great per-
| sistency throughout the meal. The Indian
jugglers are nothing to him and you find your
self admiring the way he brings it up success
fully each time and bolts it again at the next
mouthful. If he would only not attack his
food like q wolf and snort afterwsrd like a
grampus you could almost find it in your heart
to forgive him.
ON THE TERRACE IN THE EVENING.
The terrace in front Of the Kurhaus is always
crowded Of an evening when the band plays,
and of course there are the inevitable little
tables and chairs with foaming mugs Of beer
| about; groups Of students in their different
colored caps, strutting up and down. exhibiting
| their scars with evident pride; stout German
men with their stouter frauen: slim youths
with artistic tendencies budding out all over
| them; shy, much befurbelowed madchen;
many invaids in bath chairs; a very blase lady
in very picturesque attire (Sara Bernhardt
| drawn-through-a -keyhole expression). with two
equally theatrical looking children prancing
| around her, and whom we are told is a Polish
countess, and fascinating nurse in the ma
tlonal costume. consisting Of q red skirt and
| bodice trimmed with silver embroidery low
necked chemisette let in with huge puffy sleeves
and muslin apron to match, five or six strings
| OF bright-colored beads around her neck, huge
| hoops i'll her ears and a gorgeous red cap bor-
dered with huge imitation pearls and finished off
behind with long streamers of red ribbon, which
descend nearly to the hem OF her skirt. She is
perfect feast of color and handles one of the
prettiest babies imaginable. Add to this family
groups Of all sizes, sorts and descriptions, hosts
| OF children, musicians, workmen, peasants, q
benevolent old gentleman who tenderly wheels
| about the blacklist Of little darkies in a bath
chair, the different masseuses hurrying ON their
way to patients, hatless and jacketless with
| funny little shawls over their arms, which it
| never seems to occur to them to put on a
gorgeous head policeman with sword and sill
| yer helmet whom it Is quite a shock to see
| flirting with the maids; peasant women with
black padded knobs tied on their heads to carry
their burdens on, skirt that sticks straight out
| from the hips and are of ballet brevity and re
| veal very well-developec calves clad in very
stout WOODEN stockings, and an occasional
deaconess with her kind, gentle face and white
cap-this is Mannheim as it is seen in summer.
WHEN THE GUESTS HAVE FLED
In winter it is different. The guests have
long since folded their tents and the masseuses
have returned to their home occupations, the
band is silent, and with the visitors the life OF
the place is gone. Its picturesque element
must still remain. however, for those who care
for it. l can imagine it would be borne lovely
and cheerful carpeted with snow, sparkling in
| the rays of winter sun. pretty custom OF
the place is for the village priest on Easter
| morning. followed by the altar boys and such
of the faithful are able, to walk in procession
up the winding path Of the Johannisberg Ga
pretty hill overshadowing the town and chant
the first Easter hymn on the summit. There
are two churches in the place, Lutheran and
| q Catholic.
The country around Mannheim is charming.
Nothing could be prettier than the views Of the
hills, the bits Of woodland, the bright patches
of peoples and cornfowers, the yellow daisies
growing profusely in vivid and beautiful con-
trast with their CLINT of gold among tine grass
and the old castle of Friedberg outlined against
the blue sky and visible from all points
IN QUAINT FRIEDBERG.
Friedberg is one Of the quaintest towns Of ita
size in all Germany. half hours walk through
the fields brings you to the base Of the hill on
which the schloss is perched, with the principal
old street stretching away behind it. The
glimpse of that street seeh through the old
arCuWuy VI tue Castle was u ulbtlnCI sensation.
The quaint old gabled houses, all tumbled up
against each other and jutting out at delicious
angles, the rough cobblestones and the sudden
curve of the street at the end made as unique q
picture one could find. Part of the old wall,
which originally ran quite round the town,
still remains and the towers date from the
twelfth century. looked at the narrow arrow
Sits and could almost imagine the archers be.
hind them taking aim and the cries Of the be-
siegers as they swarmed at the walls. There ia
nothing to Jar upon your feelings. You can be
as medieval you please without any danger
of being '.yanked' back into the nineteenth
century without a moments notice, which is q
great comfort. The new part Of the town il
quite down the hill to the left An aged crone
hobbled along in front Of Us and pointed out
the way to
| THE CASTLE GARDENS,
which are well worth seeing. She watched the
place so perfectly and seemed to belong to it SC
entirely that we regarded her with lingering
affection. The garden surrounds part of the
ancient moat Of the CASTLE into which you can
descend by stone steps if you don't value your
life particularly and are anxious to be laid up
with pneumonia. In spite Of this fact l ran
down in it myself and ran up again the other
side. 1t was nice to have actually been in q
moat even under commonplace modern cir
cumstances. The outlook from the garden is
very lovely, but. alas too extensive in one
particular, as it enables you to see the train
| puffn1 along Enthusiastically not far off