The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-01-28
CHRISTMAS IN GERMANY.
AN INDIANAPOLIS LADY IN BERLIN.
Temperance Sentiments Respected-water
Bad Teeth - Bad Cake, But Good
COffee-SaIaries and Wages Cheap
FIOwsrs-Strange Customs, Etc.

4
baby would have fresh milk all the way.
/ L was standing before a tall Christmas
/ tree with young woman who had been
studying here four years. "Trees are
/ dear this year." she said dreamily. Il
suppose where they get them it has not
/ been a good year for this kind of trees"
As if fir trees were raised every year from
the seed like cabbages
/ German Christmas is something
never to be forgotten. The gay booths,
the brilliant display in the shop windows
/ and the forests of Christmas trees make
real fairy land. And as for flowers, there
are nearly as many stores where they are
for sale as bakeries. and they excel here
in making beautiful designs. An Indian
| apolis young man apologizing for not
taking young lady to hear Patti said he
! did not believe in cheap ways to win
girls heart. Here young man has no
/ such fear in sending friend floral offer
| ing. One such gift know of contained
ten Marechl Mel roses, several sprays of
! lilies-of-the-yailey, several punches of
/ English violets, delivered, and all for %
wreath made of every kind of green
material or flowers tied with long ribbons.
| These are always placed on top of
the high four-legged collins at funerals,
and knowing this heard sigh of SYM
| pathy every time | saw one carried in the
/ street. But it seems they are always used
for birthday celebrations, for feasts and
often for gifts. Wednesday afternoon the
| state Lutheran churches had Christmas
| trees. In the evening we took a walk to
see the family trees. The curtains were
not drawn and it was a pretty sight to
! pass one brilliant tree after another. In
stead of Santa aus they have an angel
on top of the tree. We had an American
| feast. tree and general good time at the
home OF the pastor of the American
| church. Christmas afternoon we went to
| the German methodist church, where two
/ blazing trees and the exercises by the
! children made It very pleasant. II is re-
markable how well these little children
| speak German.
The day after Christmas is the second
| feast day, for the celebration lasts three
! days here. We were invited to the home
| of some friend who cannot speak a word
OF English. When people call here they
! always expec rrfreshments-wine,o or beer,
/ or CO ee. There is no calling the way
! American ladies do. The Germans are
much perplexed when Americans refuse
! their wine At this same house, on re
| turning nv friends fit visit, she thought
! | refused her wine because it was not good
! enough. 1t was very difficult to exp ain
| our position with only a few German
words at command. At this dinner they
! had only canned raspberry juice in honor
! OF our temperance sentiments. A
! favorite pudding sauce is canned
/ fruit juice, and it Is better than Jelly.
1 When guests are invited to aparty coffee is
usually served on arriving, and it is not
! fashionable to be late. Then later comes
I the dinner or supper. Right here the
| Germans break every known hygienic
! rule laid down in the books. They live
/ on beer aud wine end strong coffee. One
/ young lady seeing me drink water said it
was very bad for the teeth. They 90 to
/ work in the morning with only a cup of
/ coiee and one or two rolls. At II
they take a light lunch; at they eat
dinner. No bread or butter, but meat
and vegetables. The poorer people cook
it all together in a big kettle. Sor of
them eat lard on their bread. Their cook
| ing i peculiar. Everything 5 greasy and
highly seasoned, and decidedly mixed.
! Chocolate is put IN soup, or sometimes
nutmeg and spices As O'clock comes,
| coffee" again, and at bedtime a hearty
supper. OF course they have dyspepsia?
They ought to, but they don't. They are
| the healthiest, heartiest people, in spite
of alcohol and constant smoking. of
course | would not mention this in
| temperance lecture.) We took supper
one evening with a baroness. That sounds
! high-she lives on the fourth flOor-but as
each chill takes its fathers rank without
his money, a great many titled people
| here give lessons Ortake in boarders. She
lived in pleasant apartments, full OF beau
tiful things that looked as il she had had
ancestors. A fayorite way here is to
/ serve the feast on a table i'll the par or,
the guests sitting on the sofa as the place
! of honor. The china and linen are Just
/ lovely. For supper we had four
or fine courses. Eggs, some kind of sated
| fish, wenier worst, ham, fried meat cakes,
cheese. tea, several kinds OF bread, cake,
nuts and fruit. This lady had been in
| America. and we we're Tuch edited over
her desc iption of that country. She told
/ us at Americans drank, but instead of
! having it on their tables they took it on
the sly. She said Americans loved ginger
bread better than anything else Then she
showed me something she knew ! had
never seen in America. 1t was a strip of
carpet.
''You can't guess what that is made Of"
| she said.
As if 1 had not sewed carpet-rags at
a cent pound in my childhood days!
The world is good deal alike after all
At this dinner begun describing they
had what we children used TO cali fish
worm" soup. I'VE have this soup in
| America, and call it noodle SOUP" / re-
marked. ''The same name here they
cried, much pleased. The roast veal might
have once roamed over Maott park and
tho potatoes and stewed apples were
neither strange nor peculiar. But the pud-
ding was. 1t was made of grated potatoes,
whites OF eight eggs and sugar, and with
fruit Juice it was delicious The only
trouble was, seeing the pitcher of juice
near my plate, ! accepted their invitation
to put some in my water. Not wanting
to act proud, took a good deal, and
then, when 1 found it was for the
pudding, | felt like sending myself
in the corner. 1t is German custom to
urge you 10 eat or to stay beyond any
reason. But they are 30 polite and kind
hearted any little mistake is soon forgot
ten. We sat at the table from / O'clock to
8. Then candy, fruit and nuts were
brought on. At O'Clock coffee and cake