The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-05-31
THE GERMANS AT HOME.
An American Lady's Impressions of Social
and Family Life.

and IN many ways we Americans have
much to learn here. 1t is cheaper not
because food costs much less, for, COM
pairing market prices, we see that meat
is about the same in both countries,
and some staple articles, sugar, flour
and lard, much cheaper in America.
Rents and wages are of course much
lower in Germany, but it is cheaper
principally because everything is used
and nothing wasted.
A family here will buy pieces of meat
that in America we should think too
poor and cheap to use, but they under
stand cooking them better than we 10,
and make them very appetizing, and
we learn to live more simply and alto
gether on smaller scale. Everything
is bought in small quantities; for one
reason, there are no store closets and
poor cellar accommodations ia these
houses, and it is largely the custom to
pay every day for what is brought into
the house. The cook receives every
day money to pay for the milk and
bread, and meat and vegetables are
paid for when ordered. Germans are Il
people of small incomes, and to pay for
each days needs simplifes arranging
for other expenses, which must per-
force run longer. Servants have quite
a different bill of fare from their en-
ployers, which is as it should be, and
they are perfectly satisfied with it.
They do not expect to eat meat every
day. and are not accustomed to it in
their own homes, but they get a strong,
nourlshing soup always. made princi-
pally of bread and vegetables, as in
France plenty of vegetables cooked in
ways peculiar to themselves, generally
with bit of fat bacon, of which they
are very fond and bread and coffee ad
libitum, generally three times a day,
but no sugar, and each one-half pound
OF butter per week. Neither do they
expect the choice cuts of meat and poul-
try common in American kitchens, yet
are well fed and content and excellent
workers.
A German servant is always taking
little lunches all day long and one
generally finds them with the mouth
full, and often large slice of bread
and butter is lying near by, where
they happen to be at work, polishing
the floor, or ironing, as it may chance.
The difference in feeding servants
makes an enormous one in expenses.
Wages, of course, are in proportion to
other things. A cook who is also a
general servant-for very few families
keep more than two, even where there
IVA phi 20
twenty marks per month three dollars
and saventy-five cents to five dollars
and she is always neatly and comfort
ably dressed, but then she never wears
hat or bonnet except on Sunday and
invariably knitS her own stockings.
The housekeeper always has in her
stock of household linen a large guam
tity of aprons for the use of her serv-
ants, so many of white and colored be-
ing given out each week and accounted
for when a servant leaves. But they
wear no fine feathers or silk dresses.
and every one of them, men and wo-
men, pays a small tax to the govern
ment of about twenty cents per month,
credited to them in a bank book at the
end of each year, and called the hos
pital fund, emitting them to care
and support during illness. This
small amount is often, though
not always, paid by the employer,
and credited each month by small
stamps issued for the purpose and for
sale at every postotfice. These are
affixed to a card inscribed with the
name of the owner, and good for one
year or more, as it may be, and when
full must be presented at the head po-
lice office for registratio where thew
receive credit for it. Arriving at old
age or incapacitated from work, each
one is entitled to>a pension, which
though small, is better than nothing
There is no homemade bread in Ger
many; but washing day has it's own
terrors, especially SO when it comes
but once month, as in most German
families.
Then the servant does not hesitate to
say to the visitor, ''Nein, die gnadige
Frau list nicht zu hause, wir haben
crosse wasche" (No, the gracious lady
is not at home; we have our big wash
ing); and very likely this servant NAV
be soldier dressed in his linen suit.
with sleeves rolled up and bare red
arms, looking boiled from the wash
tub. Most ladies help in some way
with the washing, and invariably do
all the cooking on that day, and on the
next they assist in sprinkling and
folding the clothes to go to the manple.
Every German girl is taught how to
fold the sheets and table-cloths and it
is quite feat of gymnastics as they
stand, one at each end, holding the
linen, with the right foot firmly
planted forward and the left one back,
and then pull with all their might to
stretch it; and a very fatiguing process
it is
But the average German woman is
very strong; she must be to do all that
is required of her. She has little or no
time for reading or any accomplish
ment after marriage: it is kitchen and
housework, and sewing and mendinp
by turns. She must help her children
with their lessons, and must be con-
tent, for amusement, to go out occa-
sionaly for a walk with her husband.
stopping always for glass of beer at
a restaurant and this especially on
Sunday afternoons. A few balls in
winter, with the simplest social enter
tainments sandwiched in between, is
about all she ever sees or knows of the
world. A woman is considered old at
% and if not married. bafora tbat 10