Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-24

generally at a. loss to know how to re- ply. Shall it be from musical, literary or social standpoint?
 never realized what going to Europe meant-the full significance never dawn ed upon me until the steamer sailed out across the deep blue sea and America, dear old America, faded from sight.
 We landed in Belgium at Antwerp, and in a most miraculous way our trunks were hurried into "droschke," and we for once in our lives baff1ed the custom house officers.
 After a few days in Berlin we went to Dresden, where I was to remain and study. The rest of the party were over only for the summer. We found some oid friends and Reinstatement Dresden, and for a few days. had no trouble with the language, as they coulq at least make themselves understoou. It was not until two weeks after my ar rival that fully realized that was Tn strange country, was to speak strange language and live what seemed to me then a strange life. I was, however, very soon forcibly reminded of the fact, for l left the friends and went into German family to board. They had no other boarders. and not one of the family could speak word of English The scenes we had the first three weeks trying 10 make ourselves understood were something re- markable We never like to tell Jokes on  who wanted some baked potatoes ana asked for baked slippers"-the words "kartoffer' and "pantoffel' being some thing similar.
 In Dresden the houses are built some thing like the flats in New York, conse, ouently in each house there are several families. There are no elevators, eA- cept in stores. One enters large hail III which is a winding staircase or stone. There is a kind of small landing on eaeh floor or for each flat Very often there are two flats on each floor If you go 10 concert or go out in the evening you are a veritable "Bluebeard." You must car ry the key to the big nau ooor ss uown the key to your room, as the house Is locked at 9 o'clock.
 The first floor is called "parterre," and Is generally occupied by the poorer class of people or is used for stofe. s ne second floor is called the first etage, ana this. the second and third etages are ex- pensive, while the fourth and hfth are cheap and, like the parterre, are taken by the poorer class. Board is not so very cheap despite what has been toio us of how very reasonable one can ,a mrs rs in Germany. I lived there three years and can speak only from students ex- perience, but one often pays dearly TOT experience Each year I lived little cheaper than the preceding one. Ine first year I paid $25 per month, the sec
 
 Among,the middle class who take poaro- CTS I found nearly all the houses fur nished alike There is in the bedroom the polished floor, the large rug, httie single bed two or three chairs lneVer saw but two rocking chairs whne III Germany), the sofa, table, long mirror over a chest of drawers, the snowy white curtaira, and little table by the pea, on which are brass candlestlck anu matches. It is useless to speak or that marvellous cleanliness for which the Ger mans are so noted, but think of it, ye American housewives, those floors are rubbed off every morning, and every window glass in the house Is washed each day. And there is no great ito do. as if house cleaning were going on. the entire house is cleaned and no one knows it's being done. l do not know II every city in Germany is as clean as Dresden, but somehow Dresden always escapes the cholera
 The rooms certainly do not look as cozy and comfortable as do our beauti- fully carpeted and elegantly furnished ones. and kind of desolate feeling creeps over one on cold winter morn ing, with the mercury 20 degrees below zero to stand and gaze upon the steve. How we wish for big old American fre-in a grate. The stoves are shaped something like our chimneys and reach almost to the ceiling. The majority Of them are covered with white porcelain or something very similar, making very peculiar aspect at night towering m like a great white monument. It Is no wonder that Mark Twain, upon entering a room, asked, Who is buried there?' I believe he had just gone over from London and had been visiting the Crypt at St. Paufs.
 When had gotten settled in my new quarters and had rented piano for $2) I enter the Royal COnSer- vatory. Just here should like to advise any student who intends studying in Germany to buy a piano. if they are to remain longer than ten months. There are 800 students at the Royal conserva- tory, coming from all over the world. There was one from Africa. I will not add that she was not in my class!
 Entering that conservatory is not what we imagined. l was told to return Sep tember 1. did and was ushered into a hall where sat about thirty or forty teachers. The director, Krantz, was at his desk There were two grand pianos side by side. That is all I could see, for I was wondering what was to be done gesture with his hands and said-weli, I couldn't tell what he said, but that ges- ture told me to play. Play for that fac ultyl hardly know what did or what I played but the director was very nice to me and told me in broken English 
 That was terrible! It was quite a com pliment, but one for which did not care. I had inquired concerning the methods and was sure Professor Schmole was the teacher I wanted, and, American that I was, l said SO. Some said afterwards that 1t made Krantz very angry, but he was always nice to me. Later I took some private lessons from him just to learn his method, though do not use it.
 The charges for the course at the Royal conservatory are very reasonable. For piano as leading study one gets two piano lessons two theory, two history of music and two chorus lessons a week, all for $25 per term of three and a half months. With vocal as leading study one gets with these other secondary studies all for about $35 per term of three and half months. This is the full course, but one may take only one of these studies, but cannot receive the certificate.
 To receive the certificate as teacher one must also take up -Krantz's "Lehr- gang" or teachers course.
 This I took-actually-and find 1t in- dispensable to those students who intend