Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-13
MoDERNIzED CASTLES.
Modern Improvements in the Piles Of Stone
on the Rhine.
Inconvenience That the Housewife
Used to Undergo In Feudal
Hmes.

From the New York Times.
However badly the men Jared in the good
old days when these castles were used, the
condition OF women must have been a hun
dred times worse-not Of the women only
who lived in the little farmers huts that
disappeared centuries ago: they were worse
on than the cattle they tended; but of the
women who had the best of It, who were
the wives Of the knights and mistresses of
the castles. Just imagine the Hudson, my
dear madam, dotted with castles, a mile or
two apart, on both banks, from Yonkers to
Albany; every castle on the top of a crag,
and every owner Of a castle at war with all
the others. and yourself mistress Of one of
the castles. You have plenty of silver ware,
most likely, if your husband is good fight
er, and no dearth of heavy old handmade
furniture. The Sits of windows are SO
small that curtains would be of no use;
and, anyhow, as there is no glass, the rain
would soon ruin them. You find that the
cold stone floors make your joints stir, and
you spread some ruSheS on them. Your SUD-
ply or meat and other eataples depends
upon the success or his lorushlp'S rains.
You have no woman to associate with bur
your boorish servants. There is one book
IN The mouse, prayer book, but you are NOT
able TO read 1t unless you are one OF the ad-
VEnced women of the time. You would go
out? Then you must first climb down the
crag by path that is barely passapie at
the risk OF being captured by a neighpor.
You nave a beautiful view, and some line
afternoon you go up in the highest tower to
watch a little passage at arms On the plain
II Is something that you lake considerable
interest i'll, for your husband is in the
thick OF the hight. He anu his men have
clashed with Sir Adolphus and his men,
and your husband may come home laden
with piunder, or he may come nome ON q
board. But you are used to such things
You go INTO your chamber and kneel before
the stone cruclnX, where you spend great
zeal OF the time. Before you have reached
the last bead in the string you hear joyful
shouts below. The sorrow is not 10 be in
your castle this time, but in the next one
Milford is safe. and there will be fresh meat
for a fortnight.
This feminine view of the middIe-age cas-
tie industry was brought home to me by
contrast this morning when a boatman in
b.ue cap and wooden shoes was rowing me
UP the river-not up the Rhine, but up the
Moselle, which flows into the Rhine here;
but it answers the same purpose Half a
mile up the Moselle, on a moderately high
peak of rock, stands one of the Old castles.
Ihere is nothing ruinous about it; it has
been put in thorough repair. Not only glass
in the windows, but striped canvas avn
ingS over some of them and rows of potted
flowers on every broad window sill and
along some of the exposed edges Of the elm.
Statues in hooks cut in the rock and iron
dogs and lions looking ready to growl No
precipitous paths but smooth gravel walk
with winding stone steps here and there
wherever needed, guarded by an iron rail
on each side. While we were passing, max
Ing SLOW progress against the strong cur
rent man in bright livery came down the
steps carrying a bicycle-down to the road
that skirts the river-and stood there wait
ing. A few moments later q lady appeared
at the castle gate, not on milk-white
steed. but in blue boomers; tripped lightly
down the steps, took the wheel from her
groom, mounted it and rode away hope
she was going to the dressmaker's to buy a
skirt
Coblentz has the advantage of being WIS.,
tied by fewer tourists than the other large
Rhenish towns. The inhabitants may not
consider this an advantage, but the leis-
urely traveller sees the difference and en-
joys 1t. This is not because 1t is unattract
i've, for 1t is a beautiful place, full Of in
teresting things to see. 1t is largely because
the modern tourist does the Rhine with q
rush, and Cobfentz is neither a starting
nor stopping point Start the tourist from
Paris, and if he Is going to do Switzer-
land. he takes the express over to Cologne,
where he spends the night, and takes the
steamboat up the river to Bingen or May
cree in the morning, after which he con-
siders the Rhine one of his old camping
grounds, and has at least shadowy basis
for many a good anecdote of when was
going up the Rhine" Or If he is bound for
northern Germany he strikes first for
Mayence or Bingen, and takes the boat
down to Cologne. In either case he Is gen.
orally In too much Of hurry to stop at
way stations.