The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-18

| lHc AuSlTdllan auueu TO MS reputation
by driving the sledge SO that the metal
recorder flew up the perpendicular like
a rifle ball and vanished among the
| unmarked spaces. He struck the
punching cushion a blow that disabled
the machine, and burst the lungtester
on the second trial. In time he found
congenial spirit in a Belgian, one of
| those international misfts whose in
| clinations seem ever at war with their
nationalities. The two ripped and
| tore through the town with impunity
in the carnival season, until it seemed
as if they We're of the same kind. but
they were not. Soon after the Austria
lian left town unscathed the Belgian
became involved in a quarrel which
closed his career as Newhlrs had been
! closed
One incident in the Australians Hell
| deberE ct--"r is worth telling here,
! although 1t is not necessary to Illus
| trate the subject in hand. In a saloon
| on the outskirts of the town he had a
| misunderstanding with an officer who
| had Just been transferred to the Hell
| delberg garrison, and therefore proba-
bly, did not know the Australians repu-
| tation, When his card was demanded
| the Australian was distracted from his
| constitutional desire to fight on the spot
for his rights. He had in his pocket the
card of a mild young English school
master who was stopping at the Hotel
! Victoria, and this he gave to the officer.
The next morning the mild young Eng
! lishman was astounded to be called
| from his breakfast to meet a smart
| lieutenant with a challenge. 1t re-
quired no end of explanation on the
| l. ,,,,1i 1ic1,,, n,,'s l.,
never had been in any German saloon.
| did not know there was such place
as the one in which the trouble oc-
cured and at the time of the quarrel
had been lost in the study of the ruins
! in NeckarSteinach. The mystery of
! the mistake was cleared week later,
| but the Australian heard no more of
! the affair. Perhaps the officer decided
| that it was not worth while to revive
| such trivial matter; perhaps he ac
| knoWledged to himself that the Aus
| tralian was a dangerous man to deal
| with; perhaps he was advised by col
leagues of longer Heidelberg expert
ence that a man who would fight on
the spot was not a fit antagonist for a
wearer of the kings coat-not salts
| factionsfohig. AT all events, the Aus
tralan's exemption from challenges
and molestation was not violated
PETTY EXACTIONS.
1t is not necessary, however, that the
foreigner in Germany should be in
suited and bullied to learn the oppres-
sive power of the officer. Let him go to
almost any theatre where the conven-
tional German comedy is played and
he will see the world in miniature re-
volvng around a sprig of lieutenant.
l recall such a play given at the royal
| Schauspielhaus in Berlin to illustrate
| the amazing things civilian would do
! If suddenly transported to the higher
plane on which the lieutenant lives. A
| young lawyer and a young lieutenant
| were to visit the same family in the
country, and by some mistake the son,
| whose friends they were, was not at
! home to receive them. The rest of the
family had not met the visitors The
| civilian arrived first, and was supposed
by the family to be the lieutenant in
| civile: thereupon a great iiuttering of
the daughters heart and grim satis-
faction on the part of the veteran fam
| lily man servant, whose heart beats
with joy at the prospect of again serv-
ing uniformed gentleman. Undue
honors are heaped upon the civilian
from all sides; he sinks under them.
| He is too stupid to answer the coquet-
| tish advances of the daughter; he has
| not dignity to command the respect of
the veteran of the las, who had longed
to serve him. He does not curse the
old man once. and the old man retires
to a corner of the stage and curses him
for not cursing him. And, O crowning
horror of horrors, the supposed lieuten-
off TO Sh l.n hn, ,nlc Ntrit hA
veteran On the second day the young
lawyer learns what is the trouble with
the persons who are bowling down to
him, and becomes so pulfed up with
the idea that it is possible for him to
| pass as lieutenant that he does not
| correct the mistake.
Thereby hangs a tale of civilian sor-
row which teaches the same moral as
| the fable of the ass in the lions skin
The civilian is introduced to an old
general, and becomes frightened at the
| grand military language of the war
rior Then he is introduced to young
officer and stands aghast at the wit
and gallantry and dash Of this eighth
wonder of society. When the young
officer snorts through his nose about
war, the civilian covers and stammers
and edges away. When the young Of
ficer lays his hand on his sword hilt
in an finland way, the civilian jumps
and begins to apologize for an offense
he never committed. Surely something
must be wrong, surmise the unappre-
ciate coquette and her family and the
veteran man servant. Surely it is not
possible that lieutenant can be as stu
pid and cowardly and clumsy and hum
BILE as this supposed lieutenant in ciVile,
and then comes the revelation, accom-
plished through the sudden return of
the son, and the wondering household
learn that it is in fact, as they sus-
pected, only a poor thing of a lawyer
that has been with them, and no lieu
tenant at all. The visitor is made
comfortable at once in the humble
niche reserved for such inconsiderabla
creatures, and cuts no figure in the
rest of the play. When the lieutenant
comes in he is as gay and witty and
superior to all uniformed mankind as
the fancy Of the audience has been led
to paint him. He struts and flirts and
wins all feminine hearts, young and
old. He pats the young lawyer on the
back, and after recovering from his
fright, the young lawyer beams with
happiness. The servants do every
thing short of lying PROSTATE in the
lieutenant's pathway to be walked
over, and the daughter of the house
willis away in his arms when he hints
of love. There is gay young girl in
the piece who talks with a nasal twang
to initiate the lieutenant affects to
a lnha a lal ol Ia :