The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-26

| and had a match out ready to Strike
against the box. Just then he noticed {
| wniff OF tobacco smoke from the mex
compartment to ours. ''So." he mutterec
! to himself as he carefully replaced tn;
match in the box. Then ne got up, went
! into the next compartment, borrowed
| light from the smoker there, and return
ed, treading on my toes in so doing, anc
sat down with well satisfied air. He
| had saved his match-value, one two
huldredta part Of cent.
l have still another illustration in my
notebook of the care taken Of matches
A clockmaker urged me to buy certain
kind Of clock, because by pulling string
it struck the hour. I would save matches
| in the night, he said. Clocks with this
| device, by the way, were once far more
common in Germany than they are now
and in the days, or rather nights, when
matches were unknown, 1t must have
been convenient TO oe able to know the
hour by simply pulling the string.
bought one near Munich which strikes
both the quarters and the hours, bu:
upon different gongs. Thus, when
pull the string in the night and hear the
lighter gong strike three and then the
deeper gong strike two, 1 know that Ii
is a quarter of three, and 1 go to sleep
with no match on my conscience.
It is no uncommon thing in these parts
10 see men fill their pockets with match
es from the box on the tables in the
cafes and restaurants. The small allow
ance of sugar to a cup of coffee is con-
slant source of sorrowful amusement, II
there be such a thing, to travelling Amer
leans. Such a thing as bowl full OF
Jumps of sugar is almost unknown, per-
haps for the good reason that the first
customer would empty it Of every lump.
I have seen much more curious things
than this done. 1 have watched we'll
dressed women take the remains OF a
steak or chop off their plate in restau-
paper for future consumption. And no
German was ever known to leave bit
Of sausage behind him. AS an old lady
a German, of course, once remarked to
us as we were dining together at an Inn
in the Tyrol, You nave paid well for
all lthis food and why should you leave
half of 1t on the table, as you rich Amer
;cans always do? 1t is a sim" So she
put the remaining sugar in one pocket
the figs and nuts in another and wrapped
the bread up in her handkerchief. have
nothing to say against this practice; /
merelymention it as curious TO Ameri-
cans.
To economic is. as I have already
remarked, apparently Of no importance.
Servants are worked in a way unknown
to us. They do all their work without
the aid of any of our housekeeping de-
vices, and the German f1ousemadchen
trudges cheerfully to market with bas-
ket that our maids would refuse 10 carry
upon any terms. In all German cities.
porters, or Dienctmen. are to be found
on every corner. and yet the hausfrau
will send her own maid miles on foot to
bring home purchases rather than pay
the porter's very moderate fee. The OBJ
jeotion of most Germans TO carrying
home their purchase is all the more re-
markaole when one considers that the
girl or man-more often a girl-who acts
as messenger for shop expects and u.s.
ually receives a small tip of few pfen-
nigs for the service. Just imagine the
face Of package deliverer from one OF
our great New York shops II he was Of
fered gratuity Of three cents at the
house of customer! Yet ten pfennigs,
less than three cents, is the customary
tip TO shop messengers in Munich, and
am told that these messengers receive
No OH In no ~,
who brings up wood or coal, the grocer
girl, the woman with the weeks wash,
all expect and get small tip OF from
five to ten pfennigs.
1t Is probably because such tips are SO
absolutely small that the Germans are
averse to carrying bundles in the streets.
Or perhaps this almost comical reluct-
ance TO carrying anything may be traced
to another cause. The military casts
agains. the rules for an army officer TO
carry a bundle or even an umbrella in
the street, partly because he must have
his hands free at all times so as to be
ready with his military salute, and part
ly because a lot Of bundles would de-
tract from the imposing appearance the
uniform is expected to lend its wearer.
So we have the curious spectacle of Off
GERS walking with ladies and letting the
ladies carry the bundles if there are any
to carry; 1 have even seen an officer
grandly along with his sword
upon the sidewalk, while be-
side him trudged his wife, meekly carry
ing his hat box. Or, more curious still
to American eyes. have seen a big
officer, full TO overflowing OF
beer and sausages. going to the railroad
station followed by a servant maid car
ryiny mis- heavy valise! And l saw the
girl carry the vaiise to the car, and not
only that, but aboard the car and put
Il up in the rack for him!
The custom Of the country seems to
be to give women the hardest and most
unpleasant work. In southern Ger
many women mix mortar for new build
ings and act as ho6-carriers; women
clean the streets. and have met scores
of women dressed in mems trousers
working upon the country roads. The
sight OF woman and dog pulling a
cart together is almost too common in
the streets Of Munish and Dresden to
be mentioned here. The whole custom
seems 10 como from the desire to save
pfennigs, for women viii work for less
than men.
An amusing Illustration OF the way
in which this custom OF making women
do what men do not want to Go may be
seen every day, especially in southern
Germany. II my wife and / bought any
thing in Munich shop and declared
our intentions OF taking il with Us. the
package, no matter how big. was in
varia bly, given to my wife and not to me.
I remember that one day my wife, my
son and i were out shopping, when my