Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-02
WITH THE GERMAN STUDENT
A TYPICAL DAY OF HIS CAREER
DESCRIBED.
Likes Nothing Better Thnn to Be Seen
ON Parade-AversiOn to Out
door Exercise.
From the Boston Transcript.

From the Boston Transcript.
As there are workers and drones. SO there
are students with all sorts Of incomes; but
1 do not believe there is such wide DIFF
ference in this matter as In America. and
the men who must live frugally are In the
majority. man I knew well in Berlin.
the son of a clergyman, had $50 month
to pay all his expenses. There were many
like him, and there are plenty who live on
less. The student rents a room for which
he pays from s to s. a month. This In
ciudes his morning coffee and rolls. His
fire costs him about cents day-when he
has one. In the smaller university towns
believe the most of the students have a
study and a sleeping room adjoining. but
in the cities many Of the men have one
room which serves for all.
And now take a day in the life OF this
follower after learning. That Is dmcuit
matter. for suppose nobody is more ir-
regular in his habits. He may rise at
eight: or. having gone to bed at o In the
morning he may put Off getting up till
afternoon. But take him at s. His land
lady brings his coffee. and when he has
finished that he is off for the university.
He goes to two or three lectures In the
morning. Some men take full notes of
every word of the professor; some jot down
phrases and write them up afterward;
some take no notes at all. At l or 2
o'clock he dimes in company with several
bosom friends. There are students res
taurants where one can dine plentifully FOR
20 cents. or even a little cheaper. One gets
a soup. two kinds of meat with vege-
table, and stewed fruit for dessert. This
Is always accompanied by beer.
After dinner he plays cards for An hour
and then has coffee. Then he works or
sleeps or takes a walk as the mood is.
We will say that supper is at I; 1t is just
as likely to be o. If it Is at a restaurant
1t costs about % cents. but sometimes the
student buys a bit at a shop and "eats
cold" and sometimes he makes sort Of
running meal, eating a little here and a
little there at all sorts Of places. Nobody
could describe the fearful and wonderful
dishes which the German student eats He
is fond OF hot sausage banked round with
cabbage. In winter the breast Of goose
is a favorite tit-bit: and there are plates
of stuff for which the only word is mess"
OF course there is beer again.
We will suppose that often and often he
studies in the evening. many no doubt
do: but he is also often at the theater with
half dozen friends He is just as eager
to see Schiller's Maid of Orleans" as to
see a girl in tights at variety show, but
he does not want to pay more than mark
or a mark and a half for his entertain
ment.
Occasionally he holds "Commers'' at a
beer hall. drinks and sings and otherwise
makes merry. When the spring days come
nothing delights him more than to have
a table on the pavement in the sun. where
he can drink and play cards and be looked
at. For he does like to make an impress
sion. consequently he is never so happy as
when there Is a celebration Of some sort
and he has a chance to parade in his bril-
liant uniform. with an enormous silk sash
and little pill box cap, and the part of his
hair extending from the back of his neck
to his forehead.
In the vacations at Easter and in sum-
mer he makes journeys on foot or other
wise. He explores the interesting parts of
his beloved Germany-the Rhine-the Black
Forest-the Harz. OF course he pushes be-
yond the bonds. too. but he knows 1.-The
Fatherland" first.
Beyond his tramping, which Is saunter
rather than a. sharp walk. he gets ..tte
outdoor exercise. There are clubs which
profess to play foot ball and tennis; but a
Germans idea of tennis is putting on your
best clothes and a high collar and posing
on the courts. Just here the army steps in
as a corrective. and the one or two years
service does much to atone for the aver
sion of the average German to outdoor ex-
erciSe