Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-09-03
GERMAN AVS.
They Surprise Thiz T1uii-t, but
Rather Please Him, Top. fTgl


| The "Xa, ,uess ana order. tie min
| ut-nrSs uf regulation. ana the infinite
detail ~ miIinAry Ilir plrNadr tnr ....-
/ tire social fabI!. ~ ti,. flLny. Every
| thinE from b-rr-4.InkIng ~ goes by
/ ulc. ANA most ~ ti4--,. IuI,- nave been.
s"t iottn Ia books % panplirts viii.
I th.. characteristic thuruugnncss Ut TIL,
| T"uton Says a writer is the Outlook.
1 shall not soon forget th- GazZinl
| .I.r,t presented by i.ne looking, SOL
( d."rly German hom / saw coming
4 down. Inter Den LInuca ut MONDAY in.
u tuu-ar-se suir y tam hat. ana W Hit.
| Kid gloves. No one seemed ut all sur
/ ITiE-d NJ MS appearance, ANA ] learned
| att@rwari that ~ Mas probably som,
nrW eu.eIHrnrut Official gong to pay
h.- resPctts tu his ChieI. ana that
| - -.s uetaN q! his costume was pre-
ribcI in the written ORDER Wnici
summoned him a foreigner in Ger
many is crttdIl 70 make the mos;
amusing mistakes !n the matter ot
tcfmality AZ! irfoEmaHty ~ dress II
maE be said y passing that German
4-ri dinner ~ horror Vt fOrnality.
/ oar il is quite worth white toi the *
cc4ien.- mi ta- French cooking. On
the other hand, German beer garden
Is the a, M Of Sociability and Kind
ness A kind " easy familiarity and
simple enjoyment by the side Of which
almost any English or American
dinner is i,y with dignity For the
Germans know how 10 enjoy their
food and drink.
An English lady. thu WEE III fam
Gus :"ier. ist. gave me an amusing aC-
| count of hvr experience at reception.
given by the wife III German pIoffes-
soi. As son as she came into the
room she Wus invited TO place on d
.ugc. soft sofa, standing in 4 promi-
| nent place al one side OF the room.
she much preferred 4 chair, because
i would be rot only less CONSPICUOUS
but much more comfortable. But
when I'll would have taken an empty
chair. IL her establishment it was
promptly removed ana occupied by one
OF the German women ANA she was
finally compelled to take a seat on the
sofa Presently another English lady
OF rank appeared. and the wife Of the
chemist was promptly invited to
leave TIE sofa ana take 4 chair. ana
the newcomer, by hook and crook. was
induced To occupy the sofa. After
ward al these proceedings were made
plain: the sofa was the place of honor
beyond all others. and it must be oCCu-
pied by the most important lady pres
ent whether she liked it or not.
Then there il the fine art Of bowling.
In Germany You lift your hat to men
As We'll as To women. Ii YOU meet Gen
eral Schroeder. YOU raise your hat high
and bring il down to your knees with
4 iuil sweep Of the arm: if You meet
Herr Schmitt. who is your social equal.
You tin your hat as much as he does
hiS-and no more: whereas if you meet
Your tailor. you respond to his low bow
~ th5 mercSt touch Of recognition. To
The initiated every man proclaimS his
'ocial position at every step by his
bowling. one must remove his hat
when he enters a store though. strange
~ enough. the same man who stands
uncovered while he is purchasing q
f@Ir Of gloves will wear his hat III the
cafe next door, The Englishman,
whose neck is proverDially stiff in the
matter of bowling. always leaves be-
mind him the smoke of offense when he
leaves German shop, for he has in
variably forgotten to remove his hat.
The German sJorekeepers is the soul of
Eoliteness. He rushes out to open the
door for You when you leave. and
whether you have bought anything or
not he has an apprecia tive thank you
ready for you. Indeed. the spirit of
thanks is one of the pleasant things
which the stranger encounters in Ger
many. The elevator boy who takes
YOU up to Your room thanks you hear
tily when YOU become his guest; the
waiter thanks you when he takes your
order; the barber thanks you when
YOU sit down in his chair. And | am
sure that this is not done merely with
view to ultimate tips. for many Ger
mans tip very sparingly; it seems to
me that it proceeds rather from a very |
genuine friendliness which | have seen
manifested in so many other pleasant |
wayS C,prn,,py